Author's notes: This is for the paint it red monthly challenge: Time was never on my side. It envision it being two or three chapters long. I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to let me know how your thoughts, they're always welcome.
Jane jumps up from the couch as he spies Lisbon enter the room.
"Lisbon! Finally! One more minute and I would have gone without you."
"No you wouldn't Jane, not when a free lunch is on offer."
"I'm famished woman, I thought I was in danger of swooning."
"Swooning! I see you're reading your Jane Austin collection again."
Jane smiles.
"I just like to..."
"Jane."
Jane and Lisbon both turn at the interruption by Agent Fisher.
"This came for you."
Agent Fisher hands Jane a telegram.
Lisbon smirks,
"I feel like I'm in a time warp, swooning and now a telegram. Who sends them any more?"
Jane's staring at the envelope in his hand and answers quietly.
"Someone with bad news."
Jane's demeanor wipes the smile off of Lisbon's face as concern for her friend takes over.
"Are you expecting some bad news?"
Jane shakes his head.
"No, not really, until this."
"Are you going to open it? It could be nothing."
Jane doesn't reply and continues to stare at the envelope.
"Jane?"
There's a new interruption, Abbot.
"Everyone's up, we have a case, There's been kidnapping, the wife of a federal judge. Let's go!"
Jane comes out of his stupor.
"Yes, let's go. We can't keep the kidnappers waiting."
He puts the telegram in his inside pocket.
He strides off after Abbot and Lisbon hurries to catch up with him.
"You should open it Jane, it could be important."
"I'm sure whoever sent it thinks it's important, but there's nothing urgent in my life, certainly nothing more urgent than the kidnapping of a judges wife."
"It could be about Pete."
"They wouldn't send a telegram."
They are at the cars and Lisbon follows him into the back seat.
"Then who do you think it is?"
Jane looks at her for a moment and gives a sigh.
"Someone I don't want to know about."
Jane turns towards the window and closes his eyes. Lisbon knows it's the end of the conversation. She settles back into her seat determined not to worry about him. After a few minutes of silence, Jane suddenly speaks.
"You still owe me lunch, and I'm still hungry."
"I'll have Agent Fisher stop at the next Mexican take out, can't have you swooning all over the place."
"Good."
Once they arrived the Judge's home, things have busy. Abbot failed to mention that she was also the mother of two young children, ages seven and five, who were in the car at the time of the kidnapping. Unsurprisingly they're traumatized but, it's important, as the only witnesses, that they be interviewed. It's a delicate and time-consuming activity and so far no one's been able to get anything out of them. As soon as Jane hears about the two children, he slippes away to find them.
The seven-year old is a boy, called Michael, and Jane finds him sat on his Mother's bed, with his hands clasped in his lap and his head bowed. Jane can see he's filled with guilt at not being able to save his Mother. His father has, no doubt filled his head with the idea of
"When I'm away you're the man of the house."
Jane puts his hands in his jacket pocket and starts looking around the room, stop to take a good look at the photos on top of the dresser. He turns around, and as expected, to find the boy watching him.
"Hi, my name's Patrick Jane and I'm guessing you're Michael."
The boy nods and returns to staring at his hands. Jane points to one of the photos.
"Is this you and your mom?"
Michael looks up again and nods. Jane takes the photo off the dresser and moves towards the bed and sits down beside the boy.
"This is a nice photo, I can see why she chose to have this one on display."
Michael shrugs but after a few moments he looks across at the photo. Jane holds it out towards him.
"You obviously have a strong connection with your mom and I can see she feels the same way. The two of you are buddies, you share the same sense of humour, you both love to do silly things. I'm betting the two of you have run through the sprinklers with all your clothes on."
Jane leans closer to him and whispers conspiratorially:
"And it wasn't even a really hot day."
Michael looks up at him, surprise on his face.
"Whose idea was it?"
"Mom's"
Jane's nodding his head as if he's not surprised.
"Wow that's a great mom."
Jane sees tears form in the young boy's eyes. Michael feels them too and quickly turns back to staring at his hands, blinking furiously.
"I'm not a detective, the FBI employ me as a consultant because I'm very good at solving crimes. Just, like, with this photo, I was able to determine that you and your mom do silly things together, if you tell me everything that you remember about what happened today, no matter how small, I will be able to help you get your mom back. I'm not going to lie to you, I think your mom's in real trouble but if we act quickly we can save her, but I need to know everything. Will you help?"
It's the early hours of the morning when they return to headquarters.
"That was a great job today Jane."
"All part of the service."
"I mean it Jane, I don't know how you do what you do, but you saved that woman's life today."
Jane shrugs.
"It was obvious the judge was having an affair and the most likely suspect for wanting rid of his wife. To keep the kidnapping story believable, he would have to keep her alive for at least one proof of life. We were lucky the boy remembered the distinctive scar above the kidnappers eye, which was also visible on the body guard standing in the background of the couple's wedding photo."
"Good night Jane."
As Agent Fisher leaves Jane sits down on his couch. In the silence the envelope suddenly weighs heavy in his pocket. He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath and takes it out.
Lisbon watches through the glass doors as Jane stares at the envelope, turning it in his hands. He leans back and opens it up.
Although Jane's been expecting it, the words still send a jolt through his body, as if someone punched him in the stomach.
"Are you all right Jane?"
He looks up at Lisbon's concerned face.
"The woman, who is my mom, is dead."