Disclaimer: I, of course, own nothing but my own words. This is done for love of the show and wonderful characters!

Chapter 1- Painted into a corner

The day dawned softly, the gentle light of the rising sun bringing the world into focus. The dark SUV was waved passed a gated entrance, and pulled up to a large white house turning a pale yellow from the dawning sun, and two people stepped out. The tall blonde man with slightly unruly curly hair smoothed out his dark charcoal vest and tucked his hands in the matching suit coat pockets as he strolled after his companion. She was a small, petite woman with an aura of confidence and command that was unmistakable, and her dark hair pulled back into a severe ponytail that only made her fig green eyes more noticeable as she frowned.

Another tall, well built man with short dark hair and light blue eyes met them just outside the ornate door.

"Morning, boss," Rigsby said with a pleasant smile. Jane grinned a welcome at the taller man and then his restless gaze began sweeping the area as he and Lisbon listened, Rigsby guiding them into the house. "Karl and Regina Westlake woke last night when they heard some sounds coming from downstairs. Karl Westlake confronted a masked intruder, who tasered him and locked him in a closet. Mrs. Westlake heard the commotion and triggered the alarm. By the time the security guards arrived, the intruder was gone."

"What was taken?" Jane asked, his own blue taking in the room. He had approached a wide mantle over a tiled fireplace, and was looking at the framed pictures, noting the empty space in the center. "A statue?"

Rigsby blinked, but knew Jane too well to be entirely surprised. "Yes, a sculpture called "L'embrace" from 17th century France. The Westlake's had just purchased it from Grosser Art Auctions."

"Let me guess," Lisbon said wryly, her eyes meeting Jane's. "Three days ago."

"Yes, boss," Rigsby said, "looks like our guy. Fourth robbery in the last two months, all three days after an auction at Grosser's."

"Wonderful," Lisbon said as she pulled on surgical gloves and began looking around the living room. She glanced up as a compact Asian man approached from the kitchen area.

"Looks like the same MO," Cho said impassively. "The lock to the kitchen door has been picked, and the alarm wires cut. Whoever this guy is, he's a professional."

"You get a description from Mr. Westlake?" Lisbon asked, watching the small army of forensic personal swarm over the scene.

"Slightly built male, about 5'5", thinks he may have had light brown eyes," Cho said, flipping open his notebook. "The intruder wore a black cloth mask, a dark sweater with the hood pulled up and leather gloves. That is all Mr. Westlake saw before he was tasered. The security guard at the north gate saw a similar figure drive off in a beige sedan."

"The car was stolen from the neighbor," Jane commented as he looked out the large bay windows, taking in the view of the ocean below. "Had one of those remote triggers for the gate to open."

"Yeah," Cho agreed. "We found the car about a mile down the road, empty. Got the forensic guys going over it."

Lisbon sighed, the small furrow over the bridge of her nose growing as her frowned deepened. "If this is our guy, they won't find anything. Damn it."

"This guy is good, gotta give him that," Jane said as he followed Lisbon to the kitchen door. Grace Van Pelt stood by the sink, taking notes and smiled at them in greeting. A brief glance showed Jane what the other four crime scenes had. The concealed alarm wires were neatly pulled and cleanly cut, the lock showed just the slightest of scratches from the lock picks. He couldn't have picked the lock better. "He plans well, knows his targets, has an easy escape route and a backup plan if interrupted."

Lisbon grunted slightly in irritation, and Jane looked at her. Lisbon's frustration with this case was starting to show. Four robberies of very rich, irritatingly connected people who insisted on pressuring the attorney general and governor, who then rolled it downhill to Virgil Minelli, the head of the California Bureau of Investigations. Minelli wasn't so crass as to pass that pressure directly onto Lisbon, but she felt it anyway. They were the best team in the state, but this thief wasn't leaving them a lot to work with, and it was starting to get to her.

Jane reached out and touched her shoulder. Her green eyes reflected her surprise when she looked at him. "We will catch him, Lisbon," Jane promised softly, his eyes intent and serious. Lisbon paused a moment, unaccustomed to Jane being the hopeful one, before straightening her shoulders and nodded once.

"Right. Cho, Rigsby, I want you guys to canvas the area, see if anyone else saw this guy," Lisbon ordered. The two men nodded, knowing it was likely futile but good police work didn't leave work undone. Maybe they would get lucky. Lisbon turned, only to find Jane missing. "Van Pelt, go to the auction house, get the records." Grace nodded and left. Lisbon looked around for her wandering consultant, and found him outside the front door, staring down the street to the imposing gate.

The Wind Haven community here in Malibu was fairly new, only about 15 years old but a lot of movers and shakers lived here. Not a single house in this subdivision sold for less than 2.5 million, and they even had their own park. The entire community was surrounded by high brick walls with four exit gates, each one with a small guardhouse and a 24 hour, around the clock security team in place. Jane, however, was looking at the small camera trained on the gate.

"What is it?" Lisbon asked, standing shoulder to shoulder with the blond man.

"How is this guy doing it?" Jane mused, and waved at the camera. "He isn't coming in by the gates, he would have seen the cameras. Maybe over the wall, but there aren't a lot of places to climb without being seen by somebody, not here. He knows these houses, knows exactly where to find the hidden alarm wires and where to cut to avoid setting them off. He knows which houses have the easy to take cars, how the exit gates work. He has to be casing these homes, but when? These security people are top notch, they would notice. And with only three days after the auctions, he doesn't have a lot of time."

"He has to know these people before hand," Lisbon said as they walked back to the car. Her dark red shirt and black pants looked severe but feminine, as they hugged the trim lines of her body. "I just don't get how he is selecting his targets. I mean, how does he know what art they will buy?"

Jane stopped, the SUV door open and suddenly grinned widely at Lisbon as a thought struck him. "Lisbon, you are brilliant! What if he isn't selecting targets, but selecting the art?"

Lisbon's eyes lit up as she followed his train of thought. "Damn it, that could be it. Each piece he has stolen at been some kind of French art. The painting of Louis XV, the two busts of Napoleon, and now this statue!"

"And each piece has been small, easy to carry and hide," Jane added. "We need to see the pre-auction books. And I have an idea."

Lisbon looked at the blue eyed man warily, noting his eyes had turned slightly green in the morning light. She felt herself almost get lost in the oceanic depths of his gaze, before she brought herself back under control.

"I'm not going to like it, am I?" Lisbon asked, her voice tired despite the slightly hopeful quirk of her lips.

Jane just shrugged with one of his trademark grins. "Maybe. Don't be such a cynic, woman."

Lisbon could only shake her head and try to hide her smile as they drove away. Jane pretended not to notice as he looked out the window, his eyes twinkling as a brilliantly clever plan began to take shape in his mind.

The tricky part, he decided, was going to get the CBI to part with the $500,000 he would need.