Uh, sure let's give multi-chapter story thing a second try, eh? Comments are valued and cherished. All typos and grammar snafus are my own. Thanks to Hayseed Socrates for the naming of the shop!
Trigger warning for stalking plotline.
The Turquoise Teacup
Chapter 1
Patrick Jane padded down the hallway of the one-level home in northern California he shared with his wife and daughter. It was an early Tuesday morning and his family was in the kitchen having breakfast. The sight warmed his heart and he took a moment to be thankful for this second chance, for the love of this strong woman. He grinned as Teresa took cautious sips from a mug of coffee while giving a bottle to Nora.
"Come here, little mouse," Jane whispered, gently lifting his daughter from his wife's arms while dropping a kiss on Lisbon's forehead. "Let's let Mama fuel up, huh?"
Nora Rose Jane had been a surprise. After a quick wedding at the courthouse, he and Lisbon had been excited to share their lives together, just the two of them. Life without an impeding threat looming over head had been wonderful. The first thing Lisbon wanted to do was travel. And after manipulating his way out of his contract with the FBI, they had done just that, deciding to initially focus along the coast of California.
"Let's aim for small and familiar," Jane had teased.
But two months into their permanent vacation, Lisbon started to feel run down, spending whole days in bed. Concerned, Jane convinced her to go in for a checkup. When the doctor revealed the news of the pregnancy, they'd gone from stunned-silent to a mixture of elation and concerned. Lisbon was worried about experiencing a high-risk pregnancy due to her age, while Jane was worried about being a father again. In the end, Nora was born healthy and happy, and had her father wrapped around her tiny finger immediately.
Knowing they needed to provide a stable environment for their daughter, Jane and Lisbon settled in the little town of Pescadero, California. It offered a quiet escape from the overwrought city life they had lived both in Sacramento and Austin. The sleepy nature of the town reminded Jane of his little village in Venezuela. It had an added bonus of being tucked between the ocean and major cities. He looked forward to exploring the surrounding area as Nora grew. At six months, she was already showing a keen curious nature and he couldn't wait to show her the world.
"What are your plans for the day?" Jane asked, setting the kettle on the stove with one hand as he balanced baby and bottle in the other.
"Nora and I are going to go shopping for some new clothes, as one of us has had an unexpected growth spurt."
"Uh… the baby?" He teased with a twinkle in his eye.
"Yes, the baby." She rolled her eyes and he refiled her mug. "And then I have that seminar at the Sheriff's office this afternoon."
Jane gave a soft hum of acknowledgment as he rocked Nora. Lisbon consulted at various law enforcement offices throughout the county and surrounding areas, offering seminars on leadership and criminology. As the lead CBI agent who helped uncover corruption throughout California, and then went on to work with the FBI, Teresa Lisbon was a well-respected consultant. Jane was proud she received the recognition she deserved, and that she was still able to work with law enforcement. While she'd been concerned he would go stir crazy, Jane was certain Lisbon would slowly unspool without an outlet for her passion. Or at least somewhere to escape for target-practice.
"What about you? Opening the shop today? I mean, it is Tuesday. I'm sure your Tuesday crowd would be disappointed if they didn't get to… partake of the wares." Lisbon grinned.
"You're very funny, wife of mine. That caffeine has finally hit your bloodstream, I see." He raised an eyebrow and shifted to burp the baby.
"Hand her over and go get dressed." Lisbon placed her mug in the sink. "These ladies are leaving in twenty minutes and you're our ride."
"So bossy, Lisbon."
"You love it."
"Well, I think that much should be obvious." He kissed her before moving back to the bedroom to change, a deep feeling of contentment warming him from head to heart.
xXx
"Yes, Mrs. MacAuley, the delicate hint of rose hips make this white tea one of my personal favorites, as well." Jane offered a small smile over the tasting cup as he raised it to his lips.
The older woman and her friends tinkled with approving laughter before setting their samples down and continuing to peruse the various teas lining the walls in baskets and bins. Mrs. MacAuley and the other ladies were some of his best customers at The Turquoise Teacup, stopping in at least twice a week to check on new deliveries and restock old favorites. Although Lisbon teased that the biweekly visits of the blue-haired crowd were more to do with his romance novel charm than the art of tea, Jane preferred to think he was making a difference in by exposing the locales to tastes beyond the basic box of Lipton.
Over the thirteen months since he had opened the shop, business had been steady but he wasn't doing it for the money. With their combined savings, he and Lisbon were set for the rest of their lives and could provide Nora with the best possible future. He'd opened the shop for something to do while Lisbon taught law enforcement seminars. He was content with being a kept man, but Lisbon had begged him to get a hobby and since he'd already had one, he decided to turn that hobby into a little tea shop. He didn't keep regular hours, choosing the open the store around his family's schedule. The locals didn't seem to mind, since a hearty bunch still preferred the black tar they called coffee over his delicate teas.
The overall look of the shop was eccentric and quaint, like a throwback to candy stores, but instead of sweets, he shilled tea and all the necessary accouterments. Delicate teas were kept in tins, bins, and baskets, while the heartier teas were in dispensaries along the left wall, and with a pull of a lever, emptied out into linen bags. The hardwood floors were original to the brick building and looked vibrant after a coat of wax. The dark rosewood shelves matched well with the dark counter and floor. But the countertop was his favorite addition to the store. It was thick glass filled with flecks of turquoise porcelain and sparkled when light reflected across it. The details of the countertop had been Lisbon's idea and he agreed it was a sharp addition to the shop's whimsy. Completing the effect, overstuffed chairs and ottomans sat in the corners. Jane was partial to the brown, well-worn leather club chair near the front of the shop where he frequently held Nora while Lisbon ran errands.
The little chime above the door alerted him of a new customer, but he had spotted the young woman while helping Mrs. MacAuley's friend Linda select the best tea of her ailing husband. She had spent five minutes lurking outside the front window, visibly debating as to whether or not she should enter the little shop. From the corner of his eye he had watched her twist the end of her long auburn ponytail in her fingers as she chewed the inside of her cheek. Clearly, something greater than a nice breakfast blend was on her mind. He'd never known tea to make anyone quite so nervous.
He wrapped Linda's purchase and escorted the ladies to the door, holding it open as they filed out. He pretended not to notice when Mrs. MacAuley brushed up against him, but the pat to his bum was more difficult to ignore. With a wave and a sigh, he closed the door and turned to his remaining customer.
"Good morning," Jane smiled gently as she ran a finger along a silver box of oolong. She reminded him of a skittish colt and he knew if he approached her too quickly she would run. Something was troubling her, and while they'd never met before Jane felt compelled to help. Teresa would no doubt tell him he was growing soft in his old age but he was a happy man now, content in his life, and he longed to help others find a similar peace. "What can I do for you?"
"I… I…" She shifted on her feet and looked around, again biting the inside of her cheek. "You sell tea? I mean, of course, this is a tea shop. But…" She trailed off and cast another long look around.
"Are you new to town or just passing through?" Jane tilted his head down, but she continued to avoid meeting his eye.
She studied a spot on the shelves behind the counter where Jane kept the more expensive items. Her eyes locked on a purple teapot with muted clouds adorning the sides and curling up the spout. He watched as a dark thought crossed her mind, a faint frown line creasing along her forehead. All the while, Jane remained impassive, waiting for her to find the words she was seeking. He knew a thing or two about warring emotions and stuck tongues. He also knew the power of a good cup of tea and moved to pour her a small soothing sample of the lavender chamomile.
"What's your name?"
"Hmm?" She blinked and looked away from the teapot. "Oh, uh, Au- Audrey. My name is Audrey."
"Drink this." He placed the cup in front of her and she immediately snatched it up, blowing across the tea a few times before drinking it down.
"Chamomile is more of a sipping tea, meant for relaxation. Few teas are designed to be gulped." She paid no mind to his attempted humor. Without a word she handed the cup back to him, a wild but hopeful look in her eye and Jane went cold. It was a look he was familiar with, one he had seen on countless faces of clients during his time as a conman. She was searching for something and believed he held the key.
"Tell me, please." She continued to press the cup in his hand but Jane remained stunned. He could see she was in emotional pain."Please. I can't keep running. What do you see?"
"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice hoarse. She was so desperate for answers he couldn't give, and he wasn't willing to offer her platitudes. He wasn't that man anymore. He cherished his quiet life with Teresa at his side and Nora in his arms. But every so often, his past as a fraud would come back to remind him of the man he truly was, that once a con, always a con. Regaining his barrings, he gently placed the cup back on the saucer. "I only sell tea leaves. I don't read them."
"But I thought…" Audrey looked stricken and there was genuine panic in her wide blue eyes as she pressed her palms to the countertop. "Patrick Jane owns this tea shop. You're him, you're Patrick Jane."
"Yes. Yes, I am." He placed his hand on her wrist, his fingers brushing against her thundering pulse. She was about to bolt. "I'm afraid I can't give you what you're looking for. But I can offer another cuppa and an ear to bend if that would help. I know a thing or two about needing someone to talk to. And if you're in some kind of trouble, well, I know a thing or two about that, also."
She yanked her arm from his light grasp and took a wide step back, flushed with a deep red as panic overtook her.
"No, no. This was a mistake. A misunderstanding. I… I thought you were someone else." She turned and made for the door as Jane rushed out from behind the counter. Before he could reach her, she was out the door, rushing past a confused Lisbon and waking a sleeping Nora in the process. Jane ducked his head out of the store, but the woman was gone. Behind him, the baby let out a sharp wail as Lisbon soothed her, running hand in wide figure eights over her back. It did little good and Jane lifted Nora up and tucked her against his shoulder. The need to hold her was overwhelming.
"I know, my little mouse. You were perfectly content to keep on sleeping until someone came along and jostled you. I know what that's like," he murmured against her head of downy hair. "The stories I could tell you about your mother and her penchant for kicking."
"What just happened?" Lisbon motioned to the path Audrey had taken. Jane was beginning to suspect the young woman had learned how to be invisible in most situations.
"Uh, a misunderstanding." He gave a small shrug before catching her disapproving gaze. "Truly Lisbon, a misunderstanding." He took a deep breath before sitting in the leather club chair and propping his feet on a nearby table. Nora was nearly back asleep against him and he wanted to hold her for a while. He closed his eyes.
"Jane?" Lisbon wanted a better answer and he didn't keep secrets anymore, no matter how difficult or tricky the words might be.
"She wanted her tea leaves read." Jane didn't open his eyes.
"Oh." Lisbon gasped, but she wasn't too surprised. Jane's past was a poorly kept secret in a small town. The general population was aware of his past career choices and didn't seem to mind. But he had a way of charming the most distrustful crankshafts, easily turning them into a pleasant acquaintance. No doubt through hypnosis.
"Yeah, and obviously, this isn't that kind of shop."
Nora's little lip curled in a tiny yawn and Lisbon draped her blanket covered in pink bunnies over both of them before placing her hand on Jane's cheek.
"Any idea what she wanted?"
"Not a clue, but something's troubling her. Doesn't take a psychic to see that far." He turned his head and pressed a kiss to her palm. "Whatever it is, she can't escape it, no matter how hard she tries. And by the looks of it, she's been trying pretty hard."
He sighed and looked around the empty tea shop.
"Ready for that lunch?"
"Sure," Lisbon nodded, watching her husband cautiously as he stood up from the chair with Nora still in his arms. He was putting on a cheerful front, but Lisbon knew him well enough to recognize that the exchange with the young woman had shaken him. Turning the sign on the door, Jane gave Lisbon a bright smile.
"There! Officially out to lunch." He leaned in to kiss her cheek, their baby sleeping between them. But the panicked look in the young woman's eye as she fled the tea shop replayed at the back of his mind.
xXx
Around the corner from The Turquoise Teacup, Audrey Collins cried hot, heavy tears. She had hoped Patrick Jane would have answers or could offer her a shred of guidance, anything to make this nightmare stop. When the authorities in Ohio had proven to be no help, she had turned to various spiritualists, but they were just as useless. A quick Google search revealed Patrick Jane as the 'the best of the best' when it came to psychic detectives and gave his last known address as Austin, Texas. She had traveled to Texas, only to find he'd been gone for nearly two years. With more digging, she tracked him to the small town of Pescadero, California. It took her all morning to work up the nerve to enter the shop and then it had proven to be a disaster. He could help her no more than she could help herself. She was losing time, right along with her sanity.
The cheap burner phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out, crying more hot tears as she read the text. No one had this number but somehow he had found it just the same.
"Six days and counting, lovey-dove." It was the usual countdown text she had received for the last four weeks, but it was the next message that sent her careening towards public hysterics. "The San Manteo area is quite beautiful this time of year. That shade of auburn doesn't do you justice." A third text came in. This time, poetry. Another standard in his repertoire. "Let us go then, you and I, when the evening is spread out against the sky, like a patient etherized upon a table… Soon, lovey-dove." Again she cried out, rage and panic bubbling up and boiling over. She threw the cheap phone down and stomped it to shards, sobbing uncontrollably.
The message was clear. No matter how far she went, he would find her.
And he was closing in.
xXx
Notes:
Literary allusions and direct references:
Noisy Nora by Rosemary Wells
"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T. S. Eliot
