The yellow envelope
Lisbon stared at her boss as he walked into her office and shut the door behind him. She couldn't help wondering why Luther Wainwright looked even more lost than usual today.
"I've just received this from the Santa Ana P.D.", he stated as he handed her a bulky file tied with string.
Since he offered no further explanation, Lisbon opened it and began skimming the first papers.
Apparently it was all about a respectable member of that community – Meredith Blake, travelling salesman, age 52 – who had just died from lung cancer.
Why on Earth had the local police sent that stuff to the CBI? People dying a natural death weren't any of the Serious Crime Unit's concern – and the man wasn't even a suspect in one of their cases.
Then she found something different. A large yellow envelope accompanied by a rather important-looking piece of paper – the latter being the aforementioned man's last will and testament.
It was very clear and concise. Mr. Blake had arranged for the sealed envelope to be sent to the CBI shortly after his death. The notary had probably contacted the local police first for good measure.
Inside the yellow envelope – no longer sealed, since the Santa Ana P.D. had checked on it before forwarding – there was a little notebook and a smaller envelope.
This one was still sealed. There was no address on it, just a few words scribbled in red ink.
To Mr. Patrick Jane.
Her horrified gaze met Wainwright's.
She simply couldn't bring herself to check on what the deceptively innocent-looking notebook's contents might be.