Hey guys! It's Paris in October, previously malutka.1000. I know I shouldn't start another story, especially now that I've started my third year of uni, but well... I just couldn't refrain :)
Hope you'll like it!
Disclaimer: I don't own "The Mentalist" nor the gorgeous Simon Baker. But hey, it was my birthday last week and I haven't opened all presents yet, so maybe... just maybe...
„Please tell me it's a joke." Lisbon looked at Hightower with terror.
Her boss only smiled. "I love your enthusiasm. No, it's not a joke."
"But why me? Why not Van Pelt? Give me just one reason!"
"I told you, I need two experienced agents there. Cho didn't agree to participate-"
"What do you mean, didn't agree? You asked him? And I have no choice?"
"Rigsby can do it as well, while you're the only woman experienced enough to go undercover. It's very important to me. Harrison's team didn't manage to close this case, so you understand that I desperately want to do this. I want you and your team to kick their asses." She smiled. "Plus, it will be fun to watch you two."
Lisbon winced. "Oh yes, that convinced me. Totally. What did Rigsby say about that?" she asked reluctantly.
"Well, I haven't told him yet. I thought it would be better if you talk to him."
"Of course." Lisbon just rolled her eyes. "Can't wait."
Hightower laughed. "I'm sure you'll do great." She stood up. "Oh, one more question – can you play poker?"
"If I say no, will you find someone else for that mission?" Lisbon asked, hope in her voice.
"No way. You're doing it either way, I just want to know how much money we will lose."
"I can, don't worry."
"Great." Hightower smiled. "Good luck, Teresa."
"Thank you." When the door closed behind her boss, Lisbon exhaled deeply and ran her hand through her hair. "I'll need a lot of luck to survive that mess..."
She stood up and walked into the bullpen. It was nearly empty, only Jane was feigning sleep on his couch.
"Where's everybody?" she asked him.
"In the kitchenette, having lunch. Wanna join them?"
"Um, no. I'm not hungry. Just tell Rigsby to come to my office as soon as they're back, okay?"
Jane sent her a curious look. "You know, if you need a strong, handsome man, I'm right here," he said, showing her his biceps.
Lisbon frowned. "Funny. Just tell him, will you?"
"Sure. Won't you tell me what's up?"
"Not yet. Be patient," she said with a small smile and returned to her office. She could imagine how hard Jane would laugh when he heard about their mission. Oh yes, he would definitely have fun. Unlike her.
She sat in her chair and absent-mindedly played with her pen, thinking about the whole situation. It would be awkward, but it was just a job, she decided eventually. They had no choice. And, to be honest, she wanted to kick Harrison's ass too. He was a jerk, and their teams had always competed.
Five minutes later there was a knock on the door and Rigsby went in, cup of coffee in his hand. "You wanted to see me, boss?"
"Well, yes. Please sit down, we need to talk."
He sent her a nervous look. "What happened?"
"Nothing, don't worry." Lisbon forced herself to calm down. She really didn't want to take that case. "Um, I just talked to Hightower and she's assigned us an undercover mission."
"Okay... But why are you telling this to me, and not the whole team?"
"Because it's just the two of us who will go undercover..." Lisbon took a deep breath. "As lovers."
Rigsby choked on his coffee. Coughing hardly, he desperately tried to catch his breath after the shocking news. "Is it a joke?" he managed to say eventually.
Lisbon sighed. "I've already asked Hightower the same question, and I'm afraid it's not. She was very fond of her idea. And I wanted to tell you first so that you could choke on your coffee without Jane's smart comments." She smiled and, for the first time since Hightower's announcement, felt like laughing. "Jesus, this is ridiculous."
"I'd say 'ridiculous' is a huge understatement," Rigsby chuckled. "No offense, of course," he added quickly, glancing at her nervously.
"Of course," she nodded.
She knew that every month male CBI agents made a 'Hottest lady cop' list, and she knew that she usually was on the second or third place, depending on how good Van Pelt was looking that month. Jessica from forensic always won, but hey, she was twenty-two and had worked as a model since she turned sixteen. Being right after Jessica meant she didn't look that bad.
She'd found out about the list by accident, when a rookie agent from Hightower's office sent the link to her instead of agent Thomas Landon. She checked it every month, just out of curiosity. She wasn't vain, of course. It was just... nice to see your name there.
Taking that into account, no, she didn't feel offended by Rigsby's words.
"Guess we have no choice," he sighed. "It's an order, isn't it?"
"Yes... Come on, let's tell the rest."
The team reacted just like she'd expected. Van Pelt was surprised and just a little bit jealous, Cho had a wide, thank-God-it's-not-me smile, and Jane was laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes.
Lisbon sent the consultant an angry glare. "Please, can we be professional?" she asked.
"Of course. I can't wait to see you professionally kissing Rigsby."
It was Van Pelt's turn to give him a murderous look. "Who said it would be necessary?" she asked childishly.
"Okay, people, stop that." Lisbon sighed and opened the manila folder Hightower had left her. "The victim is Thomas Anderson, forty-two, businessman. Found dead in his office, two shots in the chest." She shown them the first photo. "Married to Leah Anderson, but they're getting divorced. No kids." Lisbon took out the second photo, showing the pretty blonde in her middle thirties, wearing an expensive Gucci dress and Jimmy Choo's stilettos. Although the photo was taken from distance, the labels on her clothes were so big they could easily read the designers' names.
"They're rather rich, aren't they?" Van Pelt frowned, examining the picture.
"Oh, yes. Anderson is- was very successful. But if they divorced, Leah wouldn't get as much money as she wanted. She hired a good lawyer, the best one in this state." Lisbon glanced down at the notes. "Brian Falton. He hasn't lost a case in twenty years. However, this time he had a tough opponent. Anderson wasn't an idiot, and he had his own lawyers. It looked like Falton would lose for the first time in his career. And, just three days before the last divorce hearing, Anderson was killed."
"Looks like that Falton guy was really desperate," remarked Jane.
"Or maybe the wife was."
Lisbon shook her head. "She has a good alibi. She spent the past two weeks in New York General Hospital."
"Why?" Van Pelt raised her eyebrows.
"Plastic surgery. Nose job or something like that."
"Does NY General do such things?"
"Of course they don't. The surgery was performed in a posh private clinic I've never heard about, but apparently something went wrong and she ended up in the ICU. We have her hospital records, so she's out of question."
"The lawyer, then?" asked Jane, in his annoying, stating-the-obvious tone.
"I guess so. But he was too smart for Harrison's team, which is why we have to clean this mess now. He's never done anything that could connect him with Anderson's death. He's too cautious for that."
"But he's only a man, and that's why Hightower is sending a beautiful woman to seduce him," said Jane innocently.
Lisbon's cheeks flushed red, but she managed to keep her voice calm. "Hightower is sending two good agents who Falton has never seen before. He won't suspect anything."
"What exactly are we supposed to do?" asked Rigsby, glancing nervously at Van Pelt.
"Well, it's kind of psychological mission. We have to make Falton admit he killed Anderson."
"How?"
"I told you, my dear Rigsby." Jane grinned. "By seducing him."
Lisbon rolled her eyes. "If you want, you can try to seduce him, but – no offense to your skills – I doubt if you succeed." She was losing patience, and she didn't even get to the point! "Falton is a keen gambler, he spends every night in Silver Lotus casino. I'll go there, talk to him, gain his trust..."
"... seduce him..."
"... and do everything I can to make him confess. Honestly? I don't believe it will work, but Hightower wanted to give it a go. She'll do anything to be better than Harrison."
"Especially when 'anything' means sitting at her desk and watching us working." Rigsby was really unhappy with his assignment. "And what is my job?"
"Well, Harrison thinks that Falton can be dangerous and Hightower doesn't want me to be alone there."
"Can't we all just watch you and be ready to react if there's a need?"
"Don't ask me, ask your beloved boss. She thinks it will be more natural. She wants me to play a rich woman, currently getting divorced, and looking for a good lawyer. She says it's obvious I have to have a lover."
"I can't see the point, really."
"Don't worry. For the first few nights I'll go alone, you'll join me later. Maybe there will be no need at all," Lisbon tried to cheer him up.
"You think so?"
"Depends on how much money I will lose on the first night," she laughed. "It's highly probable that Hightower will take that case away before the fun really starts. Bertram is..." she hesitated.
"Mean," suggested Jane cheerfully.
"Careful with money, let's call it that way."
"We get the idea." Rigsby sighed. "Okay, let's do this, close that damn case and forget about it as soon as possible."
"Rigsby, how could you! You're offending Lisbon!" Jane clearly had fun watching their embarrassment. "Don't tell me you don't want to play her lover even for a short while..."
"Jane, enough! Go to your attic, read a book, anything. Just shut up for a while, we have to get ready. We're starting tomorrow night."
Jane grinned. "Can't wait to see it."
Lisbon sighed. Why on Earth had she agreed?
Honestly, I'm not really sure if it's worth continuing. But the fun will start in the next chapter, I promise :) Let me know what you think. Give me a late B-day present and review, please!
