Chapter 1
It started out like any other case. Dead body, evidence and Jane being annoying like always. But one piece of the puzzle brings Teresa Lisbon and Patrick Jane back to the beginning of a secret only they knew, would have to be exposed.
It's was a bright sunny morning in Sacramento, California. The body of a man was found in a ditch off the highway. The CBI was called in like always.
"What do you got Cho?" Teresa Lisbon asks Cho one of her agents.
"20 year old male found in a ditch off of highway 80. We don't have a positive ID yet but appears to be murder." She nods looking at the dead man on the ground.
"Has Jane gotten here yet?" She looks around searching for him. Where could he be? He's always here before her.
"No, he called and said he was going to be late." Patrick Jane the CBI consultant pulls up in his car. He walks over to Lisbon. They watch him approach.
"So this is the victim?"
"This is the only dead person here, so yes." Lisbon remarked. Jane goes and stands over the body and leans down and smells him, analyzing the body.
"What did you find Jane?" Lisbon asks impatiently.
"Well, he was not alone out here, he was also robbed. He was murdered. Oh, and he was part of a gang. He takes the pair of white rubber gloves out of Lisbon's hand and uses them too gently lift up the man's wrist showing three scars from claw marks.
"And how does that prove he's in a gang?" Lisbon asks signing papers from the coroner.
"My dear Lisbon…" She rolls her eyes. "When have I ever steered you wrong? Take a picture and send it to Van Pelt." Jane says smiling. She sighs and pulls out her iPhone and takes a photo of the victim's wrist.
"Well, I think we are done here." Jane says straitening up.
"Whoa, whoa I say when it's good to go." Lisbon puts her hand up, stopping him. Cho and Jane look around knowing that there is nothing else the CBI can do here.
"Fine, pack it up." Lisbon storms off to her SUV.
At the CBI Grace Van Pelt and Wain Rigsby are at their desks taking calls. Lisbon, Cho and Jane come back from the crime scene.
"Boss, I have the results from the victim's wrist. He is part of a gang. There called 'The Wolves.' They occupy a couple neighborhoods downtown. I sent his photo to Guns and Gangs; we should get a hit soon."
"I told you!" Jane yells walking over to his couch and lying down.
"All right thank you Van Pelt." Lisbon says to Van Pelt. She walks over to Jane and stands there with her hands in her pockets.
"What is your problem?"
"Me? I have no problem."
"Grrr Jane, you always do this!" She mutters under her breath walking to her office.
A couple hours later Van Pelt comes into Lisbon's office.
"Boss, we got a hit on our John Doe from Guns and Gangs. Peter Strangly. He doesn't have an address but his parents are from Sac. 3476 21st Ave."
"All right thanks Van Pelt."
"You're welcome boss." Van Pelt leaves back to her desk. Lisbon sighs. She has to deliver bad news to parents again. You'd think it gets easier, but it doesn't.
Lisbon and Jane pull up in Lisbon's Chevrolet. They slowly walk up the walkway of a big house surrounded by trees. Jane walks up the stone path up to the front door. Lisbon followed behind, knowing that Jane will step out of line while she is delivering the news to the family. She must stay in charge, because Jane has a tendency to say things that aren't the best to ask while a family is grieving. A woman about 40 years old answers the door with a kind smile.
"Hello, Mrs. Strangly? CBI, we would like to ask you a few questions about your son Peter." Lisbon says showing her badge.
"What has Peter done now? Please come in." She steps to the side and welcomes them in. Jane and Lisbon both sit on the couch together. They keep their distance.
"Mrs. Strangly we are sorry to inform you, but your son's body was founded alongside highway 80."
"I should have known this would happen."
"And why is that exactly? Do you know anyone who would want to hurt your son?"
"No, but I bet it was that stupid gang he was part of."
"You mean The Wolves?"
"Yeah, that's their name. They got him into bad stuff, drugs, alcohol, theft and all that other junk. Every time he would get arrested they would bring him back here. He would just run back to that gang."
"We are trying to locate them for questioning…"
"I know where there at, downtown on Young Street. I would give him his mail and try to make him come home."
"Thank you Mrs. Strangly. That's all for now." Lisbon and Jane get up and walk back to Lisbon's car.
"Now we need to get a warrant to go to that house downtown. I'll have Van Pelt phone the judge." They drive back to the CBI in silence. Not knowing what lies ahead for them in this case that would change their lives again.
"Boss, Sac PD picked up the leader of The Wolves for theft early this morning. The agreed to deliver him for question, they should be here any minute." Van Pelt says coming up towards Lisbon, handing her a case file.
"All right thanks Van Pelt. Rigsby and Cho can do it. Jane and I will look on." She nods and goes into the kitchen no doubt where Rigsby would be. A loud noise is heard coming from the elevator. The team all looks on. A boy about 20 years old with ragged black hair and jeans is pulled in with two Sac PD officers. They drag him up to Lisbon.
"Where do you want him?" One of the officers asks, tightening his grip on the boys arm.
"In interrogation room 2, this way." Lisbon answers leading them to the room, while the officers drag the boy down the hall while he resists going anywhere.
"All right, calm down. You're not in trouble. Well at least not with us." Agent Rigsby said sitting down at the table across from the boy. "Let's start with a name." He put the case file on the table in front of him.
"I ain't telling any fed's anything." The boy said grimly.
"What's your name? This has to do with a murder investigation."
"A murder? I didn't kill nobody!"
"I didn't say you did. What's your name?"
"My names Justin Moore, my girlfriend calls me 'J' and my boys call me Alpha."
"All right Justin, do you know this man?" Rigsby asks sliding the photo of Peter Strangly across to him.
"Is that…?"
"Peter Strangly, yes we found his body alongside the highway yesterday."
"So that's where Pete Strange got to. Should've known he would've ended up like this. He knew it too."
"We were thinking that you and your gang might have something to do with that."
"No man, I don't deal with that stuff. My girlfriend deals with the guys when they step out of line."
"What's her name?"
"Tara Myers." Lisbon gasped and her heart skipped a beat, behind the interrogation glass. It couldn't be. Jane looked at her and shook his head no. It couldn't be the same person. He saw the fear in her eyes. Yet again, it could be the same person…
