Patrick Jane missed nothing, today would be no different from any other...one glance around the stunning location he found himself in and as soon as his eyes had cast around the entire panorama he already knew that the brutally murdered young woman found half battered, half drowned in the gigantic fermentation tank in the oak clad barn he'd just exited had died at the hands of a jealous lover blah blah blah! why else would you take a young woman to the prettiest vineyard the state had to offer, lure her into a hayloft and then a few hours later she was found pickled to death...so to speak...
Yes...case closed...jealous lover...OR wronged wife? Jane frowned...Hmmm...perhaps there might be more to this case than first met the eye? Ahh well! It wouldn't exactly be a chore to hang around and work it...CBI HQ in downtown Sacramento was at present...a hell hole...it was pushing 100 degrees, there wasn't a breath of air and even a colossal thunder storm wouldn't ease the conditions...No...Napa Valley, high on the Pacific bluffs was the place to be...fine wine, fine dining and...well it wasn't downtown Sacramento right now and that, was all that mattered.
He stirred a little feeling a presence at his elbow, couldn't be anyone else than his sparky superior Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon, raven haired dynamo, kick ass crime fighter...Catwoman on the sly...all dressed up in a patent leather catsuit and spike heeled boots...Woooah! where the hell had that thought come from? his subconscious screamed at him...he stole a sideways glance at his partner in crime as her steel capped boots scuffed the dust and straw at her feet and she stuffed her fingers a little impatiently into the tiny pockets on the front of her no nonsense Levi's with a furious tut.
" Why so gloomy Teresa..."? he began nonchalantly, taking a beat as he waited for her usual reaction...Ahhhh there it was...huge emerald green eyes rolling heavenwards, sulky pout twitching her lips " Surely you would prefer to be up here, fresh air in your lungs, the garden of California at your feet than that dusty, airless pit we call an office"? the sulky pout turned into a cast iron frown,
" Jane...all I can smell are sour grapes...If I spend one more second in that barn, I swear to god I could lose my driving license...I'm already seeing two of you...and that's never a good thing" he stood there chuckling furiously,
" Meh! I've seen you on Tequila...you could drink an Irish navvy under the table...a few vino fumes wouldn't even render you sleepy" she grizzled at him,
" I can appreciate fine wine...and a pretty vineyard...but not at 5 pm on a Friday afternoon..." she grumbled to a cocked eyebrow from her consultant,
" Ooooh...somewhere else you need to be huh...a night at the opera maybe...No! You have Kings tickets...No...No! Hot Date...huh..."? he tormented to an even more murderous stare,
" What I do with my Friday evenings...is really no concern of yours...I just didn't intend spending it in the middle of nowhere with you guys..." he shrugged airily,
" Charming..."! Teresa relented a little and rubbed the bridge of her nose wearily,
" No offence...I just...it's been a bitch of a week Jane...we seem to have been on the road continually...y'know that feeling you get in your legs when...when you finally come to a halt and you feel like you're still moving..."? he cast his warm green gaze on her and nodded understandingly,
" Yeah...I guess your right...it has been a long week...but look at this place" he countered enthusiastically " It could be a lot worse Lisbon...we could be raking through dumpsters in downtown Sac...wading through all manner of unmentionables in a storm drain..." again she favoured him with a withering stare,
" Jane...I've never once seen you rummaging in dumpsters or...or up to your knees in crap in a storm drain"? the irritating little smirk she loved to hate lit his entire face,
" Ahhh but I am always there in spirit Lisbon...spirit...huh! did you see what I did there"? he added with a well timed nudge to her shoulder and a groan ensued as Lisbon tossed her long chestnut locks and aimed a slap at his bicep,
" Whatever! Will you please come and...and...I dunno do whatever it is you do to bamboozle local law enforcement...I just wanna get home before the storm hits" she begged and this time it was Patrick's turn to frown...
" Er...storm...what storm...no sign of a storm up here"? she glanced back over her shoulder,
" Ohhhh...local Sherriff just called it in, couldn't wait to drop this on all us intruding city folk...electric storm heading our way off the coast...I wanna get back on the PCH before that sucker hits...that road is a nightmare in the wet".
It was always the way, as soon as anyone on the tight knit CBI murder squad wished for a quick getaway, they were thwarted at every turn...Lisbon had already dispatched Cho, Rigsby and Van Pelt back to headquarters by 5:45 armed with statements which needed corroborating, forensics which needed fast tracking to the lab and the unenviable task of informing next of kin of their sad loss.
Jane had remained on site with Lisbon, merely because he liked the ambience of the place and more practically she was his ride home. But yet again wrapping up loose ends was proving anything but simple and as they reassessed the crime scene, on the local Sherriff's say so, meticulously checking over the victim as they waited for the coroner...the predicted storm clouds were starting to gather along with an ominous roll of thunder as it echoed off the nearby mountains.
" God damn it..."! she spat, attempting to rip the snug fitting latex inspection gloves from her clammy hands, raising eyebrows amongst the local PD and a mirth filled snigger from her erstwhile consultant,
" Always in such a hurry..." he muttered irritatingly as Lisbon turned and grudgingly handed a minute shard of green glass to the Sherriff, still totally unwilling to concur that he had been right all along and the victim had in fact suffered blunt force trauma to her rear lobe from a wine bottle,
" We done here..."? she spat " I think we've covered all bases with this one guys...blunt force trauma, drowning, alcohol poisoning...this should be enough for CSU and forensics to be going on with...I think we should get the vic on her way"?
" Oh c'mon...what's the rush...lets eat..."? Jane chirped up cheerfully only to be shot down in flames by the most cutting of glances,
" Jane...it's almost seven...it's about to pour down...I told you...I wanna be on the road..." she almost crumbled as his eyes went round and wounded, like a chastised puppy and she could have sworn he went to pout...like a little girl, but her sentence died in her throat as a young rookie state patroller hurried into the barn, looking for his superior,
" Sherriff...we got a situation..."! all eyes were on the new arrival as he paused to catch his breath " We got a land slip, bout ten miles down the PCH...torrential rain, a good quarter mile come down, telegraph posts, the works...it's a god damn mess...Sir" Lisbon's heart sank and her throat went dry with disappointment and she had to gulp to clear it,
" So...what...there is no way through"? the Sherriff doffed the peak of his felt hat as an affirmative,
" Yup! That's about the size of it Ms Lisbon...your talking a 200 mile detour if you want to make it back home this evening...your best bet is to cool your jets, plenty of fine places for yourself and Mr Jane to hunker down round here...Your best bet at this time of a Friday evening is the Muscovado property...about five miles north of here, fine hospitality up there"
Teresa's heart sank into the very soles of her boots, Jane was almost hopping from one foot to the other with glee at the thought of a layover in California's Garden as he so charmingly put it...
All she wanted was her cosy couch, her even more welcoming tub and her fabulous new air sprung mattress that would have put anything Nasa could invent to shame...It was true she and Jane seemed to be getting on a lot better since he'd buried the ghost of Red John some six months ago...but she really wasn't sure she could cope with spending an entire evening, socially, in his company...I mean seriously what was wrong with this picture...Napa vineyards on a Friday evening simply screamed romance at her...and she was stuck here with Patrick Jane?
It occurred to Teresa in a blinding flash of enlightenment as she mentally paused and watched Jane swapping wine tasting anecdotes with the Sherriff...Maybe this was what she was most afraid of...she blinked hard trying to sweep the tangled thoughts from her mind...An overnight stay, in a stupidly romantic setting...with Patrick Jane for company.
Oh dear god...her heart did a full circle as it somersaulted inside her chest, her jaw clenched and her knuckles tightened with such force they went white...she hadn't spent the last six months since Jane's trial noticing the finer points of his physique, or his appearance...or his breathtaking charm...No she really hadn't!
She could remember that first morning she'd headed out to Folsom High Security Penitentiary to see him arraigned in the most intricate detail...even at Jane's lowest ebb, he'd stood there graceful and elegant in a finely pressed, exquisitely cut Italian suit, which highlighted his broad shoulders...the sun casting golden streaks through the rich thick waves in his hair...She would never ever forget the intense glance he'd shot her as she took her seat in the stalls just a few metres from where he stood in the dock, the glint ofunderstanding that passed between the two of them, the warmth in those aqua pools as they silently told her, her presence meant the world to him.
Teresa felt her skin prickle with goose bumps...she attempted to give herself a good hard shake but the memories just kept flooding her sub-conscious...the late nights she and Jane spent with their heads together upon him being granted bail...pouring over legal documents, evidence, but the thoroughly masculine way stubble would rise on his jaw as the clock ticked towards midnight, the sultry scent of his cologne, warm lemony all male when he joined her in the Bullpen for pizza after a shower in the men's change rooms...she simply hadn't been able to ignore it...
And there she stood, awaiting Jane's plans for the evening, nervously examining every single goose bump, the erratic pace of her pulse, the ever so slightly queasy feeling in her stomach...the horrifying tell- tale tingle between her thighs...No! it just was not possible...there was no way on God's green earth that Teresa Lisbon was actually falling for this guy...Noooo chance!
Jane turned suddenly and flashed her his trademark million dollar smile, eyes a twinkle as he practically skipped back over to where she stood, studiously attempting to avoid eye contact but within seconds he was by her side all set to regale her with the no doubt sumptuous menu at Muscovado...the luxury cabins the Sherriff had described, but before he got chance to open his mouth, the entire property was illuminated by a stark flash of lightning and they both visibly flinched.
" Holy Cow..."! he whistled, almost sounding impressed by nature's fury and the god almighty rumble of thunder that followed almost spooked Lisbon enough to cower in the safety of those broad shoulders and cuddlesome chest,
" I think...we'd better make a move before the rest of the PCH gets swamped"? she muttered stuffing her note book into her jacket pocket, finally stealing a glance at him, again her pulse skittered mercilessly, Jane favouring her with a playful smirk before leaning in way to close for comfort,
" Hey...Teresa...I won't bite...I promise" she attempted levity,
" It's not your bite I'm concerned about" this time his eyebrows kinked in amusement,
" Ohh really..."?
" Yes really..."!
" I promise you...I am perfectly trained in all manner of social etiquette...I promise you I will not embarrass you or show you up" he was so sincere that she relented a little, what was the harm, they were friends, they looked out for one another, spending a night with Patrick Jane was not gonna be a chore...she almost paused again and physically slapped herself Spending the night with Patrick Jane...Ohhhh dear god! the mere thought of it and the tingling in her thighs erupted into a molten throbbing " Lisbon...hey! are you ok"? he questioned scooting before her to examine the picture of panic on her pretty features,
" What...umm...Yes! I'm fine..."! she snapped back recovering her authority " Let's just...get the hell out of here before we end up sleeping in this god damn barn...Don't you dare...say what I think you're gonna say..."! she blustered as he took a breath and his grin broadened to positively salacious, Patrick snapping his mouth shut again, arms neatly behind his back as he followed her out of the barn chuckling furiously to himself.
The Muscovado Winery and Lodge was a mere four miles up the Pacific Coast Highway from Oakland Ridge, it may as well have been forty...the road was deadly, slicked by the rain now lashing it, debris littering the tarmac as leaves, twigs and in some cases branches were wrenched down in the blustery winds, whipped up by the approaching storm...even the usually ice cool Patrick Jane sat, strapped in beside Lisbon silently praying the winery was around the next bend in the road.
By the time the beautiful old Spanish style Hacienda came into view, it's lamps glowing welcomingly in the growing gloom, both special agent and consultant breathed a sigh of relief, Lisbon tenfold thanking the weather gods for making the place look a little less romantic in the rain and boiling sky.
Her gratefulness ran out around twenty seconds after she and Jane tumbled through the enormous old oak doors leading into an incredible tiled lobby, shaking rain drops from their hair and clothes, their arrival had been expected and they were greeted like old friends by the proprietor Mrs Angel Rodrigues...as their kindly host took out the guest ledger and went to retrieve the keys, Lisbon watched Jane do his usual all seeing sweep of the property, and she stood mentally calculating how much such a luxurious stop over was going to cost the CBI...this was not the usual low budget motel she and the team usually holed up in whilst out in the field.
" Ahhh Meees Lisbon...here I have the key...we are so busy I put you and Meester Jane in the cabin by the lake, eet is very quiet, you will not be disturbed I think you will like"? Teresa's brain went straight into detective mode,
" This cabin...two bedrooms...yes..."? Mrs Rodrigues looked momentarily baffled eyes flitting from one guest to the other as Jane rocked back on his heels, tongue in cheek, fighting the colossal urge to snigger,
" No...we are fully booked out now...theeese cabin...it has the one bedroom with very beautiful big tub and a fire if you get cold...perfect"! she grinned smacking her lips with her fingers,
" But...there are two of us..." Lisbon blustered " We will need two beds"? she knew she sounded like a complete prude or a 90 year old woman but sharing a bed with Jane was just not an option, but the irritating bastard jumped straight in to heighten her embarrassment reaching out to take the keys being proffered,
" Say thank you Agent Lisbon...and...first one down to the cabin gets to pick which side of the bed they sleep on"! she whirled round childishly attempting to snatch the keys from him, only for Jane to appear at least fifteen feet further away, eyes alight with mischief,
" Jane...give me those keys...god damn it...that's an order"! she barked only for him to back closer to the door " Jane! We can't possibly share a cabin..."!
" Ohhhh for goodness sake Teresa...are we not living in the twenty first century...don't be such a...a Victorian...besides...your saving the CBI a fortune"! he ended glibly.
Oh god...Kill me now! I just want to die...Teresa told herself a tad dramatically after she and Jane had leapt from the SUV and scurried into the log cabin that awaited them down by the lake a five minute walk from the main house...after bundling through the door, the scene that awaited them looked like something out of one of those scarily pricey holiday brochures your dentist tended to have in his surgery waiting room.
Jane went from childishly enthusiastic about a layover in Napa to positively ecstatic as he stood surveying his surroundings whilst his superior stood there absolutely rigid with shock...
" Oh now this is what I'm talkin' about..." he drawled lasciviously as he began exploring...the mini bar and it's tempting wines and chocolate was inspected...the plasma TV was switched on, channels flicked through, with a slightly salacious riposte about making sure there was Plenty of porn on offer for later...he skipped across to a state of the art I-pod dock and Lisbon was serenaded with a blast of...Barry White... a hastily spat Eeeewwww! At Jane forced him to turn that off with a chuckle...
He zipped through an inner door to more hysteria popping his head back round the pine door frame to inform Lisbon that there was a tub...You could freakin' swim in...and then almost as a finishing touch just to make her feel a million times more uncomfortable than she already was...he threw himself full length onto the biggest bed she had ever seen in her life...even a fierce rolling of her eyes did not deter his playful streak or stop him bouncing up and down like a six year old and when he rolled over to prop himself up on an elbow...a thoroughly enticing glint filled his eyes, she had to swallow hard to deter a smirk that was threatening her own lips.
" Ohh...you can cut that out right now"! she sniffed haughtily and he gasped,
" What? I'm merely making myself at home...I'm sure that's what our kindly host told us to do...maaaaan! this bed is comfy...which side do you prefer my dear"? a teasing incline of his curls followed and Lisbon shrivelled up inside as he patted the bed " C'mon woman...why fight it...don't deny yourself..." her lips parted into an astonished O shape,
" Excuse me..."!
" C'mon...a bed like this...you gotta have a bounce...c'mon...we're off duty now"! he insisted playfully and she stood looking awkward for a good few seconds before Jane figured out where her mind was at and he burst out laughing " Teresa Lisbon...I do believe...you are blushing..."! she snapped back to attention and went to refute his claim, but the truth was, her cheeks were aflame,
" I so am not"!
" Oh you so are...where the hell was your filthy mind just then...surely you didn't think I meant...Oh my god...you did...I thought we had gone way beyond you constantly thinking I was out to seduce you..."? he tormented until her eyes narrowed and she slowly lifted one corner of the no nonsense leather jacket she wore to expose the neat Glock hand gun nestled in its holster,
" You keep this up Jane...and so help me...I sometimes think you forget I am armed"? he ceased his ribbing and instead lay there with a serene smile on his face, his features softening to all out relaxed,
" Hey...I get it...I must be the last person on earth you would wanna spend a Friday evening with...especially in a place like this..."? a rueful smile followed and a gentle shake of the head " Hell...I'm the last person I would wanna be stuck here with too..." her heart ceased it's furious pounding and softened a little, giving in slightly, shuffling over to the very end of the massive bed and perching herself,
" Jane...it's not that..." she began as the real reason she had been so anxious to avoid a night away in his company played heavy on her mind again, when her eyes lifted his were awaiting an explanation,
" So...why don't you tell me what on earth has been bugging you since we got stuck up here huh...c'mon Teresa...we're friend yes"?
" Ye...yes...we are but I..."
" So...c'mon...I'm a big boy now...If there is something going on, which I am obviously not privy to...I think I have the right to know...Isn't that like in the state constitution or something"? this time a warm and gentle smile curled her lips,
" Oh what...your making up Californian State constitutional rights as you go along these days...get you..."? his tone lowered to persuasive,
" C'mon Teresa...what gives...you and I have spent many an hour in one another's company, by ourselves...you've never been so antsy before..."? after chewing it over for a few seconds more, she favoured him with a wry little smile, her shoulders dropping a little as she allowed herself to unwind a smidge.
" It's stoopid...I can't believe you aint picked up on it...your usually so intuitive...nothing get's past you..."? she hedged, still not really wanting to explain but his eyes twinkled before they rolled back and forth with impatience,
" Ahhhh...I take it you are referring to the rumours currently doing the rounds and the underhand sweep stake that has swept the CBI building as to if...or when...or indeed how and where...you and I have...got it on...for want of a better expression"? her eyes bugged and an incredulous gasp escaped,
" You bastard..."!
" Sooo unladylike, so ungrateful...even when I have spared you the embarrassment of telling me...you resort to name calling"? he hooted imperiously, which only earned him a fierce, stinging slap to the bicep,
" NO...you just made me squirm and then humiliated me anyway...Jesus! you are such a...a..."
" A bastard...yes...I heard you the first time my dear" she relented a muttered Sorry fired in his direction " Meh...no matter, let them talk...I'm sure there are even more salacious rumours circulating about Agent Hightower..."? he hinted before leaning in a little closer, his face full of devilment at what he was about to impart " Hightower and Ardiles...I'd give you good odds"! she felt herself smirk and he grinned even more " Ahhh see! That's so much better...you have the most beautiful smile Lisbon, it's such a shame we don't get to see it more often" he complimented, just to make her blush a little more,
" Oh hush...it's not like I have many things to smile about" she muttered as she got to her feet once more and Patrick lay there observing his pretty superior a little more,
" Well...for the next...ooh! 12 hours or so...it's you and me Lisbon...I know I'm a pain in the ass...a thorn in your side, the last man on earth any woman would want to be stuck in Casa Romantic with...but what say we wash up...head up to the big house and enjoy some no doubt fine food and wine...and not have to worry about footing the bill...huh...c'mon...where is the harm..."? she turned back to find Jane looking strangely appealing and for a few seconds the leaden weight in her chest lightened, there really was no harm in having a good time, especially as it was at the state's expense but Jane's uncanny sixth sense kicked in again " See...your worrying about later...after dinner...right"? she scowled a little, remembering the crack earlier about her being a Victorian,
" No...I'm not I..."!
" Your never gonna relax enough to enjoy your dinner, if your sat up there surrounded by candles and soft music...knowing your coming back here to a king sized bed, and sleeping with me..." the hairs on the back of her neck rose and shivered, what the hell was wrong with her...the mere mention of a bed...and Patrick Jane seemed to send her weary body into ecstasy...there was something very wrong with this picture!
" Jane...I...we're both adults I'm sure we can..." he was doing the pointing thing, another of his irritating traits where his voice seemed to go on strike and he merely pointed at something, she frowned royally and turned to follow his finger,
" Don't worry about it...we have a super comfy couch over by the fire...you take the incredibly comfy bed...I'll bunk down on the that" this time her heart strings tugged alarmingly and she almost questioned her responses out loud,
" No...Jane...I can take the couch...you can have the bed..."
" Woman! I'm attempting, albeit poorly...to be chivalrous...could you just be the slightest bit grateful and say Thank you Patrick...that's so good of you..."? he fired back with a glib shrug, but before she could feel like a sixteen year old school girl, she caught the mischievous twinkle in his eyes and managed to smile coyly back at him,
" Thank you Jane...that's really kind of you" he chuckled and waved her away,
" Meh! I guess that will have to do...right...you wanna use the bathroom first"?