Disclaimer: Same as yesterday. Still not mine.
Note: Thank you so much to my reviewers. You are my inspiration to continue :) Mashburn features in this chapter a good deal (bear with me...please). Also, I have absolutely no idea if a church named Light of Day Church of All Faiths exists, and if it does, well...they'd better watch out for Jane.
2. I Come to the Garden (With Mashburn)
Jane did not keep up with his journal over the weekend, as that wasn't part of the deal. And far be it from Jane to overexert himself. Instead, he took a Sunday drive to the beach. The summer season was coming to a close, but being California, it was still warm enough to attract a small population. Jane removed his jacket and spread it beneath him, then discarded his shoes and socks. Rolling up the legs of his pants, he dug his feet into the sand and relished the warmth of the sunlight through his clothes.
He took a slow, deep, salty breath.
From the little he knew about the wedding (gleaned from bits of excited conversation between Grace and whomever would listen) Lisbon and Mashburn intended to wed in a small, pretty church near the CBI. Common sense assured him that this was Lisbon's idea, as her future husband could have flown them and a group of three hundred witnesses to an island if she had wanted.
He shook his head and lay back on his jacket, bits of his curly blond hair straying into the sand. He crossed his legs at the ankles and closed his eyes.
It had been okay at first. Mashburn had come to take Lisbon to lunch one day. And while Jane had thought it odd that she didn't refuse him (at least once, before giving in) he dismissed it as Lisbon just being polite. And then Mashburn returned the next day, and the next. Flowers made their way into her office, and they were extravagant enough that they needed no note for anyone to know their sender.
Then Jane began to pay attention to her. Her body language around Mashburn; her expressions; how she chose her words. It became evident (how had he not noticed it before!) that Lisbon had slept with her admirer, at least once. And it had not been recently. The sexual tension between them was evidence enough of that.
In the present, he rolled onto his side and off his jacket, allowing one side of his face to lay on the warm sand. All the signs were there, had been there for a long time. He just hadn't heeded them, hadn't thought anything could really exist between the guarded Lisbon and flashy Mashburn. If he had even thought a relationship to be possible, well...
Well, what, Patrick? he could hear Dr. Owen ask. What would you have done?
The sounds of delighted shouts from beach goers and the crashing waves surrounded him.
Nothing, he decided. Lisbon was happy. His sort-of friend Mashburn was happy. Very soon, they would get married, have a bunch of babies, and be ridiculously wealthy all their lives. All was well with the world.
A nagging voice in his head questioned, But what if he convinces her to leave the CBI? The unit wouldn't close as many cases. Murderers would roam the streets freely. Mayhem would ensue. People would lose faith in law enforcement and take matters into their own hands, resulting in a bloody massacre which could wipe out the entire population with enough time and not enough Lisbon.
All was not well with the world.
Jane propelled himself from the beach (then turned back very quickly to collect his shoes and jacket), determined to foil Lisbon's thinly-veiled plot to end all civilization.
He'd had no idea how selfish she could be.
-:-
AUGUST 28TH, 7:28 AM:
Monday morning, and I am dressed to kill. But I wouldn't, because then
I would be in jail, and I have to stop Lisbon. She's planning to slaughter
millions of people, but I won't share this with you, Dr. Owen, until
the time comes when you read this journal. If I succeed, then
you can thank me. If not...well, you'll be dead, and I don't think
it would be possible for you to glower at me, anyway.
On a lighter note, I am feeling refreshed, though it is not due to sleeping
well. In fact, I stayed up all night thinking of ways to carry out
this mission, and I realized that only a truly dedicated and
wonderful person would be this concerned about the fate of mankind.
This journal thing really is doing wonders for my self esteem.
-:-
Jane was exactly twenty minutes late to work, but he determined that the offering of donuts and the bear claw from Marie's would dissuade Lisbon from yelling at him.
He was wrong.
But it was amusing to watch her glare scornfully at him around a pastry.
"I want you with the rest of the team in ten minutes. We have a case, and I need to go over the particulars." She took the last bite of her bear claw and wiped her mouth with the napkin before balling it up and tossing it into her wastebasket. Jane nodded.
"There is something I'd like to ask you first, Lisbon, if that's all right." His tone made her look up from her desk. Her quizzical expression gave him the strength to keep his own face straight.
"What is it? Is something wrong? Is it Walter?"
He gagged (internally, of course). But he decided to go with it.
"Well, yes, actually," (Lisbon visibly tensed), "because I'd like to help you two with the wedding. The planning, I mean." He folded his hands in his lap and watched her relax, emotions flickering across her face in rapid succession. Finally, she settled on wary disbelief.
"Why, Jane? You don't even like Walter."
"Of course I do! He's spontaneous and a lot of fun. Besides, I still feel bad about his car. And you're...my friend...and I know how stressful planning a wedding can be. You know how I love big parties," he winked.
"Jane...I...appreciate the offer...but don't you think, in light of certain things...that participating in this might be difficult for you?" she asked gently, careful to maintain unwavering eye contact. It was a very "Lisbon" gesture. Jane sat up a little straighter in his seat.
"I have considered that, and I can assure you that it won't be a problem. I am one-hundred percent dedicated to making this as painless as possible." He smiled. For me.
"Well," she said, sounding reassured, "what is it that you want to do?"
And just like that, he was in. He told Lisbon he had heard from Grace that the soon-to-be newlyweds were having a bit of trouble with the wedding's location. Lisbon confirmed this, blushing.
"The reverend at the church knows about Walter's reputation for wild parties. He doesn't think his church can accommodate Walter or any of his guests." She bit her lip and stared at her hands. Jane felt a tiny ray of something like hope shine through him.
"That doesn't sound very Christian of him."
"Well, I understand, really. He was very nice in explaining everything, that he is responsible for the property, and it's a small place. If anything should happen, there's not any way for either the reverend or the congregation to be able to pay for damages. It's a beautiful church, though," she said wistfully, "and it's perfect for a wedding."
"Forgive me for asking this," Jane began, standing and smoothing his suit, "but since the place is so small, it could use some kind of funding, right? Why can't Mashburn just offer the man a generous donation?"
"He has already tried that," Lisbon answered, sinking lower into her chair. Obviously, Mashburn's tendency to buy and coerce people into his way of thinking was embarrassing for her to discuss, even with Jane. He wondered for a moment if Lisbon saw him that way, as a person who didn't care how low they had to stoop to get what they wanted. Well, he would correct that.
"Hmm. So this reverend really is a man of God. Easy enough." He shrugged and turned to leave. When her office door was nearly closed behind him, he said over his shoulder, "Better give me at least week, though. Men of faith can be tricky."
Lisbon smiled to herself.
-:-
The case was not a difficult one. Classic woman-murders-her-husband over money. As it sometimes happened, Jane's skill set wasn't needed at all. There was enough evidence to lock away the new widow for life.
"Kinda makes you wonder why people get married, doesn't it?" Jane asked Lisbon, careful to keep his voice light.
Lisbon threw him a look.
"I guess that's as much a mystery as why I haven't shot you yet."
Jane decided to drop the matter. The case was wrapped up within hours, and he was still alive.
Fortunately, since the team didn't need him, he had ample time to procure the church of Lisbon's dreams for her wedding. But he couldn't do it alone. As soon as the handcuffs closed around the widow's wrists, he extracted his cell phone from his jacket and made sure he was out of Lisbon's earshot. Locating the number in his contacts, he pressed "send." He waited a moment until someone picked up mid-ring.
"Mashburn."
"Mashy! It's good to hear your voice! How are you today?" Jane asked, putting as many rainbows and bunnies into his voice as possible. He dug his free hand into his pocket and watched Lisbon from across the street as she helped the murderer into the car.
"I'm great, Jane. What's going on with you?" Like Lisbon, Mashburn sounded confused, but in a more excited way. Jane could not contain his grin.
"Well, I've heard your lovely future bride has her heart set on a church, and there's been some trouble with that venue?"
"Yeah, that's right. I even offered to donate to the church regularly," he snorted, "but the reverend just wasn't having it."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Jane answered. "What if I told you I had a way to get Lisbon what she really wants?"
An hour later, Mashburn arrived at the CBI to collect Jane. Lisbon looked disbelieving when Jane told her where they were going, but she knew nothing was going to stop them.
"Just don't use your one phone call on me, Jane. I'm not bailing you out. And that goes for you, too, Walter." But she was smiling as she turned and walked away (the smile being solely for Jane, of course).
A few minutes later, they arrived at Light of Day Church of All Faiths; it was, as Lisbon said, not a large place, but it was painted a pristine white and featured numerous beautiful stained-glass windows. It was set apart from the highway by a pretty driveway lined with small trees. Lisbon had been right; it was perfect for a wedding.
Mashburn parked in the gravel lot at the side of the church, and Jane rubbed his hands together in anticipation.
"Now, Walter, I need to know that you are prepared to do anything-anything-should I screw this up and need bail money or medical attention."
"I would follow you to the ends of the earth, my darling."
Jane grinned almost maniacally.
"Better not let Lisbon hear you say that!"
They entered the church by ascending a small set of steps and going through two heavy doors, behind which was a sort of lobby area. A table was set to the side with a mirror above it and was filled with candles of all shapes and sizes. Some were lit so that the flames danced and reflected around the room, giving it a soft, welcoming glow.
A narrow aisle separated pews on either side and ran straight into the altar, which was composed of a wooden railing for churchgoers to kneel and pray. There was a tall podium for the reverend officiating and a set of a few benches for a choir. But the truly fascinating beauty of the church was clearly its windows; the sun filtering through their many colored panes nearly took Jane's breath away (he was such a good, sensitive man).
"May I be of some assistance, gentlemen?" asked a deep, throaty voice, and Jane turned to see an older, congenial man walking toward them, a Bible in his hands.
"I believe so! My name is Patrick Jane," he said, extending his hand, "and this is my good friend, Walter Mashburn."
The reverend drew himself up into a more formal stature, obviously familiar with the Mashburn name.
"I am Reverend Adam Peterson, and I know why you are here. It pained me on the previous occasion to tell Miss Lisbon of my decision, of which I'm sure you are aware, but the decision stands. I'm sorry to disappoint you."
Jane could tell the man really meant it.
"But," Jane said, holding up a finger, "we have come here today to show you that, not only is Walter Mashburn capable of throwing an excellent party, but he is truly a generous and well-mannered man."
Mashburn saw a little too late where Jane was going with his supposed fool-proof plan.
Several hours later, the two men thanked the reverend, agreed to visit the church every day and have finished their work in time for Sunday mass. They buckled their seat belts and Mashburn exhaled loudly.
Jane looked at the man beside him. He was sunburnt, smeared with sweat and caked with dirt. His expensive suit was definitely ruined; Jane wondered if Mashburn would have to go shopping that evening just to buy clothes to wear that week. He'd already bought enough gardening soil, mulch, flowers, fruit trees, spades, shovels, etc. to shrink even his hefty bank account.
"Cheer up, Mashy. This is going to be great. We're already in!"
"Why couldn't we just make a donation?" Mashburn almost whined. Jane grinned as they went back the way they had come and pulled onto the highway.
"It's not about the money. The reverend is like Lisbon; people like her cherish hard work and the effort behind a gesture, more than monetary gain. That's something you'll come to learn about her," Jane finished, sneaking a sideways glance at the driver. He was laughing.
"Tell you what, Jane, it's like you know her better than I do."
He thought it best not to agree with him (out loud, anyway).
-:-
AUGUST 28TH, 11:30 PM
I look happy (I committed two crimes today). One, I broke
into Lisbon's house to use her shower. It was nice, and her shampoo
is better than mine. Two, I told Mashy he looked dashing in his
new gardening jeans. My plan to show the reverend that the lovebirds
(namely, the groom) are responsible, caring people is going well.
By the end of the week, Light of Day Church of All Faiths will boast
a fantastic new prayer garden, courtesy of my aching muscles. But I can
honestly say, even though I don't buy into religion, it felt good to help the
reverend. Maybe tomorrow I'll try praying that Lisbon wises up
about this wedding business and chooses not to marry Mashburn.
Do you think God answers prayers like that?