Jane was having a ball all the tricks that the team has become accustomed to were new to the party goers.
"Angela, think of a shape." Jane said
"OK"
"Now pick another shape and put it inside the first one." Angela nodded her head. "I want you to project those shapes on the back of my head."
"Right" staring intently at Jane.
"It's a diamond around a circle."
"How...Do it again!" Angela demanded, grabbing Jane's arm.
"One per customer, my dear Dionysus."
"But...What about Teresa?!" Angela was trying anything to see the trick again.
"I did this trick to her last week. Right, Teresa?" Angela's eyes shifted to Teresa and watched her nod her head in agreement.
Sighing in defeat, she let go of Jane's arm just as her sister came out to the yard. "What about Thena?"
"What?" Thena said, looking at her sister carefully.
"Jane does this really cool shape trick, and he only does it once per person. I really want to see it again." Angela said as she walked to her sister and smiled at her.
"Dear God. What are you? 3?" Thena said.
Leaning up to her sister's ear. "I'll tell both Jane and Teresa what you just hid in the car." the devilish smile that slid across Angela's face told Thena that she would do it.
"You really are the evil twin, aren't you?" giving in. "Jane, can you show me this amazing shape trick so my sister will leave me alone?"
"OK, but only because my Angel asked." Jane, who had sat while the sisters spoke, stood up and walked to Thena, staring into her eyes.
"Yeah, right. I know it's just so you can mess with my mind in front of people." The wicked smile that was so recently on her sister's face appeared and in a flash it was replaced with an expression of indifference.
"Ready?"
"Yes."
"Feeling awake? Mentally alert?"
"Yes."
"Perfect." Drawing an imaginary screen between them with his fingers. "I want you to imagine a screen between you and me. And on that screen, project a basic shake, like a square but not a square. Got it?"
"Yeah. Now what?"
"Lock it in and now I want you to project another shape and put that one around the shape you already have."
"O...K.'
"Great! Here's the fun part. Concentrate and project that to the back of my mind."
"Oh, no! I can't find it! It's so small!" Thena laughed. "Ok. Sorry. I couldn't resist. Go on."
"Concentrate...Look right here." pointing between his eyes. "Open up your mind and send it to me. Now...I'm starting to feel it...it's a triangle inside a circle." hearing this, Teresa looked up.
"Not quite."
"What?"
"I was thinking a triangle inside a pentagon."
"Liar."
"Fine. It was a triangle inside a star."
"A star is not a simple shape."
"You only said the first shape had to be simple."
"Well...I..."
"Jane, she beat you at your own trick. Just give up." Lisbon said, smiling. "You can't read everyone's mind."
"Oh, Jane. I have 2 questions." Thena smiled.
"Do I have to answer?"
"Only if you want to go back on the bet."
"Fine...What?"
"What were Angel's simple shapes?"
"Circle in a diamond, and the other question?"
Taking a step closer to him, she whispered in his ear. "And Teresa's were?"
"A triangle inside a circle."
She took a step back to look into his eyes. "Really?"
He nodded.
"Interesting. So, I'm hungry. What about you all?
-----
After lunch, Lisbon's phone rang.
"Lisbon...Oh, sorry. We stopped for lunch...What do you mean? I booked 3 rooms...Tell the manager we'll take them. Ask if they have any costs...Ok, we'll split the rooms by gender. Jane can have the cot. It has to be better than the couch he's used to sleeping on...We'll discuss the beds for our room when we get there...Start working the scene. We'll call when we get there." With that, she hung up and turned to Jane and Thena. "I hate to cut your reunion short, but we got to go."
After saying goodbye, the team started for the car. "Thena, toss me the keys. I'm driving." Lisbon said as she walked around the front of the car.
"I call shot gun!" Jane yelled, finally tearing himself away from the dog.
"I'm surrounded by 3-year-olds!" Thena laughed as she opened the passenger side door.
"Thena, wait!" Angela came up to her sister, holding a box wrapped in red paper with black ribbon. "I missed your birthday a few days ago." she smiled, handing her the small box. "This time, keep in touch more."
A half an hour into the ride, Jane had gotten bored. "So...Thena. What did Angela get you?"
"I don't know." Thena said, holding up the still wrapped box.
"Well, open it."
"I don't want to."
"Why?"
"Because you'll try to steal it."
"How do you know that? You don't even know what it is."
"Because you know what it is, and you're bored and asking about it."
"Come on. I want to see what she put on it."
"Don't tell me about it." she said, sticking her fingers in her ears. "La, la, la...I can't hear you."
"Children!" Lisbon yelled over the comotion in the car. "We have less than half an hour till we are there. So...Jane, leave her alone. She can open it when and where she wants."
"Thank you, Teresa." Thena said, smiling at her reflection in the rearview mirror. Turning back to Jane, Thena's smile got wicked and then she stuck her tongue out at him.
"Teresa, did you see that?" Jane asked as Thena put an innocent face back on.
"See what, Jane?"
"She stuck her tongue out at me." he said, pointing at Thena.
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"God, you are both 3-year-olds!" Lisbon shook her head. "Ok, fine. I give." she pulled over to the side of the road and unbuckled her seat belt. "Jane, you're driving." she said, getting out of the car and switching places with him.
Once they were back on the road, Thena tapped Teresa on the shoulder. "You know, he only did that so he could drive."
"Yeah, I know." Teresa said, taking out her phone. "But I needed to call the others and get an update on both our case and rooms."
"Tell Van Pelt to print us pictures of the crime scene so when we get to the hotel I can look at them."
"Ok, Jane...Van Pelt, update...No, no. That's fine...You did good...What rooms do we have? Ok, thanks. Oh, and Van Pelt. Jane would like a set of the crime scene photos."