Thank you to everyone who took the time to review the first chapter. Nice to hear from so many of my online writing friends and some new reviewers as well! Since the weekend is soon going to be upon us, I thought I would sneak in another chapter to tide us over until the new week. Enjoy!
Return To Me
Chapter 2
Welcome to Houston
The flight to Houston was short and boring, but Jane made it to the gate on time, so all things considered, so far...so good, thought Lisbon. Senior Agent Calderone of the Houston FBI office had arranged hotel rooms for the Austin agents and so they drove directly to their hotel immediately upon touching down in Houston. The rooms were adequate but not luxurious and Cho, Jane and Lisbon gratefully dropped their bags on the floor of their rooms, a night of relaxation ahead of them before they plunged into work in the morning. Abbott had discreetly suggested to Agent Calderone that only two rooms were needed for his three agents. Calderone assumed that Jane and Cho would occupy one room, and Agent Lisbon would get a room of her own. Instead, Cho took one room for himself and Jane and Lisbon entered the other room together. What Calderone didn't know wouldn't hurt him, and thanks to Abbott, Cho didn't have to pretend that Teresa and Patrick were not a couple.
Surveying the room, Jane flopped down on the bed and lay back with his hands clasped behind his head.
"We must thank Agent Calderone for choosing a decent hotel" he said, appreciating the quality mattress and adequate decor.
"Well enjoy it while you can. I have a feeling that accommodations in Lost Wells will be sadly lacking in charm" agreed Lisbon. "Apparently the town has one motel, one diner, one junior school and one high school and almost no employment opportunities. Anyone going there is most likely just passing through. Unless locals saw any of the three missing men, we will be hard pressed to find anything new in the way of evidence of foul play in their disappearances."
"Glad to see you did your research Teresa. Sounds like a dismal place, but we can't assume just yet that the men are dead or otherwise the victims of foul play" Jane said sensibly. "So far, they are just missing."
"I know...but no one has heard from any of them for a long time. Surely they would have made contact with family, or friends at some point in the last half year or so" Lisbon added.
Jane started to take off his jacket and vest, tossing them onto a side chair near the bed. Next came his shoes and then his belt. Lisbon busied herself getting her night clothes out of her suitcase and when she turned around to speak to Jane again, he was under the sheets wearing nothing but a smile. A long elegant finger beckoned her to join him in bed.
"Is that your best attempt at luring me into a sexual encounter mister?" Lisbon asked him, pulling her t-shirt over her head with a grin. "Weak...very weak…"
Jane grinned mischievously and leapt out of the bed, grabbing Teresa in his arms and pulled her back onto the mattress.
"I can go all cave man on you if that's what turns your crank" he whispered in her ear as she struggled to get her pants undone.
"I think somewhere in between might just do the trick" she smiled as Jane helped her pull her jeans down and off her ankles.
"In between is a specialty of mine" Jane announced as he kissed her neck, proceeding down to her breasts and navel.
"Talk is cheap" breathed Lisbon as Jane nipped her belly, making her toes curl. "Actions speak louder than words I'm told."
"I'll shut up then" whispered Jane as he held Lisbon in his arms and smothered her in a deep kiss.
Things were proceeding nicely until Lisbon's cell phone rang, immediately forcing a disappointing lull in Jane's plans for the evening.
"Don't pick it up" Jane moaned, rubbing Lisbon's naked back.
"Shh! Of course I have to answer it...it's Cho!" she answered with regret. Slipping out of Patrick's arms, Lisbon sat on the edge of the bed and picked up the phone.
"Cho? What's up?"
"I just got a call from Abbott. Looks like he can't make it to Houston after all and wants us to take lead on this investigation."
"Ok, I take it Calderone knows already?"
"Yep, he's good with it. Also, the Feds did a sweep of a plot of land outside of Lost Wells on a tip. They turned up something interesting."
"How interesting Cho?" Lisbon asked, fearing the worst.
"A dead body, male, blonde, about early 40's. Could be one of our missing men. Forensics will be going over to the site tonight and again at first light tomorrow. Autopsy will be done in the morning to determine cause of death."
"Not much for us to do tonight then" answered Lisbon, gazing at Jane with a wink.
"No, but we should get an early start in the morning. Join me in the hotel restaurant at 6:30 am?" Cho asked.
"We'll be there. Thanks for the update Cho."
"G'night."
Lisbon put down the phone and turned to face Jane.
"We have a body. Could be one of our missing men."
Jane sat up and reached for Lisbon as she snuggled up close to his chest.
"Odd, don't you think?" Jane mused.
"Odd? Why, how?"
Jane leaned back against the headboard deep in thought.
"Nobody has seen the missing men for months and months, no leads, no clues, nothing. Suddenly a body shows up just when the Feds take over the investigation" Jane said, considering the timing of the discovery.
"Or, someone finally got scared enough to say something once they saw the FBI jackets on the investigators. Feds can be pretty intimidating" replied Lisbon, trying to find another explanation for the sudden appearance of a corpse. "Knowing where a dead body is must be a heavy burden on your conscience."
"Mmmm...maybe...we'll know more when we see where the body was found. I want to be there to see the lot before everything gets trampled by the local PD" he said thoughtfully.
"We'll meet Cho for an early breakfast downstairs then go right over to the location of the investigation. We better get some sleep Jane. Tomorrow could be a very busy day" Lisbon told him, putting romance on the back burner for now. Time enough for that another day.
"Killjoy" Jane muttered, disappointment evident on his face, but he didn't press the issue. Lisbon was right, they needed to sleep now and get up early. As Lisbon disappeared into the bathroom to get ready for bed, Jane swung his legs over the side of the bed and put his pajama bottoms on in resignation, then joined Lisbon for tooth brushing and a quick wash before they turned in for the night. Business before pleasure.
At the appointed time the next morning, Cho met up with Jane and Lisbon to discuss the latest information over a hot breakfast. By 8 am all three were pulling into the parking lot of the Houston FBI headquarters.
Agent Calderone was waiting for them at the security desk and within minutes was escorting them to his private office upstairs.
"Thank you for coming so quickly, I appreciate Dennis Abbott's offer to help" he said, indicating chairs for them to sit and relax in while they talked. Cho and Lisbon sat, while Jane strolled around the office, taking in Calderon's many awards and citations. From all appearances, he was a very accomplished FBI agent.
"We're happy to help. Cho tells me a body was found in Lost Wells last night" said Lisbon, wanting to get down to business so that ultimately, they could be on their way home to Austin as soon as possible. "How did that happen?"
"Good question. We've searched that lot before and found nothing, but late yesterday a passerby said he noticed a strange pile of garbage that shouldn't have been there. He went over to check it out and under an old rug, he found a body. It wasn't there the day before, so someone went out of their way to place it there yesterday" Agent Calderone explained.
"Knowing full well that it would be discovered quickly by someone nosey" added Jane, smiling at his host.
"Exactly. Whoever had the body or killed the man, was fine with him being discovered. Why, we don't know."
"Can we head over there and check it out ourselves?" asked Cho, eager to see where the body had been discarded.
"Certainly. We'll all go. A fresh set of eyes never hurts" added Calderone.
Lisbon and Cho stood up and followed Jane out of Calderone's office as he led the way out of the building. They took Calderone's FBI SUV and after a half hour drive, arrived at the crime scene to find it abuzz with activity. Yellow crime scene tape fluttered in the hot wind as forensic technicians hovered over piles of dirt and garbage, labelling and photographing everything. The body was already at the coroner's lab being prepped for an autopsy, so Jane had missed his chance to see it as it lay on the ground undisturbed. Disappointment was evident on his face, but there was nothing he could do about it now, unless…
"About our corpse...has the autopsy started?" he asked hopefully.
Calderone stopped his discussion of the crime scene with Cho and Lisbon to take in Jane's question.
"Uhhh...not sure...why?"
"I need to see the body" came Jane's clipped answer.
"It's not in good shape after all this time" Calderone suggested, not sure why the consultant would want to look at that spectacle. A squeamish man would turn and run at the sight of such a horrible sight. "I can check and see if Dr. Leon has started, but surely you don't need to view the deceased" he said.
Cho stepped in and joined the conversation.
"Actually, Mr. Jane does need to see the body, if that's still a possibility. OK with you?"
Calderone saw Cho's solemn face and felt the only acceptable answer would have to be 'yes' so he pulled out his phone and dialed Dr. Leon. After a short conversation he nodded his thanks and turned to the three Austin FBI agents.
"He's going to do the autopsy in an hour. Be there before then and you get to examine the body for clues. Work for you?"
"Yes, perfect. Thank you!" Jane said happily, now turning to gaze at his surroundings with renewed interest.
A few spectators stood outside the police barricade and watched the agents, local police and forensic investigators do their jobs. A ghoulish discovery always brought out a certain type of gawker, and this time was no different. Jane stopped for a moment and stared at the onlookers. Was the murderer standing there enjoying all the fuss he had created? Was one of the spectators the person who surreptitiously dumped a body only to wait for its discovery? Jane scrutinized the faces staring back at him and wondered about each one of them. He tried to memorize each face in case he needed to remember it at some point in the near future. You never could tell when such details would come in handy.
"Jane!"
Lisbon's voice roused him from his thoughts and pulled him back to the activity at the lot.
"This is where the body was found, under this rug" Teresa informed him.
Jane bent down and studied the spot, checking for any fluids or residue on the powdery earth that did not belong. There was nothing. Then he got down on his hands and knees and sniffed at the disgusting old rug. Lisbon and Cho just smiled as Jane proceeded to examine the rug like a dog would savour a juicy bone. The other agents from Houston regarded Jane with surprise and disdain. What was that man doing down there in the dirt?
After a few minutes, Jane stood up and patted the sand off his knees.
"Well?" asked Lisbon, knowing full well how Jane worked.
"Odd smell...can't place it...kind of like...a tired vacation…" he said thoughtfully.
Cho looked at him in consternation and had to ask the question.
"The rug smells like a tired vacation. What's a tired vacation?"
Jane looked up at his Asian friend and shrugged his shoulders.
"Uh...not sure...not yet" he answered before turning to study the rest of the vacant lot for clues. Cho just watched him go in silence before facing Lisbon.
"How do you live with him?" Cho asked her before he wandered off to talk to other agents on site.
"I have no idea" she answered quietly to herself as she headed in Jane's direction.
A half hour later Jane was on his way to the coroner's office courtesy of Agent Calderone. Cho and Lisbon tagged along to view the body and make sure Jane didn't piss off anyone there while he examined the anonymous corpse.
After donning masks, gowns, booties and gloves, Cho, Lisbon and Jane were allowed to enter the cold tiled room where the deceased man lay on a steel table. Jane swallowed his immediate feelings of repulsion in order to gather information. Odd that he could unemotionally examine a body when found in situ, but once it had been moved, undressed and laid out on a slab, it seemed so much more gruesome. Shaking these depressing thoughts out of his mind, Jane stepped up to the table and gazed at the dead man resting under a crisp white sheet. He was of average height, maybe 5' 9 inches tall; longish dirty blonde hair, pale eyes ghosted over in death, but they may have been blue or green in life; he was well muscled but not like a bodybuilder, so he took care of his body somewhat; his hands were uncalloused, so he didn't work as a labourer; a long scar ran up the man's left leg, so he had had surgery for a serious illness or injury at some point. A few other points of interest revealed themselves to Jane's scrutiny, but overall, it seemed that the deceased was quite possibly educated, worked in a corporate situation, once had possibly done some risky things that led to corrective surgery. Jane gently lifted the sheet to study the man's torso. He was tanned and without tattoos, pale skin on his fingers revealed that he wore rings, several of them. Taking one last look, Jane put the sheet back on the man and stepped away from the table.
"Got what you need?" whispered Lisbon.
"Yes. Let's get out of here" he answered, peeling off his gloves as he headed for the door.
"Thank you" Cho said to the coroner as he joined his colleagues as they left the chilly room. Once they were gone, the coroner began his grisly work.
The sun felt good on their cold skin as Cho, Lisbon and Jane walked back to the SUV with Agent Calderone.
"Well? What did our mystery man reveal to you?" asked Calderone, not unkindly. Abbott had forewarned his friend about Jane's unorthodox methods, and he had also warned him not to antagonize Jane when he did something unusual. If Calderone could manage that, the investigation would proceed nicely.
Jane leaned against the car drinking water from a sweating bottle.
"Educated, at least college level, maybe university; works as a teacher or manager of some sort where the dress code is relaxed, maybe in IT; used to play sports or at least tried to be daring at some point; likes the sun and jewellery. So a bit flamboyant. Takes care of himself physically. Went on a vacation recently, most likely further South than Texas. Until I see his clothing I can only guess at the rest, but I'd say we're looking at a professional man who had no intention of staying in Lost Wells. He was just passing through until someone changed his plans for him."
"You got all that from looking at a naked corpse?" asked the surprised FBI agent.
"Didn't you?" Jane answered, hopping up into the car to escape the blinding sun. As Calderone sat behind the wheel, he turned to add his own thoughts to the conversation.
"Fingerprints have been sent out for a possible ID on our John Doe. Let's see how close you are to the mark on his lifestyle" he smiled at Jane.
"Looking forward to it" Jane grinned as the vehicle pulled away in a cloud of dust.
Lunch was a quick burger at a roadside diner midway between the coroner's office and FBI headquarters. As Cho and Jane sat down at the same table with Lisbon and Calderone, the agent's cell phone rang.
"Calderone...yes...really?" He listened intently and smiled to himself. "OK, follow up as much as you can and get back to me with more details. Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. Bye!"
Calderone pocketed his phone and turned to the expectant faces of the people from Austin.
"We have a name. Martin Valeriote. A junior college instructor from Galveston. Played some high school football before an injury sidelined his hopes for a career in sports. Enjoyed travel, most recently in Mexico where he bought a few pieces of silver jewellery for his sister, mother, and a couple of rings for himself."
Turning to Jane, he smiled deeply.
"You were right on all counts. I don't know how you did it but you nailed it. The only thing you didn't get was his name."
Jane popped a french fry into his mouth and smiled. When he paused to take a drink, he felt he owed Agent Calderone an explanation.
"The tan was intentional, like he had made sure his body got the maximum amount of sun except for where his swimsuit was, so, a vacation in the South, Mexico; his hands showed white patches where his rings blocked the sun so he liked jewellery; his hair was longer than a bank manager or stuffy office HR department would allow, so I considered that he was either self employed, worked in IT, which is famously uncaring as to how their employees dress or groom themselves, or, teaching in a college or university setting, which also has a more casual environment than a high school where teachers are supposed to be role models."
Calderone lifted his glass of water in a salute to Jane's talents and leaned back in his chair.
"Well done. I'm impressed. I have agents on the road right now who will interview Valeriote's family and friends for more about his recent activities and why he was here, so far from home."
"Can I look at his personal effects?" Jane asked. "Clothes will tell a lot about his final day."
"Sure, I expected you'd want to see them. They will be brought up from the evidence locker when we get back to the office. Abbott was right, you three are good" Calderone smiled.
"Flattery will get you everything" laughed Lisbon as she bit into her deep fried pickle.
"That's my plan!" agreed Calderone, turning to his food with gusto.
Jane grabbed his dripping pulled pork burger with both hands and took a deep bite. All things considered, the day was going very well so far. Hopefully, by tonight, they would have a solid lead on what was happening in the sleepy little town of Lost Wells.