The team assembled in the break room around the box of hot doughnuts Rigsby brought. Surprisingly, no coffee was made. That was weird. Lisbon always made a pot of coffee first thing out of habit since she and her team usually arrived at the office before everyone else. Lisbon's coffee was as much CBI tradition as getting buzzed to survive the Christmas Party or never eating Henklestien's wife's Jamaican Black Rum cake unless you were into missing time and massive hangovers.
What did no coffee mean? No one really knew. Surely the boss hadn't overslept? She wouldn't dare. Not when she'd demanded they be here by eight. Though rare, such a thing had occurred once or twice over the years. Usually when Lisbon pushed herself past the breaking point and her body rebelled. No big deal. The boss was pretty good a pacing herself. She knew her limits well.
No big woop, Cho was already making the coffee with his usual heavy hand. That everyone would spend the rest of the day discretely watering down their brew was nothing new. At least until the pot was empty. Van Pelt would sneak in to make a new one before he knew. Before her team member got his feelings hurt. Cho was silently amused by Van Pelt's concern. As if he cared what anyone thought of his coffee making skills. He liked his java strong. Grow a set and deal with it.
As for the boss, she'd come sailing in at some point spouting apologies right and left. With any luck she'd forget to tame that charming little cow lick on the side of her head. He'd then proceed to drive her crazy all day with that inscrutable half smile she couldn't read. Besides, it was kind of cute. Or her blouse might be on inside out or her socks mismatched. She'd done that once or twice over the years as well. What he did know was they'd all gang up on Lisbon when she finally arrived and embarrass her for being late. She expected them here promptly at eight then proceeded to break her own rule. Some boss she was setting a bad example for her team. She deserved nothing less.
"Hey, guys, where's Lisbon?" Jane stuck his head in the break room.
"Haven't seen her yet." Rigsby spoke around a mouth full of raspberry filled doughnut.
"It's not like Lisbon to oversleep. Not with a nasty case on the table." Jane reminded them.
"It happens." Cho pushed the button on the coffee maker.
"Not with Lisbon. Not at a time like this." Jane was firm in his resolve.
"Jane, she was really tired. Maybe she decided to sleep in." Rigsby wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"Maybe, but I don't think so." Jane wasn't giving up.
Something wasn't right. He could feel it, even the rest of the team couldn't. Lisbon should be here by now. She should be sitting beside Van Pelt stuffing her face with one of those disgusting lemon filled doughnuts she favored savoring that disgusting cup of coffee she couldn't live without. He really needed to get her to change her annoying habits for sanity's sake.
Besides, that was just what the woman needed. Another sugar crazed caffeine high. She'd drive the lot of them nuts until she finally crashed and started all over again. Or she would if she were here where Jane would give anything to have her. He should have checked out her car and knocked on her door. He shouldn't have settled for everything looking all right. He knew better than that. Since when had he ever respected rules and boundaries? Or cared if he was burdensome for that matter? He was Jane and he should have stuck to the plan. He wouldn't be concerned his latest premonition was right if he had.
Jane watched the team laughing and gorging on pastries while he made a cup of tea. Taking a sip he headed for the door without another word. As much as he liked the guys, and he really did, they were complete idiots at times. He'd check back in with them in an hour if Lisbon still hadn't showed.
He kept telling himself there was no such thing as psychics as he made his way up the attic stairs.
#
Jane opened his eyes and sat up. It should be about nine o'clock on the dot. Grabbing his empty tea cup, he made his way down the stairs to the bull pen. Glancing at Lisbon's office he saw it was still empty. Unless of course she'd come in while he was dozing and left again. That was possible though highly unlikely given how he felt. Padding into the kitchen he rinsed his cup and prepared another cup of tea. Taking a sip, he walked back out into the bull pen to stand by Cho's desk.
"Anyone seen Lisbon yet?"
"Nope."
"Has she called in?"
"Nope."
"It's ten after nine. Don't you think we should call her?"
"Nope."
"Well I do. Something isn't right. Cho, I really think you should call."
"What's up, Jane, you suddenly gone psychic?
"There's no such thing as psychics, Cho. That being said, I still think you should give her a call. The worst that'll happen is she'll blister your ears for waking her up. We've all survived a dressing down by the boss."
"You're really serious about this."
"Yes, I am."
Cho studied the intensity of the other man's eyes. This wasn't another of Jane's aggravate the boss ploys. The man was genuinely disturbed. That disturbed Cho.
"Alright, I'll give her call."
"Good." Cho took out his cell and punched a button.
Getting the expected voice mail, he left a message. Punching another button he let the phone ring and ring. Hanging up on the answering machine he dialed the number again. When the answering machine picked up a second time he left a brief message. He was starting to think maybe Jane was right. The boss wouldn't sleep through two phone calls. She was a trained law enforcement officer and a pretty light sleeper. No matter how tired she was.
"She's not answering, Jane. Maybe she's in the shower."
"Maybe."
"Maybe she's on her way in."
"She'd have answered her cell or called back in as soon as possible."
"Yeah, I guess she would have."
"If we don't hear anything by ten, it's time to go to Hightower. See if she's heard anything."
"She'd have told us by now if she had."
"Then we have to conclude she hasn't. If we haven't heard anything by ten, it's time to start making calls. Find out if there's been an accident we haven't heard about."
"I've already checked. There's nothing matching her description. Not yet anyway." Van Pelt piped up from across the room.
She'd been as concerned as Jane since the beginning. Running late was not the boss's style. Her woman's intuition had been off ever since. She hadn't said anything because she hadn't wanted to look foolish in front of the guys. She'd simply started a secret investigation of her own under the guise of working on their case.
"There haven't been any calls she might have answered either." Rigsby added his two cents.
He'd caught on to what Grace was doing a long time ago. Trusting her intuition, he added his own search to the mix. Being one of the guys, he hadn't bothered disguising his actions. Cho had caught on to what both of them were doing about the time the whole foolishness started. He'd been stealthfully watching them while he continued following up leads on their real case. Somebody had too. If either of them had turned up anything of significance he'd have been the first too know and the first to act. With Lisbon out of the office he was temporary team leader. Everyone took that as a given except maybe Jane.
They were all on the same page now and getting more concerned by the minute. It wasn't like Lisbon to be late at all. She would never be this late without calling. Not unless calling wasn't an option. None of them wanted to contemplate what that could possibly mean.
#
It was twelve oh six. Almost two hours later than Jane had wanted to shift things into high gear. Hightower had vetoed acting in panic. It would look bad for the CBI. They wanted to keep this little incident out of the press as long as possible. Until they determined something was, in fact, very wrong. Jane couldn't shake the feeling they were running out of time.
Instead, Madeline had forced them to cool their heels until all other avenues were exhausted. In spite of Jane's eloquent pleas. Her administrative assistant and the team had contacted all the hospitals and agencies in the area that may have come across anyone matching Lisbon's description in the course of their work. Hightower and Jane had both joined the search. They'd all come up empty handed. They'd finally been given permission to go into the field.
Screeching to a halt at Lisbon's complex, they walked by the familiar SUV. Everything looked fine with the vehicle. It was parked neatly in her assigned parking place. There were no external signs of struggle. The doors were all locked. It was obvious Lisbon had made it home safe.
Cho made for the manager's office to get the spare key while the rest of the team headed for the stairs. Standing outside the door they waited impatiently for the Korean agent to return. They didn't have long to wait. He'd obviously wasted no time and cut the chase in typical Cho style. Whatever he'd said was effective because he had the coveted key in hand. Unlocking the door, the team pushed inside.
Lisbon's place was neater than expected. A little on the austere side, but neat and tidy. The den light was still on over thirteen hours after Jane had ridden by. That wasn't a good sign in his opinion, but there weren't any signs of a struggle. The place had an uncomfortable deserted feel like no one had been there in a while. It was just too perfect. There were no signs of life in the kitchen or in the den. Lisbon wasn't this OCD. It looked liked she'd recently cleaned the place and not returned to give it that lived in feel.
Walking up the stairs the team noticed there were no footprints, except theirs, in the freshly vacuumed carpet. There should have been a trail of Lisbon prints if she'd climbed the stairs to go to bed. There were no signs of life in the bedroom. Her bed was still neatly made though not unexpected if she made her bed each morning. It still didn't sit exactly right with the team.
Walking into the bathroom, Cho looked at the pristine sink. No woman was this neat. There should be pots and tubes or something lying around. Lifting the hamper lid he noticed it was empty. There should have been towels and wash cloths hanging about from Lisbon's morning shower. If not hanging, stuffed in the hamper. There was no way the boss came to work without an evening or morning shower.
"Van Pelt, check the washer and dryer. See if the boss has done any laundry recently."
Even if she'd done laundry last night and put it away, there would be some indication of her morning preparations. A washcloth, discarded unmentionables in the hamper, something. There was absolutely nothing to indicate Lisbon ever made it to her apartment last night. To the parking lot, certainly, but inside her home?
"Nothing, Cho. The laundry room's as clean as everywhere else." Van Pelt walked back in the room a few minutes later.
"I think it's time to take a look at the SUV." Cho said what they were all thinking.
"I think you're right. Let me get the spare key." Jane led the way down the stairs back to the first floor.
The team did not want to know how Jane knew where Lisbon's spare key was kept. Whatever was between them, or not, hopefully very not, was better left unknown. Walking into the kitchen, Jane opened the drawer beneath the coffee maker grabbing the black remote with the dangling key. The team was a little disheartened by his action. It was apparent the mentalist had been in the boss's apartment at some point to have that kind of information. There was more going on between those two than met the eye. Whether they knew it or not.
Van Pelt hoped Lisbon's kind heart wasn't getting her into trouble. Good looks aside, Jane had a kind of tragic, romantic appeal. Like a Byron or one of those Bronte heroes. Mad, bad, and dangerous to know. A Jane was the last thing a Lisbon needed to tangle with.
Rigsby found the whole idea the boss and Jane really disturbing. Lisbon was certainly attractive enough even if his imagination conjured images of handcuffs and places he wasn't willing to go. He just couldn't reconcile the boss and his fantasies in any acceptable way. Probably because she was the boss and he really shouldn't be thinking that way. Van Pelt was a more acceptable target. As for Jane, he was an attractive man if you went for his kind, not that he did, but he was confident enough in his masculinity to recognize women found Jane attractive. Even Gracie, but she was too wise to go there. Thank God for small blessings. He meant that literally.
As for Cho, he recognized it wasn't impossible the boss had a secret little Jane thing going on the side. Implausible, but not impossible. Implausible mainly because of the Jane component. The boss was an attractive woman. Attractive women had needs. Jane was an attractive man. Attractive men had needs. Except maybe Jane. Lisbon was fully capable of having a little fling with the mentalist and walking away. She was too smart to get involved with a man as emotionally unavailable as that one. Besides, it would never happen. Jane was still married to dead woman. He probably always would be. Even after Red John was gone.
Looking at the faces around him, Jane knew they were all wondering how he knew where Lisbon's spare key was kept. Let them wonder. He had more important things to do. Jingling the key, Jane got their attention. Van Pelt had the grace to blush and Risgby looked constipated. Cho, he just blinked in that emotionless manner. Who knew what the man was thinking? His expression tended to stay the same.
Taking the key from Jane, Cho led the way out the door. Rigsby stopped to make sure the apartment door was locked as the rest of the team descended the stairs. Feeling the hair rise on the back of neck, Jane watched the Korean agent hit the button on the remote to trip the locks in the SUV. Each stationed at a different door, the team opened them near simultaneously.
"This is not good."
Jane stepped back from the door as though he'd been struck. If only he'd stopped to really check that everything was as it appeared. His trying to be considerate had cost them fourteen hours. A person could be dead long before that.
"Get over it. We need you with us, Jane. Any of us would have done the same." Cho's no nonsense growl was the only indication that Jane had unwittingly spoken his thoughts aloud.
Stepping back, Jane turned away from the bags of groceries and Lisbon's purse resting so innocently on the floorboard against the driver's seat. Dragging his hand through his hair he listened to Cho barking orders into his phone. It wouldn't be long before the whole place was swarming with law enforcement.
The CBI left no rock unturned when it came to finding one of their own. No doubt the media would soon follow. Unholy vultures the lot of them. It was painfully obvious that Lisbon had been taken against her will. From the supposedly safe parking lot her home. Not even realizing his thoughts, all Jane could think was his Lisbon was missing and all those bottom feeders cared about was bankable time on air. Every last one of them should be shot.
Coming out of silent rant, Jane glanced at the rest of the team. Cho was too busy assuming team leader mode and barking orders to allow himself to feel. The backlash would come soon enough and Cho wouldn't be quite so enigmatic. Van Pelt stood in disbelief fitfully ringing her hands. She was next to useless and would be until she regained control. Though she'd come a commendable distance in the last few months, Gracie was still the innocent rookie in so many ways. As for Rigsby, he was as shaken as the rest of them. Shaken, but ready for action when the orders came. The man was a good cop.
They all were. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough in this instance. Jane knew beyond a shadow of a doubt they would find no usable forensics. The bags would lead them to her last stop. The video feed would confirm she'd been there and little else. Whoever had snatched her was just too good. Jane said 'whoever' in his mind because he was reasonably sure it wasn't Red John though he knew the team was not. Who really cared about the fine points at the moment?
All that mattered was Lisbon had vanished in thin air.