Note: Here goes the next chapter. Hope you will enjoy it. Thankx for the comments.

I forgot the disclaimer in the last two chapters. Oopz! Not mine!

A Pink Devil

I am a jerk. I am an unworthy pompous brat.

For all my life, I have been accused of my competitiveness and obsession for money. Of course, people called it narcissism, but I never really cared what other people think of me. I had money and I had power, which means I have got quite a lot of influence and a way of my own.

Yet, when I saw Teresa, teary eyes, white as a sheet of paper, down on her knees and staring at nowhere in particular, I would have traded anything and everything, to make it up to her. But I knew, no money, no power can save her now. For the first time in my life, I felt helpless, powerless and clueless. I felt awful and at that moment, I knew I was the biggest jerk ever.

'You are too late.' I heard myself saying. One might say that I and Lisbon had just a one night stand, but it was more than that, at least for me. I have never known a woman, (and believe me, I know quite a lot) with such fierce personality and an innocent a soul. Teresa can be all cop like as she wants to, but deeper down in her, there is an untouched innocence which twinkles in her eyes when she smile. I can remember, Patrick Jane saying that she had some kind of broken intensity but for me it is more like innocence. When I held her in my arms, I felt both protected and protective. She was demanding and yielding. Beautiful and something more than that.

I wanted to reach her and hold her in my arms, but I only needed a glance to realize that I am not the man she wanted to hold her. Yes, I am not the man and no living man can do that either. I knew that Teresa Lisbon has fallen in love with the last man she should have fallen for. Patrick Jane. And now he is gone.

Oh, this reminds me to say another thing about myself. I am a chicken too. All mighty Walter Mashburn is a chicken, and you can write this to any press or media and I won't deny the compliment.

I stood there in front of an agonized Lisbon and wondered why I ever let her go. Yes, if I had tried, if I had not been a chicken, had I been man enough, if I had known what I needed in my life, I would have got her. But, I ran away. I ran away from her to France, to Germany, to Italy and to the rest of the world. Somewhere deep in my heart, I knew, when I first got to know Teresa Lisbon,that she does not belong to me. She belonged with the man by her side, at least I thought so. In a way I was right. She had fallen for him, but it couldn't have been one smooth ride. If I were there, I could have rescued her from herself. I could have at least distracted her. I could have done something to prevent her from been agonized. I could have been 'someone' to her. But right now, I am just an influential, economically able devil that she is ready to come in to a pact with, readily trading her soul, to avenge her love. If that is what she wants me to be, that is what I am going to be. It is just that she does not know, that the devil has fallen for her eons ago.

I fell on my knees because I myself was not able to keep a clear head, seeing Lisbon utterly devastated. I grabbed her shoulders and whispered,

"Teresa."

"Please," a trembling voice whispered as a pair of emerald eyes looked into me pleadingly.

"Please, don't argue."

And I could have stabbed myself to death for the sheer pain that rushed through her skin into my fingers. Her eyes were screaming and withering with ache, and I was so powerless I almost hated Patrick Jane for dying. At least he could have lived. At least he could have kept breathing. No, he had to go and get himself amused by that witch, Erica Flyn.

Yes, I know Erica Flyn. I know a poisonous snake when I see one. She is a devastatingly beautiful flower with a murderous scent; a flower from Persephone's garden in the depths of hell. How could he not see it? I think he did. It was just his fatal flaw has guided him into the hands of that witch. Yes, the fatal flaw that every Shakespearean tragic hero carries. Jane's flaw, obviously being over confidence about his games and tactics.

I thought he would protect her. Maybe I wasn't there with Teresa, but I knew what was happening around her. I keep track on people that I care for. So basically, I knew whether she skipped meals or not. Call me whatever, for spying on her, I won't really care because all I care about right now is, this woman that I have no power to save and make happy.

I thought at least he would protect himself. No, of course not! He wanted to play games. I know, usually he is a master at his games but one should be overly cautious when they play on an unknown ground. Patrick Jane must have thought himself to be the maestro and that he is untouchable. Yes, now he is untouchable. He is dead. Blaming a dead man is shameful but it gives me a clear head at least.

I knew one or two things about Erica Flyn. How did I? Let us just say, I like playing games too. She appears in the world after she marries a rich man, and the latter dies tragically. She killed him. If there is a husband killing woman on the loose, we rich people get the news. Security purposes! Somehow, Erica had some strong invisible back up. No private detective could trace the source of that power. For some time, I thought it was Bret Stirise. Oh! You know him too? Yes, I know him too. We belong to different categories of the same pack. Bret Stirise can be many things but he was not a man to be alluded by a pair of sexy legs. So, then…Who IS the unidentified power source? I bet my Swiss bank account, it should be Red John. Oh, yes. Playing games with a Red John agent? I would rather play a boring game of chess.

"Teresa, get up." I said, unable to come up with any word that has power to console her misery.

Watching the pair, Bertram winced. He definitely did not want to have a narcissist billionaire at his tail.

When she was finally seated on a comfortable chair, everybody pointedly avoided the famous Jane couch, I sat across another chair and watched her desperately trying to collect herself.

" I am glad that you came over, Walter."

Sheer irony! How different were the circumstances, when I uttered the very same words to Lisbon. She was damaged but perfect.

" What are we gonna do now, Teresa?"

" In short, Red John case is taken away from our team. But we need to work on it. YOU are going to support us in any and every way possible. We might need to pull lot of strings."

Yes, I stand for influence and connections, wealth and power; meaning I am sneaky and lawless. The feeling hurt. But for her sake, I would be what she wants me to be.

One look at Teresa Lisbon, I knew she was in it for life. And the other members in the team must be feeling the same. I know what I need to do. I am a man who had everything but a purpose in life. Now I have one. I will be by the side of the woman I care for, and will assist her to avenge the love of her life.

The roles have changed. First it was Patrick Jane, obsessed with taking revenge and Teresa Lisbon desperately trying to save him from himself.

Now it is Teresa Lisbon, infected by the obsession and I need to be there to save her from herself.

Note: Next chapter will be on how the team is trying to locate Erica Flynne.