Hi, sorry I've taken so long up update this, but thank you all so much for the feedback!

Also thank you (again) to Emma for helping with this- she's been a huge help! :)


Chapter Three~

November 2014

Tony Amos, the husband of Esmee Amos, and the inaccurate witness (who claimed that shots were heard two hours before they actually were) was an ex gang member of "The Anarchists" and a three-time convict. He was also an expert in computer science and in 1999 he had been jailed for computer hacking related crimes, regarding the FBI's encrypted files. What held both Wiley and Jane's attention, however, was the fact that he had been convicted of falsifying data and faking the death of a fellow gang member 10 years prior. Ordinarily, this would be suspicious, but coupled with the recent $100,000 deposited into his bank and his link to Lisbon's death, it couldn't be overlooked. A man like Tony Amos was not the typical type of man to be involved in cold blooded murder, but faking a death? It was plausible.

Jane and Wiley both sat in the office, time slowing around them and possibilities darting through Jane's mind like a hare with a fox on its trail. He almost didn't dare to think it, except that he couldn't think of anything but it. What if she was alive? It was a distinct possibility, and Jane felt like he'd been punched in the stomach, like he had been winded, like he could not breath. His Lisbon alive.

Wiley shrugged his shoulders in his awkward way, stuttering slightly as he said, "Well, it can't mean anything, right?" His voice was uncertain and he looked to Jane for guidance, feeling like he had missed something and jumped to the wrong conclusion without due cause. One look at Jane's astounded but entirely hopeful facial expressions told him all he needed to know, however.

"Of course it can!" Jane breathed and stood up in a hurry, hitting print on Amos' details and gathering up all of his other papers (witness statements, death certificate and explanation, case files) off of the desk, before hurrying away.

He stayed up all throughout that night (not that he would have slept anyway), possibilities flitting through his mind and demanding his full attention. He had concocted a make-shift bulletin board, much like the one he had used to brainstorm the Red John case, and by the morning it was full of complex ideas. The board was drawn up in three quarters, and Jane had sprawled ideas on each section. On the left side were the words 'Teresa Lisbon-alive?', which were enclosed within a felt tip circle on the board, and over a dozen arrows spiralled from this; the inconsistency of the witness statement; the history Amos had in faking deaths and the idea that her body had only been identified by Pike and not permitted to be seen after (it had been a closed casket funeral, and the funeral parlour had not allowed visitors). Of course, the rational side of Jane understood that these could easily be cancelled out by opposing evidence and that it seemed too complicated; if Lisbon was still alive it meant that her body had been switched out (and kidnapped) after Pike had identified her (because as much as it pained him to admit it, he couldn't see Pike mistaking someone else for Lisbon). Jane had seen a handful of times where a death had been faked, one being the time he got the father of a wealthy family drunk and used a strategically placed golf ball to portray the illusion of no pulse; and the irrational, blindly hopeful side of Jane had convinced himself that this was one of those times. Lisbon had to-had to-still be alive.

On the second section of the board Jane had brainstormed ideas of who would want Lisbon's death faked. He had three major ideas; leftover members of the Blake Association who were after vengeance against one of the leading people involved in Red John's demise (which meant that Jane should expect to be pulled within that sooner or later), or maybe Visualise (although Jane was just pulling at strings here). He had also listed out all of the cases he and Lisbon had worked on, with characters Lisbon had sent down personally, and this list was seemingly endless. Lisbon had worked in the CBI for most of her adult life and had worked to full capacity to send down as many criminals as humanly possible.

The third section was a continuation of Lisbon's case, and was the only section that acknowledged the possibility of her death, seeing as it was the most logically sound. Jane had listed the evidence and, coupled with the consistency of Amos' witness statement, he had brainstormed possible leads for her murder.

One question Jane kept pondering was whether just because Amos had a history in faking deaths it meant that Lisbon's death had also been faked; it wasn't concrete, incriminating evidence and he was well aware that he could be heading in the completely wrong direction. The truth was, however, if she was dead after all, he couldn't handle it, so he was taking any evidence that went against her being alive as not valid.

One thing was certain though; he needed help.

Jane was the first one in the office the next morning, not having slept for the whole night. His eyes were laden with evidence of his insomnia, and his jaw was sprinkled with unshaven shadows, but over the top of his rumpled shirt and slacks his old vest had made a reappearance. He stood impatiently as everyone arrived.

The small group had arrived together; Wiley (who knew why Jane had arranged this impromptu meeting, yet still seemed uncomfortably nervous), Cho, the Rigsbys (Jane had ordered Grace and Wayne to come also- he needed the old team back together as much as possible), and of course, Abbott. Each wore slightly alarmed expressions at his jittery manner, but they all sat down without a fuss, waiting for Jane to explain.

And explain he did. He talked of Tony Amos and his expertise in faking deaths, as well as the suspicious amount of money deposited in his bank, as well as his vague suspicions about the inconsistency of the evidence surrounding Lisbon's 'death'. He was well aware that he was speaking too quickly, that as he tried to write some of his points down on the whiteboard he had accidentally thrown the pen down vigorously, that for once all of his skills at regulating his body had failed; his heart was racing uncontrollably, he was covering in a thin sheen of sweat. He knew all of these things but he didn't care because once they too knew that Lisbon was alive... Well they would understand. Wayne, Grace and Cho would understand at least, because they knew Lisbon and loved her, almost as much as he did. Instead of understanding, however, Jane was met with the opposite. Rigsby was avoiding Jane's stare, Wiley looked as astonished as he had the previous evening when they had first uncovered Tony Amos and Cho looked as stoic as ever. However, for once it was Grace whose face was unreadable, deep in thought. Jane didn't have time to think this over (he would never have thought Grace could hide her emotions from him) because Abbott spoke.

"Jane, where are you gong with this?" Abbott asked gruffly, leaning forward on his elbows.

Jane's point finally cumulated to his epiphany; "Abbott, she's alive. Lisbon is alive!" His voice was hoarse, but carried throughout the mostly empty room, eliciting a few stares from nearby workers. Jane lowered his voice to a hush. "It's the only explanation; why else would there be such drastic inconsistences with the witnesses? How else could Amos be involved? Lisbon must be-"

"It seems like you're hinging a lot of this on nothing, Jane." Abbott stood and rubbed a hand over his face tiredly. "Look, we are all grieving, and it's going to take some time before anything resembles 'okay' again. But you don't wanna go down that path. It will drive you crazy." He turned to the rest of the team and spoke with an air of commandment. "I don't want you guys entertaining this fantasy. Wiley- get back on the O'Brien case and Cho, go chase up the suspect with Agent Vega. I want this case wrapped up today."

Jane slammed his hand down on his desk, uncharacteristically furious. Wiley was the first to speak for a change, hurrying to his feet and stepping the three paces over to Jane's desk. "Jane, I can run up Tony Amos through the database again, pick up his address." His voice was hushed but desperate. "We can head to his house and question him, under the FBI's radar."

"We can't let him know yet. We need to do this quietly." Jane replied, calming a little as Grace, Rigsby, Cho and Wiley stood up and nodded slightly at his words.

"Grace could check out the death report though, and the report log on the call out to that parking lot" Cho spoke quickly.

"Actually," Grace stepped forwards and the small group all focused their attention on her. She spoke with importance, and they all clung on to her words. "I already did. Jane, I think you're on to something,"