Turning a page, Lisbon's eyes had fallen on Jane's name. The date was very near of that of the murder.

21th of April 2003

Yesterday, I met Wilkins, a former collegue now working in LA. He told me about one Patrick Jane, a psychic who has begun to help them in their investigations. I started to mock him to have become such a gullible fool. But he remained very serious and told that the man was so good he had become less than sure that psychics didn't actually exist. He told me me about some cases Jane has solved, and I found his stories interesting enough to watch a show in which the man was to appear tonight.

He is good, very good. He has even more charisma than Brett himself. He can make a room full of people to adore him if he chooses to. He can make them believe whatever he wants. I think that his technique is mainly based upon reading body language, tone of voice and facial expression. I learnt the basics of such things with Brett, when I was one of his most promising disciples. But it requires too much patience. I was more interested in his lessons about how to manipulate lost and broken people and make them your subservient, adoring tools.

Yes, that man has power, even if he chose to waste it in these ridiculous shows. I'm not jealous. Why should I be ? Through my hold on Bertram I can rule the actions of more and more persons, as he'll soon have a very important position.

But what if I could add to all this the power of charm and persuasion, not only on some damaged or weak-willed people, but on almost anyone ? What would be my power if all this man's cleverness and habilities to read people were mine? If he was mine ? I happen to covet him, almost like my victims, only I don't want to kill him. I want to own him, I want him to be the most precious of my tools. And what a challenge for me, to compete with and to bend to my will a mind such as his.

28th of April 2003

The first thing to do was to have someone from the BA investigate about Jane. This done, my second move was to get his attention. For that, I've just suggested to that idiot Wilkins to talk about Jane to the members of the team in charge of my case. If I've understood the man well, if they ask for his help, he won't refuse the challenge. Especially as according to their neighbourg, his wife encourages him to use his habilities to help the police instead of conning innocent people. By investigating about me, he will begin to know me, my power, my terrible, awesome deeds.

The third move of course is to destroy what makes him strong. To kill his family. And if I can make him believe that it happened because of his investigations on my case, the better. Guilt is even a more efficient way than grief to weaken anyone. It's that way I attracted Michael and Rebecca at my side.

And what better way to get rid of the guilt than to admit the necessity of the event which was the source of the guilt? What better way for him to get free of his guilt than to embrace my view on the word, to come to my side ? In time, he will. I will slowly break him untill he does. Or, I will destroy him.

Lisbon made a pause, stunned by what she had just read. Was it possible that Red John had planned the murder of Jane's family even before that fatal TV show ?

Her eyes were fixed on the next line, a new entry, the very day Charlotte and Angela had died.

10th of May 2003

The show has just finished. The journalist asked him about his investigations in the Red John case, and he insulted me, which serves my plans. On another hand, I'm extremely disappointed he misreaded me that much, but after all, he's very new on the case. The anger made me write the perfect letter : what guilt he will feel ! The more broken he will be, the easier for me to make him mine. I'm at only five minutes from his house. Everything will be over long before he's back home.

Lisbon stopped reading again, eyes blurred, heart pounding in her chest.

Of course. Since they knew that Mc Allister was Red John, this should have occurred to her at least, if not to Jane, too emotionally involved, too used to his burden of guilt to reconsider the events of this fatal night.

How was it that the sheriff of Napa Valley had been close enough to Jane's house to reach it before him, in order to avenge some casual insults that had just been uttered ?

Lisbon wasn't even aware of the tears running on her cheeks.

Jane had spent years in a living hell of guilt for something that was not in the least his fault. It was a hideous scenario born in the ravings of a sick mind. The first of all the traps Red John had ever set for him.

So, what do you think ? I thought about this since I realised how far Napa Valley is from Malibu. So I decided to use that fact. Especially as I think that the one plausible reason strong enough to prevent Jane from making his feelings known to Lisbon is his guilt for having got his family killed.