A/N: Thanks again for all the support for this story. The big twist is in this chapter...hope you like it and are sufficiently surprised!


Chapter 4 - Hypnotised

Cho turned the sign on the door to 'closed' and stood with his back to it, his arms crossed as Jane put Jenner into a trance using a dime. Jane smiled as he said the word 'sleep', the young man's eyelids fluttering shut and his body falling towards his chest. He moved him to a chair that he'd readied in the middle of the store.

Jane spoke softly as he pulled Jenner into a deeper trance. Once he was sure he was sufficiently under he brought the young man's attention to Tuesday, the day the footage was taken.

'So Drew, like I told you before, you can see all the events of Tuesday. Like a movie. You can watch the whole day as it plays out.'

Jenner nodded his head and murmured, 'Okay.'

'All right then. I want you to think back to Tuesday morning. To a particular customer that entered your store. She was blond and wore a dress, slim, about five four. You...you were attracted to her. Can you see her?'

Jenner's lips turned into a grin. 'Oh yeah.'

Jane interrupted him before he began to go into any lewd details. 'Okay. You watch her as she does some shopping? Right?'

'Oh yeah. Great ass.'

Jane rolled his eyes. 'Yeah, well take your eyes away from her ass for the moment. What's she wearing?'

'Yellow dress, white flowers on it.'

'She brought some groceries and you helped her pack them. What did she buy?'

'Diapers, headache tablets and a box of coffee.'

Jane looked at Cho, both men frowning at each other.

'Diapers? Are you sure?'

'Yeah man. I was surprised too. She must have worked hard to get her figure back.'

'What age were the diapers for?'

Jane saw Jenner's eyelids fluttering as he tried to remember. 'Drew, you saw this. Just focus on the box as you put it into her bag. The colours on the packet if you can't see the age.'

'It was...it was a pink and white packet.'

Cho moved around the store to fetch a packet the same as the one described. He showed it to Jane. They were suitable for a six month old. Jane shook his head at Cho. He was more confused than ever. He turned his attention back to Jenner.

'Okay Drew. You're doing great. Now, when you packed her groceries the two of you spoke. What did you talk about?'

'I asked her if she was new to the area. She said she wasn't. That she's been here for a while but didn't get into town too often.'

Jane was filled with more confidence. That meant she wasn't just travelling through that day. Chances were she was still in the area. As his heart was racing Drew continued.

'Pity she was married. I was hoping she was divorced. Might have been able to teach me a thing or two.' He began to snigger.

Jane was too shocked at his first statement to worry about the sleazy innuendo that followed it. 'She was married?'

Jenner shrugged. 'Sure man. She wore a wedding ring. Them's the breaks I guess.'

Jane blinked rapidly, moving the information to the back of his mind so he could continue the questioning. 'Okay. So, she left the store. If she lives out of town she drove here. So, what car did she drive?'

'I...I don't know.'

'Come on Drew. A beautiful woman comes into your store. Great ass. You telling me you didn't watch her walk out and get into her car?'

Jenner grinned as the memory came to his mind. 'Oh yeah. A black car. Some kind of Chevy. I'm not good with cars. Don't really know the makes. Biggish.'

'That's okay. How about the number plate? Focus in on it. Remember, this is like a movie. You can move into any detail and slow it down so you can see it clearly.'

Jane saw him struggle with the details. Evidently not meant to be a detective. 'Any letters or numbers at all will help.'

'There was a four and a five I think. That's...that's all I noticed. The rest is too hazy.'

'That's okay. Black chevy, four and a five in the plate.' He looked at Cho. It was something he hoped Wylie could get a match on. 'So, she just got in and drove off. In which direction?'

'Right. Towards the lake.'

After pulling Jenner out his trance he and Cho walked outside. Jane puffed out a breath of air as Cho called in the partial plate to Wylie who was in Austin waiting on news.

Cho caught up with Jane as he looked down the street in the direction Lisbon had driven. 'So, thoughts?'

Jane looked at him incredulously, his eyes wide and shook his head. 'Well, one thing remains the same at least. Lisbon still loves coffee.'

'She either is or is pretending to be married. She's looking after a child.'

'The evidence would seem to support that.'

'We can check recent marriage records. See if anything shows up.'

Jane nodded but couldn't imagine Lisbon was actually married. It must be some type of cover story.

'Whose child?'

Jane sighed. 'That is the question. Isn't it?' He pursed his lips. 'Come on. I'm starving. Let's get something to eat.'


As they sat in the diner they showed the photograph to the waitress there but she had never seen Lisbon.

'So, she's basically living near here like a recluse probably close to a month and has a baby in tow. Doesn't make any sense' Cho said, tucking into an omelette.

Jane was glad he didn't mention a fictional husband that was most likely living with her and what that particular scenario would undoubtedly mean.

Jane pushed his scrambled eggs around his plate and took a sip of tea. 'What the hell is she playing at, Cho? If something happened...I mean if there was some reason she had to drop off the face of the earth...some kind of threat to whoever's child this is-'

'She would have told you if she had. You know that. No way Lisbon would do that to you.'

Jane knew that too but he couldn't come up with any reasonable reason why she would behave like this. Some kind of psychotic break. Amnesia. They were the only explanations that sprung to mind.

As he went to put down some notes and the rest of his change the dime he hypnotised Jenner with glinted at him as the daylight streamed through the windows. A third option entered his head. 'Hypnosis' he said, under his breath.


'Why don't you want us to circulate her photo around town, go door to door with it?' Abbott asked Jane as they regrouped in the guest house they were staying at that afternoon.

'Because if someone is holding her up it might panic them into moving her and we'll miss our chance. Let's see what Wylie comes up with regarding the car first.'

'Jane, no one is holding her up. She's obviously free to come and go as she pleases.'

'Not necessarily. Just because she's not shackled by her ankles in some basement doesn't mean she's any less imprisoned.'

Abbott rolled his eyes. 'This is the hypnosis theory again, isn't it?'

'Yes. She could move about quite freely but if she's in a deep enough trance then she'll go back to wherever she feels is her home at the end of the day.'

'But she hasn't been to town much by the sound of it' Cho chipped in.

'No. Well, maybe it's only now that he...assuming it is a he...is comfortable enough with the control he has over her.' Jane exhaled at the end of the sentence, not wanting to think about what kind of sick fantasy life this maniac had made Lisbon believe she was in the middle of.

Abbott's phone buzzed.

'Wylie. Hang on so I can put you on speaker.'

'We have a hit in your area for a Black Chevy Equinox. Partial plate is a match to a car owned by Daniel Lewis.' As he rolled off the address Jane was on his feet instantly, putting his jacket on, followed swiftly by Cho.

They reached the house as dusk was approaching. It was a beautiful lakefront property, the still water on the lake lightly splashing onto the shore and the gentle rustling of the trees surrounding it the only sounds they could hear. They parked a short distance from the house and got out of their SUV.

Abbott turned to Jane was who quickening his pace and put a hand on his arm. 'Jane. I know you have your theory. But we don't know what we're going to find in there. If there is a man with her then...we need to do things calmly. Make sure a hostage situation doesn't arise. I need you to hold back.'

'No chance' Jane said as he tried to push past him but his boss held him tight.

'Let Cho and I handle this. Last thing she needs is for you to get injured.'

Jane regarded him for a few moments. 'I come but I'll let you lead. That's the best you're getting.'

Abbott nodded. 'Fine. Stay behind us.'

As they approached the house Cho scouted the windows, looking through binoculars from the trees that faced the front of the property. Upstairs a light was on but the curtains were closed. Another light was on downstairs but it was at the back of the house facing the lake that couldn't be seen from his position against a tree.

'Can't get eyes on her' he whispered to Abbott at his side and Jane at his back.

'Let me see' Jane said, taking the binoculars from him. He looked through them and suddenly gasped as she came into view for a second before moving back to the area at the back. She was in a different coloured dress than the one from the footage, a pink one and had a tea towel hanging over her shoulder, carrying an infant over it and mumbling something to it smiling. She stroked its back and looked like she was walking it back and forth as she came into and then disappeared from view, trying to soothe it to sleep. All he had seen of her in a month was a grainy black and white image and seeing this vision in colour made him breathless. 'She's there' he stammered, handing the binoculars back to Cho.

Once he was able to breathe again he moved out of the cover of the trees towards the house, so quickly Abbott and Cho were unable to stop him. They approached the door as he knocked on it, his hand trembling.

'You should have waited' Abbott reprimanded.

'She's alone with the child. I'm sure of it.' He wasn't but he couldn't wait another second never mind taking the time to come up with some kind of plan to ascertain if she was alone.

'Just a second' she called. The lilt in her voice sounded like she was utterly content. It was so good to his ears Jane found himself having trouble breathing again.

Cho said, 'She didn't call out to anyone. Looks like she's alone. Well, apart from the child.'

As the door opened a notch and he came face to face with her Jane swallowed a lump down and whispered, 'Lisbon.'

Her eyes moved from Jane to Cho and Abbott. 'Um...Can I help you?'

Jane moved in front of her, blocking her view of them, drawing himself down to her eye level. She took a step back, and pulled the door closed a little more on him. She looked him up and down, her brow furrowed. 'I'm sorry. Who are you and what do you want?'

Jane tried to study her eyes but she went to close the door fully. Before she could close it Jane stuck his foot inside. 'What on earth do you think you're doing? I'm going to call the police.' She stomped on his foot making him wince in pain and stagger back a little before slamming the door shut.

Abbott had been watching the scene unfold. It was obvious Lisbon had no idea who any of them were. He had to tread lightly. If she had some kind of amnesia or had been hypnotised he didn't want to trigger a psychotic break by overloading her with too much information all at once.

Abbott knocked on the door. 'I'm sorry...ma'am. We're from the FBI. Just need a few moments of your time.'

As the door opened again slightly, she glanced at Jane with disdain who was now standing beside Cho behind Abbott before turning her attention back to Abbott. 'I.D.?'

He held up his FBI badge. 'I apologise again. My colleague is a little...over zealous sometimes. My name's Supervising Agent Dennis Abbott.' He smiled at Lisbon, hoping to convey some notion of comfort and make her more relaxed.

She looked relieved and glad to be talking to someone who didn't appear crazy. 'That's okay, Agent. Sorry we got off on the wrong foot, as it were.' She shrugged at the little joke. 'What can I do for you?'

'Well...your name would be a good start' he smiled.

She grinned back. 'Of course. My name's Angela. Angela Jane. Pleasure to meet you.'


A/N: Okay...so there's the shocker! Hope you enjoyed it! Would love to know what you all think.