"I'm telling you it wasn't him!" Lisbon said running her hair though her hands in frustration at the New York officer. "He wasn't even there!"
"How can you be sure have you been in contact with the suspect?" he asked. Rigsby spoke up.
"How many times do we have to tell you all we've had is those post cards from the last two months."
"How are we to believe that. He's a close colleague of yours you could all just be covering for him."
"We're police officers! If Jane had killed him trust us we'd hand him to you." Lisbon growled.
"And who are you to say that he didn't kill him."
"Who are you to say he say he did!"
"He's the prime suspect! It's common knowledge he assaulted the victim previous to his arrest and that he sure as hell has motive."
"Victim? That's what Red John is now! After he's killed so many people! Women children everything were going to refer to HIM as the victim!" she could feel her face going redder by the second.
"Boss…" Cho started.
"No" she turned back sharply to the New Yorker. "Jane wasn't even in the vicinity of Red John's murder. So you should stop looking for him."
"We will as soon as he is no longer out main suspect. Thank you Agent Lisbon."
/ / / / /
Jane didn't know what to do. He had never been so flustered. This was not how he had seen the day ending. Him on the run, once again ripped away from the one he loved.
He was genuinely worried about being accused of Red John's murder. After all the years he'd dreamed of being responsible, here he was getting accused of it when he'd done nothing. He couldn't go back to the beach house. That'd be the first place they'd look. He'd have to go away until this whole mess was sorted out. Away from everyone. no correspondence this time. Not even the hidden messages he'd never got to ask if she'd found.
/ / / / /
"There's no leads yet boss the bullet was a threw and threw and was destroyed on impact with the courthouse." Rigsby said shaking his head.
"God that was our one hope." She held her head in her hands. It had been three weeks and there was still nothing to take the heat off Jane. it was even on the news now that Jane was being hunted. She was at a loss as to what to do.
"Boss are you feeling alright?" Rigsby asked, she looked up sharply.
"Yes why?" he nodded down at her hand which had rested itself unknowns to her across her still flat stomach. She quickly moved it.
"I'm fine just thinking." She brushed his look of concern off.
"Right."
"Has Grace had any luck hunting down more security footage."
"No she's finding it hard with the New York team still keeping control"
"Right keep working." She looked back down at the paperwork in front of her. they had to be missing something.
/ / / / /
He walked down the street kicking the pebble along in front of him. London had gotten boring very quickly. His new life as Patrick James was exciting at first, but was now mundane. It had been easy enough to trick the airline into seeing James on his passport and leave. And he was well able to ward off any comments about how like that Patrick Jane fellow, from the news, he looked. But he wanted to go home. And despite her best efforts it looked like Lisbon hadn't managed to clear the way for him yet. He turned off into his apartment block and strolled up the stairs. Maybe a job would help.
/ / / / /
She groaned and sat up against the bathroom wall. This morning sickness thing was going to be the death of her. This was by far the worst morning yet. She took her time standing up and immediately threw herself back down over the toilet bowel.
She groaned again, she should have known the extra hot curry last night was a bad idea. No matter how badly the baby had wanted it. Nearly three months in and it was already a demanding child. Damn Jane. she thought for perhaps the hundredth time in her pregnancy. She pulled out her mobile and rang the office.
"Hey Grace. I wont be in this morning at all, I'll try make it in later…yes I'm ok just a really bad morning… it'll ease off…. Ok thanks." She hung up and once again attempted to get up. She managed to throw herself into her bed and fell back asleep with her stomach finally settling down.
/ / / / /
Grace let herself into her boss's apartment knowing she was asleep when she hadn't answered her text.
"Boss?" she called out, to no answer. She knew she was probably over stepping some boundaries heading up the stairs to what she presumed was a bedroom, but she was worried. "Boss?" she repeated.
"hello…" came a soft voice.
"It's Grace. I brought some crackers and ginger ale." She held up the brown bag. A door opened and she was greeted by her boss looking less then her normal sharp self.
"What are you doing here Grace." She smiled half heartedly.
"this was my friends cure for morning sickness. She swore by it." she handed over the bag.
"we'll head down to the couch" she said leading her back down the stairs.
"Has it eased off at all."
"This morning was the worst it's ever been but I have to admit I'm feeling a million Times better now. Come sit down. I know I can't avoid this conversation anymore." She settled own on the couch.
"So…" Van Pelt said sitting up next to her. She looked down at her, and wondered when they had actually become friends.
"Tell me what you've figured out." Lisbon looked up at her.
"Nothing!" the younger woman said quickly.
"That's not like you." She smiled.
"Well I haven't found anything out but I've made a few assumptions."
"Right I'll fill in the blanks. I'm eleven weeks pregnant, it's Jane's…" she looked at her. "Which was one of your assumptions." Grace nodded. "No point lying. The day before Jane left for Red John…" she stopped and smiled. "and no one knows. You're the only one. Well you and my doctor."
"Not your brothers or anyone?"
"Not a soul. My brothers would die. And… and I've realised Jane and you guys are the only ones I'd want to tell." The younger woman couldn't help but smile.
"You're having a baby." She said softly.
"I am having a baby." She nodded.
"Are you not scared." She had to asked.
"No. I've faced much worse. The only thing that worries me here is Jane. He has no idea. Who says he even wants another child. It could bring up so much about his daughter." She frowned.
"Boss, he loves you. Everyone knows! Its been coming on a while but we can all see it. the boys even have a pool going, which I believe Cho's won."
"I really want him to know. But I don't at the same time. I can handle this myself. I have no real need to tell him."
"You know you have to. Besides Jane could tell in a heart beat if he saw a child that looked anyway like him. Never mind the fact that you cant hide anything from him." She said honestly. Her boss just looked at her. "I Mean…" she tried to correct herself.
"No you're right. I can't. Never could. I'll just wait until everything's sorted out before I worry about telling him." Grace shook her head.
"I can't get over how well you're handling this. If it was me I'd be freaking out!"
"If this was you Rigsby would have you walking down the aisle." She laughed.
"have some more crackers." She passed her the packet.
"Go on say it you know you want to." Lisbon sighed and took the packet.
"This is fantastic! You and Jane have been tip-toeing around each other for years! And now a little baby! That child's going to be absolutely stunning! And so loved…"
"Ok that's enough gushing for now." Lisbon put up a hand.
"when are you telling the team? Do you want to wait for Jane to know?"
"Do you think I should? I mean god only knows when Jane will get back and I have to say they're two of the brighter agents in the office." They both laughed.
"Wayne's already noticed." Grace bit her lip.
"How?"
"He's noticed you don't eat your pastry in the morning and are having fruit instead. I told him you're on a healthy eating kick. And well you have thrown a few strops in the office." She whispered the end of it.
"No I'll tell them." She decided to ignore that. "I have a scan next week and if its all well I'll tell them."
"Would you like me to come?"
"No don't be silly." She shook her head.
/ / / / /
Lisbon strode into her office the next day feeling better then ever. She had woken up that morning surprised at the lack of nausea.
"Morning boss." Cho looked up for a second. "Feeling better? Van Pelt said you had a twenty-four hour bug."
"Something like that. But much better thanks."
She went into her office and sat down. Her jacket strained slightly as she did so and she looked down in shock. It couldn't be. She'd warn this suit last week and it was fine.
"Grace?" she called out. Van Pelt came in immedieatly.
"Yes boss?" Lisbon stood up.
"My suits to tight. Am I showing already!" she said looking up in slight panic.
"No! not at all." She said "I promise!"
"I'm going to need all new clothes." She sat down again.
"you seem more worried about this then you were about the actual baby!"
"Oh trust me I am."