The Agent and the Host

7.

Patrick glanced at his watch and sighed. He should have expected it. Past one pm, the forth day. The woman was a real workaholic. Would she be skipping lunch this time too, he wondered? There he was, sitting on a bench facing a building filled with cops. The mere idea gave him the creeps, but he wasn't going to give up now. A few cars left the parking lot, their driver eager to take off and catch something to eat. He sighed. Thankfully, he hadn't come across Hightower or someone else that could have recognised him yet. They would wonder why the young man had been sitting in front of his most hated place in town for half a week now at lunchtime.

A ground of people –cops too- walked pass him, chatting loudly. The blond man didn't bother listening to their chitchat, instead tried to make out a decent reading on them. He had barely finished with one of the women of the group that he gave up, bored out of his mind. He was dying to sneak inside, peek around and give a stroke to Hightower by waving at her through the blinds of her office, take news from his contact in there…

He sighed for the third time in five minutes and stretched his arms with a grunt. He would give her…thirty minutes. If she didn't show up afterwards, he will leave and come back the next day.

-AH-

Skipping meals was bad for health, Lisbon knew it perfectly. But still, she needed to finish writing that damn report on the bank employee's case. The murderer had been so obvious –second hand, impulsive crime with so much evidence even the local cops could have done the investigation themselves. Lately, a whole bunch of murders and crimes files had been piling up on her desk. She just had that feeling they were keeping the unit busy, in case someone had decided to work deeper in Fricke's case. And for the moment, they were managing well. A whole week had passed since Lisbon had met Katie, and she didn't even get a full minute to herself.

A quick glance through the window and she sighed. The weather was great outside and she was stuck in that small office…

Oh screw it! Lisbon thought, picking up her handbag and heading out. She could take an hour to herself, no-one was going to die and suffer of her absence during that time. The agent was now known for her dedication to the job and strict professionalism; no-one would blame her to take a break from her overwhelming work.

But when Lisbon spotted him outside the CBI, rising from his bench and walking in her direction, she froze like a deer caught in full light and wished HARD she hadn't been attracted by the beautiful sun. What the hell was Patrick Jane doing here?

"Good morning agent Lisbon," the young man greeted with a cheerful smile once he was close enough. "Are you heading out for lunch?"

He was wearing a brown jacket and a pair of jeans and basket shoes. The woman didn't want to debate mentally on how hot he looked right now. She narrowed her eyes at him and went on without answering. But that was far from discouraging.

"Oh c'mon Lisbon, I am just asking you out for a lunch. There is nothing wrong about that, isn't there?"

"Just leave me alone," she grumbled, determined not to look in his eyes. Yes, perhaps she needed him to solve Paul's case, but she did not want to see him right now. A nice cup of coffee and a sandwich from Marie's were awaiting her and…she blinked as he pulled both items out of nowhere.

"Chicken and salad, right?" the young man grinned amusingly. Lisbon glared at him. "If you agree, you can ask me anything you want. I swear I won't lie." When her suspicious gaze didn't falter, he added with a sigh: "C'mon Agent Lisbon; it's not so bad, is it? I mean, okay, you will have to deal with my presence, but you still have free food! And I bought a slice of cheesecake?"

Even if the mere thought of eating in his company made her want to snort, Lisbon still pondered her options. On the one hand, Jane and his devastating –annoying, she corrected herself – grin, his tendency to work on her nerves and on the other hand, the sandwich and…cheesecake. Tough dilemma, she thought. But that was enough for Patrick to make him move.

"Great! I know a place not too far from here, very peaceful if you want to eat quickly."

Lisbon didn't even have time to protest; he already plunged the food in her hands, was waggling the box containing the pastry and thus forced her to follow him with a grin.

-AH-

They had eventually head to a peaceful park near the CBI building, but still far enough to have a private conversation. There were a few trees creating welcomed shadows, benches and tables where to sit…a really great atmosphere to relax a sunny day. Lisbon made sure to remember the place: at least, now she knew where to go for lunchtime.

"What do you want anyway?" she asked reluctantly, already biting fully into the bread. God, she was hungry she realised. Jane's beam grew wider.

"Seduce you of course!"

She paused in her eating and glared at him. Damn, why did he have to sound so serious with that huge grin of his?

"More seriously?"

"All right, you got me," he sighed with a dramatic pout. "And for data, I wouldn't seduce over a meal. Too sophomoric. I'd rather corner you in some private place and…"

"Jane," she warned, narrowing her eyes. He raised his hands in surrender, the smirk back in place.

"You win. In fact, I gathered more information lately, and I…need a favour." And when she rolled her eyes, he added: "It's not for me. Remember Brooke?" the young woman's face came back into the agent's mind and she nodded. "She has a kid, Matthew. He is almost two years old and…well he has a fragile constitution and had been pretty sick his whole life…In fact, he needs a spinal cord transfusion very soon. Brooke caught some disease when she was a kid and…well she's out of the donor list. According to the doctors, the best chance would be from his father."

At first, Lisbon felt compassion towards the young woman. Then, Jane's words puzzled her a little.

"You want me to find him?"

"No need to," the blond man replied soothingly. "We know where he is. The thing is…to approach him. It's hard to get close to him."

"Why?"

"Does the name Walter Mashburn ring a bell?"

Lisbon almost dropped her sandwich and stared at him in shock.

"Are you telling me your girlfriend had a kid with that arrogant multimillionaire jerk?" she asked with in disbelief.

Jane chuckled, amused by her reaction.

"Pretty much the summary. Well to be honest I didn't get the whole picture, Brooke is a very secretive concerning her past." His expression suddenly turned serious. "But I do know that kid's life is in danger." His blue eyes drilled into hers with such intensity she thought she would quaver. "Can you help on this one?"

Lisbon tightened her lips in a thin line. Helping Brooke out for her kid? Of course, no problem. Trying to reach Walter Mashburn of all people? That might be a little trickier. When she didn't reply right away, obviously thinking hard, and went on eating, he asked:

"What's bothering you with the guy?"

Lisbon groaned:

"He was a suspect on a murder case last year," she groaned, shaking her head at the memory before biting in her sandwich again. "The jerk flirted shamelessly with every woman in the room –no matter if they were cops or civilians- and decided I would be his next lover." Lisbon sighed. "He even gave me his personal number and ended up calling me three days later. I just told him to screw himself."

Jane busted out of laughers, and the agent couldn't help but smile too. That moment hadn't been the most brilliant of her career, but she was still proud of not giving in. In some ways, he and Jane were a little similar…both had extravagant and straightforward personalities, a sharp tongue and knew exactly what they wanted and how to act to get it.

"Perhaps he is a jerk…But I have to admit, he has good taste," the young man added with a more serious expression. Lisbon didn't like the way he was suddenly looking at her.

"All right, what do you have?" she asked to change subject, no longer feeling comfortable.

"You will help me?"

"I will help that kid, not you," the agent narrowed her eyes again. "What do you have for me?"

Jane sighed and shook his head.

"Killjoy," he muttered. "Anyway, I recently find out some footage that Dumar modified a few days after I went to visit you. He changed the time to build himself an alibi."

"I knew that," she grumbled, remembering the encounter with the tall man. Jane frowned in surprise.

"Oh really? How?"

"I've got my sources," she replied dryly. All right, that was more by chance than from a real contact, but she didn't like the idea he was the only one bringing up information. Obviously, it meant he had been searching for evidence and clues and he had been working longer on the case after all. But it still left a bitter taste of being manipulated, and she hated it.

"Oh, okay," he replied simply. "Just to say I might be able to swap that tape, to save it for evidence. Funny, I didn't think anyone else knew about that."

"Well it seems you are not the only one wanting to take her down," she grumbled. Jane smiled at that and shrugged nonchalantly. "Anything else?"

The young man nodded:

"I had echoes about a place. Lately, she's been keeping her victims somewhere before killing them, but I never really found out where. I had a hint lately, but I need a few days to sort it out. Nothing more I'm afraid."

And that was apparently worth something Lisbon realised at his slight victorious tone. A place where they could find solid evidence of her implication in murders…wait. Murders. Plural.

"I have a question" she suddenly spoke up. When she was sure she had his attention, she asked: "Why point me to Katie all of a sudden? And why did she mention a serial killer?"

Jane's lips formed a thin line.

"It's… an old case. Started seven or eight years ago. A corps was found in the back of a dirty alley in Dallas. Jersey Horton, a young woman in her twenties. Then, two months later, another one in New Jersey. Hannah Elias. Thee others in Manhattan; two in Boston and so on. There were similarities in their positions, the way they were killed and the fact they were all natural-haired. Also, fingernails painted with their blood. They were all murdered near a place they were comfortable in. The crimes were committed in various states, so it didn't appear like a serial killer at first. A…cop friend started the file and tied the murders together. I took over it when he was forced to resign two years ago."

Jane looked straight ahead, leaning his elbows on his knees and talking slightly quieter.

"His prime suspect wasn't Rouge Johnson back then, but someone close to her. I got suspicious when I find out her personal car was photographed near one of the crime scenes; and was positive when the previous suspect was murdered in turn. I…followed her for a while and realised she had build that Host club. I got hired and since then, am trying to find a way to show her real face."

"And all this because you lost someone to her?" the agent whispered in disbelief. It wasn't the first time she met people running after someone for revenge, but he was particularly implicated in his scheme. How…organised he was, the people he associated with, everything screamed nothing had been left to chance.

He surprised her when his hand moved over her thigh and came dangerously came closer to her hip.

"Stop it right now!" she growled, jumping off the bench, narrowing her eyes at him. "Stop your games or I swear I will bring you in for harassment!"

A dark shadow veiled his eyes. His pupils were a little too dilated for her taste. This was the same look she caught the day he surprised her half-naked in her apartment, and the weird feeling within her had return.

"You must have noted, agent Lisbon, that Mashburn and I have similarities," he merely replied with a shrug. "He uses his charms and money to get what he wants. I use my charisma and deals. We are different in one little detail though." The blond man stepped closer, his eyes not breaking the connexion with hers. "I don't give up so easily when I want something. I am very patient." When did his voice became so husky, she wondered, feeling a shiver shaking her spine. And when did she feel…aroused by threatening words? He cracked a smirk, as if ready her mind, when he took another step.

He was way too close for her liking. A finger reached for her cheek and brushed it gently. Lisbon forgot to move, trapped in his blue gaze. When he leant forwards, face inches of hers, she didn't think of pulling away.

"I waited three years to get a slight upper hand on Rouge Johnson," he whispered, his breath tickling her lips. "Katie was right in her speculations. I did lose someone dear to that woman, and I will make her spend the rest of her life behind bars or die trying." His thumb brushed her lower lip. "Using every card I have under my hand." A weird smirk grew on his face. "And you have just become one of the aces of my deck. Welcome to the game, Teresa."

He suddenly pulling back made her realise what she was doing; falling straight in that manipulative brat's schemes. The agent frowned and replied dryly:

"I wasn't intending to back off."

"Oh, I know," he replied with a teasing grin.

"Then why do you feel the…urge to show up like this and just…I don't know! If you don't like the CBI building because of officers, you know where I live! I want to solve that case to so no need to behave like an arrogant playboy ass."

The blond man blinked at her and laughed out loud.

"I think I like you more and more, Agent Lisbon. I will contact you soon. Until then…"

Before she could say anything, he picked up her hand and kissed its back, then bowed in a ridiculously archaic manner and walked away. Lisbon could only stand and stare at his retreating figure. The man was such an unpredictable fellow, and so many contrary things were said about him left her puzzled. He was still so young yet was acting like someone much older, as if bearing some weight on his shoulder. His behaviour towards her too, puzzled her. Why was he acting so…ambiguous and halfway seductive and clearly manipulative? He knew she would continue the investigation, yet he didn't stop his game.

And above all, she thought while trying to keep the blush off her cheeks, why was her heart beating so widely right now?