Author'sNote: Real Life strikes again – add to this the fact that these characters just keep wanting their own story written – not the one that I had started with – and we get a delay. Thank you for taking the time to review.
Disclaimer: I do not own these wonderful characters.
Chapter 10
The team arrived in a sombre mood exiting their SUV without comment. The local law enforcement had cordoned off the area and access to the crime scene was on foot. Setting a brutal pace, Lisbon surged up the steep trail, anxiety radiating off her in waves.
She halted at the top of the rise, her breath catching in her throat. The crime scene was hauntingly beautiful. It evoked treasured childhood memories and Teresa had to fight to control her composure. A spotlight of sun bathed the body in an afternoon glow highlighting the glossiness of the victim's carefully styled hair and lending an ethereal quality to the paleness of her skin. Vivid purple flowers were scattered around the body contrasting with the lush green foliage, the victim holding a small possie of them in her hands.
"This guy has a thing for sleeping beauty," Cho's comment snapped Lisbon from her reverie and she quickly got down to business.
Jane circled the scene carefully noting as many details as possible. The murmuring of the brook, the humming of insects, even the angle of the light streaming through the break in the canopy warranted attention. He could not afford to miss anything. Stepping towards the body he appeared to be on high alert, he was scrutinising every aspect of the victim, careful not to disturb any evidence that forensics may use, although he highly doubted that there would be anything of use.
Indicating that the ME should reveal the left hand, Jane sank into a squat schooling his mounting anger and frustration. He couldn't or wouldn't control the grimace that briefly touched his face as another grisly wedding band was uncovered confirming what he already knew.
"Hmmm . . . not Hebrew this time, possibly Celtic or Gaelic?" Jane softly offered.
"Another cheap dress, the flowers are interestingly arranged and the colour of spiritual love and awareness . . . although also that of judgement . . . hmm . . . a paramedic or nurse, no – definitely paramedic" Jane paused, an unnatural stillness in his flow, his eyes unfocussed for a moment searching for something.
Images of the scene flashed like lightning through his minds eye, connections and meanings flaring into life. This message was not for him, well, not for him alone. Red John was warning someone else, someone whom Jane had tried very hard to protect.
"Jane?" Lisbon quietly prompted.
His eyes flew to Lisbon's with a flash of fear before he continued, his face bland. "Hmmm . . . the slits in her wrists are identical . . . I'm assuming that there is also a lack of underwear here?" He received a quick nod of confirmation from the ME. "Ok."
Jane rose to his feat gracefully turning to face the team. "There is no doubt that this is the same guy." He uttered tersely, his gaze focussed solely on the victim.
Lisbon's chest tightened at Jane's analysis, hearing it spoken aloud gave life to her worst fears. They had another serial killer on the loose.
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Having left Cho and Rigsby at the crime scene, Lisbon was left to weather Jane's silence alone. Entering the SUV, she covertly watched Jane. Having sat through many a day with a quiet Jane, Teresa has learned to read his silences. This was no companionable silence, nor was it a self-loathing/guilty silence. No. This was an angry, brooding silence although she could have sworn that she had seen fear in his eyes back at the crime scene.
Lisbon drove on unsure of how to approach Jane. The atmosphere in the car was stifling. He had realised something at the crime scene and he was taking stock of the situation, his brilliant mind making intuitive leaps that only he was capable of and the results of which he would eventually disclose. She would need to be patient with him, allow him to vent in his own way and his own time.
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"Pull over." He instructed tersely, his words piercing the silence that had enveloped the car for the past fifteen minutes.
"Jane?" Teresa eyed him cautiously.
"Pull over." He repeated, his voice frosty.
Knowing that she would need her wits about her to deal with this side of Jane, Lisbon did as he instructed and pulled off the road, parking the car in the shade of the forest.
"Alright. We have pulled over." She demanded turning her body to face him letting him take the lead.
Jane looked at her, his eyes eerily blank. "Why?" he questioned softly.
"Huh? Why what?" Teresa searched his face looking for a sign of where this conversation was heading.
Jane closed his eyes briefly before refocusing on her face, his features frustratingly bland. "Why did you do it?"
"Jane . . . what the hell? Do what? What are you on about?" Lisbon said impatiently, not sure that she wanted to play into his games.
"Oh come on Lisbon, you can't be that obtuse." Jane mocked, his mask still firmly in place.
"Jane, you need to tell me what is going on with you right now or heaven help me . . ."
"Heaven isn't going to help you here Teresa." Jane growled softly. "I don't have time for you to catch up, woman! It took me a while – oh – and bravo for the misdirection by the way - well executed – nicely played – but now I know when and how, what I still haven't figured out is the why." Jane's eyes bored into Teresa's determined to plumb their depths, the tension in the car thick.
Lisbon scrambled to keep pace with him. Her mind had been so consumed with the new case, that this conversation had come out of the blue. A myriad of questions flooded her mind. Was he talking about Brad? Did he know about her enquiries into the Red John case? Was he pissed with her for tricking him? Somehow he had figured out about her deceit and was calling her on it now? She was woefully unprepared.
Why now? In light of the new murders, her lying to him about dating Brad was hardly worth the dialogue let alone his wrath. Why was he so angry? What had triggered this?
Jane read the understanding and acceptance that fluttered across her face but there was still a trace of confusion and a complete absence of guilt. He continued to stare at her, willing her comprehension. How could she not see that all of this was her fault? How could he have failed to see it in the first place?
"Your self-denial is impressive, Lisbon. If I didn't have so much invested here I might even find it highly amusing." Jane sounded anything but amused. His voice was low and harsh, each word barbed. "To have your betrayal pointed out by Red John himself though . . . . oh the irony!" Jane mocked bitterly, his eyes hard and unreadable.
Lisbon sat still. The silence palpable. All colour drained from her face as the meaning of his words exploded in her mind. Somehow he knew the extent of her investigation and believed that she had triggered these latest killings. His ire wasn't about her trick, it was about his obsession that Red John was still alive, his belief that a serial killer was reaching out from the grave to toy with him. But worst of all, he was blaming her!
Anger swept through her like wildfire - fuelled by all of the guilt, pain and grief that this man before her had caused herself and her team. Pent up emotion flooded her system and her eyes ignited in her rage. "You are blaming me for this?" she spat gesturing angrily in the direction of the crime scene.
"So you can piece things together." Jane derided.
"That's quite enough Jane." She warned, her voice husky with emotion.
"What has caused Agent Lisbon to taunt the devil? What would drive you to such an act of stupidity? Your pathological meddling? Perhaps to prove your worth after failing so dismally with Carter? Or was it your overwhelming need to control? Or perhaps some misguided and unrequited feelings guided your hand?" Jane watched impassively as if looking at a mildly interesting specimen. "St Teresa couldn't resist playing the martyr to the doomed cause of Patrick Jane" now openly mocking her.
Teresa's face dropped as each word hit home, her burning fury morphing into something cold and hard.
"Get out." She hissed.
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TBC