Chapter 12 – Househunting

They stretched out the map on the hotel room table and marked a circle around the possible area where Lomez might be located stretching out from the bar.

Lisbon said, 'You know it might be a good idea to get your father in on this. He knows the area, he could help whittle down our choices.'

Jane looked at her sideways and was about to reject the idea immediately but he nodded, sighing, realising she was right.

As Jane opened the door Alex entered the hotel room and looked around the place. 'Nice place' he said, trying to make small talk.

Lisbon gave him a nod from the other side of the room as she spoke to Wylie on her phone.

Jane pointed at the map and asked him to pinpoint any possible locations or those Alex already knew were in everyday use so couldn't be trusted to hold up a criminal. As they talked Jane marked off some of the locations and put a question mark around others that could be possibilities on the location.

'You realise I'm taking your word for this. If you're playing me somehow-'

'Patrick, I just want to get her back. We can talk about our...trust issues...once we find her, all right?'

Jane nodded as Lisbon put her phone away and stood in between them, sensing the tension prickle between the two men. 'Wylie's caught someone on the mall footage. Associate of Lomez named Jessie Messina. You know him?' she asked Alex.

Alex shook his head, 'Never heard of him.' Jane, reading his expression, was satisfied that was the truth.

Jane asked, 'Does he have any property in the area that fits?'

Lisbon studied the map, 'That's what I came to check on.' She turned to Alex, 'You know where Juniper Drive is?'

Alex nodded, finding the street on the map and within the target area, 'Yeah, it's in a suburb in Tempe. You think that's where she is? Let's go and check.' He was almost out of the door before she could speak. It was hard enough dealing with one Jane who did his own thing never mind two of them.

'Wait. All we know is that this Messina guy has a house there. That's it. For all we know he doesn't even work for Lomez anymore.'

She turned to Jane, 'Wylie says there's been nothing on Messina in a few years. He might have gotten out of the game. Might just have decided to settle down here. We can't just barge in there, Jane. We have no evidence of anything.'

Jane tilted his head and looked between the two of them. Now he knew how Lisbon used to feel when he pulled her in one direction and the law pulled her in another. He looked at Lisbon, 'You're right. So, we go and talk to him. Discreetly. In case he is involved and Hannah is there we don't show our badges, just get a feel for him for now.'

'How?' Lisbon asked.

Jane replied, 'Ah...I'll think of something on the way. Let's go.'

Lisbon drove as Jane thought of a plan and Alex sat in the back. As they got to the street and parked at the end of it Lisbon said, 'Seems like a nice neighbourhood. Hardly the place for a mobster to be holed up.'

Jane shrugged, 'Maybe he didn't have much of a choice in the matter if he's as badly injured as we expect.'

Alex chipped in, 'So, what's the plan?'

Jane replied, 'We wait for now. See who comes and goes.'

After thirty minutes of silence and no one entering or leaving the house Alex sighed. 'Are we going to sit here all day?'

Lisbon emitted a small laugh causing Jane to turn around. 'What's so funny?'

She shrugged, 'Sounds like you on your first stakeout.'

Jane shook his head and sighed and looked back out the window beside him, hiding a small smile from her.

'So, how long have you two been together then?' Alex said.

Jane snapped back around to him sharply. 'We've already discussed that our relationship has nothing to do with you.'

'Jane!' Lisbon said, 'Jeez, he's only asking.' She turned to Alex, 'About six months.'

Alex nodded. 'Seems like longer the way you are with each other.'

'We knew each other a long time before that' she replied.

Jane said nothing but kept his eyes fixed to the house at the end of the street.

'So, is he a good boyfriend?'

'He does okay' she smiled. 'Most of the time anyway.'

'I'm glad he found you. You seem to be good for him.'

Lisbon looked briefly at Jane who was still sitting ignoring the conversation going on about him. 'Even if I'm a cop, huh?'

Alex shrugged, 'Even with that. So, your accent, Chicago originally?'

'Yeah, that's right.'

'Tough childhood, huh? Guess you both have that in common.'

Lisbon was unnerved for a second, it had been a while since someone had read her so quickly. Not since the first day she met Jane.

Jane's head turned back to his father. 'Cut that out. Don't cold read her.'

Alex stammered, 'I'm not, I'm just trying to make conversation. I apologise Teresa, didn't mean to upset you.'

'You didn't. It's fine.' She turned to Jane. 'It seems pretty peaceful around here. Let's go talk to Messina.'

As they walked up the street they left Alex in the car. 'You okay?' Jane said.

'I'm fine. It's you I'm worried about. Every time you speak to him I think you're going to end up punching him.'

'Can you blame me?'

She stopped in her tracks. 'Jane, I'm not saying what happened when you were a kid doesn't matter. Of course it does. But if you don't talk to him soon, properly talk to him about all of it...then you're going to find another way to release some of that anger. That's what I'm worried about.'

'What are you suggesting? I go to the gun range with you to stop me from killing him in his sleep' he smiled.

'Stop deflecting and making a joke about all of this. I know how much it's hurt you seeing him again. Especially with a new family and a seemingly new attitude towards fatherhood. I'm not suggesting you two bond but you need to be able to have a somewhat civilised conversation with each other. If you want to be part of Aisling's life then you'll have to bite your tongue and bite the bullet.'

Jane's eyes narrowed. 'Isn't that somewhat of a mixed metaphor?'

'Jane' she warned.

He sighed and nodded, 'Okay Teresa. I promise to sit down with him and tell him what a lousy father he was and how he screwed me up. And he can tell me what a disappointment I've always been. Should make for a delightful afternoon soon. Happy now?'

He began to stride towards Messina's door before she could say another word.

As they approached the house Jane put his hand up to quieten Lisbon and peeked around the corner into the living room. The blinds were mostly closed but he could see someone lying on the couch watching TV. 'That's him' he whispered to her. She nodded, he looked like the photo Wylie had emailed them.

'Lomez is in there too I suspect' he whispered.

'How do you know?'

'Blinds are closed.'

'Might just because the sun was shining on the TV.'

He shook his head. 'Wrong angle of sunlight.'

She nodded. After all these years working together they could get by on few words to assess situations now. 'So, what do you suggest?'

He turned to her and grinned. 'Fancy buying a house together?'

The look of sheer panic that greeted him in return made him grin more. He took her hand and walked up the path to Messina's house and knocked on the door.

They could hear a rustling from inside and Lisbon touched the gun that was tucked at the back of her trousers.

'Stop looking like a cop and put your hand to your side' Jane said.

She rolled her eyes. 'What the hell am I, then?'

'You're a woman in love. Think you can pull it off?' he smiled.

She rolled her eyes and glared at him. 'At this moment in time, only just.' After a second she took his arm and leaned into his shoulder as he put his arm around her shoulder and changed her expression to a dazzling smile as the door opened.

Messina looked them up and down, his brow furrowed. 'What can I do for you?' he asked suspiciously.

Jane stuck out a hand to greet him with a dazzling smile to match Lisbon's. 'Good afternoon, I'm Patrick Porter, it's real pleasure to meet you. This is my wife to be Teresa Lisbon. We've just bought the house up the street.'

Jane pointed to a 'For Sale' sign that sat three doors up. 'So, thought we'd do the neighbourly thing and introduce ourselves.'

Messina looked around them. 'There's no moving truck.'

Jane smiled again. 'No. Not yet. We've literally just signed the papers. Won't be moving in for a couple of weeks. Hell of a nice couple we bought it from, shame they couldn't afford the mortgage payments. Tough times and all that.'

Messina nodded slowly. 'Yeah...okay. Well it was nice to meet you both. It's pretty quiet around here.' He began to close the door until Jane put his foot in it so he could look further into the house. 'I'm sorry, we didn't get your name. Would like to invite you to the housewarming, can't do that without your name' he said jovially.

Messina looked at the foot in his door and barked, 'Get your damn foot out of my house. Never mind my name. I won't be coming to your damn housewarming.'

'I was only being neighbourly' Jane said, removing his foot to have the door slammed in his face.

Lisbon puffed out a breath. 'Well, something is definitely going on in there.'

'Mmm' Jane replied, his finger tapping his lip as they walked back down the path. 'Hannah's still in there.'

'What makes you think that?'

'I could see a woman's bag sitting on the kitchen table at the end of the hall behind him. He lives alone and he doesn't exactly seem to me to be the type who would have a girlfriend. At least not one who would have a classy handbag like the one I saw.'

'If I didn't know better I'd think you were gay sometimes. You know more about women's fashion than I do.'

He kissed the side of her head and whispered in her ear, 'But you do know much better, my dear.' Lisbon grinned at him, knowing this public display of affection was still partly part of the act for Messina in case he was watching them walk back down the street.

When they got back to the car Alex confirmed the bag Jane saw sounded like the one Hannah took everywhere. Lisbon had to practically manhandle him to stop him from rushing to Messina's door. After finally getting him calmed down he asked Jane, 'So what's the big plan, genius?'

Jane replied, 'I'm working on it.'

'Well, work fast boy wonder.'