Thanks to the guests who have reviewed the story, I wish I could respond personally to everyone. I'm glad everyone is enjoying this story! I've enjoyed all the thoughts and guesses. Hope you enjoy this chapter!
As always, I don't own The Mentalist.
Chapter 14
The team had been over the list of friends provided by Darren Price's family. No one stood out. Everyone had checked out and most had alibis for the time of Lisbon's disappearance. The one's that didn't have an alibi weren't even in California on the date of her disappearance. They'd hit a brick wall on the Darren Price angle. They needed to get a list for Michael Shaw. Cho hadn't been able to reach Shaw's ex-wife yet and the brother was proving to be just as elusive. While he'd gotten a phone number for Shaw's brother, he'd yet to reach him as well.
Cho picked up the phone to try the number for the brother one more time before he and Jane went out for lunch. He dialed the number and listened to it ring. When it rang for the fifth time, Cho was about to hang up when someone answered.
"Hello." the voice on the other end said, sounding out of breath.
"Hello. Is this David Shaw?" Cho asked.
"Yes. Who is this?" David Shaw asked.
"My name is Agent Kimball Cho with the California Bureau of Investigation. I'm calling about your brother Michael." Cho explained.
There was silence on the other end of the phone. Cho thought David had hung up before he spoke again.
"My brother died about a year ago." David said.
"I'm sorry Mr. Shaw. We have an agent missing. We've been trying to find her and your brother's name came up in our investigation. His name and the name of Darren Price."
Shaw was quiet again for a minute. "I don't see how I can be of any help to you. I live in the Caribbean, as I assume you are aware. I haven't been in the states for well over ten years. I know Darren was his partner, but I really don't know much about him.
"Mr. Shaw. We believe someone tied to your brother and/or Darren Price may be involved. We don't believe it was you, but it might be one of his friends. Did you know any of his friends?" Cho asked.
"Agent Cho. I hadn't spoken to my brother for about two years before he was arrested. He and I never saw eye to eye about the care of our mother. Shortly before he was arrested, I moved my mother here to live with me. She passed away a few years ago, after my brother was in prison. She may have spoken to my brother after he was arrested, but we never talked about it. If she did, that was her business." David Shaw explained.
"So you really don't have any idea who he may have been friends with?" Cho asked, realizing David Shaw was going to be another dead end.
"No sir. I don't. Have you spoken to Rachel, Michael's ex-wife? I know she lives in Vermont somewhere. She would send my mother birthday cards and Christmas cards, but I haven't personally talked to her since my mother moved here with me. She was a good person, too good for my brother."
"I've tried to contact her, but I haven't been able to reached her yet. It took me a while to reach you too. But I'll keep trying." Cho said.
"I have a charter business, so I'm gone a lot. Cell service is sketchy at sea and it's usually really late when I get back home. Sorry I couldn't help you. By the way, what's the name of the agent that's missing? I'll say a prayer for him." Shaw asked.
"It's a her. Her name is Teresa Lisbon." Cho said.
"Lisbon? Isn't that the name of the rookie cop that discovered my brother's theft ring." David asked.
"Yes it is. Teresa Lisbon is an agent with the CBI now. In fact, she's my boss. She leads the Serious Crimes Unit." Cho explained.
"Good for her. I mean her promotion. Sorry she's missing. Glad she got recognition for taking down my brother and his partner. I hope you find her Agent Cho. I bear no ill will against Agent Lisbon." Shaw stated.
"Thanks Mr. Shaw. Sorry I had to disturb you." Cho said.
"No problem. I wish I could've helped you in some way. Maybe Rachel will be of some help." Shaw said.
"Goodbye. Thanks again." said Cho.
"Bye." Shaw said before hanging up.
"Well that was another dead end." Cho said when he got off the phone.
"Michael Shaw's brother? I take it they weren't close based on your end of the conversation." Jane said
"No, not close at all. They had a falling out about their mother before Michael was even arrested. He moved her to the Caribbean with him and never spoke to his brother again. Never came here for the trial." Cho explained.
"What about the mother? Did she have any contact with her son?" Jane asked.
"She died a few years ago. David didn't know if she had any contact with Michael before she died. He didn't really care." Cho answered.
"Well, you're right. That's a dead end. So all we have left is the ex-wife?" said Jane.
"Our last hope is the ex-wife. If she doesn't know anything, we have nothing else to go on with the Michael Shaw/Darren Price angle. I know you believe we're on the right trial, but we're getting nowhere. Jane, I know when Lisbon's involved, your thought processes get skewed. Are you still sure this is where we need to be looking?" Cho asked, feeling like their last hope was slipping through their fingers.
"I'll admit, where Teresa is concerned my thought processes do get 'skewed' as you call it. I can't read her like everyone else, which is both frustrating and very exciting." Jane said.
"Jane!" Cho said, not in the mood for Jane's attempt to tease him.
"Okay, fine. I just needed a little reprieve from my thoughts. Teasing you helps me with that. Well, if Rigsby's not here that is.
"I get it." Cho said. "Now about the Shaw/Price angle."
"It took everything I had within me to get myself to picture Teresa as just another victim and not the person I love more than anything in this world. You can only imagine how hard that was for me." Jane said.
"Yes I can."
"When I could finally get my mind to focus on her as a victim, I was convinced the Michael Shaw/Darren Price angle was the key. I still believe that angle is the key. If the ex-wife is the only one left to talk to, she's it. She has what we need." Jane said.
Cho picked up his phone and dialed the ex-wife's number again. Still no answer. He was getting frustrated. If Jane was right and this was the key to finding Lisbon, he needed someone to answer the phone.
Cho slammed the phone down on the desk. "Dammit! It's the twenty-first century. How can someone who runs a successful business not answer their phone or at least have an answering machine that does?"
"It's okay Cho. You finally reached the brother, you'll reach the ex-wife." Jane said.
"How the hell can you set there looking and acting so calm and cool when I know you aren't?" Cho asked irritated.
Jane took a deep breath. "You're right Cho, I'm not calm and cool. What you see is a man walking a fine line, very fine line, between sanity and insanity. The only thing keeping me on the sane side is the fact that I can still feel Teresa here." Jane said pointing at his heart. "When that feeling stops, well I hope you're not around."
Cho stared at Jane. He could see he wasn't joking. Jane was staring back at him, both men wanting the same thing, to find someone that meant so much to them. One who loved her like a sister and the other who loved her with his life.
"This is the other thing that keeps me going." Jane said as he pulled a black, felt box from his jacket and opened to Cho. "When I find her, I'm asking her to marry me."
"Wow man, that is a rock." Cho said looking at what must be a one carat diamond ring set in a platinum setting with smaller diamonds around the large stone.
Jane closed the lid of the jewelry box and stuck it back in the jacket pocket over his heart. "I plan to give this to her and convince her to say yes. I WILL be giving her this ring."
Cho looked at Jane and felt for a moment Jane's eyes were saying one way or the other, alive or dead. He knew he'd never say it aloud. "You will give her that ring and she will say yes. I really believe you won't have to convince her." Cho said with conviction.
"I'm believing that. Can we just order lunch or call Van Pelt to bring something with her when she and Rigsby come back from lunch? I don't really feel like going out." Jane asked.
"Sure. I'll call her. While we wait on them I think I'll call the local police in the Vermont town where the bed and breakfast is and see if they know anything about Shaw's ex-wife, Rachel." Cho said as he dialed Grace's number.
xXxXxXx
"Mr. Ardiles?"
"Yes, Jamie."
"Dan Jacobs is here to see you." Osvaldo Ardiles' assistant said.
"Send him in please." Ardiles said.
Dan Jacobs walked into Ardiles' office as the DA stood to shake hands.
"Dan, good to see you."
"Osvaldo, good to see you too."
Dan sat down in the chair across from Ardiles desk.
"Nice job blindsiding me at Jane's bail hearing." Ardiles said.
"Wasn't trying to blindside you. Cho pitched the idea to me late Sunday night and we really weren't sure Judge Lansing would agree to it. Actually, I was surprised he agreed." Dan explained.
"It would've been nice to have a heads up. What can I do for you today?" Ardiles asked.
"I want to thank you for agreeing to hold off adding any more charges until our independent analysis of the clothes come back. Also, I'm filing a motion to have the hand print and the fingerprints found in and on the car sent for an independent evaluation too." Dan answered.
"What do you hope to find. The police lab is pretty thorough." Ardiles said.
"Oh, I don't have any reason to believe the blood doesn't belong to Teresa Lisbon and I'm confident the hand print and fingerprints belong to Patrick Jane. We just believe they were both planted. I want the lab I chose to determine if it's possible they were planted and not made naturally during the crime." Dan explained.
"Really? You believe someone planted the evidence to frame Patrick Jane?" Ardiles asked, a little surprised.
"Yes I do." Dan said.
"How do you explain the bloody necklace in his hand and the clothes that were found containing Teresa Lisbon's blood and Patrick Jane's DNA? You think those were all planted too?" asked Ardiles.
"If the prints were staged, then that calls into question all the evidence. The place where the clothes were found had been thoroughly searched and nothing was found. Yet, shortly thereafter, they're found out in the open where they obviously would have been seen during the search?" Dan answered.
When Ardiles didn't say anything, Dan continued. "There are just too many questions and coincidences in this case. You don't agree I assume."
"You are familiar with Patrick Jane and his past? He's a master manipulator and con man. I wouldn't put anything past him. I believe he could've done all this to try and throw investigators off." Ardiles said, all too aware of Patrick Jane's antics.
"Well Osvaldo. He would've had to be Houdini too in order to plant the clothes in the field where they were found. He's been constantly watched since the moment he was released from jail. He doesn't even go to the bathroom or take a shower without someone sitting on the other side of the door while he does. He has spent every day and night at the CBI, there are no windows in the bathroom or shower so he couldn't have slipped out and back in. Agent Cho set it up like that just for a situation like the finding of the clothes. He couldn't have done it. So how did they get there?"
"He could've had someone else do it." Ardiles countered.
"His calls have been monitored, he's had no internet access, he's had no visitors other than myself and Officer Dean. Again, all set up by Agent Cho just for this reason." Dan said.
Dan could see Ardiles mulling over what he'd just told him. He knew Ardiles was a fair DA and once he could see the validity of Dan's reasoning, Dan believed Ardiles would agree things weren't as cut and dry as he once thought.
"IF, and I'm only saying IF at the moment, Jane couldn't have physically put the clothes in the field or orchestrated them being placed in the field, then I'd agree there may be some suspicion about the clothes." Ardiles said. "However, I'm not sure I buy the fact Jane agreed to being watched that closely 24/7."
"Jane's willing to do whatever's necessary to find Teresa. He wasn't thrilled about Cho's 'big brother' idea, but he agreed. He understands Cho has a lot to lose here and he's not willing to jeopardize Cho's house. Once the clothes were found, he understood Cho's decision. I assure you, Jane had nothing to do with the clothes." Dan said.
Ardiles believed Dan. He knew Jane was a master manipulator, but something rang true in Dan's explanation. He knew Cho would've devised some plan to protect his house by making sure he had control of Jane.
"I'll hold off on anything further until I get your report from the independent labs. I won't oppose your motion for the hand print and fingerprint evidence to be sent to an independent lab. While I still don't trust Patrick Jane as far as I can throw him, I believe Cho had a plan to control him and I believe Jane wouldn't jeopardize Cho's house." Ardiles said.
"Thanks. I'll let you know as soon as I have those reports." Dan said. He shook hands with Ardiles and left his office.
Ardiles sat for a while thinking. Why was Patrick Jane always a pain in the ass?
"Jaime?" Ardiles buzzed his assistant.
"Yes Mr. Ardiles?"
"Get me Officer Dean at SAC PD."