Only one more chapter after this one. I will post that final chapter tomorrow.
Chapter 20
"I've have been going over all the possibilities in my head and I can't put my finger on who it can be." Cho said as they drove back to the CBI. He had the siren and flashers on trying to get there as soon as possible.
"Maybe it's someone we don't really know, but tied to the case in some way that now makes sense." Dan said.
Jane was quiet. He listened as Cho and Dan continued to discuss the possibilities. He knew they were close, close to finding Teresa. When Cho and Dan were quiet, Jane decided to speak.
"It's Dean." Jane said matter of factly.
"What?" Cho said.
"It's Dean. He did this." Jane said again with little emotion.
"How do you know?" Dan asked.
"I should have figured this out a long time ago. When Teresa is involved, I have trouble seeing things clearly like I do with other cases we work. I just couldn't see the clues here." Jane explained.
Dan and Cho sat quietly waiting for Jane to continue. Cho knew Jane had to get his thoughts together before continuing. He looked at Dan, hoping he wouldn't say anything until Jane was finished.
"It all makes sense now. Dean was part of the theft ring. He and Michael Shaw were the ring leaders. Darren Price was forced to be involved. Dean believed if he was promoted he could keep the theft ring protected. He believed Teresa took his promotion, when she uncovered the ring. He paid for this whole set up with money from the theft ring that was never discovered." Jane explained.
"That seems like a stretch Jane." Cho said.
"No stretch, it's all there. I just didn't see it. He's not interested in a promotion anymore, he's more interested in me going to jail. He needs me to go to jail, convicted of Teresa's murder and disappearance, he takes something from her. Like she took his promotion and his theft ring. He feels like he lost everything. He assumed at some point, he would go to jail. He was afraid someone would figure out his involvement in that theft ring. He was getting extremely paranoid. Paranoia is his downfall." Jane continued to explain.
"So that's it, this all boils down to revenge and paranoia?" Cho asked.
"A lethal combination." Jane answered.
xXxXxXx
"What the hell was that back there?" Dean asked. "I paid you a lot of money to identify Patrick Jane in that line up."
"Uh, uh, I don't want no part of this. Did you see that guy back there? He could see me through that glass, I know it. He was looking right through me. I don't know how he did it and I don't care. I didn't believe Frank when he told me the guy had done the same thing to him. Nope, no way, I want out. You can have your money back. Forget I ever existed."
Dean was more than frustrated, first Frank decided he couldn't go along with the plan to pick Jane out of a line up and now Jimmy. He needed them both to do what he'd paid them for, pick out Jane and testify against him. He couldn't hire two more people; it would look too suspicious. Why couldn't people do what they say they'll do and what you pay them good money to do?
"You and Frank better never call me again when you get in trouble. I've helped you for the last time. And if either of you think about talking, it will be the last time you talk. Understand?" Dean said.
"Fine. I can live with that. Just forget I exist. I think you need to forget about this Jane guy. He's not someone to mess with. When he figures this out, you're toast. He's a psychic you know. I looked him up on the internet." Jimmy said.
"Jane's not a psychic. If he was, he would've figured this out by now. He just pretended to be one to scam people. That's why it's been easy to frame him for this." Dean said.
"It doesn't look like it's been that easy to me." Jimmy said.
xXxXxXx
Jane, Cho and Dan stepped off the elevator and were immediately met by Van Pelt.
"What took you so long? We got the list from Rachel Briggs and you won't believe whose name is on the list." Van Pelt said excitedly.
"Andrew Dean." Jane said.
Van Pelt's face dropped. "How did you guess?"
"No guess, I just finally figured it out." Jane said. "Sorry to spoil your excitement."
"So how is he connected to Michael Shaw? Did Rachel Briggs tell us how?" Cho asked.
"College roommate. They'd been friends for a long time. Dean joined SAC PD first and then Shaw about three years later." Van Pelt explained.
"We need to run all property records for Shaw and Dean. See if there is some place Dean might be keeping Lisbon. If you don't find anything, maybe we can run records for Dean's family." Cho said.
"It's going to be a property his father owned." Jane said, finger on his lips.
Cho looked at Jane. He'd learned from experience not to question Jane's hunches.
"Run Shaw's father. See what properties he owns or owned." Cho said.
"I think you should check out the two witnesses that were supposed to identify Jane. I bet they have some connection to Dean or Shaw or possibly both." Dan said.
"I bet you're right. Jane spooked them, they may be willing to talk." Cho said. "Rigsby, run the names Frank Ramsey and Jimmy McMillan. See if they were arrested by Dean or Shaw. They didn't appear to be total bottom feeders, but they didn't seem to be fine upstanding citizens either." Cho instructed.
"I got it." Rigsby said.
Jane was pacing now. Cho always hated when he started pacing, but this time he understood the reason for it. They were getting close, close to finding Lisbon.
"I'm going to run back to my office. As soon as you have something, call me right away. If Dean is involved in this, we will need Ardiles' help." Dan said.
xXxXxXx
Teresa and Marisa were sitting on the bed. They'd spent a lot of time talking. Teresa was happy to have someone to talk to. Marisa was talking about a boy she liked at school. Teresa was listening halfheartedly, thinking of ways to get out of the situation they were in.
She was afraid for Marisa's safety. If the man came back she wasn't sure what he would do. If he decided to take Marisa, she wouldn't be able to do anything. She had no doubt he would kill her if he took her.
"Teresa? Hey, are you okay." Marisa asked.
"Yeah, I'm sorry." Teresa answered.
"You were mumbling but I couldn't understand what you were saying." Marisa said.
Teresa sat quietly. She looked at Marisa and knew she had to do something. She had a plan that might just work. She needed a minute to think it through. If it worked, she could get Marisa and herself to safety. If it didn't work, she ran the risk of getting Marisa and probably herself killed. She couldn't just sit there and let the man kill them.
"I have a plan. I need you to do exactly what I say. We'll only have one chance to do this. Will you trust me?" Teresa asked.
"Yes. I can trust you. What's your plan?"
xXxXxXx
"Dean's father owned quite a few properties. All seem to be ideal for keeping someone hidden. There are warehouses, factories, apartment buildings; how are we going to go through all these?" Van Pelt asked.
"Let's look at the empty places first. Create a list of the closest to the farthest and indicate if they are empty or occupied." Cho said.
"He's not going to put her anywhere that's occupied. It's going to be one of the empty or abandoned buildings. He's not going to risk anyone seeing him or seeing her. He wanted somewhere that he was free to come and go at will, day or night, without raising suspicion." Jane said.
"It's probably going to be somewhere close too. Somewhere he could come and go quickly." Rigsby added.
"Okay Van Pelt, give us the first few that are close and empty." Cho said.
Cho's phone rang as he was waiting or Van Pelt to give them the list she was compiling.
"Cho." he answered and listened as the caller talked.
"Sir, we're right in the middle of locating Agent Lisbon. We're getting close." Cho said and then listened.
"Yes sir, I understand. I realize…" Cho answered, listening again as his head dropped.
"Yes sir. We'll get started." Cho said and hung up.
"What was that about?" Rigsby asked.
"We've got a new case." Cho answered.
"Wait. We can't start a new case. We're too close to finding Teresa." Jane said.
"We don't have a choice. Our help was requested. The niece of a councilman is missing. He asked that our team be assigned to find her." Cho said.
"I'm not working this case. I'm going to find Teresa. We're too close to take our focus off of this." Jane said.
"We don't have a choice Jane. Chief said specifically that he wanted you on the case. There is a 15-year-old girl named Marisa Freeman missing. She didn't come home last night and no one can find her. We'll still go through the list. We can work both; we've done it before." Cho said.
"Not when Teresa was missing, we haven't." Jane said
xXxXxXx
"We'll only have one chance to get him. I'm not sure this is right, involving you in this. I need to protect you." Teresa said.
"I want to do this. It may the only way to get us out of here. We don't know if your friend, Cho or your boyfriend know who this guy is." Marisa said.
"If we do this, you have to promise me that if we knock him out and get him in the cell, you will run if we can't get me free from the bed." Teresa said.
"I can't leave you here Teresa." Marisa said.
"Promise me or we won't do this." said Teresa.
"What if he hurts you or kills you?"
"Marisa, if you get away, you can bring back help. I'll be okay. I'll knock him out again before he can get up. It's the only way if I can't get free." Teresa explained.
"Ok. I promise. I don't like it, but I promise."
xXxXxXx
Rigsby was running down leads and background on Marisa Freeman while Cho, Jane and Van Pelt worked on the list of properties owned by Andrew Dean's father. The property listing was extensive and half the buildings were unoccupied.
"This is insane. Why is Dean a police officer if he has all this property?" Van Pelt asked.
"It's not technically his property. His mother appears to still be alive and the property belongs to her. He may inherit it when she passes away. I guess he has access to all the property, he just doesn't own them." Cho said.
"Is his name on any of the property or is it all still in the father's name?" Jane asked.
"It looks like the only property in his name is his own house. All the other property is still in the father's name." Van Pelt said.
"Where's his mother?" Jane asked.
"In a nursing home close in Rancho Cordova." Van Pelt answered.
"Look for properties in Rancho Cordova. He will be using one of those. He would've stayed close to where people were used to seeing him. He wouldn't stand out to anyone. If people are used to seeing him in the area, they won't remember the times and days he was there." Jane said.
"There are six properties in Rancho Cordova. One apartment complex, occupied, a factory that is being rented for storage, and the other four buildings are unoccupied warehouses or factories." Van Pelt said.
"We have it narrowed down to four then." Jane said. "Can we get aerial views of those properties?" Jane asked.
"Yes. I can do that." Van Pelt said.
"What are you looking for on aerial views?" Cho asked.
"I want to see how open or secluded the properties are. See what's around them. I want to make sure we make the best possible choice for which one to hit first. If he's watching or has someone watching, he'll move Lisbon before we get there if we choose the wrong one first. Jane said.
"Let's see the aerial views." Cho said.
xXxXxXx
Teresa heard the door opening. She shook Marisa, who had fallen asleep. Marisa stayed laying down. Teresa stood up and walked over to the cell wall facing the door.
"Hey, she needs help. There's something wrong. I think it may be her appendix." Teresa said.
"Let her die." the man said.
"If you wanted her to die, you would have killed her when you found her outside." Teresa said.
"I don't have time for this right now. Your boyfriend is trying to screw things up for me, but it won't work. I'll kill him first. I might just go ahead and kill you now. Get this over with. I'm starting to lose interest." the man said. Teresa could tell he was angry. Maybe this was the break they needed. With his mind on something else, he may be easier to throw off.
"I don't care about that right now. She needs help. You have to help her." Teresa urged.
Marisa was moaning and moving around on the bed. She was playing her part well. Teresa could hear the man walking closer to the cell.
"I'm not stupid. I not buying this." he said, although Teresa could hear he wasn't committed to that stand.
"What are you not buying? She's running fever and throwing up. She has pain in her right side. That sounds like appendicitis to me." Teresa said.
"Well I can't just go drop her off at a hospital. She'll talk to the police." he said.
"No she won't. I made her promise to forget about you. Her name is Marisa Freeman. If she talks you will be able to find her later. That shows good faith on my part. Please just take care of her, I don't care what you do to me." Teresa said.
"Have her come over here." he said
"I can help her walk over to you. You can take her from there." Teresa said.
"Fine. But I want to see your hands at all times. If you try anything or I think you're going to try something, I'll kill you and then I'll leave here and kill Patrick Jane. If she talks, I'll kill Jane before the police have a chance to find me. He's being watched at all times." he said.
"Okay, I agree to that, just help her."
Teresa walked over to the bed and helped Marisa up. She had to make it appear the girl was having problems. When Marisa stood up, she bent over crying out in pain. Teresa leaned down to help her up.
"You have the metal stick?" Teresa whispered. They had been able to work one of the metal slats on the bed loose. They would use it as a weapon.
"What's taking so long? I don't have all day. I need to be somewhere. I have food and water for you. Walk her over here and I'll pull the water and food against the cell so you can reach it." the man said.
Teresa heard him walking towards the door. When she heard him open the door, she moved Marisa closer to the cell wall.
"Okay, remember when he opens the door and reaches in for you, swing hard. You have to hit him hard enough to make him fall. Then if he moves, hit him again." Teresa whispered.
"I remember." Marisa said.
"When he goes down run over to the table and find a tool to help me undo the chain. I think I saw a pair of bolt cutters. If I did, we should be able to cut the chain quickly and get out of here. If you can't, run like hell to get out of here and contact Agent Cho." Teresa stated.