Made this a little longer to make up for how long it took me to post it. Thanks to those who review. Jisbon4ever – Yeah a big guy like Risgby afraid of snakes = LOL. I figured it was the kind of fear a big but sweet guy like Rigsby would have and be embarrassed about.

Like I said before The Mentalist and its characters aren't mine, I'm just borrowing them. Except for the ones I made up for this story (Sherriff Jones, Dr. Martin any others I think up along the way) I totally own them but I might be willing to sell them for three easy payment of $19.99

Snakes and Ladders

Lisbon picked her way carefully through the uneven terrain, trying to avoid rabbit holes and the occasional tree root that tried to trip her up. Jane trekked behind her, his hand hovering near her elbow just in case she did take a tumble, while he simultaneously tried to keep any mud from getting on his shoes or suit. The rest of the team had already spread out, talking briefly with the various deputies and park rangers that littered the scene. They made their way over to the bearded, slightly portly man Jane recognized as Sheriff Jones and the large cordoned off hole in the ground he stood next to.

Lisbon was the first to reach him and giving him a brief handshake got down to business. "Sheriff Jones, good to see you again." "What have you got?"

The sheriff answered Lisbon's brief salute with a bright, charming smile and gave a nod of his head in Jane's direction. "Agent Lisbon, Mr. Jane, pleasure to see you, wish it was under better circumstances." "Well it's just what it looks like." "Male DB (dead body), naked, in a hole about 15 ft deep by 10 ft wide, looks to be between 18 to 30 years old."

Rigsby finished up with one of the deputies and had ambled his way over to the edge of the pit. He gave a brief look down and blanched slightly. "Are those..?"

"Snakes?" Said Sheriff Jones carelessly, "yes sir, Agent Rigsby, I'd say 150 maybe 200 of them."

"Is that all the M.E. (medical examiner or coroner depending on where you live) has so far?" Lisbon asked, a frown of impatience forming on her face. "Why hasn't the body been pulled out of the hole yet?"

"Well you see," drawled the Sherriff, "our medical examiner feels the same way about snakes that your Agent Rigsby there does." "'Bout had a nervous breakdown when he saw all those snakes in the bottom of that pit, refused to go down there." "But don't fret Agent Lisbon, I've been sitting by this hole ever since I got the call, making sure no one tampers with your evidence."

"Excuse me Sherriff," interrupted Rigsby "but why did you call us sir?" "Without COD (cause of death) are we even sure this is a murder?" "And if it is wouldn't it fall under the Park Ranger Services jurisdiction, since it's in the state park?"

"Well there's some dispute about that." "You see some of this land is owned by private foundations, which the local Sherriff (that would be me) has jurisdiction over, but is opened up for public use." "That hole right there is smack in the middle of the line that divides Mount Shasta Parkland from land owned privately by The Meadowlark Foundation." "When I remembered what a bang up job your unit did on the last case we worked on I figured calling you guys would be a good compromise with the Rangers Service." "That way I can avoid a messy jurisdictional fight." "As to whether it's a murder if it's not how did he get here?" "If he drove where's his car and more important his clothes?" "The nearest building is a few miles away and I can tell you he didn't hike through the woods naked, in the dark and not get a speck of mud on him from what I can see."

By the end of the Sherriff's explanation there little group had been joined by the other two team members and Lisbon, giving Rigsby a hard look for trying to weasel out of the case said, "Were happy to take over Sherriff but we won't be able to do much for you if we don't find out more about that body and get a look in that hole."

"Well as for the hole, Agent Lisbon, it's perfectly safe for you to jump right in now." "Those are all non venomous snakes." "Mostly garter snakes although I saw some gopher snakes and racers." "But there's no need for you to go to the trouble, Andrew Martin, one of the local boys, is a doctor, comes down to go hiking and camping this time of year, knows the area and the local wildlife." "Andy was flying in this morning; I already sent one of my boys to pick him up." "He should be arriving shortly." "He knows the drill; he'll get the body up out of the ground for you and hand it over to the M.E., all without disturbing any of your evidence." "I already took a statement from the couple that found them but I imagine you and Mr. Jane are 'gonna want to question them yourselves?" Sherriff Jones asked, looking at Lisbon expectantly.

"Well, if I didn't know any better I'd say you were trying to make a good impression on our Agent Lisbon," Jane interrupted giving The Sherriff a slightly mocking smile and winking in Lisbon direction.

Lisbon opened her mouth but was stalled in giving Jane a crushing set down by Jones, " which is just as well," she thought "since that smile and wink had robbed her of any coherent thought, damn him for being so handsome.""Don't you worry Mr. Jane," quipped the Sherriff, "your Agent Lisbon's safe from me." "I just remember from last time how thorough and un excepting of any shenanigans she is, well except for yours that is." "If I hadn't seen for myself last time how effective you are I would wonder why she puts up with you." "But whatever gets the bad guy and to tell you the truth there's some thing about this one that don't sit right with me." "The sooner we get this solved the happier I'll be."

Lisbon had initially rolled her eyes at their antics but by the end of the Sherriff's speech she was nodding her head in agreement, a serious look on her face. "Thanks Sherriff, we'll do that now." "Cho, finish gathering statements from the local leo's and have a look around the scene." Sherriff Jones, this is Grace VanPelt she's our resident technology and research expert, is there room for her to set up a base of operations in your station and would it be possible for her to get a ride there from one of your men?" "We only brought the SUV, the van would never have made it up these roads so we only have the one vehicle," She explained, then before the consultant could protest added, "Well Jane brought his clown car but we had to leave at the bottom of the trail 'cause it couldn't make it up these roads and only holds two people anyway."

Catching sight of the red head that'd blushed prettily at the compliment from her boss, the older man straightened his shoulders and gave her his most charming smile. "Well we meet at last Agent VanPelt and can I say it's a shame you got left behind at the CBI on the last case, I would have liked to have had the pleasure sooner."

"Yes, I heard you guys had an interesting time," said VanPelt with a smile and a sly look in Jane's direction.

The Sherriff chuckled, probably at the memory of taking a swing at Jane "Yes well, some of us had a more interesting time than others." "I'll tell you what, why don't I tell you all about it in the ride back to the station." "If that's okay with you Agent Lisbon?"

Lisbon standing by trying not to smirk at the older man's flirting was about to give a nod of agreement when she was interrupted by Jane once again. "Actually is you don't mind Lisbon, I would like to take a look around, I'm sure those poor kids had nothing to do with this."

"What, you can tell someone's innocent by the way they stand now?" Lisbon asked sarcastically. As soon as he opened his mouth to reply she raised her hand, forestalling Jane's no doubt convoluted explanation as to why he knew the couple he hadn't talked to or even met was innocent. "Never mind." "Fine, but try not to get punched in the face." "Cho you're with me." "Rigsby," Lisbon started but seeing the slightly desperate look on the big agents face, whether it was because of the snakes or the prospect of VanPelt riding in a car with the frisky Sherriff, "Help Van Pelt set up then go get us rooms, I don't think we're going to solve this in one night." She shook her head as with a look of relief Rigsby hurried after VanPelt. Lisbon turned and looked at Jane waiting for him to make some comment about what a softie she was, "I'll never admit it to him but I did feel bad about the small spark of jealousy I felt at their happiness and I felt even guiltier when they had to break up," but all he said as he watched the group of three walk away was "That flirtatious old goat hasn't changed a bit."

Lisbon gave a small sigh of relief as she watched her consultant walk away. She'd been glad to have a case to occupy their time but she'd been worried about having to spend time in close proximity with the man who was causing her such emotional confusion. Jane had said on more than one occasion that she was transparent to him which was why she'd been so desperate to avoid him. She had a horrible vision of walking into the bull pen one morning and having Jane leap up from his couch, point accusingly at her and yell at the top of his lungs "Aha! You're in love with me!" Which he could tell based on how she drank her coffee that day or something equally ridiculous. "Come to think of it, he has seemed a little preoccupied and if I didn't know any better I say Jane was trying to avoid me." "He even rode in his own car, even though I told him it would never make up these rutted roads." She looked over to where the blond was standing, peering down into the snake infested hole. She frowned, a suspicious look on her face but settled for yelling "Stay out of trouble and if you fall in that hole we're leaving you there."

Lisbon looked over to where her second in command stood, expressionless. "God bless Cho, I can always depend on him to keep his nose out of my life and his opinions to himself." "Let's see what we can get while we wait for this Doc Martin to show up," She said walking briskly away towards their two witnesses.

Kimball Cho watched the petite brunette walk away, briefly glancing at the blond man still staring into the pit before he quickly followed her. People had a tendency to underestimate him because of his quiet expressionlessness and the fact that he often had his nose buried in a book but he saw more than they gave him credit for. Certainly more than the two he was quietly observing. "I wonder if they've finally realized what I've know for a while." "Even if they have it would take a miracle for them to actually do anything about it." "I wonder how this is 'gonna turn out?" "Guess I'll just have to wait and see, good thing I'm patient."

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