Title: He did it again

Author: Shannon – shannyfish

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Mentalist" or its characters, Warner Brothers and Bruno Heller do. This is merely for entertainment purposes only.

Rating: G

Summary: The CBI crash a local prom in order to solve a murder

(Prompt: "I don't cause commotions; I am one!" – Elphaba, Wicked)

Part of the "Red Hot Days" series: a series of different scenes both case and non-case related scenes. This can be read as part of the series or can be read on its own. Different POVs used for different stories. Lisbon/Jane shipping and most likely

Warning: Takes place during season 3, so spoilers during season 3 are fair game. So currently, that's up to "Code Red".

Author's Note: #8 in the series

...

Brea High School Prom Site

Lisbon was getting tired. The kids were still running around like crazy. They had gotten louder. Her patience was pretty much gone and she was done. Jane just seemed more entertained. How, she wasn't sure… The kids had been doing pretty much the same thing since they got there. Of course, they'd pulled out about ten kids for being under the influence and about five boys had hit on her. Jane had suggested a few times that maybe they should teach pick up lines in school. She had not been amused.

"How much longer?" she asked.

"Two more hours."

"Still?"

"That's just the prom proper. That's not even counting all the after parties."

Lisbon frowned.

"I can make things more interesting," Jane said.

She looked over to Jane, his face with filled with a grin. She sighed, "Please tell me that it involves either calling in a bomb threat or pulling the fire alarm…"

"Really Lisbon?"

"Not that I'd want to encourage such behavior…"

"No, it's something much more entertaining…"

"Really?" she asked facing him.

"Really."

"What is it then?"

Jane smiled brightly. "It's more of something that I have to show you…"

"I already don't like where this is all going…" Lisbon complained. "I'm going to regret opening my mouth."

"Probably."

"Jane," she said. "Please don't do anything stupid…"

"C'mon, Lisbon," Jane said. "When do I do anything stupid?" he asked.

Lisbon glared at him, mostly just because that was possibly the most idiotic thing that Jane had questioned. Really? And he was still smiling. Jane really did know how to piss her off. "Jane…"

"What?"

"You know exactly what," Lisbon countered. "I really don't want to have to be up any longer than needed with angry police, school entities, parents, or students…and I really don't want any extra paperwork."

"Noted."

She had hoped that maybe he'd have mercy on her and just leave it be. Then he started to move and her mouth dropped a bit before she spoke. "Jane…"

"I promise not to say anything untruthful!"

And he was hurrying off. Lisbon just stared in his direction for a moment as she processed it…and then she realized where he was going. Jane was going into the main ballroom. Sure, Cho was in there, but she doubted that Cho would be able to tackle Jane and possibly cuff him to the inside of a locked closet. Lisbon made a mental note to inform Cho that that was a possibility for the future. That could come in handy. She hurried after him and hoped that he hadn't started whatever he was planning just yet.

By the time she got in there and pushed past some of the kids, she finally saw him. Jane was on the stage. God help her.

"Hi everyone! My name is Patrick Jane. I hope you're all having a good time tonight… Now, I'm sure you could all use some rest from all the dancing you've been doing…" Jane paused for a moment. "I'm sure you've all seen psychics on TV. Now, I'm sure even at your young age, most of you know that that's all a con act, but…I wanted to do a little…show…we'll call it a show. I'm going to do my own little psychic show here. I'm going to need volunteers too, so if you want to volunteer, be ready to raise those hands."

Oh God, she was so going to be fired.

"Now, I'm sure you are all concerned about the person who was murdered," Jane said. "I am going to do an amazing trick… I am going to find the killer among you, but I need some volunteers for help."

Oh God, she was definitely going to be fired.

Lisbon watched in the back with Cho as Jane played his mind games. There really wasn't much they could do, plus Jane was usually right with these kinds of things or at the very least they led to a path of him knowing what he was doing.

Jane went through his 'victims', Lisbon thought as she watched, and he had them say who they were. He instantly knew their part in the school system, who was popular and who wasn't. He was annoying like that…though right. He went back to one of the guys that was up for prom king, he was a jock and popular.

"I'm sure everyone here knows Josh," Jane said. "Some of you have known him since kindergarten…some of you may have been bullied by him since then…"

"I don't do that," Josh argued.

"Come on," Jane said as he looked at the teen. "Everyone in this room knows you do…" Jane paused for a moment. "So, it's not a stretch that you'd kill someone who got in your way."

Oh God. Lisbon brought her hand up to her face. There was a gasp from the crowd in unison followed by a lot of panicked talking amongst the prom goers. Everyone started to head out of the main room. Great, now Jane had caused mass panic. This was really not what she needed. She was wearing heels; she really didn't need to be trying to run around and calming teens.

"He did it again," Cho commented flatly.

"I know…" she complained.

"I really hate when he does that."

"Me too."

. . .

TBC…