In Lieu of Retrospection
Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Rating: T
Spoiler: Six months after 2.22 (Red Letter)
A/N: Thank you everyone for all your feedback! I appreciate it. I'm glad everyone liked Part 3 and am happy the case is still intriguing. Thanks as always to forthecoast for betaing and lil smiles for the prompt.
xxx
Part IV
They've worked cases before that required them to visit universities, but never during final exam time.
Rigsby now understands that he was very lucky to have avoided college students around this time of the quarter. So far in his attempt to navigate the CBI issue SUV through the campus, he's been flipped off by three pedestrians and had obscenities thrown at him by particularly vicious bicyclists, all no doubt stressed out, worn out, and positively livid college students on the brink of a break down.
He decides, as they pull up to the building where Derrick Lancaster is supposed to be, that he's glad he'll never have to return to school ever again. He doesn't envy college kids.
His stake out partner is, as usual, quiet and relaxed, seemingly unfettered by the swarm of young people rushing past them with expressions of muted horror or stress. Rigsby admires Cho's ability to be so nonchalant sometimes, but it's also a little boring with him so keenly wrapped up in whatever novel he's reading.
The taller agent sighs a little loudly, but it doesn't catch his partner's attention so he digs into the glove compartment, pulls out a granola bar, and occupies himself for all of the two minutes it takes him to finish the snack.
After ditching the wrapper, Rigsby checks his watch, only to find that very little time has passed. He keeps a look out for Lancaster, going on a photograph taken just a few months after graduation, but the boredom still seeps in.
"So, how are you and Elise?" Rigsby finally breaks the silence, a teasing twinge to his question.
"We're fine," Cho replies evenly, eyes not tearing away from the book.
Being used to Cho's usual attitude, Rigsby is not deterred by it.
"You gonna ask her to marry you soon?" He probes good-naturedly, nudging Cho playfully with his elbow.
Still no reaction.
"No, too early." The Asian man replies, flipping another page with equal fervor.
Rigsby rolls his eyes, taking a hefty sip from his soda, "It's been almost a year, dude. It's not like you're getting any younger."
His words seem to fall on deaf ears, so he reaches over and tilts the book to see the title, then smirks self assuredly. "Plus, she's got you reading Jane Austen."
Cho finally looks up, but his expression is typically emotionless.
"What's your point?" he deadpans, waiting just a few seconds for Rigsby to react, before turning back to the book.
Rigsby opens his mouth to retort, but then a horde of students charges out of the science building. He catches sight of the tall, lanky redhead and is already unclipping his seatbelt before Cho has a chance to shut his book.
They call out for the boy almost as soon as they get out of the car.
"Derrick Lancaster?"
The thin adolescent turns around, dark blue eyes suspiciously sizing up the two agents. "Yeah?"
"We're from the CBI-.." Rigsby begins.
"What's-…"
"California Bureau of Investigation." Cho interrupts, in the interest of saving time. "We need to speak with you about Kyla Cregg."
A flicker of realization across his freckled face and then, "what about her?"
He says this with a hint of something in his voice that's indefinable to either man, but even Rigsby can tell the name means something to him. That's what makes him a little more thankful for Cho's practiced detachment during interviews.
"She's dead, and we need to ask you some questions."
The change in the boy is very obvious. His already pale complexion becomes impossibly whiter and he fumbles a little with the strap of his school bag, disbelief reflected clearly in his eyes,
"D-dead? What do you mean, dead?"
He looks visibly shaken, and Cho takes pity on him. "Maybe you'd feel more comfortable answering some questions in our office?"
The boy hesitates, a blank stare his reply.
"We've got really great vending machines, and its close by. You'll be back for geometry." Rigsby adds, laughing a little nervously after realizing that his effort to lighten the mood may not be that appropriate.
Cho gives him a slight disapproving glance, before looking back at Derrick.
The adolescent stands for a moment, before peering back at Rigsby, squinting against the sun, lip curving just a little, "Its college, dude. Geometry was like 10th grade."
xxx
Lisbon slips into the observation room to find Jane sitting cross legged in a chair next to the one way mirror, watching Cho and Rigsby talk to Derrick Lancaster.
He acknowledges her with a smile before refocusing on his previous task, and Lisbon walks over to the opposite side of the room, leaning against the wall. They watch the conversation between Cho and Lancaster for a few moments until Lisbon steals a glance at Jane's pensive expression and can't help goading him.
"So do you think this one is hiding something too?"
Jane shoots her a side glance, before shaking his head, "Nah, nothing to do with the case anyway."
Glancing once more into the interrogation room, Lisbon pivots her body towards Jane, arms crossed over her torso. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Jane stands up, stretches leisurely, which inevitably earns him an eye roll, and answers, "It's clear as day that he was in love with Kyla. Probably why he's so startled by her death. Has the footage of the Creggs' press conference arrived yet?"
"Yes, Grace is setting it up." Lisbon replies. Being used to Jane's penchant for concealing the reasoning behind his observations, she says little else and turns back to the screen.
"Excellent. I'll make a cup of tea and get to work then," Jane shoots her a beaming smile before turning to leave.
He pauses at the door though. "Oh, but I'm pretty certain Derrick knows something about why Kyla ran away in the first place, so have Cho pick at that a little."
With that the door shuts behind him.
Lisbon stands in resolve for a few moments, stubbornly not budging to instruct Cho as Jane suggested out of pure principle. Despite having a better understanding of each other as coworkers, it still irritates her when Jane doesn't share his motivations for certain things. That makes her stand rooted to the ground for all of five minutes before her rational side wins.
It's clear that Derrick and Kyla were very close. Also, considering he wasn't in her immediate circle of popular and entitled friends, she may have felt she could trust him more, perhaps because she figured he would keep her secrets faster than any of her gossiping girlfriends.
It does make sense that if she confided in anyone, it would be him.
Letting out a very frustrated puff of air, she unfolds her arms and walks out of the observation room and into the interrogation room, pulling Cho out for a moment.
She doesn't notice Jane smiling at her from across the hallway.
xxx
Fifteen minutes later, sitting on the conference table with a forkful of salad, Lisbon watches as Rigsby steps out of the interrogation room with Derrick Lancaster in tow, walking towards the elevators.
A moment later, Cho walks into the bullpen.
Jane, who up until this point was sitting besides her obsessively watching the conference tape, pauses the DVD player just as Cho approaches.
"Well?" Lisbon asks, setting aside her lunch and wiping her hands on a napkin. Behind her, Jane steals a cherry tomato from her to-go box, earning him a pointed stare from Van Pelt who catches him over the rim of her computer.
He presses his finger to his lips, giving her a bright smile before turning his attention back to Cho. He's confident that the agent will be confirming his earlier conjectures about Lancaster.
"He appears to have nothing to do with the actual murder. He claims to have no knowledge of Kyla's whereabouts and seemed visibly shaken when we informed him of her death."
"Where was he at the time of the murder though?" Lisbon asks, reaching for her bottle of water.
"Study group until about 1 am. He had a Chemistry exam today."
"Anyone who can vouch for him?" Lisbon presses further, but when Cho is about to answer, Jane lets out a puff of air and leans forward,
"Can we cut to the point where you tell us what he knows about Kyla running away?"
Jane's eyes twinkle with excitement, eliciting what could only be considered a smile from Cho, as Lisbon swats him on the arm. "Shush you. We'll get there." she says authoritatively, but then realizes that they're at that point anyway and becomes mildly annoyed with her consultant yet again.
A few moments pass by, before Lisbon fixes Cho with a stare and urges him to explain.
"Well, he didn't know much about why she ran away exactly, but he told us that a few days before graduation, Kyla showed up at his doorstep crying, really distraught over something. He tried to get it out of her but she didn't budge. Instead, she spent the night at his house and the next morning Lana Cregg called the house frantically looking for Kyla. His parents were at work by that time, so Derrick picked up and Kyla asked him to lie about where she was, so he did. At that point, he confronted her again and she basically implied that she'd had a fight with her parents and didn't want to be at home-…"
"Aha!" Jane exclaims, cutting Cho off slightly.
"Aha, what?" Lisbon turns to him, eyebrow raised in slight aggravation, "Kyla could have easily lied to cover up why she really left home."
"True," Jane pauses for a moment, mulling the information over in his head, "but very unlikely." He concludes.
"And why is that?" Lisbon continues to regard him suspiciously.
"Just feels a little off, that's all." Jane shrugs, although the smile on his face is still a little conspiratorial.
"Oh I see." Lisbon nods, slight mocking.
Nevertheless, as she looks back at Cho, she sees the same contemplation that she's certain is mirrored in her eyes. It's worth a shot after all.
"Alright, fine. Cho and I will go talk to the Creggs, you finish watching those tapes." Lisbon addresses Jane before sliding off the conference table, headed for her office.
"Hey, Boss. For what it's worth, their alibi checks out." Van Pelt calls to her and Lisbon turns around, giving her a nod for good work.
"What about the housekeeper?" Jane asks suddenly.
Van Pelt furrows her eyebrow at him, "Mrs. Espejo?"
"Yeah," Jane nods, "what's her story?"
"Not sure, actually." The redheaded says, chewing on her bottom lip.
"We'll ask. I think she might be at their home still." Lisbon, who walks back in from her office, announces as she waits for Cho to grab his jacket.
"You should." Jane nods his approval with a bright smile and Lisbon just rolls her eyes.
"Van Pelt, make sure he doesn't get into trouble," She calls over her shoulder, before disappearing down the hall.
Jane shoots Van Pelt an innocent look, while she stares at him pointedly.
"Paranoid woman," He adds a bit dramatically, referring to Lisbon, but Van Pelt just shakes her head in response, sincerely hoping she won't need to call her boss with news that Jane manipulated her into another one of his crackpot plans.
xxx
The atmosphere in the Cregg household is decidedly different this time. Jeff Cregg seems to have lost his passive attitude and absentmindedness, and he greets them with the smile and charm Lisbon's used to seeing from him on television.
It makes her almost wary of him, perhaps even a little suspicious, and she forgoes the offered lemonade with a curt shake of her head and gets to business. She's glad to have Cho by her side, the one agent who is always impervious to offerings of refreshments and enthusiasm, regardless of who is being interviewed.
"Mr. Cregg, we just have a few more questions about your daughter's disappearance that need to be cleared up. Is Mrs. Cregg around? We'd like to speak to her as well."
Lisbon watches the smile falter just slightly, an imperceptible twitch of his lip as he nods. Then he turns to the housekeeper and asks her to fetch Mrs. Cregg, who is currently in another part of the house.
Lisbon takes the opportunity to ask Agata Espejo where she was last night, and the older woman stares blankly at her for a moment before replying in broken English that she lives with her sister now and was at home.
Having no reason to doubt her statement, Lisbon records the given address and makes a note to have Van Pelt follow up on it as soon as she gets the chance.
Lana Cregg breezes into the room a few moments later, the same impeccable suit and warm smile in place. Except this time, her expression is a little tighter, perhaps a little strained. Lisbon can't help the suspicion rising inside her. For a second, she wonders if maybe Jane's influence has weighed way too heavily and she's just being paranoid.
As if on cue, her cell phone vibrates against her hip and she looks over at Cho, giving him the signal to relay all the information Derrick Lancaster provided them with, as she takes the call.
She doesn't bother checking the caller ID and is greeted by Jane's chipper voice.
"I'm busy," She hisses into the phone. She's a little out of ear shot, so she can't understand what the Creggs are telling Cho, but she is pretty certain that they are surprised and slightly uncomfortable about the line of inquiry. Something is definitely amiss with these people.
"I understand. No need to be so grouchy just because you didn't get your daily intake of caffeine."
Normally, she would be more receptive to his teasing, but right now she desperately wants to get back to the interview to figure out exactly what the Creggs are suddenly hiding.
"Jane, I'm in the middle of an interview. What do you want?"
"Ah, yes, the reason I am calling. I need you to ask the Creggs and anyone who had access to the house where they were the night before the murder."
"What?" Confusion seeps into her voice, "Why?"
"I think Kyla stopped by her house the night before she died."
There's a brief silence on the line while Lisbon contemplates his conjecture. "How do you know that?"
"Well, it's a little difficult to explain but if you can just-…"
"Jane." Annoyance begins to take hold of her. She really hates when he's so goddamn ambiguous, "I really don't have time for this now."
"They're hiding something, we both know that." Jane persists, and Lisbon can't deny that she agrees.
She glances over her shoulder back into the living room, where the Creggs are now sitting rigidly on the couch. Lana Cregg is no longer the picture of composure, and Jeff Cregg seems to be trying too hard to give off a calm vibe.
There's only a brief moment of hesitation before she heaves a sigh and concedes, "Alright, fine. I'll ask, but this better not be one of your insanely stupid ideas."
"Stupid?" Jane balks, "that's very offensive, Lisbon. My ideas may be insane, but never stupid. That's mean."
She can't help the small smile that spreads over her lips as she imagines Jane's facial expression.
"You'll survive, I'll see you soon." She adds sarcastically and doesn't wait for his rant before hanging up the phone.
She comes into the tail of the conversation, apologizing quietly and perching herself on the arm of the love seat across from the Creggs. Cho gives her an imperceptible nod. Working long enough with her second in command, Lisbon has learned to decipher even the most subtle of gestures from Cho and understands by the look in his eye that he's just as suspicious of the couple across from them as she is.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but in light of some new information, I have to ask where both of you were the night before the murder."
The identical flashes of hesitation and fear that cross the couple's faces don't go unnoticed by either detective, but Lisbon chooses not to comment on it.
"What information?" Jeff Cregg asks.
"We've had a few developments, but until we can be 100% sure I would rather not discuss it." Lisbon explains, keeping her smile tight and her expression as stoic as possible.
Jeff Cregg obviously doesn't like her vagueness, and crosses his arms over his chest,
"Well, then why should we divulge any information if you're not willing to do the same?"
He also crosses his legs, which Lisbon finds a little odd because really the only man she's ever seen do that is Jane, and he's, well…he's different.
She meets the Assemblyman's stern gaze head on and purses her lips together, cursing Jane for convincing her that this was a good line of questioning, even if the Creggs' reluctance to produce an alibi is more than suspicious enough to justify it.
"With all due respect, Mr. Cregg, this is a murder investigation, not a business deal. There's no exchange of information required here, on our behalf at least. I understand if you do not want to give out details of your personal life considering that your occupation, but I can assure you anything you tell us is completely confidential."
Her words don't really seem to appease the assemblyman, but before he can open his mouth to presumably tell her in not so many words to go to hell, Lana Cregg places her hand on her husband's arm and smiles apologetically at the detectives.
"I think my husband is reluctant to explain where he was two nights ago because no one will be able to confirm his story."
Jeff doesn't look at his wife, but the slight twitch of his eyebrow signals surprise, and Lisbon can already tell whatever alibi Lana Cregg produces, it will be false.
"I see. Well where were you, Mr. Cregg?"
She wonders if they had concocted this plan prior to the meeting, anticipating that certain questions would be raised, though she can't quite figure out how they would expect this.
Jeff looks down at his hands for a moment, before clearing his throat and meeting Lisbon's steely gaze again. "Every Thursday while Lana is at her book club meeting, I do a five mile run in Granite Regional Park."
"Alone?" Cho prompts.
Jeff nods, "Yes, alone Agent Cho. Is that a problem?"
"Not unless you're lying to us." Lisbon can't help but add and the fury that flashes in Jeff's eyes is a little unsettling.
"I don't like what you're implying, Agent Lisbon. Do I need to contact my lawyer?"
"No." Lisbon shakes her head and rises from the couch, prompting Cho to stand up as well. "I've done a few hikes in Granite Regional Park myself, and I am certain we will be able to confirm your story. Also Mrs. Cregg, if anyone can vouch for your presence at the book club that would be great."
Lana Cregg stands, smoothing the front of her skirt. "I'll get you the name of the woman who was hosting it this week."
Lisbon thanks her, and the blonde woman walks away.
"Mr. Cregg, I noticed an alarm system near the front door."
"Yes, it's for safety purposes." He nods, divulging very little, expression cold and unmoving.
"So you can theoretically keep track of who goes in and out of the house, correct?"
"Yes, where is this leading to, Agent Lisbon?"
"Who knows the alarm code?" She ignores his questioning, pressing on with her hunch. She noticed the security system when she and Jane had visited that morning, and now that Jane has asked her about the Creggs' alibis for the evening prior to the murder, her intuition is telling her to catalogue as much information as possible about the couple's comings and goings. They are obviously hiding something.
"Just my wife, my chief of staff, Agata, the housekeeper, and myself."
"Have you changed the code since Kyla's disappearance?"
Jeff Cregg looks confused for a moment, then shakes his head. "No, I don't think so. Anyway, is that all? My wife and I need some time to ourselves, so-…"
His voice trails off just as Lana Cregg appears in the doorway with a slip of paper, which she hands Lisbon with a small smile.
"Thank you, Mrs. Cregg. We'll be in touch."
Lisbon returns her smile with one of her own, before being impatiently escorted out. Once outside, Cho looks at her. "What was that about?"
"Oh, well Jane thinks Kyla came back here the night before her murder."
"Okay," Cho nods, though he remains somewhat unconvinced. Nevertheless, just like her, Cho has long since accepted Jane's strange methods of police work, especially since they usually produce results.
And really, this isn't the craziest conjecture Jane has ever had.
"I think they're lying about the alibi."
"Me too." Lisbon agrees, unlatching the car door. "As soon as we get back to the office, get in touch with Rebecca Watkins, Cregg's Chief of Staff, and confirm her story. I'll get Van Pelt to check out the housekeeper's alibi."
Cho nods in response before climbing into the passenger seat. It's only when he fastens his seat belt and Lisbon starts pulling out of the driveway that he turns to her and with a little bit of a smirk and says, "We should probably make sure Jane's hunch has some credibility to it first."
All Lisbon can do is nod in agreement, though Cho doesn't miss the hint of a smile on her face as she stares straight ahead.
TBC...