Red in Tooth
By Thalia Drogna
Author's Note: Sorry it's been another long wait. Life really does get in the way of writing sometimes.
Lisbon jerked awake, unaware that she'd even been sleeping. She got a further shock when she looked over and saw that it was daylight outside. She'd spent the entire, rather uncomfortable, night sleeping in a chair beside Jane's bed. The nurse had somewhat taken pity on her and brought a more comfortable padded chair into the room when it became clear that she wasn't going home. No one had suggested that she leave and she wondered if Talavera had a hand in that.
She had intended to go home, but Jane had awoken as she was about to leave. Lisbon knew that he hated hospitals but hadn't realised exactly how much until his heart rate had begun to climb as she buttoned her jacket. She'd muttered that it was actually very late, it would be easier for her to stay and sat down again, which seemed to lead to a corresponding drop in his heart rate after a few moments. He was clearly embarrassed, trying to brush it off as another arrhythmia caused by the snake venom, but the way that he refused to look at her told her otherwise. Lisbon didn't press the point, but hoped Jane would realise that she didn't care. He was very ill and not exactly himself. Normally he'd have hidden his feelings much better or made a joke about them if they were revealed. She almost wished that she always had a heart monitor available to give away Jane's elevated pulse, at least then she might have a hope in hell of knowing when he was lying to her.
He turned his head away from her and fell asleep again soon afterwards, but was restless throughout the night, occasionally even crying out and Lisbon was glad she was there to bring him out of the bad dreams. She doubted he would remember any of this in the morning, in fact she hoped that he wouldn't because he would simply see it as another invasion of his privacy. If there was anything that she had learned about Patrick Jane it was that he didn't like others to see him for who he was.
Someone had placed a blanket over her at some point, but she didn't remember when. The night hadn't been particularly restful for her either, with Jane's nightmares and the hospital staff doing their hourly checks and replacements of IV medication, sleep had been patchy. She was actually quite surprised that either of them had slept at all, but she'd been so tired by the early hours that she hadn't really had much control over her body shutting itself down to get some much needed rest. She assumed Jane had found the same thing happening, but amplified by his condition.
She looked over at one of the reasons for her poor night's sleep and saw that Jane's eyes were open. A nurse was swapping out the oxygen mask for a nasal cannula with two prongs that fitted into Jane's nostrils. He looked about as bad as she felt, but he was most definitely breathing more easily and he was looking at her.
"Hey there, sleepy head," said Jane. His voice was still weak but it sounded less breathy now.
"Hey yourself, you're sounding better," said Lisbon, rapidly pushing her hair back away from her face and trying to straighten her crumpled clothes. She'd have to go down to the car soon and get the overnight bag that she always carried in the trunk so that she could change. It was a must when you never knew where the next body would be found or when.
"I think they found a corticosteroid that worked to control the allergic reaction," said Jane, he took a deep breath as he warily eyed the nurse. "I can breathe again. Well, better anyway." Lisbon noted that the angry red rash that had covered his body was lessening. She was pleased. It seemed to be a good sign.
Lisbon reached for her phone and began scanning through the messages. She immediately opened the late night report from Van Pelt and Rigsby. Reading it on the small screen was difficult, but still possible.
"Huh, you were right. Rigsby and Van Pelt found diamonds hidden in the milk snake's tank." Lisbon looked up to see Jane's reaction, expecting at least some surprise, but there was none. "They're probably smuggled conflict diamonds."
"You should go and get some breakfast, Lisbon," said Jane, trying for his normal tone and failing. "Then I need you to read me those reports that Van Pelt sent you."
"What makes you think that Van Pelt sent me any reports?"
"Please, Lisbon, I'm suffering from snake bite envenomation not brain damage," replied Jane. "You have an on-going Murder investigation. Van Pelt is obviously going to send you reports on the progress of the investigation. Cho may also have sent you a report but he would have added it to the ones that Grace has no doubt lovingly typed up. Rigsby probably got Grace to write his up for him because he considers her style to be better and more thorough than his own. Also he hates writing reports." He allowed a small smile to cross his pale lips.
Lisbon held up a hand. Jane was basically correct; Van Pelt had actually dropped off the reports at the hospital front desk on her way home, as well as sending her electronic copies to her phone. One of the night nurses had brought them up while Jane slept. "Okay, yes, I have reports, but there's a lot of information here. This could take a while."
"Then you'd better hurry up with breakfast," he said. "I'll still be here when you get back. Wake me if I'm asleep." The nurse didn't look at all happy at this command, but still let it pass without comment.
"What did your last slave die of, Jane? You're supposed to be resting not trying to solve a murder."
"I'll rest while you get breakfast." He closed his eyes.
"That isn't what I meant."
Jane opened one eye. "Right now, you're the one disturbing my rest. Go."
Lisbon sighed, and gave up. She made her way to the hospital canteen where she claimed black coffee and a rather stale muffin as her breakfast. She took her time over breakfast, and then went to collect her bag and change into her fresh clothes before going back to Jane's room. She was hoping to give the ill consultant more time to snooze and recharge, but suspected that he wouldn't rest well while there was a case to be solved.
Even though he was being thoroughly annoying, she was aware that he was putting a lot of effort into appearing to be as normal as he could. Jane liked to keep up appearances, but it was going to tire him out and she wasn't sure how much time they'd have to talk. This was all assuming that Talavera didn't throw her out immediately, because Lisbon knew he still wasn't really well enough for any of this.
She wasn't even sure why she was contemplating continuing to ask for his help when he was clearly still extremely ill. She had started doing this because she felt that it was helping him, but now that he was actually improving, she wondered if this was just because she wanted to solve the case? Maybe she should just tell him that she was cutting him off, but he seemed to be enjoying it and it was keeping his mind off being ill. She was dreading the real problems which would start when he was actually well enough to get out of the hospital bed, but luckily that wouldn't be for a while yet.
She stopped off for yet more coffee on her way back to Jane's room. She almost hoped that he would be asleep when she returned to his room, so that she could have some time to think. But when she opened the door, he was resolutely awake. She gave a small inward sigh and gave up any hopes that she could persuade Jane to rest rather than wade through the reports.
The next few hours were spent reading official reports to Jane. She read them because Jane could neither hold them for long enough, nor focus on the documents. The drugs were playing with his vision and he was too weak to even hold a piece of paper up for any serious length of time. He found it frustrating, but if the only way to get the information to Jane was to read it out, then she would do it.
The reports detailed what each suspect had said and done during questioning, what the crime scene looked like and what evidence had been recovered. Periodically Lisbon would stop to gulp coffee, and infrequently Jane would declare something irrelevant and get her to move on to the next document. If there were photos then she would hold them up so that he could see them. By the end of this exercise Lisbon's voice was hoarse and Jane's eyes were looking heavy.
"That's it," said Lisbon as she closed the last file.
"I want you to give all the suspects a piece of information for me. This piece of information will bring the most likely suspect to my door where I can verify their guilt," said Jane, fixing her with a serious gaze. His voice was quieter than usual, so for a moment she thought that she'd misheard, but of course she hadn't.
"You have got to be out of your mind. We are not bringing murder suspects to a hospital." Lisbon knew that her face must be a picture of disbelief as she snapped back her reply. His request was so typically Jane that she almost forgot that yesterday she'd been concerned that he might actually die.
"I can't very well go to them, can I? I'm hooked up to all manner of machines and have more tubes running into and out of my body than I care to think about. The mountain must come to Mohammed." He then explained to her exactly how he planned to do this, which opened a whole new can of worms.
Lisbon was open mouthed in disbelief for a moment but Jane actually appeared to be entirely serious. But, of course, he pulled this kind of thing all the time. Why should it be any different just because he was in a hospital bed?
Lisbon rolled her eyes. "Doctor Talavera will never allow it and you know it. You can't put yourself in danger like this, not when you're already sick. That's before we've even got to all the procedural and legal reasons why it's an extremely bad idea. Any case we took to court that heard we'd questioned our suspects in a hospital room would get thrown out in the opening arguments."
"Really, Lisbon, you do exaggerate. It'll be fine and you'll be here so I won't be in any danger. When have I ever steered you wrong?" He quickly added, "don't answer that. Besides it wouldn't be questioning exactly."
"Then what would it be?"
"Questioning implies that I require answers of some kind. If everything in the information that you just read me is accurate, then I already know who killed Marcus Addison, so we would just be acquiring the proof. It would be verification at the most."
Lisbon reached out and put a hand on Jane's forehead for a few seconds. Jane was too weak still to do anything but lie there and she knew that. He raised a hand a few inches off the bed, but didn't get any closer to batting her away.
"What was that for?" he asked as she sat back in her chair.
"I thought you must have a high fever that's giving you delusions, but it seems you're just being your usual ridiculous self."
"That is somewhat unfair. I'm strung out on heavy duty painkillers so I'm more than my usual ridiculous self." His eyes flicked up towards the bags of liquid that hung from the IV stand and he flashed her a wan smile.
"Yes, that is really making me more likely to agree to this stupid plan of yours," Lisbon replied, sarcastically.
"Oh come on, Lisbon, you know that I'm joking. I'm perfectly lucid now the dialysis is working and the anti-venin has properly kicked in. I promise you, if you bring the suspects here then I will get you your murderer. More importantly I will get you your proof."
"Jane, if you're spinning me lies here and this all blows up in your face, then there will be nothing that can save this case or my job."
"Lisbon, Lisbon, Lisbon, how long have we known each other and you still think I'd lie to you?"
"It's because I know you, Jane," replied Lisbon, without even having to think about it.
"You wound me deeply," said Jane, feigning a hurt look. "I have nothing but your best interests at heart, and you know that I'm not going to put myself in danger without a Lisbon shaped safety net."
Lisbon rolled her eyes again. She was never quite sure how he managed to talk her into these things. Perhaps it was the way he managed to look like a kicked puppy if she said "no" to him. Then again he'd work out a way to make it happen if she didn't help him. He'd probably hypnotise some poor nurse into calling them and asking them to come in for imaginary tests, or something worse. It was always the something worse that worried her most.
"Fine, I'll arrange it. If," she paused to make it clear that this was conditional. "If Doctor Talavera clears it."
Jane was blinking heavily and looking more tired again. "Very well, if you must, but it'll all be fine."
"Sure, Jane. Look, get some rest okay. I'll sort it out."
Jane nodded, his eyes already closing. She really, really wished she could go back to sleep too, but unfortunately she had a murder to solve.
Lisbon walked into the office to find Van Pelt and Rigsby hard at work on paperwork and background searches. Van Pelt was typing away at her computer as rapidly as she could, while Rigsby sat at the side of her desk flicking through a sheaf of papers.
Lisbon approached the two agents.
"How's it going?"
Van Pelt sighed. "I can't find any connection to any kind of fence that could dispose of the diamonds for our suspects. So, either it's someone unknown to us, or we're back to a gang connection, but we've basically ruled out Kumiko and her brother. The Gang Unit arrested a gang boss and found an anaconda at his home. She was telling the truth." She stopped typing and looked up at Lisbon. "How's Jane?"
"Better than he was. I'm happy he's feeling better but…" she gave both of them a despairing look.
"He's up to something, isn't he?" said Rigsby, putting down the papers he was flicking through.
"He has a plan to identify the murderer." Lisbon told them what Jane had in mind.
Rigsby and Van Pelt exchanged a look.
Rigsby closed the file he'd been working on. "So should we go and talk to them then? What time do you want us at the hospital?"
"Why do you think I said yes to it?" asked Lisbon, suddenly feeling a little defensive.
"You always say yes in the end, Boss," said Van Pelt with a small, somewhat wicked, smile.
Lisbon positively pouted. "I do not."
Rigsby grabbed his jacket carefully avoiding Lisbon's eyes. "I'll talk to Barnes," he called, as he headed out of the bullpen.
Lisbon did her best to ignore Rigsby's swift exit, and continued her conversation with Van Pelt. "Jane's still sick. He made me feel guilty," she said, by way of explanation.
"I understand, Boss," said Van Pelt, as she stood and got her sidearm out of her desk drawer. "You can't be mean to guy in hospital. I'll have a chat with Lois."
Lisbon nodded in agreement. "Where's Cho?"
"He's interviewing Juan Romanos in the interrogation room," said Van Pelt.
"Good, I've got some information for him. I called in a favour with the customs people at the port when Jane told me he thought that something was hidden in the snake tank. My guess was drugs, but the information that I got on Romanos will still be useful." Lisbon turned, leaving Van Pelt to her assignment.
Cho sat opposite Juan Romanos with a folder in front of him. Romanos had dark here, tanned skin and an expensive taste in clothes. Everything that he wore seemed to be from a high end fashion label of some kind, including the unbelievably expensive looking leather jacket that he wore.
"You import and export snakes," said Cho.
Romanos nodded. "Yes, and I have all the correct permits to do it."
There was a knock on the door and Lisbon entered, the trace of a smile on her face and a slim brown folder in her hands. She sat down beside Cho and slid the file to him so that he could read it.
"I'm Agent Lisbon. I expect Agent Cho has already gone over why we've asked you here." Clearly she'd been listening on the other side of the one way mirror.
"Yes, but I still don't see what Marcus' death has to do with me. I'm just a businessman who happened to sell snakes to his store," said Romanos.
"I'm sure that you've been careful to make sure your business looks legitimate," said Lisbon. "In your line of work it would be pretty stupid not to keep the small stuff above board."
Cho scanned the file quickly and found what he read very interesting. He recognised the start of a Jane plan when he saw one, but of course Romanos had no idea what he was letting himself in for.
"I'm sorry, Agent Lisbon," said Romanos. "I really don't understand what you're getting at. I'll have to get my lawyer in here if this is going to become some sort of interrogation. I was told you just wanted to clear up a few outstanding points about the snake."
"How do you explain the diamonds?" Cho usually found that straight questions worked best and gave suspects less time to think.
"What diamonds?" asked Romanos, although the pause before he said it was just slightly too long to make Cho think that he was telling the truth. It was the obvious reply to the question and Cho had been expecting it.
"The diamonds that were in the snake," Lisbon said, catching Cho's eye.
Cho nodded, but Romanos looked perplexed.
Lisbon continued. "Marcus left a notebook that explained what he'd found. But the diamonds are missing. We think he hid them or perhaps the murderer took them." Lisbon's phone rang. "Just a moment, it's the hospital."
She opened the phone and talked, without bothering to leave the room. "Jane was awake?" Pause. "How would he know where the diamonds are?" Pause. "Okay, well if he thinks he knows." Pause. "Fine, we'll get down to the hospital as soon as we can, but it might take a while. I guess there's no hurry." She signed off and shut the phone. She turned to Cho, pointedly ignoring Romanos. "Jane says he saw something when the snake bit him. He thinks he knows where Marcus hid the diamonds, but he lapsed back into unconsciousness before he could say where."
Cho nodded. "We probably shouldn't talk about this in front of a suspect."
Lisbon glanced over to Romanos with a guilty look. "You're right. Sorry, that was unprofessional of me. Our consultant was bitten by a snake at the crime scene, I guess we're all a little concerned about him. We'll sort this out later."
Cho and Lisbon continued their questioning for a little longer, but eventually Romanos asked for his lawyer, so they stopped for a break while the lawyer was called. The stepped out of the room.
"Do you think he bought it?" asked Lisbon.
Cho shrugged. "I think so, but he may not be the one we want."
"He's got the connections at the port to fence the diamonds," said Lisbon. "We'll see. I need to get to the hospital. Rigsby and Van Pelt should have dealt with the others by now."
Cho nodded. "Okay, I'll get Romanos processed and released. I'll join you in a few hours."
"Good. Jane's going to need extra protection if this all goes according to plan."