Chapter 5 - Confession

Jane rolled up his shirt sleeves as he walked into the interrogation room Joe Lambini sat in. Cho was already seated at the table. Lisbon watched on from the two way mirror.

He sat down beside Cho and studied the man opposite him. He watched the pulse point in his neck jump erratically as one leg shook beneath the table. His face was a picture of calm confidence but his body was an entirely different matter.

'Nervous, Joe?' Jane asked.

'Why should I be?' he spat back. 'These are trumped up charges, you've no proof of anything.'

Jane shrugged. 'You don't know me Joe so let me enlighten you. I don't care about proof.'

He let his words hang in the air for a moment to gauge the man's reaction before he continued.

'There's also no point in lying to me. For example, you give off the appearance of a happily married man. Expensive suit, nice watch but you're anything but. You have recently broken up with your wife, probably in the last month or two and are staying at some two bit motel. Her decision, not yours to break up. You smell of cheap soap and are wearing an unironed shirt that's too big for you indicating weight loss. You still wear your wedding ring in the hope she'll take you back. I doubt she will.'

'Nice parlour trick' Lambini retorted, a trickle of sweat now running over his brow.

'Is it a little warm in here for you, Joe? Would you like a glass of cold refreshing water? Just imagine, a tall glass of ice...cold...water. Can you imagine that, Joe? Can you picture it? It's so hot in here, isn't it? Stifling...unbearably scorching.'

The sweat on Lambini's brow now covered it and he reached for a handkerchief to dry it off. All semblance of calmness had now left him.

He addressed Cho as he sweated profusely. 'What the hell is the matter with him?'

Cho replied in a monotone, 'Plenty. Now, why'd you kill Gianelli?'

'Who says I did?'

Jane addressed him again. 'Remember I told you that I don't care about proof earlier? I don't have much time for due process either. But my friend Cho here is a stickler for that kind of thing. So we are entitled to hold you here for twenty four hours at least. So, why don't we take a break for a while? We have time.'

Jane got up and took a bottle of water from his jacket and sat it on the table. Lambini grabbed it immediately and took a large mouthful. As soon as he put it down Cho took a plastic evidence bag from his pocket and deposited the bottle in it before Jane and Cho walked out of the room.

Lisbon stood before them when they came out. 'Why did you take the bottle? There weren't any fingerprints found at the scene.'

Jane replied, 'He doesn't know that. Well, not for sure. Jimmy told us he didn't wear gloves so we'll give him some time to begin to doubt himself. It'll help raise his pulse rate, make him more amenable to coming clean.'

When Cho left the room Jane pursed his lips and looked at Lisbon.

'I heard you two talking earlier, you and Jimmy.'

'How could you, you were at the other side of the room? Oh...you lip read us.'

'Yeah-'

'I'm sorry you had to see that, Jane. He's...still got some resentment issues over the whole thing. He'll get over it.'

Jane sighed. 'He was right in everything he said. I've never really thought about that time. You all put your jobs and your lives at risk for me and I...just took advantage like I always did.'

'Well, firstly the team put their jobs on the line for me, not for you so I played a part in it too. It wasn't all your fault.'

'It was my fault I talked you into it. I knew they'd follow whatever you decided so the result is the same nonetheless.'

Lisbon shrugged her shoulders. 'Why are we talking about this now, it's in the past, it doesn't matter anymore' she sighed.

'I want to make things better, I don't want to make the same mistakes I did in the past with you. I don't want to manipulate you any longer, Teresa. But...my personality...it's hardwired to take advantage of people's generosity. And you're the most generous person I've ever met. It's all I was ever taught growing up. It's hard to get out of the habit. So I need you to make sure I don't use you like I did.'

'I don't let you talk me into the same crap you used to, Jane.'

'Really, Lisbon? What about the Ridley incident? I talked you into that easy enough and that was before we were involved like we are now.'

'He was going to walk if we didn't do something.'

'And that's exactly how I talked you into it.'

Lisbon let out an exasperated huff. 'Well, what do you want me to do, Patrick? Do you know how exhausting it is to try to stop you once your mind is set on something? And besides that, the most annoying thing is that you're almost always right!'

'Look, all I'm saying is that I'm going to try to behave more responsibly. At least where things might affect you, anyway. I just want you to make sure you use the influence you have over me now to stop me if I get too out of line.'

She shook her head, 'What influence? What are you going on about?'

Jane raised his eyebrows. 'Seriously, Teresa? You don't think you have more influence over my behaviour now more than ever?' A small smile played on his lips.

Lisbon blushed. 'Oh...that.'

'Yes. That. Precisely.'

'Well that would hardly be a punishment. You managed more than a decade of more or less being celibate. I hardly think a night on the couch or me giving you the cold shoulder is going to make much difference.'

He wrapped his arms around her. 'Ah, but that was before I allowed myself to remember what the love of a good woman was like.' He kissed her hair, breathing in her scent as his hands made their way to her hips and his mouth moved to her ear.

She pulled away from him quickly and crossed her arms. 'Like this you mean?' she said, smiling.

He huffed quietly before smiling back. 'Exactly.'

Two hours later Jane and Cho resumed the interrogation.

'So, you ready to confess yet?' Cho began.

'Nice try with the bottle but you're getting nothing out of me.'

Jane sighed loudly and shrugged his shoulders. 'Oh, well. Guess we should let you go then.'

Lambini got up to go. 'About time too.'

Before he made it to the door, Jane added, 'What do you think the rest of Gianelli's team will think when they find out?'

Lambini stopped in his tracks to look down at him. 'Find out what?'

Jane leaned back in his chair, his hands folded in his lap. 'Oh that you were brought in for questioning and then released three hours later.'

'They'll realise that you feds were on the wrong track, what else?'

Jane stood up to face him. 'You think so? Not when it's put about town that you're our snitch on the family in question.'

'I never told you nothing about them!'

'That's a double negative but I digress. I told you before I don't care about proof. I also don't have a problem with lying to whoever I need to get the results I want. Now, you think you're going to be safer back on the streets once the Gianelli family get wind of this news or in prison where you have at least a chance to be protected if you sign a confession to the murder today. A small chance, admittedly but it's better odds if you value your life.'

Lambini's eyes widened. 'You can't do that!' He went to punch Jane but he saw it coming and got behind Cho.

Cho crossed his arms in front of him. 'And now you've just added attempted assault.'

'But he's just admitted that he's going to get me killed!'

Jane stood with his back at the far wall with Cho in between him and Lambini. 'I did no such thing. I just like to shoot my mouth off sometimes. Cho here will back me up.'

'He's a loudmouth. Never knows when to shut up.' Cho nodded.

Jane raised his eyebrows. Cho had said that with a little more conviction than he would have liked. 'And I sometimes get facts wrong. I'm terrible with forensics and all that stuff.'

'He is' Cho confirmed.

His eyes bored into Lambini's. 'You may wonder why the feds keep me around at all. There are a few reasons but the main one is that I close every case I'm ever put on. As I said, it's the results that matter to me, not how I get there. And, if you decide to take your chances on the streets and you come to some unfortunate end I won't feel one iota of guilt, I've done much worse to feel guilty about in my life, believe me.'

Jane added, 'Who knows, there may be people in prison who'll admire you for taking out a crime boss. You may get the recognition you've always wanted there.'

As Cho drew up Lambini's confession Lisbon came out of the observation room and encased Jane in a hug.

'Hey, this is not the behaviour we talked about when I told you to keep me in line better. I probably just broke a dozen defendant's rights or something in there' he smiled, hugging her back.

She whispered in his ear, 'You know what, on this occasion I don't care.'

'Who are you and what have you done with Lisbon?' he laughed.

She faced him again. 'You did this for my brother. It wasn't just another case for you or another way to show how clever you are.'

Jane shrugged. 'I told you before, he's family now. You do what you have to to make sure they're safe.'

As Jimmy was released Lisbon gave him a copy of Jane and Cho's interrogation on a flash drive. 'You need to watch this. This might explain partly why I love him. But it's extremely illegal so for god's sake erase the information as soon as you watch it.'

Jimmy took the drive and gave Lisbon a hug. 'Thanks, Reese. I'll try to stay out of trouble. I just need to make things right with Stan now.' He added, looking at the ground. 'He told you about the money I borrowed, didn't he?

Lisbon sighed, 'Yeah, he did.'

'Jane and I are going to go round there tonight anyway.'

Now it was Lisbon's turn to look nervous. 'He doesn't know about us being a couple yet so we're going to tell him and Karen before we head back to Austin tomorrow.'

Jimmy's eyes lit up. 'Really, Reese! I'd like to be a fly on the wall to see that!'

She looked at him, a stern expression on her face. 'You won't need to be because you're coming too. Just keep your mouth shut about Jane and I until I bring it up, understand?'

'I'm...I'm not sure Reese. Stan's...well...there's no point in him being mad at both of us.'

'James Lisbon, you're coming to that goddamned house tonight if I have to drag you there. If I have to face the music from him then you're facing it with me.'

A/N: Next chapter another showdown with Stanley. Thanks to everyone who is still reading this and following it. I would love your feedback, as always!