"Jane" came the brash voice of Teresa Lisbon from the crime scene. Patrick Jane was stood making waffles whilst his daughter was sat at the breakfast bar, flipping through the pages of her Law book.
"Good morning Lisbon" Jane said brightly and he flipped over a waffle and placed it onto the plate which was sat next to Lucy. Lucy smiled and Patrick smiled back before returning to the mixture of batter.
"We have a case" Lisbon said and Jane nodded "we think..."
Jane sensed the hesitance in Lisbon's voice and he stopped cooking for one moment.
"What? Lisbon just tell me" Patrick urged her and he heard a gulp come from the other end of the phone.
"We think it is a copycat killing" Lisbon said and Patrick shut his eyes and drew a deep intake of breath. He didn't need to know who the murderer was copying.
"It's a Mary Gennero. Twenty three years old. She's at Mayfield Forest" Lisbon said gravely. The place Red John had committed his first murder.
"I'll be there soon" Patrick said and he looked at Lucy who was staring back intently at him.
"Make sure Lucy gets to school safely Jane" Lisbon advised and Patrick felt his heart skip a beat. She was making sure the Lucy remained safe...that meant she thought the copycat killer might try to get to Lucy. Patrick felt sick at the thought. He didn't know if he could handle watching his daughter get hurt again. It had almost killed him the first time.
"Bye Lisbon" Jane said and he hung up and slammed the phone onto the work surface near the cooking. He grasped onto the marble and bent his head forward and closed his eyes. Lucy had suddenly lost her appetite and he stomach was churning. She had no idea what her father had been speaking about but she developed the feeling that it wasn't good.
"Dad...what is it?" Lucy asked quietly and Patrick picked his head up and stared into her eyes. He couldn't tell her. He didn't want to tell her.
"It's a murder...we think the killer may be copying Red John" Patrick told her honestly.
"Red John? No...no...how?..." Lucy garbled and Patrick walked around to her and helped her climb down from the stool she had occupied. Patrick placed his hands onto her shoulders and placed her at arm's length.
"We don't know for sure yet Lucy...it might not be...but I have to go down to the scene. I want you to go to school and do not leave until tonight when I come to pick you up. Understand?" Jane asked her and she nodded vaguely to show that she understood. Jane nodded with her and then told her to get ready for school. Lucy packed her bad with shaking hands and grabbed her thick black coat from the coat rack in the hallway. Patrick pulled on his long grey coat and locked up the house as Lucy stood at the car. The car ride to Lucy's school was icy silent as Patrick concentrated on not slipping on the ice.
"It's going to be like last time isn't it?" Lucy suddenly asked and she turned to look at her father who could not return her gaze. Instead he remained staring out the window and thinking of an answer. He had no idea. No matter how much he wanted to reassure Lucy he knew he couldn't. He had no idea what was happening himself.
"I don't know Lucy" Patrick sighed honestly and Lucy nodded. She did not react like he had thought she would. He knew last time Red John had gone after them that Lucy was mainly a nervous wreck and he couldn't blame her. But this time she just seemed shocked and it was almost as if she had accepted it.
"I want you to stay in the entrance hall tonight until I come for you" Patrick instructed Lucy and she nodded and leaned over to peck her father on the cheek. Patrick watched her retreating figure go into the large brick building before driving off towards the scene of the crime. When he finally arrived he was greeted by a sombre looking Lisbon. Patrick climbed out of the car and walked over to meet her. Neither of them said anything to each other but they just nodded briefly and began stalking off to the body. But the body was not the first thing Patrick saw. Instead it was the large smiling face looking at him from the trunk of the tree.
"The estimated time of death is about one a.m. We think the killer stabbed her to death before dumping her body here. She was completely clothed and from somewhere in the neighbourhood. I have Cho tracing her family" Lisbon said as Jane stared at the body bag which was laid in the snow.
"She has long brown hair, green eyes, petite about five foot, no more than eight stone" Lisbon briefed and Jane nodded.
"She's like the first victim Red John murdered" Jane stated and Lisbon nodded before turning to look at him seriously.
"Jane...if you would prefer to leave this case I would completely understand...I don't want you to do anything you don't want to..." Lisbon told him but he shook his head.
"I want in." Patrick replied and the pair just stared forcefully at each other before Lisbon nodded.
"Okay. We have to trace who Red John murdered after this one...there's a chance the killer might go after a lookalike next"
"She was called Angela Evans. She was British. Had long red hair and blue eyes. Red John dumped her body in a back alley. Near a pizza restaurant" Patrick told Lisbon who was shocked at his memory. Patrick knew everyone who Red John had killed. He helped the police to try and catch Red John and when he had killed Louise- his wife- Patrick became more involved in catching him.
"We'll put out a message on the news. Hightower wants to see us anyway before we issue any statements" Lisbon said and she began to stalk off. Patrick took one last look at the white body bag and began to follow Lisbon back towards the vehicles. They spent the rest of the day going backwards and forwards, visiting Mary's relatives and searching for other Red John victims. It wasn't until two p.m when they got the call.
"Boss" Cho said from a busy street and Lisbon listened intently "we found another body"
"Where?" Lisbon asked and Jane shifted closer to her to get a better listen.
"An alley near Bellisimos. A pizza restaurant" Cho replied and Jane drew a sharp intake of breath as Lisbon bid her goodbyes.
"That's two in less than twenty four hours" Lisbon stated.
"He's trying to tell us something. It is almost as if he wants to hurry along these murders. He's not careful like Red John. He's anxious, excited at the thought of getting caught and the fame" Jane said.
"But why rush it? Red John took his time...he was precise...accurate" Lisbon said and Patrick nodded.
"He wants to avenge Red Johns death" Jane said grimly.
"Hold on. We can't know that yet" Lisbon tried to be optimistic
"We do...he wants me dead...and maybe Lucy..." Patrick said and Lisbon groaned inwardly.