Authors Note: So I know how long this story is going to be now, and this is the second to last part. Forgot to say in the last part that the insperation for it came soely from Ebony10. I had actually written this part before the last one, and was completely stuck, so it's all thanks to her that this part is even peing posted. Thanks to every one who reviewed. Snack suggestion for tomorrow nights episode, or for this story, Hagan daz Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Disclaimer: I do not own them.
"I'm just saying that he's become even more of a smug, arrogant bastard than he usually is. Ever since that day he tried to read Lisbon, he's just been getting worse." Rigsby said quietly looking around to make sure no one could over hear.
"So, you're saying Jane is being even more like himself?" Cho said in his normal dead pan. It had been almost a month since Jane had returned to work with the team and he was becoming an even bigger pain in the ass than he usually was.
"I think I preferred the charming narcissist to the smug arrogant bastard. He's even worse than he was before the accident. I know he was almost heartless before his family was killed, but this is ridiculous." Van Pelt put in. They were trying to decide what to do with Jane.
"Lisbon needs to tell him soon or someone is going to hurt him and it's probably going to be me." Rigsby said. He was the most upset of all of them. They had been at a crime scene earlier and Jane had almost completely destroyed the young witness right in front of him, bringing up things in the witnesses past that had no bearing on the case. They were going to be lucky if they were able to get the witness to talk to them again, let alone testify.
"How do we decide who tells her?" Van Pelt said, clearly not wanting to be the one who had to break the news to the boss.
"We can flip a coin." Cho said.
"There are three of us. Do you have a three sided coin?" Rigsby asked sarcastically.
"I'll flip for you two. Then the winner will flip for me and the loser," Cho responded as if it was obvious.
"Alright, let's do it." Rigsby said pulling a quarter out of his pocket.
A few minutes later, a knock sounded on Lisbon's office door. "Come in" she called distractedly, not looking up from the papers sitting on the desk in front of her.
"Hey, boss, is this a good time to talk?" Asked Cho.
"Cho, good. I needed to talk to you. Get Rigsby and Van Pelt, too. Try not to make it obvious. I don't want Jane to know." She acted as if she hadn't heard his question and went back to looking at a paper on her desk, almost in disbelief.
"Jane's still at lunch. You should have never taken him car shopping the other day. He's having way too much fun with his new car."
"Good. Well, let's try to hurry before he gets back." Lisbon was obviously distracted so instead of pushing the issue Cho quickly left the office and came back with Rigsby and Van Pelt.
"Come on in, guys, and shut the door." Lisbon said when they were all there. She waited until the door was firmly shut before talking again. "A letter was delivered to my apartment for Jane this morning."
"He's living there. That's not unusual." Said Van Pelt, not sure where Lisbon was going with it.
"It is, actually. Jane's mail is being forwarded to a P.O. Box, not to my apartment. And this letter was not delivered through the mail—no post mark. It was dropped in my mail box." She paused and held up the envelope so that they all could see Jane's name typed on the front of the envelope. "It was odd so I brought it to work and just opened it a minute ago. Van Pelt, can you read it out loud?" She handed her the piece of plain white typing paper that had been folded to fit in the envelope.
"'Mr. Jane, You seem to have forgotten your lesson. I don't normally give warnings, but in your case I will make an exception. Repent of your sins now or I will have to remind you of what you have learned.' Van Pelt paused when she came to the end and the color drained from her face.
"Who's it from?" Asked Cho although he already knew. Instead of saying anything she held up the letter so that they could all see the red smiley face drawn on the bottom.
"Red John." Said Rigsby, "But how do we know what he's planning to do?" It was then that they noticed that Lisbon was still looking at something on her desk. Silently she held up a picture. It was of her and Jane at lunch about a week ago, sitting on the patio of a little sandwich shop around the corner from the CBI offices. Jane's face was not visible in the photo, but Lisbon's face was clear and next to her head was drawn the same red smiley face.