Thank you to Sue Shay for beta reading this chapter. Her thoughtful, constructive comments and suggestions made a huge difference and are much appreciated.
Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with the 'Mentalist' and make no money from fanfiction.
Back at the CBI, duly fortified on two large coffees, I unlock my office door and settle in for the day. Jane's already stretched out in the bullpen, faking sleep. It feels like he's watching over me with some weird kind of X-ray vision. He's giving off that subtle alertness vibe.
So…cases. We have Eileen Turner and Miriam Gottleib. Unless the coroner's office throws something up, the latter is a suicide. Closed case. Though we need to investigate her links to Red John, which is also part of the Turner case. So Turner is the priority.
Then, lastly, we have the Lorelei Martins file. Given events last night, we should review this too, though I'd hoped Jane would never have to do that. I didn't know whether to thank Bertram or despair when he threw Red John back at us. I should have known that Homeland Security wouldn't hold onto the case – high profile and impossible to crack. I'm surprised they kept it as long as they did - till after Jason Lennon's 'natural' demise, when Kirkland suddenly lost interest. Another mystery - I know Jane always suspected foul play but we'd never prove that.
Almost 8am. Where has the time gone?
The elevator door pings, and I look up to see van Pelt heading to her desk. Despite the late night, she's here early, ever the professional. A few minutes later, both Cho and Rigsby appear. I'd never tell them but I can see why Bosco's old team called them Burt and Ernie. Apart from the slight smudge under Cho's eyes, you'd never know that he'd had a sleepless night. The one certainty in this world is that nothing ever fazes him. Rigsby though, he looks jaded. He's never a morning person and you can see that he's struggling from his stoop and the way he's hanging back. At least the coffee in his hand should revive him. I'll give him a couple of minutes. I need to go through my notes once more anyway.
OK. Looks like we're all ready. I step into the bullpen, preparing to brief the guys on the finer aspects of the Eileen and Caitlin Turner story, when it hits me. Red John could be one of the people I work with. He could have unrestricted access to the CBI, either directly or through a minion. He could be watching and listening to everything we say!
I stop, staggering a little. Rigsby looks up in alarm.
"Boss?" He stands, reaching for my elbow. "You OK?"
"Yeah. Fine thanks." I brush him off and force myself to appear calm and in control. It doesn't matter what kind of maelstrom lies beneath. I am a Senior Special Agent. I haven't been cowed by serial killers before and I don't intend to start now. I just wish that the migraine starting over my right eye was so easy to convince. Or the radiating pain from where O'Laughlin shot me.
"OK." I'm relieved, my voice doesn't shake much. "Let's get started. We know that Eileen Turner was murdered by Red John. When Jane and I talked with Miriam Gottleib, she told us that she'd taken on Caitlin as a favour to Red John and that he had been a good friend to her for a long time."
Rigsby lets out a low whistle, "With friends like that…"
I ignore him and keep going. "Van Pelt, I'd like you to look into Miriam Gottleib. What was her background? We know from the Miranda Roman case that Red John preyed on women in one shelter and maybe more. Did Miriam have any major personal trauma? Anything that might have made her an easy recruit? Also anything on her professional life, especially her posting to Carson Springs and everything since."
"On it, boss."
Turning to look at my other agents, I see Rigsby's rooting through his bag. In search of another sandwich or snack bar no doubt. He looks up as I pause.
"Cho, Rigsby, visit with Gottleib's partner again. Ruth Jamieson. Break the news gently. I don't think she's involved but you never know what Miriam might have let slip that could be useful. Keep an open mind. If you have any doubt, arrange a time for her to come in and Jane can have a go at her."
Cho nods. "Boss".
"Before you go though, let's recap what we know on the Eileen Turner case. Jane?"
Jane sits up, the leather of the sofa squeaking as he slides over it. He swings his legs onto the floor and groans, running one hand through his curls. Then he yawns. Pointedly. What a con artist. He's not getting away with that.
"In your own time please. If necessary, we can wait all day…"
"Meh."
He rolls his shoulders a couple of times and stretches. Then jumps to his feet and comes to stand behind van Pelt.
"Eileen Turner, nee Barlow, spent some time on the same carney circuit as I worked until I left when I turned 16. She was adopted – officially or unofficially I don't know – by her uncle Sean Barlow when she was orphaned as a toddler. When she took up with Roddy Turner, Sean disowned her. I'm 98% sure that he's working for Red John in some capacity."
I don't doubt he's right but we need more evidence.
"Van Pelt?"
"Everything I found yesterday is consistent with what Jane just said. Eileen was the sole survivor of a multi-vehicle wreck when she was 18 months old. Sean Barlow, her mother's older brother, adopted her. There were no other family members and no-one contested the adoption. At that time, they were resident in the encampment up at Stony Ridge."
She pauses for a moment, scrolling down her computer screen.
"Later that year, the Barlows left the carnival circuit and moved to San Francisco. Sean filed no tax returns but there are a couple of traffic violations on file, as you can see here." She taps the monitor screen. "He was investigated several times for fraud and petty theft, one time along with an Alex Jane, but no charges were ever brought. Five years ago, he moved to Venice Beach, where he's been ever since. I can find no record of Eileen after 2008. Not until her marriage certificate last year…"
"Good work." I turn back to Jane. "Any more thoughts?"
"Eileen must have been back on the circuit a while before she met Roddy and Sean disowned her."
Jane looks into the middle distance, tapping his lower lip with his finger. The great mind is at work! Then he re-animates, leaning over and grabbing van Pelt's mouse.
"So, these are all the records you found on Eileen?"
He holds up one finger before van Pelt can reply. "Rhetorical question, Grace."
Dropping the mouse, he looks up at Rigsby, Cho and I.
"Questions: what was Eileen doing between March 2008 and June 2012, when she married? My guess: Sean sent her back to the carnival. Put her to work. Pete reckoned the trouble didn't start between them until she took up with Roddy and that Sean was always sniffing round the camp. She'd have been a good excuse for him to drop by. Keep tabs. But once it became serious with Roddy, Sean freaked out and tried to split them up. When that didn't work, he turned his back on his daughter. In carney terms, that's absolute.
And what caused the rift between Eileen and Roddy? Money troubles, so I heard. But what kind? How did Child Protective Services get involved? Who called them?"
Van Pelt turns to look at him over her shoulder. "I can check."
"Yes." He pauses just for a moment. "And see what you can dig up on my father, Alex Jane. He and Sean used to be close but I don't know what happened later. I can't help there. Haven't seen him in 31 years and I have no wish to."
"Right-o."
That's been a useful discussion and everyone has plenty to be going on with. Now it's time to get moving. Van Pelt's already tapping away, pencilling notes on the pad by her keyboard. I turn to Cho and Rigsby.
"So guys, if we're all set, let's get to work. Jane and I are heading back to Venice Beach to see if we can catch up with Sean Barlow. Van Pelt, call me when the tox results are in on Gottleib."
I head back to my office. I'm grabbing my jacket and gun when the phone rings. Oh, God. It's Bertram.
"Sir?" I hope he hasn't heard the squeaky note I finish on. Jane comes up behind me, resting his hand on my shoulder and gently squeezing. I draw strength from his presence.
"Agent Lisbon. I hear that there are new developments in the Red John case. Abduction as well as murder."
"Yes, sir. But…"
"Surely I don't need to tell you agent, that this looks bad. The media are having a field day."
"I… I understand sir. We found the baby though. She is with her father now and the abductress is dead."
"Red John has an accomplice!"
"Had, sir. Miriam Gottleib died last night. We're waiting on the coroner's report but the early indications are suicide."
"I see. It's time I had a full briefing on this case. Come to my office at 9am tomorrow."
"Tomorrow. Ah, yes sir. I will be there."
Bertram ends the call in his usual abrupt manner. My heart sinks like a millstone in the ocean. What am I going to do?