Author's Note: Okay, we're through the worst of this particular story arc. Apologies to those of you who've found this hard to stomach, and thanks to those of you who are still with me. And either way, thanks most of all to those of you who've let me know what you thought! I should probably also note that there is no Pine Landing, California, to the best of my (Googled) knowledge, and I really know nothing about hair dye. Also, I don't own anything to do with The Mentalist and am making no money off this story. Which is good because after the hair dye incident, it seems some of you would be wanting your money back (and I don't blame you)!

Chapter 39

So far the interview was going well, Lisbon thought. She hadn't punched anybody, despite serious provocation. To her surprise, Moore appeared to be on her side, though that was possibly just because he disliked Kirkland. And Bertram hadn't said much, but that was probably because he usually did his best to ignore her marriage, so listening to Kirkland's highly personal questions had to make him uncomfortable. Thank God for Cho, who hadn't asked anybody's permission, just planted himself in the corner behind her desk and silently supported her.

Kirkland had paused to take a sip of coffee, but now he was moving on to his next question. "And there were no changes in Jane's life that might have prompted him to take a drastic step?"

"No," she said.

"No threat to your life?"

"There's always a threat to my life," she said impatiently. "Red John loves to toy with Jane."

"But has there been a specific threat recently?" Kirkland asked.

"Just the one we told you about, that he threatened to rape me if I didn't get pregnant soon. Nothing since."

"And you aren't pregnant?"

"I fail to see how that's any of your business," she retorted.

"Jane wouldn't be the first man to deal with news of fatherhood in an irrational way."

"That's ridiculous," Lisbon snapped. "He's been a father before, and he loved it."

"That was before he lost his child to the same killer who's stalking you." Kirkland attempted to look sympathetic, but Lisbon noticed his eyes were anything but. He wasn't asking questions; he was trying to sell her a story. He would keep at it until he thought he'd succeeded, she bet.

She sighed, letting her shoulders slump. "He was—he worried something was going to happen to me today. He wouldn't have left me."

Kirkland nodded slowly. "Maybe he thought he could protect you if he tricked Lorelei into taking him to Red John."

"Maybe." She had to acknowledge the painful truth of that.

"And you believe he just decided to go with her on the spur of the moment? No plan, no weapon, no backup?"

Lisbon spread her hands. "It wouldn't be the first time. What you have to understand about Jane is that he's used to being the smartest guy in the room. He outsmarts people every day. He takes it for granted that he can always do it."

Bertram spoke up. "I can attest to that. I've never met a more arrogant man in my life."

"Arrogant enough to break Lorelei Martins out of prison intending to use her to further his own ends, as well as get back at the FBI for taking her." Kirkland leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers.

"I'm not saying he isn't capable of that," Lisbon said. "Just that he had no opportunity. And no motive. Agent Moore was happy to let him talk to Lorelei."

"But you weren't," Kirkland pointed out. "You broke off your engagement because of that, didn't you?"

"Not because he talked to her, no. Because he didn't tell me about it. I was making a point about trust."

"And you trust him now?" Kirkland looked skeptical. "He chose to disappear with a former lover. He sent you his ring and a letter saying your marriage is over. Why are you still defending him instead of hiring a divorce lawyer?"

"I'm not convinced the note is genuine. The handwriting is close, but it's not exact." When she and Cho had looked at it closely, they'd both noticed the shakiness of some of the penstrokes, unlike Jane's normal fluid script, downright Victorian in its precision.

"But the ring is," Kirkland said.

"Yes, but—"

Kirkland got to his feet, surprising them all. "I'm afraid I'm not convinced, Agent Lisbon. The evidence points to Jane as a willing partner, not a kidnap victim. When we find him, we'll arrest him. If he's innocent, he can prove it in court."

Putting Jane in jail would certainly be one way to separate them, she realized. "You'll need more evidence than you've got to hold him, and you know it," she retorted. "But please do let me know when you find him. If he doesn't call me first." She made it clear which possibility she thought was more likely.

"Right." Kirkland nodded, then left. Bertram got up, gave Lisbon a warning look, and followed, but Moore remained in his seat, his expression pensive.

Lisbon prompted, "What else can I do for you, Agent Moore?"

"I wish you'd go back to calling me Stan," he remarked. "I'm on your side, you know. I don't for one minute believe Jane wanted to leave you. I think he took advantage of an opportunity, but I'll be very surprised if he doesn't get in touch soon. Meanwhile, I hope you'll let me know if there's anything I can do for you."

"I don't want your sympathy, Agent Moore," she said coolly.

"I know." He stood. "But you might need my help. If you do, call me."

After he left, Lisbon swiveled her chair to look at Cho. "What do you think?"

Cho replied immediately. "Kirkland's got an agenda, Bertram just wants this all to go away, and Moore's trying to keep an open mind, but he's under pressure to buy into Kirkland's theory. None of them will make Jane's safety their priority."

"Yeah." She sighed, rolling her head a little to relieve the tension in her shoulders.

"We won't stop looking," Cho assured her. Then he left, going out to the bullpen to brief the anxious Van Pelt and Rigsby.

mmm

Jane hated admitting he was wrong, but as afternoon wore into evening, he became more and more convinced he might have been. Maybe Red John wasn't going to see him today. Maybe he was having too much fun torturing Lisbon instead. Maybe Jane should get the hell out of here and go help her instead of stubbornly clinging to an increasingly vain hope.

He realized he was rubbing his bare ring finger, and as he became conscious of the gesture, he remembered what the missing ring symbolized and where his priorities were supposed to lie now.

He definitely should get the hell out of here and go help Lisbon.

He was going to need Lorelei's keys and cell phone. Getting them off her would require a pretty spectacular misdirect, though, since she was on her guard.

"Do you have any scotch?" he asked, looking up from the crossword puzzle book he'd found in one of the other bedrooms. "I usually get drunk today. It helps me not think about them."

"There might be something," she replied, setting down the television remote and going to the kitchen.

Jane grabbed the remote and turned down the volume, which had been bothering him for the past half hour. He was tempted to turn it off altogether, since the cable show she was watching amounted to soft porn, but it occurred to him it might be useful in setting the mood. He needed her as distracted as possible, so he'd use what he had to hand.

A bottle of tequila later, he was using all his biofeedback tricks to keep his head clear, and Lorelei was getting giggly. She had a dismayingly high alcohol tolerance, he realized, probably from her time in Vegas, or perhaps from a dissolute period earlier in her life. He'd bet serious money there'd been at least one.

"So tell me," he said, making sure to slur a little, "why don't you believe Red John killed your sister? He killed my wife and daughter, and all those other women."

"Not by chaining them up to die like animals," she pointed out. "Blood is cleansing. There's an art to what he does, a deeper meaning." She tossed back another shot. "There was no meaning in how Miranda died. Whoever did that was just cruel and selfish. He raped her and beat her and then left her to die. He was too selfish even to end her suffering himself."

"But what if the method was part of the meaning?" Jane asked. "If he killed her to recruit you, he couldn't leave his signature. He had to make it look like something he'd never do."

"He's not a sicko rapist. I know him," she insisted.

"He threatened to rape my wife," he pointed out. "He tied her up and touched her and made her afraid. I call that being a sicko rapist. Or at least capable of it."

"You don't know what you're talking about," she said scornfully. "You only know what she told you, not what really happened. She told you what you wanted to hear. But she liked it, I bet." She gave him a sharp smile. "He's really very good in bed. Much better than you."

And there was his opening. "Hey. That was my first time in nine years. You shouldn't judge me by that."

"That's all I've got to go on. Unless you want to give me something else."

His heart beat faster at her leer. Was it really going to be this easy? "I don't want to hurt Lisbon," he said, pretending to hesitate.

Lorelei laughed, pushing herself out of the recliner and walking unsteadily over to the couch. "Then don't tell her."

He caught her before she could fall, pulling her into his lap. She slid her arms around his neck and wriggled against him, and as his hands went to her hips, he noted which pocket her keys were in. But where was the phone? She had to have one on her, didn't she?

Without warning, he pushed at her so she landed on her back and pinned her with his body, noting how her pulse sped up and her pupils dilated. "You like it rough, don't you? He teach you that?"

"He taught me to celebrate what I can endure. You wouldn't understand."

"Try me," he growled, sinking his teeth into her shoulder. She cried out, completely failing to notice him lifting her keys.

"Yeah," she moaned. "Just do it. Hard."

"Trust me," he whispered, trying not to grin, "you're never going to forget this."

And she was certainly never going to forgive him, either.

mmm

Lisbon had managed a short nap on her couch, exhausted from two mostly sleepless nights and the worrying and conjecture when she was awake. It was almost dark when she woke, but she found her way to her ringing desk phone by feel. "Lisbon."

"Teresa Lisbon?" a female voice asked.

"Yes."

"Do you know a Patrick Jane?"

"Yes! Where is he?" She came fully awake, heart pounding.

"Mercy Hospital in Pine Landing. He was brought in with non-life-threatening injuries from a car crash. He doesn't have any identification but he said you'd have his insurance information."

Where the hell was Pine Landing? Lisbon grabbed her wallet and looked for her copy of Jane's insurance card, grateful she'd moved him to her insurance plan since it was more comprehensive than his old one. "Yes. But first, he was kidnapped, so I need you to call the police and get him some protection."

"They're already here. There's a strong suspicion he was driving drunk, besides having no license."

"I'm on my way. Just don't let anyone take him out of that hospital until I get there. Anyone, you understand?"

"Yes, but—"

Lisbon pulled the phone away from her face and yelled, "Grace!"

"Yes, Boss?" Van Pelt pushed open the door, looking worried.

"Give her Jane's insurance information." Lisbon pushed the receiver and card into Van Pelt's hands, grabbed her jacket, and ran for the bullpen. "Cho, Rigs, with me. We've found Jane!"

mmm

They made the drive in just over 45 minutes, thanks to Rigsby's just-this-side-of-reckless driving. That was more than long enough for Lisbon to think of all the ways this could turn out badly, especially since when she called the hospital back, they wouldn't confirm they had a patient named Patrick Jane, citing patient confidentiality laws. It was possible this was all a trick to lure her out of the CBI. But she couldn't take the chance it wasn't.

Still, if Jane wasn't seriously hurt, why didn't he call? Was it because he really was drunk, or drugged maybe? Did he think her cell might be tapped?

Cho went to the ER with her while Rigsby parked. Lisbon had no patience for anything but seeing Jane right this minute, and she made short work of the admitting nurse, who directed her to a bed at the far end of the ward. Lisbon looked blankly at the two uniformed cops talking to a man with light brown hair until the patient turned his head and shouted happily, "Teresa!"

She hurried over to him, relieved at his big smile and bright eyes, which were familiar despite how weird the new hair made him look. Cho followed at a more sedate pace, asking, "What did you do to your hair this time?"

"Wasn't me. Teresa, you okay? Do you have my ring?"

"Are you okay?" she asked in response, biting her tongue to keep from asking if he was drunk. He obviously was, and from the cops' expressions, there was a DUI charge in his very near future. She looked at Cho, and he swiftly rounded the locals up for a chat over by the next bed.

"Never better, now you're here," Jane beamed. Then he frowned. "My ring. She took it. Did she send it to you?"

"Yes." She decided she'd tell him about the note after he sobered up, pulling the ring put of her pocket and sliding it onto his finger. Jane let out an exaggerated sigh of relief and yanked her into a hug, causing her to lose her balance and sprawl across him on the bed.

"I missed you," he said into her ear, a little too loudly.

"I missed you too," she whispered back, allowing herself a minute to enjoy being back in his arms. She sent a quick thank you heavenward before turning her attention back to their situation.

She needed to get him out of here and sober him up before either the local cops or Kirkland tried to arrest him. So first she needed to find out if she was up against more than the liquor he reeked of. With difficulty, she turned her head and spotted an older woman in a white coat waiting to be acknowledged.

"You're the doctor?" Lisbon asked, struggling to sit up. Jane merely hung on tighter, refusing to let her move away.

"I'm Doctor Archer, and I've been treating Mr. Jane, insofar as he will let me. You're his wife?"

"Yes, Teresa Lisbon." Lisbon poked Jane hard, trying to make him let go, but he only grunted and tightened his grip again. So she hissed, "Let go, Jane! I'm not going anywhere without you."

"Take me home, Teresa," he sighed, reluctantly letting his arms drop but grabbing one of her hands. "I just want to go home."

"We'll go in a minute," she said, sitting up. "But I have to talk to the doctor first and fill out some forms. Dammit, Jane, do you have to make paperwork for me everywhere you go?"

She was teasing, but his expression crumpled alarmingly. "Sorry," he said miserably. "I'll help. I'll fix it."

"Relax," she soothed. "I got this." She squeezed his hand comfortingly as she turned back to the doctor. "Can he be released?"

"From a medical standpoint, yes. His blood alcohol level and the fact that he was driving a car that doesn't belong to him with no identification is what's keeping him here. That, and I gather there are some other charges pending."

"No," Lisbon said. "Just a misunderstanding." She drew out her badge. "My husband was kidnapped by the associate of a serial killer. Obviously he was forced into desperate measures to escape."

"Veeeery desperate," Jane said, nodding earnestly.

Lisbon shot him her best quelling look, but it only made him break out in a silly grin. "I missed you," he stage whispered.

Cho came over just as Rigsby joined them. "They went to the address the car was registered to, but no one was home. They didn't search it. They didn't believe Jane's story. I'm going back there to see if there are any clues where Lorelei is. Rigsby, you stay here and keep an eye on things."

Rigsby opened his mouth to reply, but he was cut off as angry voices from the admitting area revealed they were no longer alone. He grimaced, then said, "I just barely got in here ahead of them. Jane, what did you do to your hair?"

Jane rolled his eyes. "Why is everyone obsessed with my hair?"

"Who—" Lisbon started to ask, then broke off as Kirkland and Moore entered the room. She slid off the bed, ready to do battle, but Jane wouldn't let go of her hand. She glanced over her shoulder at him and said quietly, "Don't talk. Let me handle this."

He grinned at her, and she turned her attention back to the new arrivals, squaring her shoulders.

mmm

"Agent Lisbon," Kirkland greeted her with a frown, coming to stand what Jane considered a step and a half too close to her. "I thought we had an understanding."

"We just got here. Until I saw him, I wasn't sure he was really here," Lisbon replied.

Jane listened closely, making sure to keep his expression slack. Exaggerating his level of intoxication had bought him time, but now that the feds were here, he might need to come clean. No need to get Lisbon into trouble before she'd even had a chance to lecture him about running off with Lorelei. And from the tension in her posture, it appeared Kirkland had been giving her a hard time about that.

"Has he told you what happened?" Kirkland demanded.

"I don't make a habit of interrogating obviously intoxicated witnesses," Lisbon said with dignity.

"'M okay, Lissbon," Jane slurred.

"I'll be the judge of that," she snapped over her shoulder before turning back to Kirkland. "If you're looking for Lorelei Martins, you should go with Cho to check out the address the car Jane was driving was registered to. It hasn't been searched."

Kirkland looked over her shoulder at Jane. "Is that where she is?"

"Dunno. I left her all tied up and took the car, but I didn't look at the registration," Jane replied. "It was a three-bedroom ranch style house, brown with white shutters. Kitchen hadn't been redone since the seventies." He shuddered. "Hey, if you find my wallet, you'll bring it back to me, won't you? And my cell phone?"

Kirkland didn't reply, turning to the locals and demanding the address. Cho said to Moore, "You want my help, or can I go home?"

"I'd appreciate the extra set of eyes. We can give you a ride back when we're done," Moore replied. "Jane, glad to see you in one piece."

"Wait until I get done with him," Lisbon muttered.

Moore tried hard not to grin. "Better get cooking," he advised Jane before going over to where Kirkland was looking at a map with the locals.

"Why?" Jane wondered aloud. "What did I do?"

Rigsby said, "You're kidding, right? We saw the ATM footage, Jane. And that note—I'm just surprised she hasn't punched you yet."

"What note?" Jane let his confusion show.

"You hush," Lisbon said, to which of them it wasn't clear. Jane was betting it was mostly to him, though. He was surprised when she turned to face him and continued, "I've about had it with you. What were you thinking? How many times do I have to tell you that you can't trust her?"

She was going to have this conversation here? It wasn't often she blindsided him. Maybe she was angrier than he thought. "I know, I know. You're right," he said, studying her face for clues.

"Did you sleep with her?" she demanded, her voice going shrill.

Okay, something was very wrong here, Jane decided. Lisbon never aired dirty laundry in public. Accusing him of adultery in front of a group of riveted law enforcement officers and medical professionals was so unlike her that it must be a desperate misdirect. "No!" he said indignantly, thankful to be able to tell her the truth.

To his horror, she folded her arms and looked skeptical. Then she took a deep breath. "Would you admit it if you had?"

He had no idea what his next line was supposed to be. He hated it when other people directed. After a moment, he decided on an ambiguous reply. "Why would I do that? It would serve absolutely no purpose except to hurt you, and I know you don't believe this, but I do try not to hurt you."

Lisbon sucked in a watery breath that tugged at his heart. Then she spun around, spotted the doctor, and snapped, "I want him tested for STDs."

Jane snuck a glance at Rigsby, wondering if he was in on whatever Lisbon's plan was, but the man looked like he wanted to drop through a hole in the floor. Cho gave no clues, as usual, and Moore looked confused. Kirkland—

Ah. That was who this was aimed at. He was practically radiating smugness, as opposed to the discomfort of almost everyone else in the room. Okay. Now that he had Lisbon's play figured out, he could back it. "Lisbon," he whined. "I didn't sleep with her. Honest."

"Your definition of honesty leaves a lot to be desired, Jane," she retorted. "And I'm not going to let you endanger my health as well as my safety."

He wanted to point out that worrying about his infecting her implied she planned to have sex with him again, but she might punch him, and his head was already hurting. "I was trying to keep you safe. She said she'd take me to him. I wanted to kill him before he could do anything worse to you."

"That's great, Jane. Your excuse for adultery is intent to commit homicide. We'll just add that to the rest of the charges, shall we?" She looked both royally pissed off and on the verge of tears, and he was alarmed that he couldn't tell if it was all part of the act or if she really believed he might be lying.

Cho came back over to Lisbon and laid a hand on her shoulder, making Jane blink in surprise. Had they cooked this insane plan up together while he was gone? He should definitely not leave them to their own devices ever again.

"Boss," Cho said, "calm down. I'll stay here and run this, and Rigsby will take you home, with or without Jane. Your call. I told the sheriff he can press charges later if Jane's story doesn't pan out."

"Lisbon, you said you'd take me home," Jane reminded her, blending some fear into his whine.

She glared at him like he was something she'd found on the bottom of her shoe. Then, so fast he almost missed it, she winked.

Jane wanted to collapse in relief, but he kept his expression steady. He was going to kiss her breathless the moment they were alone, he thought.

Lisbon sighed. "If I leave him here, he'll just get into more trouble. And we need to keep an eye on him until Lorelei is caught. Rigs, you stay here and watch him like a hawk while I do the paperwork."

"Got it," Rigsby said.

A few moments later, the room had cleared except for the two of them. Rigsby cleared his throat, then said, "So, you okay?"

"Just peachy," Jane said, letting his head fall back on the pillow. "Has she eaten today?"

"Not that I saw."

"What's this note you mentioned?"

Rigsby gave him an odd look as he realized Jane wasn't nearly as drunk as he'd pretended to be. "It came with the ring. Boss said it wasn't your writing, but it was damn close."

Oh, this was not good. "And what did it say?"

"Um, basically that you didn't want to be married anymore, that it was all an act."

Great. He wasn't going to be able to cook his way out of that.

"So you didn't write it," Rigsby said.

"I don't think so. She kept me drugged up part of the time. I guess it's possible I did," Jane admitted.

"You might not want to mention that," Rigsby remarked.

Jane had to bite down on his tongue to keep a sarcastic retort from emerging. "If I did write it, it wasn't because I meant it," he pointed out.

"Right." Rigsby looked around like he was hoping for rescue.

"What else happened while I was gone?" Jane asked.

"Let's see. Kirkland decided that you broke Lorelei out of prison and were her accomplice, not her captive. Bertram ordered us not to look for you since you were part of the Red John case. Oh, and Grace bought this cool new laptop she says will really help next time we're doing something we don't want traced."

"So why didn't Kirkland arrest me just now?" Jane wondered.

"He doesn't have any evidence. I don't think they've figured out how Lorelei escaped yet, but you had nothing to do with it. Right?"

"Right," Jane said firmly. Really, did Rigsby expect him to admit it if he had? "Did you bring the bag from my car?"

"Yeah, Lisbon remembered it. I'll go get it when she gets back."

"You don't actually have to babysit me."

"Yeah, I actually do. I'm not pissing the boss off right now."

Apparently Rigsby's heroic streak didn't extend to risking Lisbon's wrath, Jane reflected. He couldn't really blame him, though.

They were both a little relieved when Lisbon stalked back into the room. "Rigs, go get his bag, would you?" she asked.

"Sure, Boss. Be right back." He hurried out.

"You okay?" Jane asked quietly.

"Ssh," she replied just as quietly. She didn't come within his reach, folding her arms and looking like she was forcibly holding herself back from punching him. Only the look in her eyes when her gaze flicked to him gave her away.

He decided to save his questions for later.

mmm

Jane meant to take advantage of the drive home to clear the air with Lisbon, but the walk to the SUV was more tiring than he'd anticipated, and he ended up sprawled across the back seat. He was surprised but delighted when Lisbon opened the back door and slid in with him, guiding his head to her lap and running her fingers through his dyed hair with a sigh that was part relief and part exasperation. It was soothing, and he dozed off, waking only when they reached their apartment building.

Grace was waiting for them in the lobby, smiling as she saw Jane and handing him a bottle of clarifying shampoo. Obviously someone had called ahead with a request. "Use this. A lot. It hasn't been 48 hours yet, right?"

"Thanks, Grace," Lisbon said, solving the minor mystery of who thought his hair color was so important.

The four of them went up to the apartment, keeping silent until Grace finished her sweep and made sure no intrusions had taken place. Then she and Rigsby said their good-nights.

"Come for breakfast and we'll talk," Jane invited.

"Um," Lisbon said, "we'll bring breakfast to the office. We need to go to the store before you can cook."

Jane sighed, noticing the guilty look on Rigsby's face. "Right. Thanks again, guys."

"Glad to have you back," Grace smiled as they left.

After he closed the door, Jane staggered back a step as Lisbon flung herself at him. He happily returned the embrace, savoring her scent and the steady beat of her strong heart. But all too soon, she pulled back and said, "Shower, Jane. You reek. She didn't let you bathe?"

"The bathroom door didn't lock," he explained. "I'll be right back." He thought about suggesting she join him, but he didn't want to disturb her apparently forgiving mood.

When he finished showering, having tried his best to scrub out the dye, Lisbon had finished locking up and turning off the lights, except for the small lamp on his side of the bed. He smiled broadly at the sight of her waiting for him—she would have been well within her rights to banish him to the couch or the guest room. The fact that she was wearing her jersey wasn't a problem, since he doubted he was up for anything but sleeping tonight anyway.

He switched off the lamp and slid under the covers, wincing a little at his bruises from the car crash. Lisbon tried to be careful as she wound her arms around him, but he couldn't quite stifle a grunt as she pressed against him. "Sorry," she murmured.

"Don't be," he yawned. "Thanks for coming to get me."

She sighed, her breath washing over his neck. "Don't make me do it again."

"I won't. I don't think she ever intended to take me to him. I don't think he wants that anymore."

"Because he wants me instead?" she guessed.

"Probably. This was a pretty good attempt at breaking us up, or at least making you doubt me."

"But I don't understand. I thought he wanted me to get pregnant. How does that square with breaking us up?"

"That never made much sense to me," Jane mused. "If he wants you for himself, why saddle you with another man's child? Maybe his intentions are evolving and he's decided there doesn't need to be a child to torture me. Just taking you away from me, and making me live with it, might be enough."

"Or taking you away from me. Kirkland was so determined you were guilty, it made me wonder if sending you to prison was part of the new plan."

"Not happening," he assured her. "I take it you want him to believe you think I slept with Lorelei?"

"Mm hm." He felt her pulse quicken, and she swallowed, then asked, "Did you?"

"No. And that's the truth, Teresa. I promised you I'd be faithful to you, and I am." He rubbed a hand down her back. "I did let her believe we were about to. But I just needed to get her distracted and in a vulnerable position so I could tie her up with my belt."

Her fingers curled against him. "I remembered what you said to me, about how I should do what it takes to survive, and you'd always want me back no matter what. And I knew I should feel the same way. I did, really. But it just made me sick to think of you with her."

"But you still came to get me, and protected me from Kirkland, and let me back into bed," he pointed out, pressing a kiss into her hair. "It's not like I wouldn't care if the tables were turned. But I wouldn't punish you for what you couldn't help. Or at least, I would try very hard not to. You don't need to feel guilty about any of this, Teresa. The whole situation was designed to upset you."

She was silent for a moment, but he could feel her thinking, so he wasn't surprised when she asked, "Do you think they found her?"

"I hope so," he said. "I hate to think of her out there loose and pissed at me."

"I'll keep you safe," Lisbon promised. "No more sending you out into the field without me."

"Good. And I'll try not to drive you crazy hovering," he promised in return.

"Was it worth it? Did you at least learn something?"

He nodded, knowing she could feel the movement of his head. "Red John is someone you know. Someone you've known for years."

Lisbon sucked in a breath. "She told you that? You believe her?"

"I said he couldn't make you fall in love with him when you didn't even know him," Jane explained. "She took great pleasure in telling me how wrong I was. I think that was the truth, yes."

She pressed her face against his shoulder. "I guess that would explain how he knows so much about us, how he watches us. If he knows us, he doesn't need to do it all by surveillance."

"That probably means he's someone at CBI," Jane said. "Or closely connected. Someone you see often." He tightened his grip on her, then forced himself to relax again. "And that means he's been under my nose the whole time."

"We should tell Moore," Lisbon said after a long moment.

"You trust him?"

"No. But he's not actively out to get you like Kirkland is. And it's his case."

"Agreed," Jane said. He yawned again. "I'll tell you everything tomorrow, Teresa. I promise."

She hummed against him in response, and after a few minutes he heard her breathing change. It wasn't long before he joined her in sleep.