A/N: My story has become a bit larger than I first imagined so a massive thanks to everyone who is continuing to read it, it's really appreciated. A couple of emotional chapters ahead. It's going to be a bit of a bumpy ride to the finish but hopefully you'll find it worth it!

Chapter 23 – Julia

Jane looked at Julia Myles through the observation room window before speaking to her, gauging her body language when no one was around her. He saw a nineteen year old woman, slim and tall, with long straight blond hair sitting in front of him. She sat impassively, her hands at rest on the table in front of her. She had not drunk from the glass of water left for her and appeared to be at ease.

Lisbon stood beside him and asked him impatiently 'So, what do you think?'

Jane turned his head slightly, still watching her from the corner of his eye. 'I know I'm good Lisbon but even I need to talk to her first to find out if she's our killer.'

Lisbon sighed. 'I know that but what's your first impression of her?'

He turned to face her, ignored the question and instead replied, 'Let's talk to her, shall we?', ushering her out of the door.

Before they walked into the interrogation room, Lisbon touched Jane's arm to stop him. 'Just be careful with her, will you? If she did kill Kerry then like you said she knows a lot about the two of us and if she was recruited by McAllister then he may have taught her how to push your buttons. Just don't let whatever she says get to you.'

Jane nodded. 'Don't worry, Teresa, I know what I'm doing, just trust me, okay? I'm going to be fine.' After a second he added impatiently, 'Now, can we please get on with this?'

Lisbon introduced Jane when they walked into the room.

'Very pleased to meet you, Mr Jane' Julia said calmly.

'And I you, Julia' he replied in a friendly tone. 'Now, tell us, why the hell did you kill Kerry Matthews?'

Lisbon looked at Julia patiently for a response, the years of practice of Patrick Jane shocking her during an interrogation paying off. They had agreed to lead up to that particular question but, as usual, Jane went off script to get a gut reaction from Julia.

Julia looked at Lisbon, a half-smile of surprise on her face before composing herself again to look at Jane. She replied, 'Well, I'd heard that you were surprising Mr Jane, but I didn't expect that question quite so soon.'

Jane smiled at her. 'Who told you I was surprising? Anyone I used to know?'

Julia returned the smile. 'Well, obviously I'm just relaying what I've read about you really and Michael told me that you had surprised him, telling him not to go after the people who killed his sister, after you did the exact opposite in your own life. Who else do you imagine would have told me anything about you, Mr Jane?'

Lisbon shifted uncomfortably in her chair and wanted to move the conversation back to Kerry. Even from her tone and the brief interactions between them so far she was certain now that Julia was the killer. She was acting differently to when she had met her previously, the act of sympathy and outrage she had put on then vanished from her now. She even seemed to want them to know that she was responsible, an innocent person would have been furious or defensive against such an accusation but she sat there smirking about it instead. They had no evidence and Julia knew that, she had been too careful.

Lisbon looked briefly at Jane whose eyes sat transfixed on Julia's. She was trying to bait Jane somehow and he seemed to be enjoying playing this game of cat and mouse with her too but Lisbon was worried how far she was going to push him, afraid that she would reveal something to him that would make him retreat back into a dark place again. She was about to move things back to Kerry when she felt Jane's hand on hers under the table, giving her hand a little squeeze. She supposed this was his way of comforting her out of the thoughts he had somehow picked up on, asking her not to interrupt and telling her that he knew what he was doing so she said nothing, letting him continue.

Jane sat back in his chair, his hands around the back of his head now and said to Julia, 'Why'd you decide to come here to go to college, I'm sure there are plenty of similar courses you could have taken closer to home?'

'Is it a crime for me to come to Austin? I liked the sound of the course here.'

'I've checked and no other criminology courses in the country are studying Red John though.'

Julia raised an eyebrow. 'Is there a question attached to that statement?'

Lisbon had enough of the to and fro between them and asked her directly, 'Did you know Thomas McAllister?'

Julia smiled again, Lisbon resisting the urge to reach for her over the table to wipe it off her face. She said, 'I always heard you were more direct and impatient than Mr Jane here, Agent Lisbon. I see that's true.'

Jane's rage grew inside of him. He had little problem with McAllister talking about him to this woman but the thought that he had discussed Lisbon with her too made his blood boil.

Lisbon glared at Julia. 'Answer the damn question.'

Julia looked away for a second then turned back and answered, staring directly into her eyes, 'Why of course I did, Agent Lisbon.'

Lisbon's face crumpled a little despite her best attempt to keep it neutral.

Before she had a chance to respond Julia spoke again. 'He was sheriff in Napa County, wasn't he? It's only a short distance from where I grew up, my parents and I would visit Napa regularly. My father even went hunting with him sometimes.' Julia looked at Jane directly after speaking the last sentence, a smirk on her face.

Jane's amusement with her disappeared. He replayed her words to himself in his head, trying to understand the hidden meaning behind them. Could it have been possible that there was another man out there who had participated in the Red John murders, another man he would have to kill if he was responsible for Angela and Charlotte's deaths? Or was she simply trying to unnerve him, send him down a false path of agony and despair? He studied her face intently, but his heart was beating so fast it made it almost impossible for him to breathe, never mind read her.

Lisbon saw the panic rising within him and took his hand, noticing briefly the smile on Julia's face as she did so. She rebuked herself for doing that in front of her but her only priority now was Jane.

'Jane, let's take a minute outside, okay?' she said to him, his eyes still held on Julia.

'Jane' she said louder, making him turn around to look at her, bringing him out of his stare at last.

He let go of her hand and left the room, headed to the bathroom and vomited.

Abbott and Cho had been watching on from the observation room. Abbott came into the room as Lisbon sat motionless looking at this woman smirking in front of her.

'If you'll excuse us Miss Myles' he said, touching Lisbon on the shoulder, 'I need a word with you outside, Agent Lisbon.' Lisbon turned around and left the room with him silently.

They walked into Abbott's office where he practically made her sit down in the chair. He didn't sit in his own chair but in the chair beside her instead. She still hadn't uttered a word.

He left for a few minutes and came back with a cup of sweet tea, handing it to her gently. She took it from him automatically and took a sip. 'Jane' she said suddenly, beginning to rise from the chair.

He pushed her back down to the seat lightly. 'It's okay, Teresa, I've sent Cho to check on him.'

She nodded and took another sip of tea.

'Just stay here and drink your tea, okay, he wasn't the only one to get a shock in there.'

She started to regain her strength and think more clearly. 'Julia's father-'

Abbott nodded. 'I've already set Wylie and Fischer to work on it, see if we can figure out the connection.'

She nodded again, taking another sip.

She began to speak out loud but not to Abbott in particular, just vocalising the thoughts running through her mind.

'I know I should go talk to him but I don't know what to say. I don't think I can bear it if I have to watch him go through this all over again. I love him so much but I can't go through it again, I can't witness him becoming that man again' she said softly, tears streaming down her face.

Abbott, a man who seemed so emotionless a lot of the time, sighed heavily and took her hand gently.