Chapter 30 - Eva

'I'm sorry for getting a bit snippy' Jane said after a few minutes. 'It's just hard for me to talk about that stuff with you. I don't give a damn what anyone else thinks of me but when you pulled your hand away...'

Lisbon replied 'I shouldn't have done that, I'm sorry.'

'No, I get it, believe me. it was the normal reaction for any decent person hearing something like that. I just don't want to mess this up and I thought I had when you pulled away from me.'

'You haven't messed it up, okay? But you're right, it's hard for me to see you act and talk like that and then reconcile it to the person I've gotten to know, especially after the past few days. I've always known there are many sides to you and I guess in a way that's what made you so intriguing to me all these years. I can't pick and choose the sides of you I want you to be, I need to accept you for every part of you, including your many flaws. It's just going to take me a little while.'

Jane smiled back. 'Intriguing, huh? I think I like that, makes me sound like James Bond.'

Lisbon chuckled a little. 'I think you need to work out a little more if you want to be James Bond.'

'I thought you weren't trying to change me!' he grinned.

Just then Fischer came over and informed them that Julia was being sent down to holding for the night and that she would be available to talk again in the morning once her attorney arrived. Eva Myles was due to come in soon.

'What do you want to do about that?' Fischer asked Jane.

'What do you mean?' Jane replied.

'Well, do you want to question her first or leave it to Cho and me? We don't know for certain that she knows you're here. We could talk to her first, see what she tells us before sending you in there.'.

Jane thought for a second. 'Oh, she knows I'm here, why else would she have come so willingly to Austin. But maybe you're right, question her first, I'll watch on and see what I make of it. Talk to her about McAllister but don't mention I'm here, see if she asks about me. And don't mention that her daughter has already confessed either.'

Fischer's eyes widened and she answered sarcastically, 'Okay, any more orders, boss?' before turning round and walking towards Cho.

Lisbon sighed, moved back on the couch and rubbed her temples. 'God, the Islamorada sounds so inviting at the moment.'

Jane smiled at her and wished there weren't so many people around, imagining kissing her deeply in the warm sand and removing her stress, along with a few items of her clothing.

She looked back at him and a smile returned to her face too. 'Stop that.'

'Stop what?'

'Looking at me like that, we're at work, remember?'

He came closer to her face, his hand beginning to snake around her waist and looked at her with even more desire, 'Are we?' his lips millimetres away from hers.

Her lips parted automatically and her breathing accelerated, wanting him to take her right here on the couch. Never had a man instilled such wanton feelings in her before and she found her craving for him overwhelming.

But instead he gave her a quick peck and got off the couch and walked away, whistling.

'Bastard' she muttered under her breath, knowing it was his payback for her joke about working out earlier.

Lisbon and Jane stood in the observation room as Eva Myles was brought in to be interviewed by Cho and Fischer. She was of medium build and height with dark brown hair.

'How do you feel, seeing her again?' Lisbon asked. 'You're sure it's her, right?'

Jane shot her a glare that confirmed it was. 'Fine. She's hardly the first person that's tried to kill me.'

'And she won't be the last, I'm sure.'

Jane smiled as Cho and Fischer began the questioning.

Cho began 'So Mrs Myles, we believe you knew Thomas McAllister, otherwise known as the serial killer Red John.'

'Yes, I did.'

'How did you meet him?'

'Through my husband, they've known each other for over twenty years.'

'And how did he meet him?' Fischer asked.

'Shooting club I think' she replied.

Fischer nodded. She had gone through all of McAllister's contacts that they had found in his house and never come across this family before which explained why they had never even been looked at as part of the Red John/Blake Association investigation.

She asked 'Did he come to your house often?'

She shrugged. 'I don't know. What's often? Maybe a couple of times a month, sometimes more, sometimes less.'

'Where were you on the day he died?' Cho asked.

A moment of hesitation came across her face and she answered, 'You mean the day he was murdered?'

'Same thing' Cho replied blankly.

'I don't remember' she replied.

'You don't remember the day he died? It was on every news channel and you knew him, hard to believe you don't know where you heard the news?' Fischer asked.

She shrugged in reply.

They kept on questioning her for a few minutes more but it was obvious to Jane they were getting nothing out of her.

He turned to Lisbon. 'I think we should have a crack at her. If anyone is going to get a reaction from her it's the two of us.'

'I can understand you but I'm sure she won't care if I'm there or not.'

'Don't you remember what Julia said, this case has to do with you too, who knows, maybe more even than me.'

Lisbon rolled her eyes. 'Thanks, that's heartening to hear.'

Jane tapped on the mirror, gesturing to Cho and Fischer it was time to change over.

As they walked into the room, Eva looked up, smiling at Jane.

As they sat down Jane said brightly 'Nice to see you again, I hope security have checked you for weapons.'

Eva smiled back.

Lisbon said 'Look, we know where you were the day McAllister died-'

'Was murdered' Eva interrupted, glancing at Jane.

Lisbon nodded. 'Okay, murdered. We know you were in that church with him. So tell us what your connection is to him.'

'We were lovers.'

Lisbon's eyes widened at the directness of the response.

Jane said 'You know for someone who wasn't much to look at he sure had a way with women.'

'Well, you know how that is, Mr Jane. Maybe you are aesthetically a little more pleasing to the eye but you both have that same power.'

Now it was time for Jane's eyes to widen. 'Really, we do? Since when did I acquire a harem?' he laughed.

'Just because you don't sleep with a lot of women, doesn't mean you don't have power over them, Mr Jane'. She looked at Lisbon who was slightly blushing and added 'Although it looks like you're finally remedying that situation.'

Jane wished that Lisbon wasn't so easy to read for once. 'And how do you know how many women I've slept with? I can't imagine Sheriff Thomas McAllister who I only met on a few occasions before I killed him suddenly talking about me in that regard, can't say we ever discussed it. Red John, though, he would certainly be aware of something like that.'

Eva smiled thinly.

Lisbon asked 'You've basically just told us that you knew McAllister was Red John. Want to admit to anything else?'

Eva replied 'I quite shocked you that day, Mr Jane, didn't I?'

Jane nodded. 'You did, yeah, but you didn't stop me from doing what I had to.'

Lisbon said 'So now you're admitting to attempted murder, you're making things a little easy for us, aren't you?'

'I'm dying' Eva replied. 'Whatever you pin on me I'll never spend a day in prison by the time it gets to trial so I thought it was about time I met you both formally at last. I heard so much about you both from Tom I feel like we are old friends. So, shall we begin properly this time? I'm guessing you want to start by discussing Kerry Matthews.'