Chapter 5: Detention - The Start

Abbott and Fischer

"The geniuses in Washington wanted Jane repatriated so he could work cases. I think it's a mistake, you think he's worth the trouble. Convince me," Abbott challenged.

Fischer flipped open a notebook. "The Serious Crimes Unit closed every case assigned for ten years, including serial murderers Red John and businessman Tommy Volker. I analyzed the CBI data–"

Abbott chuckled, "-So that's where you spent that week off."

"–for Lisbon's team before and after Jane was hired. Even though her team was green–"

Abbott's eyes gleamed in wry amusement. This would be Fischer's first time as team leader. She didn't notice.

"–the new SCU was successful before Jane. Good close rate. High conviction stats. Cases that were plea bargained accepted significant prison sentences. After Jane came aboard, they closed every case." She was a little breathless. "Convictions and plea deals improved. In fact, the CBI Director before Bertram–" she leafed through some pages to find the name, "-Minelli had to create a perk for second best team of the month. The SCU earned top team after Jane started and kept it ten years straight."

"How well did Jane work in the CBI?"

Fischer licked her lips, "Um, he was challenging. Numerous complaints, a few lawsuits. Never so bad he was fired."

"I recall Lisbon got suspended more than once and was on the chopping block."

She blinked, surprised Abbott knew the details. "And then was reinstated by Bertram," she countered.

"After Jane destroyed his new team and humiliated its manager, correct?" Abbott's hard gaze pinned Fischer in place.

She finally said, "Yes."

"And you think you can manage him." Without waiting for a reply, "He's a con man and murderer. And I still wonder why Bertram gave in. I'm not convinced Jane isn't involved with Blake."

Blanching, "Why would he be?"

Abbott shrugged. "Money? Power?"

"But Blake was run by McAllister – Red John – who murdered his wife and child."

Voice hard, "We don't know how Patrick Jane fits. For all I know, Jane attempted a palace coup and McAllister retaliated by killing his family."

Shaken, "Is – is there any evidence?"

Abbott relented a shade. "No. But until I'm sure, I want Jane where I can kwatch him."

Fischer tilted her head, "And Lisbon?"

Abbott frowned, "Under surveillance since McAllister's murder. No sign Blake contacted her. No one's fingered her as a member and she doesn't have the tattoo."

Hopefully, "Neither does Jane."

"All we know is that everyone with that tattoo is Blake. Whether some don't have it is unknown. And Jane wrote to Lisbon for two years while he was a fugitive." With a barbed smile, "Maybe you should find out how she kept him in line."

"If I may ask–" he nodded, "-why involve her? It was a long way for a five minute meeting. You knew you'd reject Jane's terms."

Brusquely, "I don't care about her convenience. I wanted to see them interact, see if anything suggested they were in Blake." His eyes flicked to his computer monitor. She realized the conference room was bugged when they met. "It also neutralized Jane's threat to refuse to work for me if she wasn't here."

"You're not considering hiring her?"

"Not if I don't have to." Abbott moved to wrap up the meeting. "I'm out of town on Blake for the next three weeks. Jane's your baby. After detention takes him down a peg or two see if he'll go for the deal."

"Yes, sir."

Amused, "Good luck."

Fischer

Kim Fischer efficiently designed the details of Jane's detention. Jane had to find out – quickly – that they held all the cards. The sooner he realizes our deal is his best option, the better. Then he can start redeeming himself by solving crimes. Case work will be nirvana after a few weeks of boredom.

Cho

Cho kept his eyes open but saw nothing that needed to be done or could be done. He created excuses to stop by Hotel FBI and verified that Jane was incommunicado. He knew the guards and made a point of being cordial. In the hidebound FBI world, mere guards were beneath the notice of most FBI agents. He was sure he'd be remembered favorably.

Lisbon

The next day Lisbon returned to the reality of law-enforcement in Cannon Falls. Henry was his typical overly enthusiastic self when she returned after a whole day away. The work was necessary. Her initiatives had lowered teen driving fatalities, holiday DUI's, and car accidents involving pedestrians. Law-enforcement's professionalism and conviction rates were up. But all of it was hopelessly boring compared to her time with the CBI, seemingly a lifetime ago.

Lisbon repeatedly pinched herself. Jane's return wasn't a daydream. She just needed to keep her frustration at bay until Jane's scheme, whatever it was, could pan out. Meanwhile, she wrote him daily to keep from dozing during the afternoon lull.

Jane

Patrick Jane settled into his "suite." The eight-by-eleven foot room was no less comfortable than his island apartment. The bathroom was cleaner and the hot water unlimited. That was the start and end of advantages.

He quickly realized detention was to be an experience of unrelieved boredom. The food would sustain life, but was nothing to savor. He would wear the same clothes, except for weekly laundering. He would get the regulation one hour of outside exercise daily in a fenced ten foot square cage. The guards never responded to his polite "please" or "thank you," but Jane read their regret at being ordered not to interact. Jane asked a guard if he could get books and receive mail. Lisbon had been glad to see him and he was certain she would write. He thought Cho would stop by if he could. When books, letters and visitors failed to appear, he had his answer.

So it will be a waiting game.

Jane figured he was better suited to waiting than ambitious, up-tight, goal-driven agents. He had the time. He also had a lifetime of running cons where impatience was the biggest reason for failure. Abbott, on the other hand, had bosses who believed Jane could be useful. Those bosses had spent money to fetch a suspected murderer to work cases. Fischer's ambitions were being frustrated daily. His biggest advantage was that they had come to him. The more time passed, the greater their anxiety about looking foolish, about making their gamble pay off, about solving difficult cases. And he had an ace in the hole if that failed.

Meanwhile, Jane had the Bible, the complete works of Shakespeare, and dozens of fiction and non-fiction books in his memory palace. He also spent time thinking about the Blake Association, Red John disciples, and even Visualize. In Venezuela, Jane occasionally read about the Blake clean-up in English-language publications left by hotel guests. Contrary to awestruck, credulous reporting about the FBI's amazing success, Jane seriously doubted that all Blake members had been identified and neutralized. If he - and Lisbon - were working for Abbott, the Blake case would at minimum hover on the periphery of their world. He might as well be prepared.

Kim Fischer visited at the end of the first week. She asked him to accept the FBI's terms. He smiled and shook his head. She left in a huff when he then rolled over and turned his back on her.