Chapter 7
This is more of the murder investigation and a couple of Jane and Lisbon moments and also Cho and Fischer. Sorry it has taken a while to do this chapter. Reveiews are apprciated.
Disclaimer:Don't own the show.
Jane and Lisbon walked back to the conference room where the D.C FBI team had the passengers from the train car. They soon saw a young man. The man saw them and instantly walked up to them.
"Come on, how long are you going to keep us here? We didn't see anything." The hispanic man complained. He looked to be in his early 20s.
"Excuse me, this is a murder investigation. It seems you want to be bumped up the list as number one suspect." Jane reacted looking seriously.
"I have to get on the train back to Chicago. I can't be wasting my time in a room. You gather us all like a herd of cattle!" The man exclaimed.
"A man is dead!" Lisbon exclaimed looking seriously with her frown. "Murder doesn't follow a schedule."
"I suggest that you don't make Lisbon angry." Jane confessed. "What's your name?" He then asked.
"Tony Suarez. I had nothing to do with the murder." Tony said.
"Tony, from the way you're acting now you don't really want to go back to Chicago. You don't get along with your family at home. You come from a single parent family. Mother more likely . Your brothers and you don't get along. You have problems with authority." Jane described.
"How did you know that?" Tony asked.
"Never mind that. Now tell us where were you last night. I know you were on the train." Jane stated.
"I was in my room eating dinner and that's it. I didn't want to go in the dining car." Tony admitted.
"There's more to your story." Jane pointed out.
"Okay. I admit it last night I felt like somebody watching me and everyone. I don't know if it was specifically me. Maybe I was being paranoid."
"I don't believe so. Why were you in Miami?" Lisbon asked.
"I was visiting my uncle. My mom sent me. Then she had me go on the train. I don't why. The train takes a long time."
"Thank you for the information. You are finished for now." Lisbon stated. Soon Tony left to go back in the room with the crowd.
"We finally got something useful from somebody. Somebody was watching people."Lisbon stated.
"Another possible suspect is the security guard, Teresa."
"You can't be serious, Jane."
"He didn't seem too open to us."
"He was fine. He just don't understand you." Lisbon admitted looking at Jane.
"I don't know. He seemed strange."
"Because he wants to follow procedures."
"We can't eliminate him though." Jane finished. He soon saw the crowd and then thought what he needed to do. He soon went to the front of the room where the crowd was and stood in front of them. Lisbon immediately followed. She knew what he was doing. He was eliminating suspects. She went beside him. She would have to explain this to the other agents. They would be confused about what her partner was doing. She did not object now.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Patrick Jane with the FBI. Raise your hand if you killed Steve Ashmore last night." Jane stated looking at the crowd.
The crowd looked confused and looked around the room at everyone around them. Jane observed them carefully shifting his eyes back and forth. "What is this all about?" "We didn't know him!" "We didn't kill him." Some of the people yelled out. "What kind of game is this?"
"What are you doing? This isn't a classroom! This is a murder investigation." Agent Wilson, the woman from earlier came up to Lisbon and Jane.
"I'm Agent Lisbon from the Austin team. He's finding the killer." Lisbon stated.
"Agent Wilson. I've heard about you. A killer isn't going to raise their hand."
"I know that. I'm seeing people's reactions. It's a test. Look, people are looking to see who the killer is. When I have done this before the guilty one is the one not looking. Nobody's guilty. Everyone's looking around for the killer."
"What! Somebody has to be guilty." Agent Wilson exclaimed looking at the crowd. "We haven't questioned everyone yet."
"The killer isn't in this room. He or she escaped. You are not going to get anywhere with questions. The FBI and their mundane questions, no offense Lisbon." He looks at Lisbon apologetically. "The FBI in general have no creativity."
Agent Wilson looked angrily at Jane of course. "What kind of partner do you have, Agent Lisbon?"
"Jane, stop! I apologize Agent Wilson about him." Lisbon rolled her eyes and looked at him sternly.
Soon Agent Jones came up to them "What was that all about with you having people raise their hands?"
"Just seeing who the killer is. No one in that room is the killer."
"Okay. Finally you're back. How was your breakfast?" Jones asked Jane.
"Good."
"We need to go back to the murder scene. Forensics are there now determining the time of death." Jones offered.
The two agents and consultant headed out back to the train. "So, what were you doing in Miami? That's where you came from, right?"
Jane and Lisbon looked at each other. Lisbon then answered. "We were on a case." Lisbon admitted. "We're coming back to Austin."
"Why a train?"
"Our boss booked it." Jane stated. "I'm not really popular with the TSA at the airport right now."
"Do I want to know why? Since you were on the train, did you see anything unusual?" Agent Jones questioned.
"No, we didn't. I suppose we did what everyone did the day before. We heard the scream in the morning and got up to see what was going on." Lisbon explained.
"We questioned the wife and I examined the body." Jane added.
They came to the train. The train car was a crime scene with yellow tape. They came back up the stairs and where the victim's body was laying, forensics team was looking over it with the gloves.
"Hello, it appears the T.O. around 2am. There's an abrasion on his head that was most likely the cause of death." The forensics man said. "The weapon left imprints. There's no weapon around." The guy pointed to the head of the victim. The forensics team continued dusting for fingerprints.
Soon, Lisbon's phone rang. She took it out of her pocket and answered. Agent Jones excused himself outside.
"Hello, Cho."
"Hello, Lisbon. Fischer and I talked to Steve's sister, Nancy. She and and her husband bought the family's ranch a five years ago. It seemed mutual in the decision but she didn't seem too upset."
"Alright. Anything else?"
"She didn't think there was anyone that would hurt him."
"Have you talked to the husband?"
"No. We're on our way."
"Okay. Thank you for the information."
"I will let you know about updates. Bye."
"Bye." She hung up the phone and put it in her pocket. "The sister and brother in law had bought the ranch."
"Of course. That's probably why Lucy and Steve were fighting about money." Jane pointed out referring to his earlier observation.
Jane then poked in the Ashmore room. He started looking at the closet with the clothes. Lisbon followed. She looked around.
"What do you think you're doing?" One of the forensics people said. "We need to dust for fingerprints."
"Do I have to explain my every move? I'm investigating." Jane said as he looked under the bed. "Go away" to the forensics person.
"Who is this guy? What is he doing?" The forensics person turned to Lisbon.
"He's my partner. I apologize for his rudeness." Lisbon apologizes to the forensics person.
"Aha. I found something." Jane smiled getting up and holding up a piece of paper. The paper appeared to have numbers on it. Lisbon went to Jane and took it and looked at it.
"It appears to be a prescription." Lisbon looked at the paper.
"Wait, we need that for evidence. That needs to be bagged. You can't touch it.." Forensics person said
"Sorry." Jane replied sarcastically.
The forensics person took with his glove covered hand and grabbed a baggie out of his pocket and put the paper in it and gave it back to Jane. He took it and looked at it.
The forensics team left as well as Jones. Noticing the absence of everyone Jane turned to Lisbon. "We're alone now. I have the sudden urge to kiss you. We haven't done it all morning with everything going on."
"We're working. We can't." Lisbon protested unwillingly.
"Technically, we're not supposed to be working. We're supposed to be relaxing on the train, Teresa."Jane pointed his finger up.
"Which turned into a murder investigation, Patrick. Which means we have to work." Lisbon explained.
Jane smiled at the use of his first name. "Please, please." Jane begged.
"How could I refuse your charm. I hate you." Lisbon smiled not really meaning the hate you. Lisbon turns to him. He wraps his arms around her. He kisses her lips and she reciprocates.
"What was I thinking denying myself this pleasure of kissing you all these years?" Jane says enjoying the moment. He then continues to kiss. She continues.
Then they suddenly hear a voice. "Have you found anything else?" It was Agent Jones in front of them.. They instantly break apart. Lisbon of course is embarrssed.
"I found a prescription in the room. I think that is something important." Jane instantly said relieving the awkward situation. She is surprised how Jane could change his emotions so quickly she knew with biofeedback. It is no wonder he had hid his feelings so well. She knew it was mostly because of Red John. He did not want to show them because of that reason.
"I didn't notice anything." Jones reacted. "Forensics did state they noticed someone else's blood on the floor."
"So a physical fight possibly with the killer and victim." Lisbon immediately returned to her game face relaxing more.
"I will continue looking through the rooms and kitchen." Jane offered.
"Why the kitchen? The killer would have been in one of the other rooms." Jones asked.
"The kitchen would be a perfect hiding place." Jane declared. "Also don't you think we ought to look into the other cars?"
"Why? The murder happened in this car." Jones asked.
"The killer isn't stupid. The killer isn't going to stay in the same car." Jane said pointing his fingers right towards the way of the other cars.
"Didn't you think of the possibility?" Lisbon asked Agent Jones.
"It crossed my mind. It has to be a passenger." Agent Jones stated.
"No. I don't think so. The person is an outside person. I noticed the passengers right before when I observed them. They're innocent. Why would they kill someone they don't know?"
"Maybe they saw the painting and took it." Jones said.
"No. The passengers are just going on a trip enjoying themselves. There's no need for murder."
"Maybe one of them does"
"Yes. Possibility. Lisbon, all my years working with I learned that all the cases we worked on the victims knew the killer. Well, maybe with the exception of a few. Generally speaking, the victim was killed by someone they knew or were close to." Jane explained.
"That is true. What about the kid we talked to? He seems like a viable suspect."
"Yes. Could be." Jones stated.
"Meh, he's just an impatient kid. A bellingerent kid. He wouldn't hurt a fly. What reason would he have? He doesn't look the type to care about a painting." Jane explained.
"So, Mr. Jane, when did you come up with this theory that the killer is someone Steve knows and is an outside person and not a passenger?" Jones questioned.
"To be perfectly honest it was when you walked in on us."
"Jane, seriously. It was then." Lisbon rolled her eyes.
"Yes. Because I'm close to you." Jane smiled.
"Yeah. I could see that." Jones admitted looking embarrssed he saw them kissing earliar. "But if the killer is an outside person, how did they get on the train? It has to be someone on the train."
"Have you no experience with con artists? He's a perfect con artist exactly. Whoever it is he's wearing a disguise somewhere."
"You think so?" Lisbon asked.
"How do you know?" Jones asked.
"Yes. I'm a former con artist."
"Really? How did you come to work with the FBI?" Jones asked surprised that a con artist would end up working with the police.
"It's a long story." Jane stated.
"And we have no time for it." Lisbon reacted. "We need to solve this murder."
"She used to be my boss. Sometimes she still acts like she is." Jane smiled.
"To keep you out of trouble." Lisbon smirked.
"Maybe the person hired to kill him. He may have disguised as a passenger." Jones formulated.
"Precisely. It could be . I think it's someone disguised as an employee who sneaked in when the train left the depot in Miami." Jane concluded.
Jane noticed Lisbon and Jones still talking. He wanted to do some more investigating of the dining car and kitchen. He knew he would find more in other cars. He took off soon towards the dining car. He quickly left a text on Lisbon's phone as he was making his way towards the dining car.
"Where did your partner go?" Jones asked noticing Jane absent. Lisbon noticed he was gone. Great, he's doing his disappearing act that he always does on cases. She would have to talk to him about this now they were in a official relationship. Then she heard her phone beep. She pulled it out of her pocket and breathed a sigh of relief seeing Jane's number and a text. In dining car. Don't worry.
"He went to the dining car. He had mentioned searching there. He does this. In the past he wouldn't say anything. He would just take off and I wouldn't know where he went to and I didn't see him until whenever he decided to show up. He does a lot of crazy schemes." Lisbon confessed looking at Jones. "I guess we better head there."
Jane went through the car and observed the tables and looked under the tables. He came through the car and noticed the faint trail of blood since the carpet was a reddish and was difficult to see. He had not seen anything else. He guessed that the trail of blood would lead to the kitchen as well and possibly through other cars. He went to the end of the hall and saw the kitchen doors.
"Jane! Are you here? You better be here!" He heard Lisbon call out from the front of the car. He turned and saw Jones and Lisbon coming down the hall. "I'm here!" He called back.
Jones was looking through the tables as well and asked "Anything useful?"
"Ah, the killer is likely injured like we talked about before There are blood stains on the carpet. They're hard to make out, since the carpet is also red. They're there. You'll notice the outline of the stain."
"Excuse me, Jones I need to talk to him." Lisbon said going towards Jane with her grumpy pout. She went up to him.
"Please don't do your disappearing acts." Lisbon scolded and pointed her finger on him.
"I did send you a text." Jane responded.
"Yes, and I appreciate it. It just reminds me when you didn't tell at CBI on times I didn't know where you were half the time when you did that."
Jane put his hands on her shoulders. "Teresa, I know. From now on I'm telling you. I realize I was stupid during those times now. I let my revenge cloud over the fact I loved you and you didn't know until a couple days ago. I am completely committed to you. You are the most important person to me. During that time you were the most important person as well but I was too blinded then to fully appreciate it and I hurt you in the process. I'm going to try my best to be a better man for you."
Lisbon listened intently. She believed him. As smooth as he was with women he was no womanizer. She knew for years he had been faithful to the memory of his wife and wore his ring. Now that he decided to move on with her, she was not worried about him being unfaithful. He may be a trickster but he was no cheater.
"Thank you for saying that. It means a lot to me." She looked at him. "We need to continue with the case."
"I'm going to look to look in the kitchen." Jane announced as he took his hands off her shoulders and heading towards the kitchen.
Austin, Texas
Fischer and Cho arrived at the cattle auction. They left the vehicle and entered the barn. They were both the sore thumbs looking out of place with their suits and everyone else in jeans and plaid shirts and casualware and cowboy hats. A gray haired man with a beard wearing jeans and button up shirt came up to them. "You two are looking out of your element." He said observing the two agents. "I'm guessing you are not here for the cattle, are you?"
" name is Agent Kimball Cho and this is Agent Kim Fischer from the FBI." He showed his badge as well as Fischer.
"Really?Is there something I can do for you, agents?" The man asked still observing the two agents.
"We are wanting to talk to Tim Schmidt."
"Of course. I will get him." The man said as he went to the crowd. He brought out another man with peppered brown hair. That man came towards them. The other man stayed in the crowd.
"Hello, agents. What can I do for you?"
"Your brother in law, Steve Ashmore was murdered last night on the train coming from Miami. Our colleagues were on the same train and are in D.C. investigating the murder. " Fischer explained.
"Yes. My wife called me and said you may be coming to see. She told me she talked to you. Oh, my goodness. Terrible. I feel bad for his wife." Tim managed to say.
"We would like to ask you some questions." Cho confessed.
"Alright. I will do my best to answer them." Tim replied.
"When was the last time you saw Steve?"
"A couple weeks ago we had a family reunion in Houston."
"Really? We talked to your wife earlier. She never mentioned that. To be honest, she was quite vague with her answers." Fischer admitted.
"She's shy sometimes and nervous."
"I see. As the brother in law, how did you get along with Steve?" Cho asked.
"Fairly good. Sometimes he had a temper." Tim admitted.
"Your wife said you bought the family farm from her parents. Was there any conflict?" Cho asked.
"Well, that is something I disagreed with him about. He wanted half of the money the farm would provide." Tim elaborated.
"Was there any conflict with other relatives?" Fischer asked.
"No, not really. Not with the farm anyway. There was some with the estate, the belongings of the parents." Tim explained.
"Was there an Estate auction?" Cho asked
"Yes, but there were some reports of things stolen." Tim confessed.
Cho and Fischer looked at him concerned..
"Our colleagues mentioned a painting was stolen from their room." Fischer admitted.
"I don't know anything about a painting." Tim replied with a confused look on his face.
"Do you happen to have a list of inventory?" Cho asked.
"Yes, there is. Why do you need that?" Tim asked.
"We need it for evidence. Please send to this address." Fischer wrote down the FBI address and gave the paper to Tim.
"Where were you last night?" Cho asked.
"I was home. Are you thinking I killed Steve? "
"We just have to ask that. That's all t he questions for now. We may contact you later." Cho concluded.
"Can you provide a list of members at the reunion?" Fischer asked.
"Yes. Oh, before you go, my son is a lawyer in D.C. He was at the reunion. Jason Schmidt. If your colleagues need to talk to somebody."
"Thank you, sir for your cooperation. We will let our colleagues know." Cho said. Cho and Fischer excited out the barn and back to the SUV.
"What do you think, Cho?" Fischer asked. She got in the driver's seat.
"We got more information from him. He didn't seem too surprised or sad."Cho admitted.
"I noticed. It doesn't sound like he and Steve got along too well. I could tell the tension." Fischer described.