The warehouse smelled like rust, old wood, and something faintly rotten. Lisbon walked in first, her boots making sharp sounds against the concrete floor. Jane strolled in behind her, hands in his pockets, looking as if he were about to critique the décor rather than investigate a crime scene.
"You know," Jane mused, glancing around, "there's a certain charm to abandoned buildings. A tragic beauty."
Lisbon shot him a look. "It's a crime scene, Jane. Not a poetry reading."
"Ah, but both involve tragedy," Jane countered, smiling.
Cho ignored them both, handing Lisbon a file. "Victim's name is Carl Dempsey, small-time businessman. Looks like a robbery, but something's off."
Lisbon skimmed the file. "How so?"
Cho gestured to the staircase leading to the second-floor offices. "There's a witness upstairs. Guy claims he saw everything but keeps changing details. Thought you'd want to work your magic."
Lisbon sighed. "Great. Another liar."
Jane perked up. "Oh! I love liars."
Lisbon ignored him and started up the metal staircase. Jane followed, whistling a cheerful tune.
The second floor was dimly lit, a few flickering lights casting long shadows. A nervous-looking man sat on a crate, shifting uncomfortably. He jumped when Lisbon approached.
"Mr. Conway?" she asked.
The man nodded quickly. "Y-yeah. That's me."
Lisbon narrowed her eyes. "You told officers you saw the suspect. What did he look like?"
Conway licked his lips. "Uh… tall. Brown hair. Maybe a beard?"
Lisbon frowned. "Earlier, you said he was clean-shaven."
"I did?" Conway forced a laugh. "I must've been confused."
Jane, who had been studying the man silently, suddenly clapped his hands together. "You're lying."
Lisbon sighed. "Jane—"
"No, no, let me guess." Jane crouched in front of Conway, tilting his head. "You didn't see anything, did you?"
Conway stiffened. "That's not true—"
Jane's smile widened. "And you're afraid. But not of us. You're afraid of whoever was really here."
Lisbon crossed her arms. "If you're covering for someone, now's the time to talk."
Conway opened his mouth—then his eyes flicked to something behind them, and he bolted.
"Hey!" Lisbon spun just as the man shoved past her, knocking into Jane as he tore down the stairs.
Lisbon rushed after him, Jane on her heels.
"Stop!" she shouted.
Conway didn't.
He reached the bottom of the stairs—and suddenly, another figure stepped out of the shadows.
A masked man.
Gun raised.
Lisbon's instincts kicked in, but before she could react—
BANG.
A sharp pain exploded at the side of her head. The world spun. She barely registered Jane's voice shouting her name before she stumbled backward—
Her foot slipped off the edge of the stairs.
And then she was falling.
Her back hit something hard. Her head snapped against metal.
Everything faded to black.