The River With a Crimson Current-The Mentalist

Chapter One

Chapter One

Teresa Lisbon

I lazily type Jane's number into my phone and click dial, it barely rings twice before he picks up.

"Lisbon. What did I do to earn this delight?"

I ignore his question and cut to the chase. I'm not awake enough for smart comments off Jane, plus it's too early.

"We've got a murder."

"Ah... Where?"

"... Uh..." I rack my brain trying to remember the location of the body. "... Freeport Boulevard by the Freeport bridge. A corpse washed up from the Sacramento River half an hour ago."

"Hmm... Okay. I'll see you in fifteen minutes then. Get a move on Lisbon."

"Do you ever sleep?" I ask. I'd been woken up ten minutes ago when I got a call and I still feel tired and like the walking dead.

"Mmm... On special occasions." I can hear the grin in his voice.

Now it's my turn to be witty. "I'll see you in a bit then Sherlock."

"Okay, bye... Watson." And we both hang up.

I smile and drag myself from my pit and grab a quick shower in an attempt to wake up properly. It doesn't really work but I've made it out of the door and on my way to the crime scene by four o'clock.

I pull up alongside the other police vehicles and walk down the banking towards the river. I can just about see a female body splayed on the pebble surface, dripping wet. As I continue my way to the crime scene Rigsby comes jogging towards me.

"What have you got?" I ask, knowing he's storing information.

"Menna Michaels, aged forty. Lives alone in Central Sacramento in an apartment. She has a daughter and an ex-husband but hasn't been in contact with them recently."

"Right okay. You and Cho go to her apartment."

I continue to search for Jane's dirty blonde curls bobbing around, but they're nowhere to be seen. "You haven't seen Jane have you?" I ask Rigsby as he starts to leave. He shakes his head and walks away leaving me stood there with the wind whipping around me.

I crouch over the body of Menna Michaels. She has unnaturally brunette hair which is stuck to the side of her face. Her eyes are a clear crystal blue but are lifeless and empty. She is wearing one remaining black heel and a dark suit, similar to mine. Her make up is smudged, if not washed away and she has just one piece of jewellery on. It's a gold heart pendant on a single chain around her neck.

"What's in there?" I ask a woman from the forensics team. She pulls on a pair of plastic gloves and opens it.

"It's a young girl... About six years old." The woman takes it from around the victim's neck and places it in a clear bag, then hands it to me. I look closely at the heart shaped image of the child and something inside of me aches. The way her shoulders are up and a cheeky smile is spread across a pale face. The way her glistening blue eyes seem to dance and her blonde, almost white, hair is pushed back with a baby pink Alice band.

I jump back into reality when a recognisable voice breaks through the air.

"What have you got Lisbon?"

I turn my head to see Jane peering over my shoulder.

"... Uh... A necklace... Belonging to the victim." I try to construct a sentence but my mind seems to be floating elsewhere.

"Are you okay?" He asks as he walks round to stand opposite me. 'You seem to be troubled.'

"... No... I'm fine..."

"Okay."

"Do you want to have a look?" I motion to the body on the floor. He points a finger at it but continues to look at me with a questioning expression. I nod and he spins around then kneels beside the victim and starts evaluating or doing whatever it is he does.

"Hmm... Uh... Mmm..." He continues to make these thoughtful, and not very helpful, noises. I go to stand next to him and he gets up.

"So?... Your thoughts?"

He takes a moment to reply as if calculating something in his head. "Well... There's no obvious evidence to how she was killed. And there isn't a lot of personal belongings..."

"... She was washed away down a river," I point out.

"Even so... A woman of her standards would wear a ring or earrings... Now, I'm not an expert, but I believe they are things that couldn't be removed by the current of a river."

"How do you know she would wear them?"

"Because, she is wearing a suit-"

"So am I. But I'm not wearing any of it."

"Let me finish, and she was wearing heels. When women wear heels they normally add some sort of jewellery too. Do you know where she was killed?"

"No. We have officers searching further up the riverbanks. We probably won't know until later this morning."

"Hmm... Okay. That gives us time to grab a drink! I'm parched I don't know about you?"

And before he gives me chance to answer he is making his way back up to the main road, so I follow after him.