The River With a Crimson Current-The Mentalist

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Teresa Lisbon

We've gone straight to Michaels' apartment after the Sam Davis situation. He was an angry ex-husband, Jane had been right, but I won't give him the satisfaction of knowing it.

We walk through a high security door and across the lobby to the elevator. When it arrives a few police officers step out with stern faces, reminding me a bit of Cho. Jane stands aside and stretches out an arm.

"Ladies first," he says. I look at him but don't hesitate and get into the elevator. He follows me in and I press the cold metal button for Michaels' floor, then the doors close. It jolts off and that strange sensation you get from elevators forms in the pit of my stomach.

I can see Jane grin from the corner of my eye. "I love elevators, don't you? It's like your flying!"

"I guess... You go in one every day to get to work."

He ignores my point and continues with his fantasising. "It's like a rocket!" He bounces on his toes and turns his head to look at me. He's like a child, but it's kind of adorable in a strange way.

"Did you like rockets when you were a kid?" I ask.

"Didn't really have the option to... But I guess I would have. What about you?"

"Rockets?" I raise my eyebrows at him.

"Come on Lisbon! Three brothers! Surely part of them rubbed off on you?"

"If anything, I'm the one that rubbed off on them. And they were more into cars."

"...Hmm," he grunts seemingly not impressed. "Cars are like rockets. So that means you liked rockets!" He seems pleased with himself so I don't ruin that for him, he's a lot easier to work with if he's happy and believes he's right.

"Sure."

The doors ping and reveal what is now a crime scene. The apartment door is open so you can see straight through the small corridor to the living area where various people are labelling, collecting evidence and taking photos. We step through the front door and walk down the hallway to the lounge.

"What have you got?" I ask anyone who's listening.

"Not a lot," Rigsby says. "That's why we thought Jane could have a look around, see what he finds."

"Okay. Jane-" I turn around to face the spot where he'd been stood, except it's empty. I look back to Rigsby who has gotten back to his business of bagging various objects. "God damn you Jane," I murmur to myself.

I go back down the hallway and look into the two rooms either side, a bathroom and bedroom. I find Jane in the latter and walk in to join him. He's busy snooping in the drawer of Micheals' dressing table.

"Look Lisbon," he points to the bed behind him. I go towards it and then see what he's more than likely going on about.

"A dress?" I say, looking at the black, shortish one laying in front of me.

"It's a planned outfit, already set out, probably for a quick change later before she goes somewhere again."

"Where to?"

"You figure it out Lisbon. I didn't say you were a good cop for nothing."

"Uh..." I think about the possible destinations. Work, meeting, dinner, a date...

"Take the costume into account Lisbon. High heels, a figure hugging dress, a handbag and jewellery..."

"A date?"

"Yes..." He thinks for a moment. "We just need to find out who with..."

"Have you found any evidence that suggests someone?"

"I'm just a consultant Lisbon, you should be the one finding the evidence."

I roll my eyes and start searching the room.

There's not a lot. She was definitely a business woman who liked to keep things tidy and orderly. Her room's white on three walls and the remaining one has a dark, swirly wallpaper glued to it. Her double bed has a black, leather headboard and bedclothes with matching colours, its a fairly modern apartment. Her dressing table is quite simple compared to the rest of the room, square shaped and white, with a mirror placed on top. Her cosmetics are stood on the surface and some are kept in a small makeup bag. Underneath is the drawer Jane had gone through earlier, I decide to check myself just incase he'd missed anything. I drag it out and peer inside. There's more makeup, stationary, another hairbrush, some crumpled paper and a notebook. I straighten out a piece of the paper, but it turns out to be nothing of interest, so I pick up the notebook. The pages are covered with various coloured scribbles, as if by a child. I continue to flick through and I come across a few wobbly drawings. Could it have been done by the little girl in the locket?

"Have you seen this?" I ask, showing Jane the notepad. He squints at it from across the room then comes closer.

"Let me see..." he holds out a hand.

"You should have gloves on! It's evidence," I tell him and raise my eyebrows.

"You didn't stop me earlier."

"Because I didn't know."

"How long have you known me now, Lisbon?.. Hmm... Long enough to know that I don't wear gloves."

"Oh come on Jane!?" I am losing my patience.

He looks up to the ceiling and pulls out his handkerchief from his suit jacket pocket. He spreads it over his hand then holds it out to me again. I reluctantly give him the pad and he scans through it, turning the pages with with the tips of his fingers. I go back to the drawer and take the other pieces of paper. I straighten them out then study them each in turn. The first one seems to be a document of some sort, so I take a closer look. It's a patient's file. I read the others and they're the same just with different names.

"Aha!" Jane says behind me. He's lying on the bed then darts up into sitting position. I walk over to him to see what he's found. "Look at this." He points to some numbers written in blue biro on the back, inside cover of the book.

"A telephone number perhaps?" I ask.

"Mmm... Maybe. Or a password!" His eyes glint with 'Jane excitement' as he turns to face me.

"What for?"

"A computer."

"How do you know that?"

"Well it's more than four digits, so probably not for a safe. And there are too many, for it to be a mobile number."

"Okay then, Sherlock, where's this computer?"

"Where does she work?"

"The doctor's surgery in Central Sacramento."

"Then that is where we shall find the computer," he beams at me then makes his way to the door still holding the notebook. I go to call him back then think better of it. I leave the room and take the documents with me.

When we get outside we climb into our cars and head for Central Sacramento's doctor's surgery.