At headquarters, the team happily celebrated Teresa's birthday. The birthday girl sat with a cake in front of her with the candles lit. The team just finished singing.
"Blow out the candles and make a wish," said Van Pelt. Teresa blew them out. "Okay, now the presents."
Teresa picked up the first gift. She looked at the cylindrical package to see if she could guess what it was. "A vase?"
"It's a yoga mat," said Patrick.
She looked over at Van Pelt, who smiled and shrugged. "We talked about that Ashtange class. I thought..."
"Thank you. It's very nice."
"Okay, what about mine," asked Cho. He handed her a wrapped box. Patrick eyed the box and Cho.
"A bottle of wine. Champagne, I'd guess. Vintage?" He raised an eyebrow at Cho's extravagance.
"I think birthdays are important."
Teresa opened the box, and Patrick was right again, smiling happily. Rigsby held up an envelope.
"Ten bucks, you don't get this one," said Rigsby confidently.
Both Patrick and Kenzie stared at the envelope.
"Oh, please, it's a gift certificate," said Kenzie.
"To some kind of spa?"
Rigsby handed it to Teresa. "Damn."
She opened the envelope and found a gift certificate. Kenzie let out a shocked laugh.
"How about some cake?"
"Where's your guys' presents?"
"It's coming," said Kenzie. Teresa playfully squinted her eyes. "What? It is. You just have to be patient, missy."
"It's on its way."
Teresa shook her head. "Typical."
"Damn."
Van Pelt's phone rang, and she answered it.
"What does that mean? You don't really think I forgot your present, do you?"
Kenzie chuckled as she cut Teresa a piece of cake.
"It's on its way."
"Yeah, right."
Teresa passed out pieces of cake, looking a little disappointed. Kenzie frowned.
"Grumpy because Daddy didn't get her a pony."
Kenzie hits him on the arm while Cho and Rigsby laugh at him. Teresa glared at Patrick with mock ferocity. Kenzie squinted her eyes at the piece of cake in Teresa's hand.
"Boss, we got a call," said Van Pelt.
Kenzie heard Patrick sigh in relief.
🙂
The body of a dead man sat perched in the low branches of a pinon tree. The team stood below it, looking up thoughtfully at two highway patrolmen and forensics techs with stepladders.
"Looks like a gunshot to the temple. There's no ID." The tech handed over a small brass coin and a Mexican finger cuff, bagged. "This is all we found on him." He handed him a coin.
"A straw tub and, I don't know, a religious medal?" questioned Rigsby.
"Or a good luck charm, maybe," suggested Van Pelt.
"Guess it didn't work," said Kenzie.
"Didn't work too well, if it was," said Cho at the same time. They looked at each other and nodded.
YOU ARE READING
I Bet on Losing Dogs - Patrick Jane
Fanfiction"I bet on losing dogs, I know they're losing, and I'll pay for my place by the ring, Where I'll be looking in their eyes when they're down, ...
