„Is there more?“ Lisbon asked with a little bit of excitement in her voice. “Any descriptions? Anything?”
“No, this session ends there.” Van Pelt replied.
“Let me see.” Cho grabbed the sheet of paper and scanned it. “Weird.” He mumbled. “There’s gotta be more. Here is something missing.” He put the file on the desk and compared it to another one from an earlier session.
“Here, see this?” He pointed at the lower part. “Mitch ended the other sessions with ‘Session – end ; Next appointment’ and a date. This part is missing here.”
“Yes, you’re right. This is just the end of the page.” Lisbon said.
Jane’s disappointment was obvious.
“And you’re sure that there isn’t more among the other pages?” Rigsby asked.
“I am. There’s nothing.” Was Van Pelt’s answer.
“Lisbon!” Jane rose from his couch right after he sat down. He grabbed his colleague’s arm and dragged her to her office. Teresa’s face showed confusion.
“What is it, Jane?” she wanted to know as Jane shut the office door.
Without a word, the consultant started digging in his boss’ desk.
“What the hell are you doing there? That’s my desk!” She yelled.
“I know.” He answered, pulled out a book and took Teresa’s arm again.
They left the office , went down the hallway and up the stairs.
As the heavy attic door was shut, he looked in Lisbon’s emerald green eyes.
“What the hell is going on, Jane?” She looked right back at him.
Jane threw the little black book on the table.
“We need to go through this.” He said and sat down.
Lisbon sat on the chair next to him. “What is this? Isn’t that your list of names?”
“Yes.” Jane replied and opened it.
“What do you need it for? I thought you narrowed your list down to 7 suspects?”
Teresa was still confused. Jane looked deeply into her eyes.
“I have. But with this aspect… It is someone Kristina knew.”
“Yes, but she also knew some of the names on you current Red John list.”
“But what if it was not Red John who abducted her? What if it was one of his disciples?” Jane sounded excited. “I need to find out who of those people Kristina knew. And I need your help, Teresa. We don’t have much time.”
Lisbon looked at him and nodded. “Ok.”
It was an idea, not very unlikely. She had to confess to herself that she never had considered this option.
“And how do we know who of them Kristina knew?” Lisbon asked.
“First of all, we have to pick out everyone who works for the law enforcement. Cops. Someone who could have entered her house.” Patrick explained. Then he took a pen and started crossing out one name after another. Sometimes they laughed about old memories they had with some of those people. And sometimes they just talked about the past. With some names, there was just awkward silence… Lisbon wasn’t sure if Jane even knew about her one night stand with Mashburn and she didn’t want to discuss Greg again with him, although she noticed him looking at here for a while, like he was expecting her to say something.
Patrick was half way through the book as he handed it to Lisbon.
“Cross out everyone who has nothing to do with law enforcement and draw a circle around those who could have possible entered the house. Around every cop, agent lawyer.” He said and stood up.
Lisbon looked at him. “Where are you going?”
“I’m gonna make me some tea and see what the others have. Would you like something?”
“You can make a pot and bring me a cup too.” She smiled and Jane smiled back.
He left the room and Teresa concentrated on the names.
After Jane and Lisbon had left the bullpen, the team started discussing what idea Jane might have had. Wayne guessed that Jane couldn’t stand the pressure and wanted to get off the case. Cho and Van Pelt looked at him weirdly and told him that this was absolutely not the case.
And while the three of them kept discussing, Bob Kirkland suddenly showed up.
No one noticed him at first. He was just standing there, watching and listening.
After a while he cleared his throat loudly to gain there full attention. Van Pelt was surprised.
“Agent Kirkland…!” she said insecurely. “Since when are you here?” she glanced to her colleagues. “Not too long.” Kirkland replied with a soft voice.
“What do you want?” Cho asked and crossed his arms.
“I wanted to know how far you are with the case.” He had a smile on his face that gave Grace goosebumps all over her body.
“As it seems, you’re stuck. Maybe I can help you.” He added after a short break.
“How could you help us?” the red head asked skeptically.
“Why would you wanna help us?” Asked Cho at almost the same moment.
Kirkland let out a quiet chuckle. “Let me put it this way…” He started. “I have a persona interest in the case.” He looked at three skeptical faces.
“I might have the information that you need.”
“Oh is that true?” a voice from behind sounded.
The CBI boss Gale Bertram slowly walked into the bullpen. Nobody said a word.
“How comes, Agent Kirkland, that the Homeland Security is involved in this case without my knowledge?” Bertram’s voice was calm. Kirkland replied with a just as calm voice. “I am just offering my help. I think they need it.” He smiled cold.
The team was watching the scenario. None of them knew that both were Jane’s Red John suspects, but this was even creepier than the scene of Kristina’s murder.
A felt eternity passed, while Bertram and Kirkland were just staring at each other.
Van Pelt broke the silence. “Do you need Lisbon?” She looked at the director. He slowly broke is eye battle with Kirkland and looked at the agent. “No. It’s fine.” He smiled. “I just wanted to see how the case is going.” Van Pelt wasn’t the only one surprised. Bertram always wanted to talk to Lisbon when he came over.
Cho noticed Jane standing behind the plant next to Lisbon’s office, showing him to pretend he wasn’t there.
Bertram looked back at Kirkland. “I think we should talk. You come with me to my office.”
“If that’s necessary.” Bob replied and followed Bertram, who left without any further word to the team.
Jane, who hid in the kitchen by now, entered the bullpen. “Why were they here? What did they say?” He wanted to know everything and Cho told him.
Lisbon had a few more pages finished, as a negatively excited Jane came back inside the attic. She could feel the tension he brought with him.
“What’s wrong?” She asked and looked at him concerned.
“Kirkland and Bertram were here.” He looked at her intensely.
“What did they want? Why did no one notify me?!” Her breathing became heavier.
“Both wanted to know how far we’re with the case and Kirkland said he had information for us. Now they’re talking in Bertram’s office. He didn’t know that Kirkland was involved. He seemed pretty mad.”
Teresa and Patrick looked at each other without blinking and she could see the shock in her friend’s eyes.
