The Riddle of Enigmas - The Mentalist

Chapter 1

Chapter 1
Patrick Jane

"Jane, are you alright?" I hear a sweet voice in front of me. I slowly raise my head from the tea and coffee I was preparing just to find a worried Fischer staring at me.

"Yeah, why? Is something wrong?" I smile tenderly at her.

"No, no, nothing’s wrong… I was just wondering…" She starts to say but then Abbott enters the room, interrupting our little chat.

"Oh, sorry, am I interrupting something?" Abbott raises an eyebrow at both of us, and then remakes his mind when he sees the cup of coffee on the table, yeah, that was clearly a stupid thought.

"No, nothing at all," Fischer clears up.

"Are you finally going to do it?" Abbott asks me.

"Do what?" Fischer questions, confused.

"Nothing," I can’t stop myself from smiling as I leave the room.

"Good luck!" I hear Abbott screaming at me.

"Hey what’s up?" I smile as I see Lisbon talking to me from behind her desk.

"They told me there was a busy lady doing some paperwork so I brought her some strong coffee, have you seen her?" I tease her, as I pull a chair to beside her desk and sit down.

"Thank you," she chuckles, receiving the coffee with one hand, the other keeps on scribbling on the papers.

There's a moment of silence and then I finally decide to spill it out, I can feel the staring of the rest of the team behind me.

"What are you planning on doing after work?" I say, for the first time in years, nervous.

"I…umm… Nothing why?" Her cheeks blushing.

"Great!! Should I pick you up at 7?" I ask her, smiling brightly.

"Umm, I, I’ve got nothing to wear, so… Maybe you should grab something at my house?" I hear her voice tremble, that’s what I expected, her nervousness shows me she wants to do this.

"Let me fix that…. See you at 7, Coffee Girl?" I stand up.

"Yeah I guess.. Is, is this a date?"

"You can call it that if you want to, if not, it's just a hang out between two friends," I smile at her and then turn around, leaving an astonished Lisbon behind me…

Now if the FBI excuses me, I’ve got to find a pretty dress for a pretty woman, so I can take her for dinner at a pretty place. 

****

That's it, that's the dress. That's the dress for Lisbon. Its skirt floats to around the knee, a dress shorter than what she'd choose for herself perhaps. The bodice providing a comfortable fit, but would not cause any unnecessary flaunting. It has an element of shy, protectiveness, yet allows the occupant to feel confident. It would suit her perfectly. And if everything goes right, she will save it till the end of time; as a memory, as a smile, as love... Because when it comes to me, I'm certain the image of her entering the restaurant, which, by the way I have already planned, will stay in my brain and mostly my heart forever.

"She's lucky," the lady at the counter says as I'm brought back from my thoughts.
"No," I sweetly say, "I am the lucky one."

The lady from the store just responds to me with a smile and waves as I go out.

****

I arrive at Lisbon's house about 10 minutes later. Of course, I have the key to her front door, so I enter quietly making sure she hasn't arrived yet, and I'm right.

I boil myself some water as I walk into her room and place the white silky dress on the bed.
I walk down the stairs and drink some chamomile tea. I have to admit, I thought Lisbon would have more variety of tea since our relationship had grown fondly.

I finish the tea, leave it in the kitchen and go to wait for her at the restaurant. I have already changed myself, instead of wearing a blue suit ... I thought black would look better with a white princess.

On my way to the restaurant I decide to check up on everything. I'm not actually this uncertain of my plans, but today I guess I'm feeling that way.

"Lisbon," her sweet voice answers me.
"Hey,"  I reply
"Oh, hi, Jane, is everything okay?" There's a little doubt in her voice... I imagine it... She's nervous, hopes she won't fail me, because I know it's me we're talking about, but I don't know if I will ever have the guts to look at her again.
"Yeah, I'm good... I was checking in for tonight?"
"Are you scared? Wow, did I make the Patrick Jane doubtful?"

She took me off guard, sneaky!!

"Me? No, of course not, but I have my doubts if you are certain..." I smile to myself.
"I won't dump you, Jane. I'll finish some stuff here and I'll head home to try to find something to wear, since you insisted on going some place fancy." I can almost see her narrowing her eyes and I can't stop myself from chuckling.
"Oh, my dear, you don't know what is awaiting you," I tease.
"Hope I get through it alive and unharmed," she teases back, I'm really looking forward to dinner.
"Of course you will, it's me who you're talking about."
"That's what worries me..." She means it... I sigh.
"Lisbon, I will never let you be harmed... You know I will always protect you, even from myself..." I say, conversation getting awkward.
"I know..."
"Okay, I'll let this lady work, otherwise I'm gonna get dumped, and my ego is to big for that."
I hear her laugh on the other line.
"Okay, bye, Jane."
"Patrick," I state
"Bye, Jane," she teases me; I like it.
"Teresa..."
"Fine, bye, Patrick."
I smile.
"Bye, Teresa... See you in a bit!"

And then I hang up, just in time for the waitress to lead me to our table.

I chose an Italian restaurant, I really don't know why, but Italian things have always been fancier to me.

"Buona notte, Signore! Wow, look at those pretty eyes! Blue like the mare! Are they waiting for a bella donna? Or it's gonna be just them searching for a principessa?" An old woman says to me, she makes me smile.

"Grazie, you are a bella donna, and no, gratefully my principessa should arrive at any moment."

"Ha!!! Tu parli un po de Italiani! Wonderful wonderful, handsome and speaks Italian! Well then, call me when she comes, I can't wait to meet the lucky woman that has this beautiful uomo!" The old lady cheers and leaves me, waiting for Lisbon.

****

It's been almost an hour and Lisbon has not arrived yet. I try to call her but her phone keeps taking me to voice mail.

I can see the old lady looking at me with pity and is uncertain if she should come and talk to me or not. Unfortunately for me, she decides positively.
"I'm sure something happened, no woman would leave you," she says, looking into my eyes.
"Yeah, probably, but you might be surprised... She is nothing alike other women," I smile at her, a fake smile, because I'd been stabbed.
"You really like her, don't you?"
I think for a moment, the woman is right. I wouldn't have been this affected if any other woman dumped me, but not Lisbon, not my Lisbon.
"Yeah, I think I do."
"Then, Signore, I won't let you give up," she says to me. "MARY! Cancel the reservations for next Monday! This man over here is bringing a woman!" She shouts to a young blond at the cash register. "What was your name, sweetie?" She asks me again.
"Patrick," I reply.
"And the lady?"
"Teresa."
"HA! MARY! Note that Patrick and Teresa are coming on Monday! Make sure the outside table is available, the one with the flowers!" She orders to Mary, I look at her.
"Ready, darling? Hope you can go and find her!" She smiles at me as I stand up and leave the restaurant, heart still hurting.

****

I drive to Lisbon's house, feeling mixed up between angry, in pain, but mostly fear. Fear of what she'll tell me. Maybe I pressured her. Maybe she wasn't ready for this. Maybe I should have listened to her and met at her house.

I'm scared. Scared that the only precious thing I have left in this world will reject me.

I get out of the car and knock the door of her house. I have the key but if she didn't show up it's for a reason and I won't invade her privacy.

No one answers me, so I knock again... Silence. I try calling her cellphone, voice mail. I call her house phone, I just hear it ring. I decide to open the door, she's clearly not home but maybe I'll find something that will tell me where she is, where I can find her and clear things up.

I enter the house, surprised that everything is just as before. I walk towards her room and that's when it hits me. The white dress is exactly where I left it, not even a sign someone was here.

It's almost 10pm, if she's not home then something must have happened. She would have called me, she is a good catholic girl, she wouldn't dump me without an explanation. I try calling her cellphone again, this time it tells my phone it's not available before the first tone can sound. I call the FBI, no one answers either, they are all probably home by now. Call Fischer, she knows nothing. Abbott, nothing. Cho, doesn't even answer.

Nobody knows where she is. She doesn't come home, she dumps me without an explanation, her cellphone is not working.

My pulse starts getting faster and faster, hands getting sweaty. I sit on the bed, hands restlessly tousling my hair.

She's been kidnapped.