Stakeout

Stakeout

     “So, how long does one of these stakeouts usually last?”  Patrick Jane asked sitting in the passenger seat of the Ford SUV.  

     The woman beside him shrugged.  “Depends.  Sometimes they can last for days other times only for a few hours.”

     “Days, huh,” Jane stretched his arms out in front of him, “Wake me then if anything good happens.”

      “You are going to sleep on your first stakeout?”

      “Yup,” he replied, closing his eyes.

     “A lot of help you turned out to be.”

     “Then maybe should not have asked me to join your merry little team.”  Jane snuggled into his seat, arms folded across his chest.

      “Maybe I shouldn’t have.”

      “Why did you, Lisbon?” he asked opening his eyes to look at the petite brunette.

      She kept her eyes in front of her looking at the house in question they were staking out that moment.  “You looked like a lost puppy that needed a home.”

     “Woof,” he said with a slight laugh and reclosed his eyes.

     “You also have a gift.”

     “No gift, I just learned to read people in order to con them well.”

     “It is a gift, Jane.  You have a talent for finding the truth.”

    “Meh,” he responded and felt a slap to his shoulder.  It hurt. A lot.  His eyes flashed open.  “Gee, Lisbon, you don’t have to go all violent on me.”

    “I merely tapped you,” she pointed to the house, “look.”

    Jane sat up and followed Lisbon’s finger to where it was pointing.  A black sports car had just pulled up in front of the house they were watching.  A man about 40 exited the sleek ride and walked up to the front door.  He knocked twice and waited his right foot tapping out a rhyme on the porch stoop.  The door opened to reveal their prime suspect in a murder case ushering the new player in.

    “Can you make out the license plate?” Lisbon asked Jane.

    Jane shook his head.  “Nope, I left my super hero eyesight at home tonight.”

    Lisbon rolled her eyes.  “I’ll be right back, don’t do anything stupid.”  She left her SUV and jogged over to the car her shoulder length bob swinging back and forth.

    Jane had never imaged that he would ever enjoy working for the cops.  But he did.  Not only did it bring him closer to finding and exacting revenge on Red John but it also give him a new purpose.  He had a reason to get up every morning and put on one of his old suits from his physic act.  He had fun teasing Rigsby and trying to break the Cho stare but it was Lisbon that brought him the most pleasure.  Sometimes he wanted to scream at her, other times he wanted to hug her but he always wanted to be around her.  Jane understood people well but this he couldn’t or wouldn’t let himself understand.  She had a hold on him he hadn’t felt since...his wife.

     Lisbon hopped back into the SUV and called the office asking Larry Patrone to do her a favor and find out about the license plate number.  A few minutes later Patrone called back and what he said brought a huge smile to Teresa Lisbon’s face.

     Jane watched her- the joy she got from knowing she was about to put the bad guy away.  She was pureness and light while he felt he was evil and dark.  He knew he didn’t belong in any part of her life but there was a tug some inertia that kept him from severing ties.  She had made him want to live again, to be a part of the world.  There were other feelings there, too but he classified it as basic male instinct and nothing more.  He couldn’t admit to himself how much he already cared.   

    “What brought that lovely smile to your face?”  Jane focused at what was at hand, easier than dealing with underlining issues.

    “That car is owned by one Tobias Kenderick.”

    “The heir to the gem fortune?”

    Lisbon nodded.  “Yes, now what would a multimillionaire be doing slumming it with a man under suspicion for killing a famous model?”

     Jane grinned, “Oh, dear Lisbon, he would only be here if he was paying off said man for the death.  A hired killer.  Now it makes more sense.”

     “You were right all long.”

     “I was?”

     “Yes, you said Lyle had a dark secret and he didn’t enjoy killing Vanessa.  He killed for cash not for any passion.  You were correct.”  She smiled at him. 

 “Now, we just need a confession.”

     Jane let his ego take over, “Pfft.  All you need is a confession.  I can have them both confessing in a matter of minutes.  We could grab breakfast, I know a great diner that serves some delicious eggs.”

     “Lyle didn’t confess before, Jane.  Plus I am not a huge egg fan.”

     Jane shot an eyebrow up.  ‘Do not tell me you like flat, tasteless pancakes.   You have never had my eggs, Lisbon.  They will bring such sensations to your mouth you will have to go directly to confession after one bite.”  He smirked when he saw that even in the dark her cheeks had blushed. 

     “Maybe I will change my mind about the eggs but first we need a plan to get both Tobias and Lyle.”

     “Hmmm,” Jane said, tapping his lips with his index finger.

     Tobias left the house then getting into his car.  Lisbon slammed her hand into the stirring wheel.  “Shit!  He’s leaving.”

     “Turn on the car, Lisbon.”

     “You have a plan?”  Lisbon asked starting the engine.

     “Not yet but I will.”

     The sports car’s engine came to revving life.  “Think fast, he’s leaving!”

     “Okay,” Jane said, undoing his seatbelt and leaving over the console as far as he could.  Before Lisbon could speak he put the vehicle into drive and moved his leg next to Lisbon’s.  There was a momentary spark but he ignored it as he slammed his foot into the pedal and the SUV went flying into the side door of the sports car.

     Jane’s body propelled forward slamming into the glass of the front window.  Physical pain was something he knew how to deal; emotional pain was a much different animal.

    “What the fuck, Jane!” Lisbon yelled at him before she tenderly touched a cut on his forehead.

     “Lisbon,” he started.

     “Yeah?”

     “Tobias Kenderick is getting out of his car.”

    Lisbon locked eyes with him a second more and then left her own damaged vehicle telling the millionaire to get on the ground, and pointing her glock at him.  Sirens came from the distance but all Jane could hear was Lyle Morse who had came out of his house spilling the beans on what Tobias had asked him to do.  

     After the hubbub had died down, Jane’s refusal of medical treatment, the SUV towed away, the confessions all recorded, Jane heard Minelli coming from his office.

     Jane was lying on his couch pretending to sleep, taking it all in.  His eyes were closed but he could picture it all in his mind.  Lisbon’s office didn’t have walls so it was easy to hear Minelli’s voice.

    “Lisbon, you had a long day yesterday and a very long night.  Go home, get some rest.”

     Lisbon was countering his argument, telling her boss she was fine.  Minelli was a smart man though he said that Cho and Rigsby wouldn’t leave until she did.  Eventually Lisbon gave in and agreed.

     Jane stayed on the couch as he heard her footsteps approach.  This was his favorite part of any day- when she came to wake him.  “Jane,” she said softly, her breath at his ear, “Jane, can you hear me?”  Her warm, small hand touched his shoulder and he opened his eyes unable to hide his dopey smile.  “Minelli is sending us all home.”

     “Ah, okay, I will just stay here, no real home anymore to go to.”  He meant it as a joke but he saw the look in her eyes.  “Lisbon, don’t worry I-“

     “I was wondering if you could bring me to the diner with the life changing eggs.  I am too charged up to sleep and I am starving like Rigsby on a day of fasting.”

     “Well, I can’t let you go all Godzilla on some food all alone.  It might sully your good girl reputation.”

     Lisbon smiled, “Only thing though, I am driving from now on and no more smashing my vehicle into another.”

     “Well, I wasn’t planning to do that at the diner,” Jane retorted, standing up and stretching.  “Lisbon, my plan worked though didn’t it?”

     “It was a stupid plan, Jane,” she said as she started out to the elevator.

     “But it worked.”

     “Pure luck.”

    “Pure genius.”

     “Maybe I should ask Rigsby if he wants to grab some eggs.”

     “Bite your tongue, woman.”

      Lisbon instead bit her lip which sent a shiver up his spine.  “These better be damn good eggs to make up for last night’s debacle.” 

     The elevator doors opened and they both entered.  “But it worked,” he repeated.

     She slapped him on the chest and he muttered an ouch.   “Fine, it worked.  Not half bad for your first stakeout.”

     “Stakeouts are more pleasant with you, Lisbon,” Jane said as the elevator doors closed on the pair.