Family Bonds - The Mentalist fanfic
Title: Family Bonds
Fandom: The Mentalist
Rating: PG-13
Length: 3819 words
Summary: “Mr Thomas Lisbon? This is Special Agent Luther Wainwright of the California Bureau of Investigation. I need to speak with you urgently about your sister, Agent Teresa Lisbon. Please contact me as soon as possible.”
Lisbon's family during the events of 4x24, "The Crimson Hat".
Links to art: lothiriel84 | lilsmiles86 (coming soon!)
Notes: Written for the Mentalist Big Bang at mentalist_bb. Thanks to lothiriel84 and lilsmiles86 for their lovely artwork (and to lothiriel for the title!). And thank you so much to bluealoe for being the best beta ever!
Settling in the driver’s seat of his van, Tommy turned the key in the ignition, humming cheerfully. He’d finally caught the skip he’d been after for the last few days. All he had to do now was drive back and hand him over to Tig Muldoon, and he could collect his payment. He’d see Annie, too. She’d stayed at a friend’s house the night before while he was chasing his fugitive, and he knew she’d have had a great time, but he couldn’t wait to see her. Turning on the radio, he flicked through the channels until he found a station playing a good rock song, and started his drive.
It was almost noon, and Tommy was beginning to think about pulling over at a gas station to get a sandwich, when his cell phone rang. Slowing down a little, he fished it out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. Not a number he knew... odd... was that a California area code? Maybe it was Reese, but why wouldn’t she call from her own phone? He hit “answer”.
“Hello, Thomas Lisbon here. Don’t hang up, I have to pull the van over.”
Placing the phone on the empty seat next to him, he quickly stopped at the roadside and picked it up again. “Hello?”
“Am I speaking to Mr Lisbon?” Not Reese’s voice. A man's. He sounded official, somehow, very sharp and precise.
“Yes, who’s this?”
“I'm Special Agent Luther Wainwright of the CBI. We’ve been trying to get in touch with you in connection with your sister, Agent Teresa Lisbon.”
“What about Teresa? Is she... all right?” He couldn’t control the dread that gripped his heart, or the chill that ran through his body.
“I'm afraid not; I’m sorry to have to inform you that Agent Lisbon is missing, presumed dead.”
“What - How - What happened?!” It couldn't be true. It just couldn't. He felt frozen, numb. It had to be a mistake.
“A former consultant, Patrick Jane, entered the CBI last night. There were shots heard, and he left the building with Agent Lisbon either unconscious or dead, killing another of her team, Agent Rigsby, as he left. We’ve been trying to contact you ever since; your employer, Mr Muldoon, gave us this number.”
“Jane?! But... he worked with her!” He'd started trembling uncontrollably, and he tightened his grasp on the phone, afraid he would drop it.
“He’d left the CBI six months ago, and had no known contact with anyone from the Bureau after that.”
“But they were friends!” It was wrong, it had to be. Surely the charming, genial man who’d been so nice to Annie couldn’t have done this.
“Yes... it’s a tragedy for all of us.” The man’s voice hitched slightly, and Tommy realised he must have known Reese and Jane and Rigsby, have worked with them even. He must be struggling to stay professional. “Mr Lisbon, please rest assured that we’re doing everything in our power to find him and bring him to justice. I apologise for informing you of this so impersonally, but it was a priority to inform the public through the media, and we needed to let you know before you heard it through other sources.”
“Yes, of course, I understand...” Tommy’s head was reeling. It couldn't be, it just couldn't be true. Of course Reese's job was dangerous, he'd always known that, but he'd never really thought he would get a call like this. He wanted to scream at the man on the other end, demand that he take it back, say it wasn't true, it was a mistake, a lie, anything. Anything that would mean his sister wasn't gone. Desperately, he clutched at the last strand of hope. “You said he left with her? So you don’t know that she’s dead, he could just have kidnapped her?”
Agent Wainwright sighed. “It’s a possibility, but a slim one. We are taking it into account, but several shots were fired, and he certainly did murder Agent Rigsby. I’m sorry, but I can’t give you false hope.”
“I... I understand...” Tommy's voice cracked, and he took a deep breath, forcing down the sob that was trying to break through. He had to stay strong, for Reese's sake. Suddenly, he realised something the man had said earlier. “Wait, you said the press been told?”
“Yes. I’m sorry you didn’t hear from us earlier, we’ve been trying to contact all Agent Lisbon’s next of kin, but your brothers couldn’t give us another number for you.”
“Yeah... I was chasing a skip... Oh God, I have to get back and break it to Annie before she hears it on the news.”
“Your daughter, sir?”
“Yes... thank you for phoning me, but I have to go.”
“Of course. My condolences, and I guarantee you we’ll find her and Jane. We’ll contact you as soon as we have more information. If you need to get in touch with us, you can call this number…”
The agent continued to talk, saying something about the search efforts, but Tommy didn’t - couldn’t - take it in. He didn’t have time, he said, cutting across the other man; he had to go, now.
Tommy hung up numbly. He couldn’t believe it. Reese couldn’t be gone, it just wasn’t possible. He could feel despair threatening to overwhelm him, and concentrated on one fixed idea - he had to get to Annie, had to tell her before she found out from someone else. So long as she hadn’t heard it already - No, she couldn’t have, or she’d have phoned him. He looked at his watch again. 12:25 pm. An hour and three quarters drive, drop off the skip at Tig’s, beg him to deal with the paperwork, another 15 minutes to Annie’s school... Call it half past two, and Annie finished school at 3. He could do it. Just.
He started the van up again, furiously jabbing the radio off, and set off, all his being focussed on the need to reach his daughter.
******
Annie looked longingly at the clock. Still thirty minutes to go until the end of Geography. It seemed an eternity, but it would pass eventually. And who knew? Maybe Dad would be back when she got home! But there were still... twenty nine minutes of boring maps to do. Resignedly, she bent her head over her work again.
All the students looked up in surprise when the door opened and the principal’s secretary came in. As she walked to the teacher’s desk, they looked around at each other, trying to figure out if anyone was in trouble. Annie, however, was just as surprised as everyone else when Mr Lee called her over.
“Don’t worry, Annie, you’re not in trouble,” her teacher said reassuringly. Annie wasn’t entirely reassured, though; both grown-ups were looking at her strangely. “Your dad’s come to pick you up, he’s waiting for you in the principal’s office.”
“Dad’s here? Why?” Annie asked in confusion. The adults exchanged a look she couldn’t interpret.
“I think it’s best if he tells you... Now get your things together and go with Ms Green, please.”
“Yes, sir,” she replied, puzzled and worried. Stuffing everything quickly into her backpack, and mouthing a blank “I don’t know” in response to her friends’ questioning looks, she hurried out of the classroom and followed Ms Green to the principal’s office.
When they reached the office, she found her father pacing round the small room. She was shocked by how haggard he looked. His face was paler than she’d ever seen it, his hands twisted into each other.
“Dad? Is... is everything all right?” she asked tentatively.
“Oh, Annie, come here, love... you’d better sit down.” As he guided her to a chair, Principal Turner, who’d been sitting behind his desk, rose and left, murmuring a few words about giving them privacy.
“Dad, what is it? Please, just tell me!” Annie begged, truly frightened now. A cold shiver ran down her spine.
“Annie, I - I have bad news. The CBI called me... They - Oh, Annie, they think Reese is dead!” Tommy’s voice cracked on the last word, and he crumpled into the chair next to hers.
Annie was frozen. She wanted - needed - to know more, but the words wouldn’t come out. She stared speechlessly at her father.
“It was Patrick Jane... he’d quit his job, and he came back and kidnapped Reese, but they think he shot her first...”
“No...no! He couldn’t have!” Annie found her voice again as she passionately denied it, but Tommy just shook his head.
“I said the same, but it was him... He killed Rigsby too, as he was leaving. She might be alive, but they don’t have much hope. I’m sorry, baby...”
He put his arms around her and held her close as they both wept.
******
The answering machine was flashing when they returned home. Mechanically, Annie pressed play.
The first three were from Agent Wainwright, all saying the same thing. “Mr Thomas Lisbon? This is Special Agent Luther Wainwright of the California Bureau of Investigation. I need to speak with you urgently about your sister, Agent Teresa Lisbon. Please contact me as soon as possible.”
The fourth was different. “Tommy? This is James. The CBI phoned me... They were trying to call you, too, but you weren’t answering, and I couldn’t give them a cell phone number, how stupid is that? Can’t contact my own brother... Oh God, Tommy, it’s Reese - just - call me when you hear this, okay?”
No message as such from Mark, but he’d called and hung up. Almost as surprising as James’s message really.
Tommy looked at his daughter. “I’m going to call Uncle James back...”
“Okay,” she answered briefly, and curled up on one of the armchairs. He looked at her worriedly. After her bitter tears in the principal’s office, she had pulled tightly into herself.
Picking up the phone, he dialled James’s number. It only rang once before someone answered.
“Tommy?”
“Hey, James... I got your call.” He didn’t really know how to begin. How did you begin a conversation like this?
“The CBI called you? You know?”
“Yes... I spoke to them.” He couldn’t say anything else, the words sticking in his throat.
“Thank God... I was dreading having to tell you. I still can’t believe it, you know...”
“Yeah... I can’t either.”
For a moment, there was silence on both ends of the line, then James spoke hurriedly.
“Anyway, Liz and I have been thinking, we shouldn’t be alone at a time like this. Why don’t you come over, stay the weekend? I guess Annie has school, and I don’t know if you can take the time off, but you could always come on Saturday, or even earlier if you can.”
“Thanks, James... I’d like that. Tig - Tig Muldoon, I’m working for him - he told me to take the rest of the week off, so I’ll just check with Annie about school and phone you back, okay?”
“Okay - Tommy, I spoke to Mark too. He’s coming.”
“Well... I guess we can act like adults for once, right? And you and Liz are right, we should be together.”
“That’s all right, then. Talk to you in a minute.”
“Sure thing.”
Hanging up, he looked at Annie. She was still in her armchair, looking small and lost as she sat with her legs pulled up and her arms around them. Her face was buried in her knees, half covered by her dark hair, and he couldn't see her expression.
“Uncle James wants us to spend the weekend with him. Do you have anything important at school these days? If you don’t we could go this afternoon...”
For a few seconds, she gave no sign of having heard him, and he took a step towards her. Then she looked up, her face drawn, and nodded slowly. “Let’s go today. School’s fine, we’re not doing much.”
“Okay, I’ll just let James know. Do you want to start packing your clothes?”
“Sure.” She stood up and started walking towards her room, then turned back.
“He didn’t do it.”
Tommy looked at her in puzzlement. “James didn’t do what?”
“No, not Uncle James. Mr Jane. He didn’t do it.”
“Annie, I know it’s hard to believe...”
“No, I’m sure of it. He wouldn’t have hurt them. This is a trick. It’s got to be. You know how Auntie Reese told us he always had these crazy plans, really mad ones, but they always worked out in the end? This is another one. I know it is.”
For a second, he let himself hope. Then reality came crashing back in, pointing out everything wrong with her idea.
“I wish it was, but what about Rigsby? They have his body, they know he’s dead... I’m sorry, Annie, but I’m afraid we have to accept it.”
She shook her head stubbornly. “It’s a trick. It is. It has to be.”
He sighed. “I just wish I could believe it.”
When she continued to shake her head, he didn’t press the point. If it helped her to believe it wasn’t real, what could it hurt? Let her hold on to hope while there was still any left.
******
“Come in, come in, both of you,” James’s wife, Liz, welcomed them. “You must be tired out, driving all afternoon... Annie, poor dear, you look done in. Would you like to just have a quick snack and head for bed?”
“Could I just go to bed, please?” the girl asked quietly. The strain of the day, and the long drive, had taken its toll. Her eyes, red from crying, stood out in her chalk-white face.
“Of course, darling. Come with me, I’ll take you up. Tommy - oh, here are James and Mark. I’ll leave you to it.” With that, she whisked Annie upstairs.
The brothers looked at each other, hesitating. Then, suddenly, James stepped forwards and hugged him tightly. Mark, more slowly and awkwardly, joined them, and the three embraced.
“Come in and sit down, you must be exhausted,” James said, finally releasing him. “How’s Annie taking it?”
Tommy shook his head as he collapsed on the couch. “She just doesn’t believe it. She insists it’s a trick, and that Reese’ll show up alive and well - that they all will, Rigsby and Jane too. Your boys? How are they doing?”
“Not well... I don’t think they really understand what’s happening.”
“Denial,” Mark stated. “It’s a classic part of the grieving process.”
“We don’t know yet that we have to grieve for her,” Tommy muttered, annoyed at Mark, and at himself for being so easily irritated. Mark just shook his head.
James, ever the peacemaker, intervened. “You met Reese’s team that time you were up in California, didn’t you, Tommy? What did you think of Jane? Mark’s been going over all the news stories he can find, but if you actually met him in person...”
Tommy spread his hands helplessly.
“I didn’t really spend much time with him, I was after a skip... Annie did, because Reese took her to her office for the day, and she really liked him.” He’d been trying to remember all he could about Jane on the way here, so the memories came easily. “He showed her some magic tricks, I think he used to be a stage magician, right?”
Mark nodded. “And fake psychic, that was his main job.”
“Right... he actually taught her to pick pockets, too, I remember Reese was kind of mad about it.”
“Kind of? I’d have thought she’d go up in flames!”
“Me too, but... she could see the fun side, too.... she’d kind of lightened up.” A tiny smile twitched at the corners of his lips at the memory, then vanished, and he shrugged. “That’s really all I remember about him.”
“You know about his past, how he lost his family?” James asked.
“A bit... he’d told Annie a little when she asked, but she said he changed the subject quick and she didn’t want to bring it up again. Reese told us a bit more afterwards, so I know the basic story about Red John, but not much else.”
“I’ve been reading about it... It seems he cracked up for a while after their death.” Mark said.
“Not surprising, really...” James commented.
“Yes, but I’ve been thinking, what if it’s related? Maybe something happened and he had a breakdown?”
“Maybe...” Tommy’s answer trailed off into a yawn.
“You’d better get some sleep... I suppose we all should, really.”
“Oh, I’m fine, just a bit tired... I don’t think I could sleep yet, anyway. I just - it hasn’t really sunk in yet, I think. I keep expecting the phone to ring and Reese to tell us it was all a mistake...”
“So do I,” James admitted quietly. Mark slowly agreed.
“Oh, to hell with this, I’m having a drink. You two want one?” James stood up and moved towards the door.
“Sure, thanks,” Tommy replied.
Mark hesitated.
“You’re allowed to drink, you know - ”
“Yes. I know.” Mark snapped out, short and clipped. Then, consciously relaxing, he added, “Yes, James, I’ll have one.”
“Sorry... I didn’t mean...” Tommy began.
“It’s all right. I know there’s nothing wrong with it - damn it, Reese used to have a drink with you guys every now and then - it’s just - “
“I know.”
“Yeah.”
The pair sat, in awkward silence, until the middle brother returned, glasses balanced on a tray.
“Here you go.” Handing out the drinks to his brothers, he raised his glass.
“To Reese... wherever she is.”
The three toasted solemnly, dreading in their hearts what the answer might be.
******
“I’m so, so sorry, I know how much it must have hurt you, but it was the only chance we had. We’ve been after Red John for so long, and this was the best shot we’d had, we had to try...”
Tommy stared at the speaker-phone, scarcely able to believe that he was really hearing Reese’s voice. The voice that for the past two days, he'd feared he'd never hear again. He’d heard that she and Rigsby were both fine, that it was in fact a ruse, just like Annie guessed, but it still hadn’t sunk in. She was alive, that was all that mattered.
“Did you get him?” James asked, leaning towards the phone.
“No,” she answered with a sigh, “but we did capture one of his inside people, so we have a lead.”
“Better than nothing, right?” James said encouragingly. “And so long as you’re okay, that’s what matters.”
“Thank you for being so understanding - “ Reese started to answer, but Mark cut her off.
“Whose idea was it?” He hadn’t spoken until now, letting his brothers do the talking, and his voice was taut with suppressed emotion.
“They’re my team, I take responsibility...”
“Oh, save that shit for your boss, Reese,” Mark snapped. “I don’t care if you take responsibility, I want to know whose plan it was.”
“Well - it was Jane’s, but I agreed - “
“Jane! What the hell kind of hold does he have on you, that you went along with this fucking lunacy?” he yelled, suddenly exploding.
“Mark, calm down! This isn’t helpful.” James laid a hand on his brother’s arm, but Mark pulled away furiously.
“I don’t give a damn whether it’s helpful, James! We thought she was dead - we thought you were dead, Reese!” he shouted into the phone. “And Rigsby’s family, what about them? Did your precious Jane even think about what he was putting us through? Did you?”
“I did think about it, it was killing me...” Tommy could hear the pain in her voice, but he knew all too well from past experience that trying to interfere in the argument would just make it worse. He wasn’t even sure whose side he was on, anyway - Reese had put them through hell, but she’d be beating herself up enough about it without Mark screaming at her.
“Reese, it’s fine, we understand - Mark, seriously, stop yelling,” James interjected.
“Shut up, James! If it was really ‘killing you’, why the fuck did you do it?”
“Why? So we could catch a serial killer, that’s why!” Reese was starting to get mad, Tommy could hear it.
“Screw that. It’s because it was Jane’s idea and you couldn’t say no to him,” Mark snapped.
“How the hell dare you - “ she began furiously, when a new voice cut her off.
“SHUT UP! Shut up, all of you! She’s alive! Auntie Reese is alive!”
Tommy jumped up as soon as he heard her. Annie was standing in the doorway, with James’ boys hovering behind her; they must have just got back from their softball game. The twins’ eyes were wide with fear, and Tommy wondered just how much they had heard. Quite a bit of what Mark had been saying, to guess from the way Annie was glaring at her uncle.
“Jon! Matt! Annie! How long have you been here?” James exclaimed, also jumping to his feet.
“Um... a while... we heard the shouting...” Jon mumbled nervously, looking at his twin for support.
Annie ignored everyone, running through the room. “Auntie Reese, I’m so happy you’re alive!” she said into the phone.
“Oh darling, I’m so sorry I worried you, but we were trying to trick Red John.”
“I know, I heard... anyway, I knew it was a trick, didn’t I, Dad? I knew Jane wouldn’t have hurt you,” Annie answered, a huge smile on her face as Tommy confirmed that she had guessed it.
“Well, I think we’d better let you go, Reese, I’m sure you have a lot to sort out over there, and I think we all need some time to process everything,” James stepped in, taking advantage of the kids’ interruption to put an end to the argument.
As they said their goodbyes, Tommy sat down next to Annie and pulled her into a tight hug. He still couldn't quite believe it, part of his mind wondering if the past two days had been some horrible dream, another part asking if this was the dream. Looking down at his daughter, he felt a sudden burst of warm happiness and relief at the look of sheer joy on her face, so different from the grief-stricken girl of a few hours ago. James was right; they did need time to sort things out. Reese had hurt them, even if she hadn’t wanted to and had had good reasons for it; he could feel, deep down, the same fury Mark had shown after the anguish she'd put them through, but he pushed it away. They’d work it out, together. Right now, all that mattered was that she was alive; that their family was still there, unbroken.
Fandom: The Mentalist
Rating: PG-13
Length: 3819 words
Summary: “Mr Thomas Lisbon? This is Special Agent Luther Wainwright of the California Bureau of Investigation. I need to speak with you urgently about your sister, Agent Teresa Lisbon. Please contact me as soon as possible.”
Lisbon's family during the events of 4x24, "The Crimson Hat".
Links to art: lothiriel84 | lilsmiles86 (coming soon!)
Notes: Written for the Mentalist Big Bang at mentalist_bb. Thanks to lothiriel84 and lilsmiles86 for their lovely artwork (and to lothiriel for the title!). And thank you so much to bluealoe for being the best beta ever!
Settling in the driver’s seat of his van, Tommy turned the key in the ignition, humming cheerfully. He’d finally caught the skip he’d been after for the last few days. All he had to do now was drive back and hand him over to Tig Muldoon, and he could collect his payment. He’d see Annie, too. She’d stayed at a friend’s house the night before while he was chasing his fugitive, and he knew she’d have had a great time, but he couldn’t wait to see her. Turning on the radio, he flicked through the channels until he found a station playing a good rock song, and started his drive.
It was almost noon, and Tommy was beginning to think about pulling over at a gas station to get a sandwich, when his cell phone rang. Slowing down a little, he fished it out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. Not a number he knew... odd... was that a California area code? Maybe it was Reese, but why wouldn’t she call from her own phone? He hit “answer”.
“Hello, Thomas Lisbon here. Don’t hang up, I have to pull the van over.”
Placing the phone on the empty seat next to him, he quickly stopped at the roadside and picked it up again. “Hello?”
“Am I speaking to Mr Lisbon?” Not Reese’s voice. A man's. He sounded official, somehow, very sharp and precise.
“Yes, who’s this?”
“I'm Special Agent Luther Wainwright of the CBI. We’ve been trying to get in touch with you in connection with your sister, Agent Teresa Lisbon.”
“What about Teresa? Is she... all right?” He couldn’t control the dread that gripped his heart, or the chill that ran through his body.
“I'm afraid not; I’m sorry to have to inform you that Agent Lisbon is missing, presumed dead.”
“What - How - What happened?!” It couldn't be true. It just couldn't. He felt frozen, numb. It had to be a mistake.
“A former consultant, Patrick Jane, entered the CBI last night. There were shots heard, and he left the building with Agent Lisbon either unconscious or dead, killing another of her team, Agent Rigsby, as he left. We’ve been trying to contact you ever since; your employer, Mr Muldoon, gave us this number.”
“Jane?! But... he worked with her!” He'd started trembling uncontrollably, and he tightened his grasp on the phone, afraid he would drop it.
“He’d left the CBI six months ago, and had no known contact with anyone from the Bureau after that.”
“But they were friends!” It was wrong, it had to be. Surely the charming, genial man who’d been so nice to Annie couldn’t have done this.
“Yes... it’s a tragedy for all of us.” The man’s voice hitched slightly, and Tommy realised he must have known Reese and Jane and Rigsby, have worked with them even. He must be struggling to stay professional. “Mr Lisbon, please rest assured that we’re doing everything in our power to find him and bring him to justice. I apologise for informing you of this so impersonally, but it was a priority to inform the public through the media, and we needed to let you know before you heard it through other sources.”
“Yes, of course, I understand...” Tommy’s head was reeling. It couldn't be, it just couldn't be true. Of course Reese's job was dangerous, he'd always known that, but he'd never really thought he would get a call like this. He wanted to scream at the man on the other end, demand that he take it back, say it wasn't true, it was a mistake, a lie, anything. Anything that would mean his sister wasn't gone. Desperately, he clutched at the last strand of hope. “You said he left with her? So you don’t know that she’s dead, he could just have kidnapped her?”
Agent Wainwright sighed. “It’s a possibility, but a slim one. We are taking it into account, but several shots were fired, and he certainly did murder Agent Rigsby. I’m sorry, but I can’t give you false hope.”
“I... I understand...” Tommy's voice cracked, and he took a deep breath, forcing down the sob that was trying to break through. He had to stay strong, for Reese's sake. Suddenly, he realised something the man had said earlier. “Wait, you said the press been told?”
“Yes. I’m sorry you didn’t hear from us earlier, we’ve been trying to contact all Agent Lisbon’s next of kin, but your brothers couldn’t give us another number for you.”
“Yeah... I was chasing a skip... Oh God, I have to get back and break it to Annie before she hears it on the news.”
“Your daughter, sir?”
“Yes... thank you for phoning me, but I have to go.”
“Of course. My condolences, and I guarantee you we’ll find her and Jane. We’ll contact you as soon as we have more information. If you need to get in touch with us, you can call this number…”
The agent continued to talk, saying something about the search efforts, but Tommy didn’t - couldn’t - take it in. He didn’t have time, he said, cutting across the other man; he had to go, now.
Tommy hung up numbly. He couldn’t believe it. Reese couldn’t be gone, it just wasn’t possible. He could feel despair threatening to overwhelm him, and concentrated on one fixed idea - he had to get to Annie, had to tell her before she found out from someone else. So long as she hadn’t heard it already - No, she couldn’t have, or she’d have phoned him. He looked at his watch again. 12:25 pm. An hour and three quarters drive, drop off the skip at Tig’s, beg him to deal with the paperwork, another 15 minutes to Annie’s school... Call it half past two, and Annie finished school at 3. He could do it. Just.
He started the van up again, furiously jabbing the radio off, and set off, all his being focussed on the need to reach his daughter.
******
Annie looked longingly at the clock. Still thirty minutes to go until the end of Geography. It seemed an eternity, but it would pass eventually. And who knew? Maybe Dad would be back when she got home! But there were still... twenty nine minutes of boring maps to do. Resignedly, she bent her head over her work again.
All the students looked up in surprise when the door opened and the principal’s secretary came in. As she walked to the teacher’s desk, they looked around at each other, trying to figure out if anyone was in trouble. Annie, however, was just as surprised as everyone else when Mr Lee called her over.
“Don’t worry, Annie, you’re not in trouble,” her teacher said reassuringly. Annie wasn’t entirely reassured, though; both grown-ups were looking at her strangely. “Your dad’s come to pick you up, he’s waiting for you in the principal’s office.”
“Dad’s here? Why?” Annie asked in confusion. The adults exchanged a look she couldn’t interpret.
“I think it’s best if he tells you... Now get your things together and go with Ms Green, please.”
“Yes, sir,” she replied, puzzled and worried. Stuffing everything quickly into her backpack, and mouthing a blank “I don’t know” in response to her friends’ questioning looks, she hurried out of the classroom and followed Ms Green to the principal’s office.
When they reached the office, she found her father pacing round the small room. She was shocked by how haggard he looked. His face was paler than she’d ever seen it, his hands twisted into each other.
“Dad? Is... is everything all right?” she asked tentatively.
“Oh, Annie, come here, love... you’d better sit down.” As he guided her to a chair, Principal Turner, who’d been sitting behind his desk, rose and left, murmuring a few words about giving them privacy.
“Dad, what is it? Please, just tell me!” Annie begged, truly frightened now. A cold shiver ran down her spine.
“Annie, I - I have bad news. The CBI called me... They - Oh, Annie, they think Reese is dead!” Tommy’s voice cracked on the last word, and he crumpled into the chair next to hers.
Annie was frozen. She wanted - needed - to know more, but the words wouldn’t come out. She stared speechlessly at her father.
“It was Patrick Jane... he’d quit his job, and he came back and kidnapped Reese, but they think he shot her first...”
“No...no! He couldn’t have!” Annie found her voice again as she passionately denied it, but Tommy just shook his head.
“I said the same, but it was him... He killed Rigsby too, as he was leaving. She might be alive, but they don’t have much hope. I’m sorry, baby...”
He put his arms around her and held her close as they both wept.
******
The answering machine was flashing when they returned home. Mechanically, Annie pressed play.
The first three were from Agent Wainwright, all saying the same thing. “Mr Thomas Lisbon? This is Special Agent Luther Wainwright of the California Bureau of Investigation. I need to speak with you urgently about your sister, Agent Teresa Lisbon. Please contact me as soon as possible.”
The fourth was different. “Tommy? This is James. The CBI phoned me... They were trying to call you, too, but you weren’t answering, and I couldn’t give them a cell phone number, how stupid is that? Can’t contact my own brother... Oh God, Tommy, it’s Reese - just - call me when you hear this, okay?”
No message as such from Mark, but he’d called and hung up. Almost as surprising as James’s message really.
Tommy looked at his daughter. “I’m going to call Uncle James back...”
“Okay,” she answered briefly, and curled up on one of the armchairs. He looked at her worriedly. After her bitter tears in the principal’s office, she had pulled tightly into herself.
Picking up the phone, he dialled James’s number. It only rang once before someone answered.
“Tommy?”
“Hey, James... I got your call.” He didn’t really know how to begin. How did you begin a conversation like this?
“The CBI called you? You know?”
“Yes... I spoke to them.” He couldn’t say anything else, the words sticking in his throat.
“Thank God... I was dreading having to tell you. I still can’t believe it, you know...”
“Yeah... I can’t either.”
For a moment, there was silence on both ends of the line, then James spoke hurriedly.
“Anyway, Liz and I have been thinking, we shouldn’t be alone at a time like this. Why don’t you come over, stay the weekend? I guess Annie has school, and I don’t know if you can take the time off, but you could always come on Saturday, or even earlier if you can.”
“Thanks, James... I’d like that. Tig - Tig Muldoon, I’m working for him - he told me to take the rest of the week off, so I’ll just check with Annie about school and phone you back, okay?”
“Okay - Tommy, I spoke to Mark too. He’s coming.”
“Well... I guess we can act like adults for once, right? And you and Liz are right, we should be together.”
“That’s all right, then. Talk to you in a minute.”
“Sure thing.”
Hanging up, he looked at Annie. She was still in her armchair, looking small and lost as she sat with her legs pulled up and her arms around them. Her face was buried in her knees, half covered by her dark hair, and he couldn't see her expression.
“Uncle James wants us to spend the weekend with him. Do you have anything important at school these days? If you don’t we could go this afternoon...”
For a few seconds, she gave no sign of having heard him, and he took a step towards her. Then she looked up, her face drawn, and nodded slowly. “Let’s go today. School’s fine, we’re not doing much.”
“Okay, I’ll just let James know. Do you want to start packing your clothes?”
“Sure.” She stood up and started walking towards her room, then turned back.
“He didn’t do it.”
Tommy looked at her in puzzlement. “James didn’t do what?”
“No, not Uncle James. Mr Jane. He didn’t do it.”
“Annie, I know it’s hard to believe...”
“No, I’m sure of it. He wouldn’t have hurt them. This is a trick. It’s got to be. You know how Auntie Reese told us he always had these crazy plans, really mad ones, but they always worked out in the end? This is another one. I know it is.”
For a second, he let himself hope. Then reality came crashing back in, pointing out everything wrong with her idea.
“I wish it was, but what about Rigsby? They have his body, they know he’s dead... I’m sorry, Annie, but I’m afraid we have to accept it.”
She shook her head stubbornly. “It’s a trick. It is. It has to be.”
He sighed. “I just wish I could believe it.”
When she continued to shake her head, he didn’t press the point. If it helped her to believe it wasn’t real, what could it hurt? Let her hold on to hope while there was still any left.
******
“Come in, come in, both of you,” James’s wife, Liz, welcomed them. “You must be tired out, driving all afternoon... Annie, poor dear, you look done in. Would you like to just have a quick snack and head for bed?”
“Could I just go to bed, please?” the girl asked quietly. The strain of the day, and the long drive, had taken its toll. Her eyes, red from crying, stood out in her chalk-white face.
“Of course, darling. Come with me, I’ll take you up. Tommy - oh, here are James and Mark. I’ll leave you to it.” With that, she whisked Annie upstairs.
The brothers looked at each other, hesitating. Then, suddenly, James stepped forwards and hugged him tightly. Mark, more slowly and awkwardly, joined them, and the three embraced.
“Come in and sit down, you must be exhausted,” James said, finally releasing him. “How’s Annie taking it?”
Tommy shook his head as he collapsed on the couch. “She just doesn’t believe it. She insists it’s a trick, and that Reese’ll show up alive and well - that they all will, Rigsby and Jane too. Your boys? How are they doing?”
“Not well... I don’t think they really understand what’s happening.”
“Denial,” Mark stated. “It’s a classic part of the grieving process.”
“We don’t know yet that we have to grieve for her,” Tommy muttered, annoyed at Mark, and at himself for being so easily irritated. Mark just shook his head.
James, ever the peacemaker, intervened. “You met Reese’s team that time you were up in California, didn’t you, Tommy? What did you think of Jane? Mark’s been going over all the news stories he can find, but if you actually met him in person...”
Tommy spread his hands helplessly.
“I didn’t really spend much time with him, I was after a skip... Annie did, because Reese took her to her office for the day, and she really liked him.” He’d been trying to remember all he could about Jane on the way here, so the memories came easily. “He showed her some magic tricks, I think he used to be a stage magician, right?”
Mark nodded. “And fake psychic, that was his main job.”
“Right... he actually taught her to pick pockets, too, I remember Reese was kind of mad about it.”
“Kind of? I’d have thought she’d go up in flames!”
“Me too, but... she could see the fun side, too.... she’d kind of lightened up.” A tiny smile twitched at the corners of his lips at the memory, then vanished, and he shrugged. “That’s really all I remember about him.”
“You know about his past, how he lost his family?” James asked.
“A bit... he’d told Annie a little when she asked, but she said he changed the subject quick and she didn’t want to bring it up again. Reese told us a bit more afterwards, so I know the basic story about Red John, but not much else.”
“I’ve been reading about it... It seems he cracked up for a while after their death.” Mark said.
“Not surprising, really...” James commented.
“Yes, but I’ve been thinking, what if it’s related? Maybe something happened and he had a breakdown?”
“Maybe...” Tommy’s answer trailed off into a yawn.
“You’d better get some sleep... I suppose we all should, really.”
“Oh, I’m fine, just a bit tired... I don’t think I could sleep yet, anyway. I just - it hasn’t really sunk in yet, I think. I keep expecting the phone to ring and Reese to tell us it was all a mistake...”
“So do I,” James admitted quietly. Mark slowly agreed.
“Oh, to hell with this, I’m having a drink. You two want one?” James stood up and moved towards the door.
“Sure, thanks,” Tommy replied.
Mark hesitated.
“You’re allowed to drink, you know - ”
“Yes. I know.” Mark snapped out, short and clipped. Then, consciously relaxing, he added, “Yes, James, I’ll have one.”
“Sorry... I didn’t mean...” Tommy began.
“It’s all right. I know there’s nothing wrong with it - damn it, Reese used to have a drink with you guys every now and then - it’s just - “
“I know.”
“Yeah.”
The pair sat, in awkward silence, until the middle brother returned, glasses balanced on a tray.
“Here you go.” Handing out the drinks to his brothers, he raised his glass.
“To Reese... wherever she is.”
The three toasted solemnly, dreading in their hearts what the answer might be.
******
“I’m so, so sorry, I know how much it must have hurt you, but it was the only chance we had. We’ve been after Red John for so long, and this was the best shot we’d had, we had to try...”
Tommy stared at the speaker-phone, scarcely able to believe that he was really hearing Reese’s voice. The voice that for the past two days, he'd feared he'd never hear again. He’d heard that she and Rigsby were both fine, that it was in fact a ruse, just like Annie guessed, but it still hadn’t sunk in. She was alive, that was all that mattered.
“Did you get him?” James asked, leaning towards the phone.
“No,” she answered with a sigh, “but we did capture one of his inside people, so we have a lead.”
“Better than nothing, right?” James said encouragingly. “And so long as you’re okay, that’s what matters.”
“Thank you for being so understanding - “ Reese started to answer, but Mark cut her off.
“Whose idea was it?” He hadn’t spoken until now, letting his brothers do the talking, and his voice was taut with suppressed emotion.
“They’re my team, I take responsibility...”
“Oh, save that shit for your boss, Reese,” Mark snapped. “I don’t care if you take responsibility, I want to know whose plan it was.”
“Well - it was Jane’s, but I agreed - “
“Jane! What the hell kind of hold does he have on you, that you went along with this fucking lunacy?” he yelled, suddenly exploding.
“Mark, calm down! This isn’t helpful.” James laid a hand on his brother’s arm, but Mark pulled away furiously.
“I don’t give a damn whether it’s helpful, James! We thought she was dead - we thought you were dead, Reese!” he shouted into the phone. “And Rigsby’s family, what about them? Did your precious Jane even think about what he was putting us through? Did you?”
“I did think about it, it was killing me...” Tommy could hear the pain in her voice, but he knew all too well from past experience that trying to interfere in the argument would just make it worse. He wasn’t even sure whose side he was on, anyway - Reese had put them through hell, but she’d be beating herself up enough about it without Mark screaming at her.
“Reese, it’s fine, we understand - Mark, seriously, stop yelling,” James interjected.
“Shut up, James! If it was really ‘killing you’, why the fuck did you do it?”
“Why? So we could catch a serial killer, that’s why!” Reese was starting to get mad, Tommy could hear it.
“Screw that. It’s because it was Jane’s idea and you couldn’t say no to him,” Mark snapped.
“How the hell dare you - “ she began furiously, when a new voice cut her off.
“SHUT UP! Shut up, all of you! She’s alive! Auntie Reese is alive!”
Tommy jumped up as soon as he heard her. Annie was standing in the doorway, with James’ boys hovering behind her; they must have just got back from their softball game. The twins’ eyes were wide with fear, and Tommy wondered just how much they had heard. Quite a bit of what Mark had been saying, to guess from the way Annie was glaring at her uncle.
“Jon! Matt! Annie! How long have you been here?” James exclaimed, also jumping to his feet.
“Um... a while... we heard the shouting...” Jon mumbled nervously, looking at his twin for support.
Annie ignored everyone, running through the room. “Auntie Reese, I’m so happy you’re alive!” she said into the phone.
“Oh darling, I’m so sorry I worried you, but we were trying to trick Red John.”
“I know, I heard... anyway, I knew it was a trick, didn’t I, Dad? I knew Jane wouldn’t have hurt you,” Annie answered, a huge smile on her face as Tommy confirmed that she had guessed it.
“Well, I think we’d better let you go, Reese, I’m sure you have a lot to sort out over there, and I think we all need some time to process everything,” James stepped in, taking advantage of the kids’ interruption to put an end to the argument.
As they said their goodbyes, Tommy sat down next to Annie and pulled her into a tight hug. He still couldn't quite believe it, part of his mind wondering if the past two days had been some horrible dream, another part asking if this was the dream. Looking down at his daughter, he felt a sudden burst of warm happiness and relief at the look of sheer joy on her face, so different from the grief-stricken girl of a few hours ago. James was right; they did need time to sort things out. Reese had hurt them, even if she hadn’t wanted to and had had good reasons for it; he could feel, deep down, the same fury Mark had shown after the anguish she'd put them through, but he pushed it away. They’d work it out, together. Right now, all that mattered was that she was alive; that their family was still there, unbroken.