Ruby Red Dress-The Mentalist

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Grace Van Pelt

I am so embarrassed. After my heartwarming and awkward speech we hadn't spoken much. We pull up outside a house with white walls and orange coloured tiles on the roof.

'Let's go and save Cho,' I say. Trying to control the redness of my cheeks. I don't even give him time to reply, I fly out of the car and towards the front door. I knock politely and walk in, the same routine I do when I enter Lisbon's office.

The house Is pretty big but cozy. You can tell that an older woman lives here. I look around as Jane would do then see Cho coming out of a doorway.

'In here,' he says and motions for me to follow. I can hear Jane's shoes tap on the tiled floor as he wanders behind me.

I enter a room with two long sofas and an armchair. A woman of about fifty is sat crying, twisting a tissue in her hand. A man is sat next to her rubbing her back trying to comfort her. I can't see his face as he is turned towards the woman.

Her head darts up as I walk further into the room.

'I'm sorry for your loss ma'am,' I say. At that same time the man looks at me. I'm shocked to see who it is.

'Jack Johnson?' I ask. Recognising the man from the picture I had shown Lisbon.

'Just as I had suspected,' Jane says from behind me. Jack is sat there looking rather confused now.

'Yes?' He says.

'How do you know Mrs Collins?' I question further.

'Isn't that obvious? Come on Grace. NOW your embarrassing yourself,' Jane says cockily. Jack gives us both a look of disgust.

'She's my mother.'

'And is Kloë Oscar your partner?' I ask. He looks down at his lap and scratches his chin.

'Oh...Jack...you told me you had left her...' Genevieve Collins says. Her voice sounding frail and ever so quiet.

'I'm sorry mother...I did leave her though. I honestly did. But...we got back together.'

'Why did you get back with her Jack?' Jane and Genevieve both ask.

'The same reason other couples get back together. They love each other. You know the saying, absence makes the heart grow fonder. I can prove that now. Sorry, who are you?'

'I'm Patrick Jane and this is Agent Van Pelt.' I flash him my badge to confirm what Jane had just said.

He stands up to protect his mother from us.

'Why are you doing this to her?' He says. His posture and tone have changed completely.

'Uh...sorry...what are we doing?' Jane asks.

'She's just lost her daughter and-' Jane cuts in.

'I believe it's step-daughter.'

'Will you leave please.'

'We'd only like to ask Mrs Collins about Laura. We don't mean any harm,' I say.

'It's okay Jack. Let them stay,' Mrs Collins whispers. The fear in her eyes is more than obvious as she looks at her son.

'Is there somewhere...quiet we can go?' I ask her. Giving a pointed glance towards Jack. If he's in the room he'll probably answer the questions for her.

'Oh yes yes of course. Honey could you go and make the agents and I some tea,' she tells Jack. He nods but looks at us each in turn with an expression of uncertainty. He walks out of the room and pushes the glass doors to. 'I'm sorry about my son. He's trying to cope with the loss too...'

'I understand,' I say. 'Is it okay if we could ask you a few questions?'

'Yes, yes go ahead.' I walk over to the little arm chair and am about to sit on it when Jane whips in and plonks himself down. I sigh and roll my eyes as he gives me a smile. So I go to the other long couch opposite the woman.

'Do you know of Kloë Oscar?' I ask.

'She used to be Jacks girlfriend.'

'Used to be?' Jane questions.

'I don't know anymore. He told me face to face that he no longer went out with her. He told me right here in this very room. He knows I have a derry on her. There's just something about her that makes me on edge and she seems to be from the other side of town. You know...the dodgy side...' She says trying not to sound rude.

'Yes...what about Zachary?' Jane asks.

'Oh...my dear Zachary...' She begins to start sobbing again. 'Sorry. I'm sorry agents...'She wipes her nose with the wrinkled tissue. I decide that telling her Jane isn't an agent is being picky so I leave it.

'It's okay...just take your time...' Jane comforts. She flashes him a smile.

Suddenly we hear a smash from what I'm guessing is the direction of the kitchen. Our heads all dart towards the door expecting something to happen. But no one is there. Then I hear some shouting and thumping. I jump up and give Jane a look to tell him to stay here. I lightly walk out of the living room and into the hall just as Jack is running, full pelt, out of another doorway. I run towards him and jump onto him. Sending him and I flying across the floor.

I'm on top of him and grab his arms and bring them round to his back. I rest my knee on his forearm and grab my handcuffs, securing them around his wrists. Cho then comes running out from the same direction Jack had and I hear him stop behind me. I turn my head to see Cho, Jane and Genevieve stood there watching me. Jane smiling like I was his little girl who had just made an academic accomplishment. Cho in his signature move, arms crossed over his chest. And poor Genevieve on the end her hand over her mouth and looking worried. My knee has pain shooting through it from my landing on the tiled floor.

I look at Cho waiting for him to give me the reason as to why they were having a fight in the kitchen.

'He was trying to put drugs in your tea,' he says bluntly.

'Well that's not very nice,' Jane shakes his head like a child unimpressed by the flavour of ice-cream his mom had got him. Genevieve looks at him as though he is stupid. Cho and I roll our eyes.

I go to get up, minimising my weight on his back. He then pushes me off and I fall backwards. He manages, somehow, to wriggle to his feet and run away so I run after him. When I catch up with him he is still sprinting at the same pace, slower than earlier in the hallway as he doesn't have his arms to power him forward. I try to grab him but he pulls away. I think about jumping onto him again but he trips in front of me. I fall over him and my head hits the floor. I skid along the gravel road. The side of my face being dragged along too. I come to a halt and see Jack sprint past me and Cho seizing his shirt. I can't see what happens next because my eyes slowly close. My eyelids becoming increasingly heavy. I try to force them open but they won't. The pain becoming closer to unbearable.