The River With a Crimson Current-The Mentalist

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Wayne Rigsby

We're all sat round the table in the bullpen apart from Jane who's drinking tea on his couch. Cho's flicking through the case files, Grace is looking at the little girl in the locket and Lisbon and I are sat scanning everything on the table.

"So far," she begins. "We've got three victims and hundreds of suspects."

"That's just a slight exaggeration," Jane says.

"These fingerprints could help us a lot. Why're they taking so long? Did you tell them it was priority?" Boss asks me.

"Uh... Yep. They said they'd call you."

Cho throws a file onto the surface of the table and looks at Jane. "You said there were different killers but you didn't specify who?"

"Well..." His cup clinks as it lands on the saucer. "I have a few hunches..."

"We don't need one of your hunches, we need solid evidence," Lisbon says.

"Give me time and space and your wish is my command. I just need to fit the last pieces of the puzzle together and then, eureka!"

Lisbon looks at him with a doubtful expression, I'm clearly not the only one questioning Jane's expertise.

"Who're your hunches?" I ask.

Jane turns to me and rests his saucer on his lap while sucking in his lips. He sighs then begins,

"Well... I believed Bonnie when he said he didn't do it. Too much of a scaredy-cat. And after narrowing down a list of several suspects I'm left with Peter Brinston."

"You've not even met him," Boss argues.

"So?"

"You're simply going to announce this unknown suspect a mass murderer?"

"He's hardly unknown," he remarks. I stand up and go to my desk as Cho and Grace follow my lead. This is only the beginning of one of their squabbles. Something you don't want to be in the middle of.

"The man's got an identity and that's it!" Lisbon says, exasperated.

"But fit the pieces of the puzzle together."

"There are no pieces Jane!"

At this point Cho gets up and Van Pelt throws an awkward glance at me from across the office.

"You guys want a coffee? I'm getting one," Cho offers. We both nod and lower our heads behind our screens again as he goes to the kitchenette.

"You're doing the typical, 'start with the corners'. You shouldn't always start a puzzle with the corners. They can get very misleading," Jane finally replies to a frustrated Lisbon.

"All I'm doing is being logical and a proper detective."

"You're right." At this the three of us look at him with utter shock. "I have no evidence to back up my theory-"

"Wait. You have a theory?"

"Well yes. How do you think I came to this seemingly absurd conclusion?"

"What's the theory?" Boss asks, her anger temporarily drained.

"Peter Brinston had arranged an appointment the day before the murder of Menna. He must have shown up with a bunch of roses for her but Bonnie was there. Later, when she left work, he killed her for having an affair."

Lisbon sits there considering his supposition. "It seems plausible..." She says. "But why didn't he go after Bonnie?"

"Well that was only one of my many theories."

"What if... It wasn't Bonnie in with Menna, but Daniel confronting her?" Grace chirps.

"Yes. And then Peter kills Daniel," I conclude.

Boss faces us. "But why? What would be the motive?"

Van Pelt turns round in her chair so she's looking toward Jane and Lisbon. "Maybe he overheard something about Bonnie having an affair with her?"

"Right, Van Pelt, locate Brinston. We're bringing him in for interrogation."

"On it."

"Rigsby, ask Bonnie about Peter. See what he knows."

"'Kay Boss," I reply and head straight to the interrogation room where Bonnie's being held.