The Mute Siren

Red Tide

"Victim is Christine Tanne, 15, drowned, washed up on the beach in Santa Marta," Lisbon explained to the team. "Who's got the ultraviolet?"

"Yep." Rigsby handed it over. "So she drowned. Why us?"

"The coroner found a wound consisting of getting hit in the head with a surfboard and water in her lungs. Only it was ditchwater. No salt, a lot of bugs,"

"So the killer is clever, but not as clever as he thinks he is," Jane said as he walked Van Pelt around the office.

"Sant Marta sheriff's not taking this one?" Van Pelt questioned.

"State beach, state case," Lisbon reasoned as she saw Patrick turning Van Pelt around the office. "Alright, what are you doing?"

"Grace is mentally telling me where she hid the van keys," Jane explained. "If I find them, I get to drive,"

"So now you're psychic?"

"Oh, no, no, no. This is all science. Concentrate, Grace. Tell me with your mind only. Forward, backward, left, right,"

"How is that science?" Cho wondered.

"Shh," Rigsby hushed.

Cho looked over at Syrena. "She watched you hide the keys,"

"Did not," Syrena signed.

Patrick moved to the plant by the office and pulled out the keys. "Come on, Syrena, you get shotgun,"

Syrena smiled as she hurried after her father.

"Can we go now?" Lisbon asked.

***

"You had the keys in your hand the whole time," Cho reasoned as the team walked on the beach.

"You've gotta let it go, man," Rigsby said.

"Did you have the keys in your hand?"

"If I tell you how it's done, the magic circle will send a team of assassins to kill us all. It's the law, right Syrena,"

Syrena nodded.

"Her body was discovered on this beach," Rigsby noted as he watched the beachgoers move about as if nothing had occurred. "Coast guard says that means she was put in the water anywhere within a mile north of here. Any further along the coast, the current would have taken her out to Mexico,"

"How long was she in the water?" Patrick wondered.

"We're still waiting on the coroner's report,"

A group of surfers walked up to the agents.

"Hey, excuse me. Are you guys cops?" A woman asked.

"CBI," Rigsby replied.

"What's CBI?"

"California Bureau of Investigation,"

"Cops," Syrena simplified.

"Cops," Patrick translated.

"So is what they're saying true?" the woman questioned. "Somebody killed Chris?"

"Yes," Patrick nodded, "it is true. You were Christine's friend?"

"Yeah. We hang out at the same breaks. I love Chris. What happened?"

"We don't know yet," Cho explained. "What's your name?"

"I'm Hope. That's Win," she nodded to the blonde male beside her.

"Hi," Win waved.

"Hi. When was the last time you saw Christine?"

"Uh, three days ago," Hope recalled. "Sunset patrol. Epic northeast swell. Chris loved to go out at sunset. She would stay out till it was dark as dark"

"How did she seem lately?" Patrick questioned. "Just, you know, any enemies or...stuff like that?"

"Uh, not-not around here." Win reasoned. "Everybody loved Chris,"

"Was she dating anybody?" Rigsby asked.

"Dating?"

"Okay, was she hooking up with anybody in particular?"

"Danny Kurtik, mostly," Hope replied.

"Jeez, Hope," Win said.

"What? They were hookin' up,"

Win shook his head. "Danny would never hurt Chris,"

"Duh, of course not. That's not what they were asking. They asked who she was hooking up with, which would be Danny. It wasn't a big, dark secret,"

Rigsby took out a journal. "I need you to write down your names and the numbers we can reach you at,"

Patrick walked over to Win. "Win?"

"Yeah?" Win asked.

"If Chris was a color, what color would she be?"

"Uh, orange..." Win said, "Or pink,"

"No, o-orange is right," Hope reasoned.

Patrick looked back at Hope. "If she were an animal, what kind of animal would she be?"

"Uh, I don't know. A rabbit? How is this relevant?"

"Everything's relevant,"

"Chris was a good person. I hope you find who did this,"

"We'll do our best,"