The Red Stars {Book One} The Mentalist

6: The Interview

I was back at base after I caught Sara. Man, I was on fire today! I found the hole, which I'm sure Jane did too, I found the bag no one else saw, and I caught my first runner. I was in a pretty good mood until I remembered the six red stars on her back. I was watching Rigsby do the interview with her. Lisbon and Jane were beside me, while the others were looking up records on the victim. 

"So Sara," Rigsby said with a small smile, "do you want to tell me why you ran from Agent Thomas?" 

"I don't have to answer these questions," she answered. "You can't hold me with charges." 

"Well we have charges against you. Running away, uphold information, all that kind of stuff. So do you want to tell us why you ran? Or maybe why there is blood under your finger nails. How much do you want to bet that if we analyzed that blood it would match him?" 

Rigsby gave her a picture of the body, and I noticed something. I pulled Jane over while Rigsby continued. 

"She couldn't have killed him," I told him. He looked at me with a smile. 

"You saw it too?" he asked. 

"If you are talking about how he was hit and the woods, yes, I did." 

"Exactly," he told me going over to Lisbon. "Lisbon!" 

"What Jane?" she asked. 

"She couldn't have killed him." 

"Why couldn't she have?" 

"Well for one thing, the hit was delivered from behind him. Another is that the way he fell meant that the person would have had to have been with him. She clearly does know him, but I am guessing she was trying to save his life instead of killing him. Plus she can't get blood unless she physical touched the blood, which hitting the bat can't do." 

"Ugh, well why would she have ran?" 

"I'll have to figure it out." 

Rigsby came into the room looking upset. "Hey boss, she is willing to talk." 

"That's great," Lisbon replied. 

"But only to the person who caught her." 

"Me?" I asked. He nodded his head. I looked at Lisbon who gave me a reassuring smile. "I don't think I can. I have never been good at interrogating people." 

"You'll do fine. If you need us, just tape your figure twice. Now get in there," Lisbon told me. I walked into the room and sat down beside her. 

"Good, someone I can trust," Sara told me grinning. "You'll understand why I ran." 

"I will?" I asked. 

"Yes." 

"Then why don't you tell me all you know about Benjamin." 

"Ben," she told me with a dreamy look. "He liked to be called Ben." 

"Of course. What do you know about Ben? I know you didn't kill me, just give me the facts I need to prove it." 

"Well Ben was acting strange lately. Never giving me what I ordered when I asked for it, He seemed to grow upset even more than usual. He almost got into a fight until his sister calmed him down. Her name is Tiffany if you need to talk to her. The only family he has left. Poor girl." 

"Did Ben have any enemies or people who hated him?" 

"No, not at all." 

"No one?" 

"No wait, there is one person who was really mad at him. It was a customer who ordered a salad that had something he was allergic to. He cussed him out and broke his nose. That was after he was taken out of the hospital. Nearly died. Tried to sue Ben, but he didn't win." 

"Sounds like a good reason to kill someone, don't you think?" 

"It does." 

"Now why don't you tell me why you ran." 

"I was embarrassed when your friend saw the blood." 

"Why were you embarrassed?" 

"There aren't any guys listening are there?" 

"There is. Now answer the questions." 

She looked up and whispered in my ear why. I did understand why she ran. That is pretty embarrassing when people see that. I might have done the same. I taped my finger on the table cause I have no idea what to do. Lisbon came in to help. 

"Thank you for your corroboration," Lisbon told her with one of those smiles. "You can go home now Sara. Sorry for any harm or anything." 

"It's fine," Sara told the both of us. "I understand. Just go out and catch the guy who killed Ben. Call if you have any other questions." 

"We will." 

Sara walked out of the room and left. Lisbon looked at me. 

"You did good," she praised me. 

"Just doing my job," I replied. 

"Why did she run?" 

"Is Jane and Rigsby still listening?" 

"No. They left to go help Cho and VenPelt with something. Why?" 

"That was blood from her period Jane saw, not the victim." 

"Oh, now I see. Well I'm glad we could clear that up. Now I have a few questions to ask you, but you don't have to answer them if you don't want to." 

"Yes boss?" 

"You can call me Lisbon for a while, Thomas. You ready?" 

"I guess." 

"Do you feel like Jane can help you figure out what happened with the Red Stars?" 

"I do, but I don't know for sure if he can or not." 

"You do know that we will help in anyway we can to catch them, but things like this take time?" 

"Of course. I know that we will catch them once we get a few more leads, if any. I know it took years to get Red John, and that was one man with a few followers. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if it was some of them in the Red Stars." 

"I wouldn't either. That's all I have to ask. I hope that you show to be this helpful for all of our cases. Now let's go figure out what we can about Ben here." 

Well, here is the interview with her. I know, I have totally destroyed the killer you thought it was going to be. Well let's see, I think each case will be a few chapters, cause I can't just you know, have it happen in one, cause that would be a crime! Anyway, you will get to see Cho. Isn't he good looking? Hehe, sorry he isn't smiling, I couldn't find one with him doing it. He is mostly serious in the show, so that is why. Next will be Rigsby, than VanPelt, than what I think Thomas would look like. Peace out Stars!