The Red Stars {Book One} The Mentalist

7: The Red Child

"So what do you have?" Lisbon asked the others has we walked into the room. VanPelt gave her a file that Lisbon started to go through. 

"You already know the name, and his record is clean. Once got sued for someone who he nearly killed. Didn't pass. Man was pissed, and said he would get him in a lot of letters. Had an office right next to the restaurant where he worked," VanPelt filled us in. 

"Also had a sister. Tiffany Wright. Has three children and is married," Cho added. 

"What about his boss?" Lisbon asked. 

"He cared for him and didn't want to see him die," Rigsby told her. 

"Alright, VanPelt, you and Thomas go see what you can find out with the sister. Rigsby, me and you are going to go see this man who might be pushed to kill. Cho, you and Jane go look at the office. Get moving everyone, we have a crime to solve." 

VanPelt and I walked down to her car and we took off. I smiled at her when she looked at me, and she returned it. We drove to the house of the sister and we heard children laughing and screaming, all I would expect to hear from three. I knocked on the door and a woman about in her late thirties answered. She was holding a baby, and I saw three more children run by, followed by a teen. 

"Play date and baby sitting?" I asked. She smiled and nodded. 

"Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked so sweetly, that I didn't want to ruin the mood she was in. Her light brown hair had tips of blonde in them, and her hazel eyes had a lot of joy in them. Her skin had freckles all over. 

"Tiffany Wright?" I asked her. 

"Yes." 

"We're with the CBI, and would like to ask you some questions. I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but someone killed your brother last night," Grace told her. 

"What? Oh no, Ben! Please come inside, and sorry for the mess." 

We followed her into a room that looked untouched by the children. She sat the baby down and told the teenager to watch it. I looked at the girl, and she looked so much like Ben, besides the fact that she was a female. I couldn't shack the feeling that she was even more related to her uncle then they let on. My attain was turned to Tiffany talking to us. 

"What happened to Ben? Who killed him?" she asked us. 

"We don't know who or why," I answered. "He was beat to death by a baseball bat. Do you need a minute before we continue?" 

"No, I'm fine. So what did you need to ask?" 

"Where were you last night?" VanPelt asked her. 

"Here with my husband and kids. It was my son's birthday yesterday, so we decided to have a day together." 

"You didn't leave at all?" I asked. 

"I didn't. Tim left to go get ice cream, and my daughter, Chris, can tell you that I never left. Trust me, I didn't kill Ben." 

"I believe you," I told her patting her hand. She was truthful in everything she said, that I knew this girl didn't kill her brother. "But I would like to talk to your husband. Where is he?" 

"Work," she answered. "He won't get off till eleven tonight. You are welcome to come back around three tomorrow since he will get off then to eat lunch. You just missed him." 

"Alright," VanPelt answered. "Is there anything you can tell us about Ben before we leave that might give us hints into who killed him." 

"Well he was upset about something. Every time we saw him he would start to yell at Tim about something. Tim is my husband, and the two almost always got along. I don't know what happened, but the only way to calm him down was if Chris or I talked to him. I never knew why Chris, for she barely ever talks to him. Maybe just a girl talking to him. Anyway, he told me that he was digging threw papers and such when he found out something that made him angry, and he was going to take it up with Tim the next time he saw him. Does this help? Maybe he got really upset and then made some choices he didn't live to regret." 

"Possibly. Thank you for your time," VanPelt told her. We left and she looked at me. 

"What are you thinking?" she asked. 

"I'm thinking I want to talk to this husband," I answered looking at the house. "There is some secret in this family that must of left someone no choice but to kill to keep it a secret. How about you?" 

"I'm thinking that you are a lot like Jane," she told me with a smile. "Hey, do you want some coffee or something later? I would really like to get to know you better, maybe be friends?" 

"I would like that." 

"Wait!" someone called has we were getting into the car. It was Tiffany and she was holding something. "I remembered something about Ben. He was going to move from his job, and this is a letter telling me all about it. I don't know if it's important, but I knew his boss, and he can be hard to deal with. He might of killed him also." 

"Thank you," I told her taking the letter, "I think we might be able to use this." 

"You're welcome. Please just find the damned person who did this to little Ben and put them away for life." 

"I think we can do that," I said with a smile, and she gave it back and walked inside her house. 

"Sweet girl," VanPelt said. "Do you think she killed Ben?" 

"No, I don't." I answered has we drove off, "but I have been know to be wrong. I hope she isn't, for those kids are going to need there mom when we bring this secret out into the open." 

So here is chapter 7! I would also like to say that I have more reads then I usually have this early on in a book. So proud of myself! So I have a silly question to ask: Who is one or two people in your top ten list? My is Patrick Jane (of course) and Brad Kavanagh. Who are yours? Of course you will get to see Rigsby at the side. Next is VanPelt, and then what I think Thomas would be like. Peace out my Stars!