Curious what Jane would do with a Forensic Anthropologist on the scene who wouldn't fall for his psychic tricks and charms... maybe.

I sighed, knocking on the door and wishing I could be doing anything else but standing here.

"Hello? Dr. Martin?"

He didn't answer, so I tried the door and wasn't surprised to find it unlocked. He often left it that way under the claims that he lived in a peaceful neighborhood and was fine with leaving it unlocked as long as he was inside. And I've told him he was nuts. We live in Sacramento and just like any other city anywhere, there are people who will take advantage of that sort of thing. Not that he listens. I rolled my eyes and shut the door behind me, walking through the small entryway and peeking into the living room.

"Dr. Martin?"

He wasn't in there either and I scratched the back of my head. Where the heck is he? He told me to be here for something important. He wouldn't just bail... unless... Worry gnawed at my stomach and I began to search a little faster, ducking into the kitchen and the den without any sight of the man.

"Come on, Dr. Martin! This isn't funny!" I called out, growing frantic as I unconsciously twisted the wedding ring on my finger; bad memories floating to the surface of my mind.

He had to of called me here because he knows I work with the police and probably assumed I could help him with something. That's why he didn't tell me over the phone. God! How stupid could I be?! He's probably in trouble because I assumed this would be a regular visit!

"Doctor! Doctor, where are you?!" I asked, moving up the stairs now that I'd cleared the first floor.

I debated on whether or not to call the police, but I didn't hear anything suspicious just yet and I wanted to at least find some trace of the doctor before I jumped to conclusions. For all I know, he stepped out to the convenience store for something and just wasn't home yet. Though the chances of that are slim, I can't go about calling police when I don't know there's anything wrong yet. I argued with myself, knowing how much of a pain it was for the officers I'd heard complaining while I was down in the lab.

"Come on, come on." I muttered, checking a bathroom and the guest bedroom, before coming upon the last door; his bedroom.

I hesitated before opening it though, bracing myself. I didn't know what I was going to find in there, if I found anything. There was still a chance that he was fine and I was overreacting. But flashes from my previous trauma haunted me, making the scene in front of me distort to a different door in a different house; my house. I sucked in a breath suddenly, not realizing when I'd begun to hold it, and tried to calm myself down. Now was not the time to be having a panic attack. I'd worked past this a long while ago and I wasn't about to let it get to me now. Scenes like the one I'd experienced before were no problem in my work. So I needed to keep a level head. To help Dr. Martin, I needed to stay calm. I took a deep breath and let it out, quietly counting to three under my breath like I'd been taught and relaxing my shoulders, before I pushed open the door and looked inside.

The world seemed to pause for a moment as I caught sight of the body lying prone on the bed. Dr. Martin lay there, stomach bleeding and a pool of blood already soaking into the sheets on the bed. He'd been stabbed and his throat slit. But that wasn't what had my attention. A large happy face was drawn in blood on the wall above him; the first thing someone would see when they walked into the room. I would've focused on it more, but the flashbacks of my own trauma were trying to take over and I needed to shove them aside. I needed to figure out what happened. If Martin was already dead or if every second I stood here staring, could be his last. So I quickly moved over towards the bed, being careful not to touch anything as I pulled on a set of rubber gloves I always kept on me.

I reached over the side of the bed and pressed my index and middle finger to his neck, but I couldn't find a pulse and my heart ached for the man who'd been helping me through my trauma for so long. I noticed something glint then, tucked just under the bed and I glanced briefly at Dr. Martin before I knelt down and pulled out a bloodied linoleum knife. I twisted it around, narrowing my eyes to see if I could spot prints on it, but I didn't get the chance to as the door was slammed open and police stormed in with guns aimed directly at me.

"Put the weapon down and get on the ground! Hands on your head!"

I raised my hands slowly, the knife held between my index finger and thumb as I looked at the men. "This isn't what it looks like."

Jane and Lisbon showed up on the scene of what they were told was a Red John case, and they quickly got out of the car and headed towards the house as a police officer joined them.

"Ah, you're with the CBI, right? Thanks, but I think we've got it here."

"Yeah, I'm Agent Lisbon and this is Patrick Jane. We were called in because you guys have a case that's related to our investigation of Red John, and it's mandatory for us to get in and confirm that it's actually him." Lisbon explained with a forced smile on her face. "It wouldn't be the first time we've had copycats, Sergeant..."

"Donovan, sir." He said, holding out a hand that she shook as he led them further into the house. "And that's exactly what I mean. We've already caught the culprit red handed and it's a woman, so it's gotta be a copycat, right?"

Lisbon gave him a surprised look. "You've caught someone?"

He nodded, leading them up the stairs now. "Yeah. We got a call from some neighbors of seeing someone break into the home. We showed up, headed upstairs, and found her standing there with a knife and gloves on; the guy dead on the bed. Open shut case."

He led them to the end of the hall where the door was and opened it, revealing the smiley face on the wall and allowing Jane and her to enter and look around.

"Who's the victim?" Lisbon asked, curious.

"A, uh..." Donovan looked through his notes, before finding what he was looking for. "...Dr. Timothy Martin. A therapist and psychiatrist by trade. Well-liked in the neighborhood, never had any issues with clients according to the neighbors next door."

"Neighbors?" Lisbon said in confusion.

He nodded. "Yeah. Guy liked to do business at home with his more private clients. Though he's got an office nearby."

"And the culprit?"

"Says her name's Dani Michaels. She won't tell us anything else."

"Well that's no help." Lisbon grumbled, but Jane spoke up then, bringing their attention to him.

"It's not her."

"What?" Lisbon questioned as Donovan did the same.

"What do you mean, 'it's not her'? We caught her, standing over the body, with the murder weapon!"

"Well, you made a mistake. This is Red John." Jane said, leaving the room and rushing down the stairs before they knew what was going on.

Lisbon, quickly followed. "Jane! Jane!"

He ignored her and continued until he suddenly stopped and turned back, marching up to the Sergeant and pointing over his shoulder.

"That woman. What did you say her name was?"

"U-Uh, Dani. Dani Michaels."

"Right, yes. Send her to the CBI at once. I need to interview her."

The Sergeant appeared baffled, but soon nodded and Lisbon had to chase after Jane as he got into the passenger side of her car. Once she climbed in after him and started driving them back to the CBI Headquarters, she began to ask questions.

"Okay, so what's going on?"

"Hm? The case. It's Red John. He did it." Jane answers bluntly.

"Bu they caught someone red handed!"

"Meh." Jane said, shrugging. "Wrong place wrong time, is my guess. She didn't do it."

"Then why do we even need to talk to her?"

Jane turned to her. "Think, Lisbon. What did the Sergeant say about her that was odd?"

She furrowed her brows in thought. "I don't know. She had the murder weapon?"

"Right." He said, pointing at her. "But what else?"

"...She... had gloves on."

Jane snapped his fingers. "Bingo! What person has gloves on in this weather? Not only that, but he didn't mention what kind of gloves. Rubber gloves, leather gloves, wool, cotton. Could be anything, but the question is, who walks into a home, sees a dead body and instead of calling the police, puts on gloves and picks up the murder weapon?"

"The dumb kind?"

Jane smiled a bit. "No. The kind who are used to it."

Lisbon frowned. "So we're dealing with another murderer?"

"Possibly." Jane answered. "But maybe not. Either way, she's definitely interesting."

I sighed again, head bowed as I sat behind a table with my hands cuffed in front of me. I fingered the gold wedding band on my left ring finger idly, hardly knowing I was doing it as I tried to push away the flashbacks to the back of my mind. I knew I needed to focus, especially since I was apparently the prime suspect for Dr. Martin's death. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Good job, Dani. Not only did you not call the cops, but you decided that picking up the murder weapon out of curiosity would be a good idea. Of course you're going to be their prime suspect! They're probably already writing up the paperwork for the court case. 'Crazy Forensic Worker Kills Psychiatrist'. I groaned, dropping my forehead onto the table with a 'thunk'.

"I'm doomed."

"Not quite."

My head snapped up to see a curly blonde haired man walk into the room along with another young woman with dark hair; both of which took a seat at the table. The man passed me a cup and saucer and I gave it a look.

"Tea." He responded. "Calms the nerves."

I nodded and picked the cup up, enjoying the quick calming sensation that went through my body at the taste of it.

"Dani Michaels, is that right?" The woman asked and I nodded, setting the cup down.

"Yeah. That's me."

"I'm Agent Teresa Lisbon and this is Patrick Jane." She introduced herself and the man beside her, who gave me a little wave; that I returned. "You do know that you're the prime suspect in the murder of Dr. Martin, yes?"

I sighed. "Yes."

"You're not denying it?" Jane asked and I shrugged, picking up the tea again.

"Why should I? I know the way it looks. Whether I did it or not, things aren't exactly in my favor right now. The police like to stick to what they're shown, even if the truth is anything but what the evidence shows them."

"Hm, true. Very true." Jane said with a nod. "Though we know you didn't do it."

I gave him a glance, cautious. "Well, that's good. Glad someone believes so, even if you're just a consultant."

He immediately put his tea down, eyes narrowed. "How did you know I was a consultant? I never told you."

"Not that hard to figure out. You're with the police, but don't have a gun or a shiny gold badge." I mused. "The only other option is consultant. What kind of consultant, I couldn't tell you. Well, other than an observant one. Gotta be. Not only to get the job, but to know I'm not the killer."

He smiled a bit, not bothering me in the slightest. I was used to stranger looks from people when I showed off. Like the one Agent Lisbon's showing.

"Wow. I've gotta say, that was impressive."

I shook my head. "Nah. I've got a good attention to detail is all. Think outside the box, look for things other people don't. Comes with the job."

"And what job is that?" Jane asked and I raised a brow.

"You don't know? I thought that's what the file's for." I said, gesturing to the folder Lisbon had.

Said woman opened it and looked down the paper within. "Forensic Anthropologist." Her brows furrowed. "What is it exactly you do?"

"I look at bones. Human bones, mostly, though I do get the occasional animal." I hummed, gaze drifting around the room. "I usually work with the police on murder cases but I go out of country on occasion to do digs. That's rare though."

"Bones?" She questioned and I nodded.

"Yup."

"And why the gloves?" Jane asked suddenly and I turned to him.

"Habit. I'm on call and forget them all the time, so I keep a pair on me at all times. Gives me one less thing to grab before I'm out the door."

"Hm." He hummed, sitting back in his chair. "Could you tell us what happened earlier today? With Dr. Martin?"

"Sure, since you believe me. Might as well help." I said, finishing off my tea and setting it down. "I got a call this morning about 9ish from him. All he said was that he had something important he needed to discuss with me, so I agreed to meet with him at his home at noon."

"Did he sound alright?"

I nodded, answering Lisbon's question. "Oh yeah. Totally normal. Not rushed or anything."

"And how do you know him?"

"He's my psychiatrist."/"He's her psychiatrist." Jane and I said at the same time, making me glance at him warily as he gestured towards me.

"Sorry, bit obvious. You're working with corpses all the time because of your job and are detail oriented. Things stick in your head easily and, judging by the way you twist your wedding ring around, things aren't going well in your marriage. Therefore, I assumed he was helping you through some things."

I slowly nodded. "Yeah, but nothing's wrong with my marriage."

He held his hands up in surrender, implying that he wasn't going to pry any further and Lisbon spoke up.

"Sorry. Ignore him. What happened after the call?"

I turned back to her and rubbed at my chaffing wrists a bit. "I headed over there after grabbing some breakfast at a diner two blocks down from my house, if you wanna check when time of death comes in. Anyway, I knocked and called out for him, but he didn't answer. I figured he was in the bathroom or something and let myself in."

"You mean you broke in?" She asked and I shook my head.

"No, no. The door was unlocked. He kept it that way when he was inside. Said it was a peaceful neighborhood and he wouldn't have to worry about anything. I told him before not to be so trusting, but he doesn't listen."

"Alright. Then what happened?"

"Well, I checked the living room and kitchen, figuring he'd be around somewhere, but no luck. It was then I started thinking that he might be in trouble. I'd mentioned to him before that I'm connected with police and I thought that maybe when he said something important, he was really asking me if I could help him that way, you know? So I started looking faster and calling out for him, but no answer."

"And why didn't you call the police?" Lisbon asked and I sighed.

"Yeah, I know the police. They want proof something happened first. Hate being called on wild goose chases and I convinced myself that maybe he was just out somewhere."

"But you kept looking." Jane concluded and I winced.

"Yeah, I'm not very convincing. Even to myself."

He nodded, sipping at his tea as I went on.

"But I finished checking the first floor with no signs and headed up to the second. The last room I checked was his bedroom and I found him just like that. Smiley face on the wall and him dead."

"So how did you come about the murder weapon? And why the gloves?" Lisbon asked.

"I work forensics, understand? I know how much of a pain it is to have compromised evidence because some idiot went and put their fingerprints on something they shouldn't have. So I put on gloves. I wasn't sure he was dead though. Needed proof, I suppose, and checked his pulse. Once I confirmed it, I made note of the time and caught sight of something glinting under his bed."

"And what time was it?"

"12:23pm. On the dot." I replied. "And I thought that the object under the bed might be whatever important thing Dr. Martin wanted to talk about and discovered the murder weapon. I looked to see if it had fingerprints out of habit, and it didn't, and that was when the police showed up. Me, standing there holding the murder weapon with gloves and blood on my hands. So, of course, they blame me." I sat back in my chair with a sigh. "Well, maybe when the time of death comes in, my breakfast at the diner will give me an alibi or something. God, I really screwed up this time. My boss is gonna be pissed."

I leaned my head on the back of the chair and stared up at the ceiling for a bit, until Jane spoke up.

"We know it's not you. Red John did it, that much is obvious."

I scoffed. "Right, well, good luck proving that." I tilted my head back and gave him a look. "He's a serial killer, right? If you haven't caught him yet, then I doubt I'll get through the court case without being sentenced to jail."

"You... know about Red John?"

I shook my head at Lisbon's question. "Nah. I figured he's a serial killer 'cause he's got one of those newspaper nicknames and you don't get one of those unless you've killed more than one person. Not to mention that you say he killed Dr. Martin, meaning he hasn't been caught up until now. That's all I know though. I don't watch the news. Gets my hopes up for a new case to work on, or depresses the crap out of me. Dr. Martin said I should start watching it again, but... I don't feel like it makes a difference whether I watch it or not. It's all gossip anyway."

"Aright. I think we've gotten everything we need." Lisbon said, getting up and heading for the door, looking back at Jane for a moment when he didn't immediately follow. "Jane? You coming?"

"Hm?" He hummed, looking back and seeing her by the door, before nodding and getting up. "Oh, right. Yes. It was very nice to meet you, Dani." He said, shaking my hand with a smile. "I hope we see each other again soon."

I smiled a little. "If our jobs allow us... and if I don't go to jail for this."

He chuckled a bit. "I'll make sure you won't."

I then picked up the tea and saucer and held it out to him. "Thanks. For that, and the tea."

"Pleasure." He said, before heading out as well, leaving me in there with nothing to do but mentally scold myself for acting like a smartass.

God, can't do anything right today, can I?

Jane and Lisbon left the interrogation and she immediately turned to him.

"So? What do you think? Do you believe her story?"

"I already told you, Lisbon, she didn't do it."

"Well, how do we prove it? We're no closer to catching Red John than before and she was caught standing there with the murder weapon. No jury in the world is going to believe she's innocent."

Jane paused, a small frown on his face. "Well, we're going to have to prove it, or we'll be sending an innocent forensic worker to jail for a crime she wasn't even involved in."

Lisbon sighed. "But how? What can we do?"

"Nothing. The question is, what can I do."

She frowned at him, not liking where this was going. "Jane, what are you planning?"

"Please, Lisbon. I'm not always getting into trouble, you know."

"I beg to differ." She retorted, but Jane wasn't bothered by her comment.

"She just needs to have the right people on her side in court. Which means it's lucky she found me." He said with a grin and Lisbon sighed.

"Alright, I have no idea what you're up to, but leave me out of it, okay? The last thing I need is for you to be doing something you shouldn't be."

"I'll be on my best behavior." He teased and she gave him a look.

"You better."

I sighed quietly again, ignoring the comforting hand placed on my upper back as my lawyer tried to get me out of this mess. It wasn't looking good for me. Because the police had caught me there holding the murder weapon over a dead body of my psychiatrist, the jury was more inclined to believe them. Telling my side of the story didn't help much, and claiming that their evidence was circumstantial hadn't gotten me an appeal either. We tried to counter with the fact that it was claimed to be a Red John case and I hadn't even known about the serial killer, thanks to my lack of news watching, but there was no proof that I didn't hear of him so that threw the idea out the window. And, try as I might, my track record with the police wasn't exactly a great one either. Like it's my fault they don't look at the evidence. Though my boss never liked me arguing with them anyway, and now it's come back to bite me in the ass. My lawyer suddenly leaned over though, whispering to me quietly.

"Dani, there's one last thing I want to try."

I gave him a look, wondering what in the world he could possibly have that would get me out of this mess.

"A guy came up to me the other day and said he could help if I put him on the stand."

"Who?" I asked back and he fidgeted slightly.

"A, uh, Patrick Jane."

My eyes widened.

"He claimed to have intimate knowledge of the Red John serial killer cases and that his insight on this could possibly turn things to our favor. It's worth a shot."

"Do it." I said bluntly, making him give me a worried look.

"A-Are you sure?"

I nodded. "I trust him. Do it."

He nodded, standing up. "Your honor, I'd like to call up Patrick Jane to the stand."

Jane was impressive. That was all I could say, and I could begin to see the jury leaning towards my side. With his expert knowledge of Red John and the Red John cases, he was easily able to prove that it couldn't of possibly have been me. Sure, there were still a couple of doubts here and there, thanks to the counter questioning, but the jury was out and I was hopeful that I'd be released.

"Jury, what decision have you come up with?"

"The jury finds the defendant... not guilty."

"Ah ha!" I cheered, a happy smile on my face as I spun around and hugged my lawyer happily, thanking the Gods that I was free from this mess. The moment I was out of the courtroom though, my eyes scanned the masses for that curly haired man who'd helped me stay out of jail. The second I found him, I stealthily snuck over and tackled him in a hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I said quickly, pulling away upon feeling him stiffen in my embrace. "I don't care if you're not a hugging person, you just saved me from being thrown in jail!"

He smiled a bit. "You're welcome."

The two of us started heading out and I couldn't help the grin on my face. Jane spoke up first though.

"I see you're not much of a girly-girl."

I looked over at him and caught his pointed look at the slacks I was wearing and I chuckled.

"You caught me. Been a tomboy all my life. Skirts just aren't my thing and I'm lucky. I landed a job where I can wear jeans all the time."

"Who do you work with, exactly? What police department?"

"Ooh, all sorts. Sacramento PD, Los Angeles PD, FBI sometimes. Worked with the CIA once. I was only an assistant though."

"Do you get cases often?"

I shook my head. "Nah. Often enough to keep me going money wise, but people are usually found before they decompose to the point that I'm called in. I've been called in before though, to check out a body after a coroner's done with it. That's always fun."

"Hm. What about the CBI? Ever worked with them?"

I paused, thinking about it. "Hm... Don't think so. Either it's never been in my jurisdiction or they've never found someone I need to deal with. Why? You offering?" I teased, knowing he had no say in whether I get called in by them or not.

"No, no. I can't do that, though you already know that." He went quiet for a moment before he paused on the stairs and turned to me, pointing. "Do you wanna get some tea?"

I tilted my head curiously, but shrugged. "Sure. I've got nothing to do."

He smiled. "Perfect."

The two of us sat in a diner, having decided that lunch would be a good idea instead of tea since I'd been in court all day and hadn't had a chance to eat yet. I'd gotten a chicken burger and was eagerly eating away, whereas Jane had ordered scrambled eggs and other breakfast items. He pointed at them with his fork, speaking with his mouth full.

"You can always tell how good a place is by their eggs."

"Mm, so I've heard." I said, once I'd swallowed, pointing a french fry his way. "You shouldn't talk with your mouth full. I've seen people choke doing that."

He rolled his eyes a bit. "Yes, mother."

I felt a twinge of embarrassment, but hid it well, pulling off a small smile instead. "Just keeping you alive."

He gestured at my burger then, clearing his throat as he wiped his face with a napkin. "Why chicken?"

I looked down at the burger and back up. "Oh. I have allergies. Bad ones. Found out when I was little that some hamburger spices blow me up like a balloon. There's only a few places I can still eat them at, none of which have proven to be very good. And I've grown to distrust them in general, so I get chicken instead when I go to new places."

"Ah... What else are you allergic to?"

I shrugged, eating a fry and then answering. "Some grasses and weeds and some cheese preservative in certain pizza's and macaroni."

"Oh, well, that takes the fun out of everything, doesn't it?"

"You're telling me. You don't break out in hives when you discover a new one." I joked and he chuckled a little.

Things grew quiet for a moment as we continued eating, but he spoke up once more.

"I find you a very curious person, Dani."

"How so?" I questioned back.

"Well, we've only just met the other day and it was hardly a 'meeting' seeing as you were being interrogated. But you've answered just about every personal question I've thrown at you and haven't asked any in return. I find that very strange." He leaned forward slightly. "What's your game?"

I furrowed my brows in confusion. "Game? What, like I'm trying to trick you or something?"

"I don't know." He said, leaning back again. "You tell me."

I sighed, setting down the fry I was going to eat and cleaning off my hands on my napkin, eyes cast down. "It's nothing like that."

"Then tell me."

I looked back up at him seriously. "Everyone has secrets, Mr. Jane."

He waved me off. "Just Jane's fine."

"Jane, then." I repeated with a nod. "The thing is, people are always trying to get to those secrets and I found that if you're more open about everything else they ask you, they assume you're dull, boring. They don't go digging for the mystery, because to them, you're an open book."

"That explained you answering all my questions, but why do you ask none in return?" He questioned.

"Because, Jane. I know what it feels like to have someone poking at a secret that you'd rather be left alone. And I don't want to inflict that pain on others." I cleared my throat, picking up my cup of tea. "Besides, it's bad enough I find out most people's secrets right off. I've just learned to keep my mouth shut about them."

"Tell me." He suddenly asked, only confusing me even more.

"What?"

"Tell me what you see in me." He explained, making me nervous.

"I-I really don't think that's a good idea."

"Oh, come on. You say you see all these things. Prove it."

I felt my fingers twitch towards twisting my wedding ring, but held back. "Look, Jane. I like you. You seem like a decent guy and I don't want to ruin that. I'd really like to be friends with you, so telling you about what I see... it's not something I'm willing to do." I got up and pulled out enough money to pay for my meal, placing it on the table. "I'm sorry, Jane. But I've lost a good number of people because of this and I'd rather not lose another."

"Ah, wait! Wait, Dani!"

I hadn't heard from Jane in weeks and I felt more than guilty about the way I'd left. Didn't help that the nightmares were back and I wasn't sleeping as well as I used to.

"Oh, what am I going to do, Jack?" I questioned the scattered pieces of a skull that had been smashed in. "I've gotta make up with him, but I've got no way of contacting him. All I know is that he's a consultant with the CBI, and I doubt they'd just let me in claiming to be apologizing to him. I don't even know why I'm so guilty about it. It wasn't the first time I've broken things off with someone before we became friends."

I paused, thinking over what I knew about Jane and what I'd figured out, and let out a long sigh as I carefully put down the piece I was working with and grabbed my soda from off the table.

"Never mind. I know why..." I muttered quietly, taking a drink of the beverage just as someone knocked on the door and poked their head in.

It was Jameson, a young undergrad who worked with me on occasion and informed me when people needed to speak with me. A secretary or assistant, if you will. His dark, shaggy hair bouncing on his head as he fidgeted and I set down my soda.

"Yes, Jameson? I'm a bit busy." I said, gesturing to the half composed skull on the table. "Jack is the key part of an investigation and needs to be finished in the next couple of weeks. I can't really do distractions right now."

"Yes, sorry, but you just got a call? Boss said you need to go. It's a body in Placer County."

I groaned, twisting my chair around and pulling a hand though my hair. "Seriously? Doesn't seem I have much of a choice. Ask him if I can take Jack with me."

He gave me a disbelieving look and I rolled my eyes.

"Go on."

"Ah! Yes, ma'am." He said, quickly rushing out of the room I was in as I began gathering up Jack's pieces and putting them back into the evidence bag.

He came back as I was putting on my coat and double checking that the glue holding Jack together would hold.

"So?" I asked and he nodded.

"Boss says it's fine, but if you lose anything you're, um, fired."

"Yeah, yeah." I waved off. "It'll be fine. Do me a favor?"

"Sure. Anything." He said eagerly and I gave him a serious look.

"If I find any one of my sodas missing from the fridge, I swear to God, I will hold you personally responsible." I stepped closer as he swallowed nervously. "I will kill you, melt the flesh right off your body, crush your skull in just like Jack's, and make sure you're never found. And trust me, I've been doing this long enough, I know how to get away with murder." I put a sudden grin on my face. "Okay?"

"Y-Y-You are joking, right?"

I pat him on the back with a roll of my eyes, making towards the door. "Of course I'm joking."

I walked out and waited a second, before poking my head back into the room, making him jump.

"But seriously. If one of my sodas is missing..."

I drew a finger across my throat and then smiled cheerfully again.

"Bye Jameson!~"

"B-Bye?"

Upon arriving and showing my ID to the police officer standing out in front, I was allowed in and pointed towards a small house; being told the corpse was in the basement and that the officers I'd be working with were already in there. It was a pretty ratty place, pretty old and didn't look like it'd had any visitors hanging around recently. It was a nice place though and I couldn't help but look around as I was pointed to the basement. I made my way down the stairs carefully, not knowing how stable the steps were and called out to the people already in the room.

"Hey, I'm here about the dead body?" I glanced to the right, where I saw the bones, not getting a good look at the people in the room as I groaned. "Or 'bodies', as it were. I really wish people would give me the right information before they go and—"

I cut myself off upon seeing the trio standing together at the base of the stairs; in particular, the grinning curly haired blonde.

"Jane?"