"Lisbon, I specifically told you not to investigate the Matt Thomson case. And what did you do?"

Lisbon sighed. "I did not investigate anything. I just spoke to Matt´s mom, that´s all. You have to understand that a mother had lost a son. She´s -"

"Let me assure you that I am capable of understanding what is the family going through. Yet your actions are highly unprofessional. Other officers are taking care of the case, they already confirmed that Matt Thomson committed a suicide."

"I know that. But -"

Sheriff banged his fist against the giant wooden table.

"I´ve had it enough with you and your buts. You were given a direct order, damn it! If you are not capable of following one perhaps it would be better to think about a career change!"

Lisbon blinked fast. Rambled, laying under the table, growled silently.

"I...I...it won't happen again, sir."

"Good. Now we are talking!"

Lisbon looked down on her shoes. Her own gut was screaming that those two idiots investigating the death of Matt Thomson were wrong. It was highly unlikely that such a promising young and full of life boy would commit suicide over a broken heart. It just did not made any sense.

"You are giving the family a false hope, Teresa," the Sheriff spoke silently now, "It´s the last thing they need now. What they need is a closure. So they could start grieving and coping with what had happened. I know you spoke to Mrs. Thomson on a several occasions and you know why I know that?"

"No," she replied silently, anger bubbling inside of her.

"She kept calling me. She even visited me, at my home, pleading and crying to re-open the investigation. Do you think that is what the poor woman deserves?"

Lisbon fist turned white from gripping the edge of the chair.

"She deserves the truth. And with all due respect, I am not sure if that is what we are giving her."

Sheriff sighed. Loudly.

"He overdosed on drugs -"

"Who sell it to him? What are we unaware of? Are here people selling dangerous drugs around that we have no idea about? Where the hell do you think he got them?"

Sheriff closed his eyes, rubbing his forehead. "He got them during his spring break, while on vacation. Do you really think that this place, in this forsaken small town where the most brutal thing that ever happened was a pack of stray dogs attacking the visitors of New Year´s Eve Parade, that somewhere in here is someone running a secret drug ring that we are unaware of? For God´ sake! Let the boy rest in peace. It´s the best you can do. Hell, it´s the only thing you can do, or you will face the consequences. Are we clear?"

Lisbon remained silent.

"Are. We. Clear?"

"Crystal."

"You´re suspended for a week. No pay. Go home, walk that damned dog of yours, clear you head and come back next Monday without those stupid ideas of yours."

She wanted to argue but just one look at Sheriff face made her stop. So, instead of raising her opinion once more, she stood up, followed by Rambler and left the office. There was a lot of staring during her walk through their little station.

Higgs and Randolph were snickering when she walked past them.

She tried to ignore them, after being yelled at for unprofessionalism. Like that was professional in any way...

"Hey, Saint Teresa, where are you going? Ready to take down a drug ring? Fight some mobsters?"

Lisbon stopped walking. So did Rambler.

"A kid died Randolph. It is not a laughing matter."

"Whatever," he shuddered. She glared at him and his smile faded. He cleared his throat hastily. Lisbon turned her head away, commanded Rambler to follow her and left the station in a unimaginably crummy mood.

The sun was shining like almost every day during the year, yet she felt like it was raining. Just above her, and nowhere else.

"Damn it," she muttered and kicked some tiny rock which was in her way.

It wasn´t her day.

The rock flew for few meters, hitting her Impala, leaving a tiny mark.

"Oh...f -...fudge," she corrected herself when a group of under aged kids ran out from of a corner. They were laughing, carefree and happy. She wished she could feel that way, too.

"That´s a big dog!" one of them yelled, "Can I pet him?"

Lisbon eyed them, seeing their enthusiasm. Rambler was never good with strangers petting him, but sometimes, occasionally, he could wait for a few minutes before he hid behind master. Mostly when kids were involved.

"Sure, but not on his head. Like this," she motioned the kids hand behind Rambler´s ears.

Rambler lifted his giant head looking into Lisbon´s eyes for instruction. She smiled and nodded.

If he could, he would definitely roll his eyes at her.

"What´s his name?" A little blond girl asked, scratching Rambler´s giant ears.

"Rambler," Lisbon said and the kids laughed.

"Silly name."

"Yeah. Perhaps."

Rambler whined.

"Oh. He´s sad."

"No, he´s just hungry. We are on our way home."

"We are on our way to see Patrick!" the little girl announced and all of the kids nodded.

"Patrick, huh?"

"Yeaaah, he´s a magician! He can do cool card tricks -"

"He took a penny out of my ear. I had no idea it was stuck there," one of the boys stated and showed Lisbon the penny. "See?"

"Yeah, amazing."

"Let´s go, Tony!"

The kids lost their interest in Rambler pretty fast. He stopped whining immediately.

"Bye Miss!"

"Bye kids, be safe," she called after them as they run down the streets, laughing, making their way into park.

Lisbon gave Rambler a wistful look. Those happy kids and mention of a certain magician lifted up her spirit a little.

"Ready to go home?"

Rambler barked. He was ready to go home.

Patrick Jane was restless. Usually, he spent a few days in a new environment, leeched a few marks, earned some easy money, broke a heart or two upon leaving, and packed his things, ready for something new.

Not this time.

This town was indeed boring. He performed on few birthday´s parties, earned some small unimportant amount of money. Other than that, there was not much to do. No tragedies, except for Matt Thomson, which he didn´t dare to touch. He had a strong feeling that a certain police officer would not approve of it. Usually, he couldn´t care less.

Not this time.

It seemed that time and rest of the world has forgotten about this particular place and it was living on its own dull way. If it was any other town, he would´ve left days ago.

Except for the beach and the sea, there was really not much going on.

Well, to be honest, the beach and sea could go to hell as well. The only thing that kept him at this location was a Teresa Lisbon. It´s been days since they´ve been together.

He called her, a couple of times actually, and there were always the same excuses. Work, work and then some more work. He was starting to get a little upset about it. Any other woman would be all over him.

Not Teresa.

Evidently.

She kept her distance. Even when they were together, he could feel her guards being build up high and he was not able to penetrate them.

It bugged him.

More than he could admit.

"She´s not even your type," he muttered to himself over and over every time she declined his invitation to go on a "date". However, there was something about her that he couldn´t find in any other woman he had met, period.

And he met a lot of women.

A lot.

"Damn it, Patrick," he whispered to himself once again after spending two hours at the park, waiting for a brown haired woman and her dog to enter.

They didn´t.

Lisbon got home soon. Sooner than she was used to. Even Rambler was a little upset about it. He jumped on the couch, giving her a puzzled look.

"Let´s get you something to eat, what do you say?"

He couldn´t argue. Not just because he was a dog. He was a dog that loved to eat all the time. Lisbon was positive he could eat himself to death. It was quite concerning. She had to hide his food as he was frequently trying to feed himself. Perhaps it had something to do with his previous life and the lack of food.

She made him unsalted meat with some mixed vegetables which said a lot about her own social life. Cooking for a dog, making sure he eats his vegetables...

She chuckled as she watched him chomp the food down.

She was eating an over a day old take-out. Most of the taste was gone, but she was never wasteful. Throwing away a perfectly fine lunch just because it became a little, well, gross, was never her thing.

She spent the rest of her days tidying and cleaning the place up. Rambler watched her from his own dog bed, then from her bedroom bed and in the end, from her couch.

She ended up sitting on the couch beside him, sweaty and covered in dog hair, satisfied with her work. The place finally looked livable. Sure, it will probably stay this way for no more than two days but it was worth it.

It helped her to take Matt of off her mind for a while.

Suddenly, Rambler made a weird sound. He squeaked. Lisbon nearly fell of off the couch upon hearing that sound.

"Rambler! Don´t scare me like that..." she muttered, turning to see what was that in his mouth.

A pink stuffed pig.

Her lips quirked up a bit, absolutely involuntarily.

"Oh, well...the pig, huh?"

The toy squeaked again.

Lisbon shifted a little, watching her dog play with the only toy he considered playable. Her mind went to the magician which all those kids went to see. She sighed.

She´s been avoiding him for a while, however, it wasn´t an intention. She was caught up with the case and Matt and his mother, so Patrick Jane has been forgotten for a while.

She felt kind of bad about it.

"What do you think boy? Shall I give him a call?"

Rambler looked up at her, his tail waggling.

That was good enough for her.

Patrick was walking to his motel when his phone buzzed.

Could it be?

He fished his phone out of the pocket of his vest, and smiled upon seeing the caller ID.

"Well hello there Lisbon, what a pleasant surprise..."

The man with the cigar sat down.

"I do believe you´ve dealt with our little problem already?"

The other man had learned to hate the Cigar man over the time. He was a brute. No conscience. No empathy. No remorse.

Just greed.

And an unhealthy addiction to cigars.

"Yes," the other man, sweating profoundly, replied. It wasn´t just the heat in the room that made his pores go crazy.

The nervousness.

Fear.

And shame.

It all added to the reasons of his excessive sweating.

"May I ask how?"

The man shifted in the hard wooden chair.

"She´s been suspended. I threatened to end her career if she continues with that...nonsense. She´s young. Naive. Don´t worry about her anymore."

"Uhm...that´s very interesting. You want to know why?"

The other man swallowed hard, "Y-yes?"

"One of my men followed her the other day. And some days before. She went to see that poor mother again, filling her head with nonsense. I do not care about that much...it is not affecting our sales...yet. The thing that bugs me is your inability to control your own men. Or women, for that matter."

"I told you it´s taken care of. I´ve dealt with her today personally, and made myself quite clear. Trust me, she won´t sniff around anymore."

The Cigar man puffed out a cloud of smoke.

Sheriff coughed.

"She better not, it would be a terrible shame if something...unexpected happened to her, don´t you think?"

"Wait -"

"My dear friend. I thought that we do understand each other. I do not like fucking around," the Cigar man proclaimed, emphasizing each word in the process.

"Here´s your provision. We are keeping a close eye on you and your men, just so you know. You have all the information about the next shipment in the envelope...make sure the area would be as empty as a bird nest in December."

"S-sure. Yeah. I will."

"Great. Now, beat it. I do not like that rotten garlic smell of yours...maybe you should take a shower from time to time, what do you say?"

Sheriff blinked hard.

"Yes," he replied because there wasn´t anything else to say that wouldn´t get him hurt.

"Go."

He run outside with the envelope in his hands.

This whole operation seemed to be less worthy day after day.

"I was wondering if you have time to, uh, I don´t know, hang out? I mean, I am going to walk Rambler soon -"

"Sure thing," Patrick replied with a smile, changing his direction, "I´ll be glad to accompany you, but there is one question lingering at the back of my mind...?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, a few days later you claimed to be working all week long and -"

He could hear her sigh.

"Lisbon?"

"I was suspended."

"Suspended? You?"

"Yeah," she replied, anger evident in her words.

"Oh, I so do need to hear this..." he said, making his way to Lisbon´s place.

"Just make fun of me, and I let Rambler walk you instead," she muttered and he chuckled.

"I am not making fun of you, Teresa. I am genuinely curious what is the reason behind suspending the greatest and most hard-working Officer this town has."

The other line went silent for a while.

"I seriously have no idea on how to respond to that," she muttered.

"Too much?" Patrick asked grinning.

"Yeah. I´m leaving in about half an hour -"

"I´ll be waiting for you. See you later."

"Yeah, you too."

The line went silent.

And the day for Patrick Jane changed for the better.

Much, much better.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it :) Next chapter will be longer, with much more plot, I promise. See you later :)