The case began with the murder of a young woman named Allison Barnhardt in her family’s home. Because of a red smiley-face symbol painted on the crime scene wall, the CBI team initially suspected that the case was carried out by Red John, the infamous serial killer.
Patrick Jane joined the team and immediately noticed details that suggested the crime was not related to Red John. The smiley-face symbol on the wall lacked the usual precision seen in Red John’s previous cases, which made Jane suspect this was a crime with a more personal motive.
During the investigation, Jane focused on the testimonies and behavior of those involved, particularly the neighbor and the family doctor, Dr. Clifford Carmichael. Jane noticed that Dr. Carmichael seemed unusual and was hiding something. To verify his suspicions, Jane planned to confront the suspect by organizing a seance at the victim’s home, where he staged a fake “spirit communication” to make the killer nervous.
During the “seance,” Patrick Jane openly claimed that Allison’s spirit would name her killer. Dr. Carmichael, under psychological pressure, began to show signs of distress and inadvertently revealed details that made him a suspect. In the end, Jane and the CBI team uncovered the truth: Dr. Carmichael had killed Allison to cover up an illicit relationship between him and her, something that could destroy his reputation and career if it were discovered.