Ep 17. Carnelian Inc.

Patrick Jane and the CBI team are called to investigate the murder of a well-known computer programmer named Ian Percy, who was stabbed in the back with a pair of scissors. Percy had been working for an up-and-coming tech company called Carnelian Inc. and had just released a revolutionary new piece of software that was expected to make the company millions.

As they dig deeper into the case, the team discovers that Percy was not a liked man. He was often rude to his coworkers, had numerous affairs with married women, and was known for having a gambling problem. All of these factors make it difficult to narrow down the list of suspects.

However, as Jane begins to investigate the company itself, he becomes convinced that there is more to the murder than meets the eye. He suspects that someone within Carnelian Inc. may have been responsible for the crime, and begins to dig into the company's inner workings.

His investigation leads him to a young programmer named Ryan Lisbon, who had been working closely with Percy on the new software. Jane suspects that Ryan may have been the one to kill Percy in order to take credit for the software himself.

As Jane and the team continue to investigate, they find additional evidence that points towards Ryan's involvement. However, Ryan maintains his innocence and insists that he had nothing to do with Percy's death.

In the end, the team discovers that the actual perpetrator is someone they never suspected. It turns out that Percy's ex-girlfriend, who had recently been fired from Carnelian Inc., was the one who murdered him. She had been stalking him for weeks and, in a fit of rage, lashed out and killed him.

As always, Jane's insights and quick thinking help the team to solve the case and bring the perpetrator to justice. The episode ends with the team reflecting on how deceiving appearances can be, and how easy it is for someone to be underestimated or overlooked.

Overall, "Carnelian Inc." is an intriguing episode of The Mentalist that keeps the audience guessing until the very end. With plenty of twists and turns to keep viewers on edge, this episode is a must-watch for fans of the show.