The Mentalist (TV Series)

Green Light (2015)

Rockmond Dunbar: Dennis Abbott

Quotes 

• Dennis Abbott : Bill Peterson doesn't have much of a bedside manner, but he's not a traitor.

  Kimball Cho : I thought we couldn't rule anyone out.

  Patrick Jane : Abbott's right. Peterson's not a suspect.

  Dennis Abbott : Good. So, we'll, uh, just dig down into his team. Personal reviews, bank records. Anything that points to a motive. Ego, revenge.

  [seeing Jane's expression] 

  Dennis Abbott : What? You disagree?

  Patrick Jane : Well, they're all poorly paid government employees. You're not gonna have to dig too deep to find motive.

  Dennis Abbott : You have a better idea?

  Patrick Jane : Maybe. But first I need someone to run an errand for me.

• Patrick Jane : I'm guessing by your look that you just talked to Peterson. I'm listening.

  Dennis Abbott : I worked for him about ten years ago, when he was running the task force from the border. Rio Bravo station. We were working with the Mexican police, trying to do something about the cartels.

  Patrick Jane : Tough work.

  Dennis Abbott : It was war. The Zeta cartel would send their men out dressed like soldiers. They would wait for abus to come through, stop it, force all the passengers off, then shoot them. All of them. Just so they didn't work for another cartel. There are bodies everywhere; men, women, children. Scattered all over the road like trash.

  Patrick Jane : Yeah, it's... it's no picture that anyone should have in their head.

  Dennis Abbott : And one day, I was sitting on a, uh, a Zeta safe house, just watching who came and went. Gathering intel. And I saw this Zeta commander walk out.

  Patrick Jane : Dressed in a military uniform.

  Dennis Abbott : And I knew what he was gonna do. I couldn't call the local police because they were terrified of the Zetas. I couldn't arrest him. So I sat there, thinking for, I don't know, maybe three seconds. I got out of my car, I walked across the street, and I shot him.

  Patrick Jane : Well, you... you did the right thing.

  Dennis Abbott : I don't know. But no buses were stopped that night. And the next day, I quit the Rio Bravo station.

  Patrick Jane : Did Peterson know what you'd done?

  Dennis Abbott : He guessed. The death of a commander hit the news. Tons of speculation on who killed him, and Peterson knew where I was when it happened.

  Patrick Jane : Hmm. And now he's threatening you to do what he says.

  Dennis Abbott : Peterson can end my career. I can go to prison. But it's not just about me. Any mention of this can end things for Lena before it even starts.

  Patrick Jane : Well, you can't let him do it.

  Dennis Abbott : I appreciate the thought. How do we stop him?

  Patrick Jane : I'm not sure. Yet. But when I know, I'll tell you the answer.