Heather Prentiss

Heather Prentiss is the main villainess from "Scarlett Fever," episode 1.15 of The Mentalist.

She was played by Marguerite MacIntyre.

Heather Prentiss was shown in the early scenes of the episode being informed by Jane and Rigsby that they wanted to talk to the women's committee at the Villa Marsante Estates, regarding the murder of Scarlett Marquesa during a lavish mansion party. After another woman, Patience Broadbent, is found with a knife in her chest, Jane informed Heather and Jackie that he sees Victor, Scarlett's husband, as the most likely suspect, and they're going after him. Later on, Victor is taken away by police, but at that moment, Heather actually broke down and told Jane not to arrest Victor, because she killed Scarlett and Patience.

Regarding Heather's villainous motive, it was revenge. Heather mentioned earlier in the episode that her 16 year old daughter, Rachel, was killed in a car accident. As Heather revealed during her interrogation at CBI, Rachel had taken painkillers mixed in with alcohol on the day of the accident, and Heather had learned that Rachel got the drugs from a friend, who got them from her mother, who got them from Scarlett (who was secretly selling drugs on the side). Heather became unhinged and was obsessed with revenge on Scarlett, and at the night of the party, Heather poisoned Scarlett's drink and wrote "Now we're even," on a napkin with lipstick. After hearing Patience state that she would take over for Scarlett and continue to sell pills, the evil Heather killed Patience while the latter was on the massage table. Heather was arrested for the murders, after stating that what she did doesn't change a thing.