The FBI friends of red john - for me that places him to be a woman in the FBI. One who we have seen.

Patrick knows its her by now, he made his big reasoning map as a ploy - then left it in place (he didn't need a map because he would have done it all in his head). Then he left the matchstick, he knows that the FBI agent Kirkland and his people came in and saw his big map.
Red John got information from Kirkland so he could be all "look how amazing" and say the 7 names. Its really more like an 8th name was left out so that Patrick can lull Red John into a false sense of security - which is why he is going to go on a killing spree. Red John thinks he/she has won now, and wants to end it because Patrick keeps busting his friends.
This is a bigger plot structure than the usual inner-episode structure, but its the same. Patrick uses long con to bring the killer closer or out into the open. I have seen every episode and i usually have it figured out by about half way - but thats why i like this show because its got lots of twists. The writer hasn't left that many clues because they just want to make up whatever they feel like for the last episodes.

I am happy it is coming to a close. Even though the mentalist has brilliance its pretty normal formula - the main characters aren't going to turn out to be the twisted Red John themselves - thats too poxy.