FIC: Two Dead Guys, a Girl, and a Psychic (9/18)
Title: Two Dead Guys, a Girl, and a Psychic
Author: moondragon25 (or moondragon23 on other sites)
Pairing: Shawn/Juliet
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Life is great for Shawn Spencer. He has a cool job, a smart, beautiful girlfriend, and gets to hang with his best friend all day. What more could a guy want? When he gets his next two cases, a dead chemistry professor and a girl looking for her father, it looks like business as usual. Too bad things never go that simply when Shawn is involved. REWRITE OF TWO DEAD GUYS AND A GIRL!
Disclaimer: I do not own Psych or any of its characters. All other publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: I'm not sure if anyone is still reading this, but for those who are I'm sorry I'm late posting this. I was pretty busy the last few days. I've been feeling a bit like Shawn does in this chapter.
I hope you all enjoy it.
Flashback
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8: Caffeine, Confessions, and a Clue
Friday
“Shawn. . . Shawn. . . Earth to Shawn.”
Something came flying through the air and bounced off Shawn's forehead. Glancing down, he saw a balled up piece of paper sitting on his keyboard. He raised his head off his hand and looked away from his computer screen to Gus. “Dude, what was that for?” He blinked. “When did you get here?” he asked in confusion.
“Five minutes ago,” Gus said. “You were kind of zoned out staring at your computer screen. I couldn't get your attention.” He stepped closer and frowned at Shawn. “You look like hell.”
“Gee, thanks,” Shawn said sarcastically, rubbing his no doubt bloodshot eyes.
He hadn't gotten home until just before 3 am. He had tossed and turned for a couple hours before finally falling asleep, only to have Juliet wake him up before leaving for work to find out what had happened with Nikki. After that he had given up on sleep and come to the office. He could only imagine how bad he looked. He had made it a point to avoid all reflective surfaces that morning for just that reason.
“Didn't get enough sleep last night,” he told Gus after a jaw-cracking yawn. “I'm gonna make some more coffee. Want any?” He struggled out of his chair and dragged himself towards the coffee maker.
“I'm good,” Gus said. Shawn pulled out the bag of beans and plugged in the grinder. “What I wanted to ask you - ” Gus was cut off as Shawn started the grinder. He waited for Shawn to finish before trying again. “I wanted to know - ”
Shawn started the grinder again. Gus waited, less patiently this time. Shawn turned the grinder off.
“I wanted - ”
Shawn turned the grinder on again.
“Shawn!” Gus yelled over the noise. “Do you know how bad that is for the motor?”
Shawn turned off the grinder with a grin. It was so much fun teasing Gus. “Sorry, buddy, but I like my coffee extra ground.”
“I’ll show you extra ground.” Gus glared at him. “Don’t let this turn into what happened to the blender.”
“That was a completely different situation,” Shawn protested. “How was I supposed to know you shouldn’t open the lid while the blender was still running?”
“It’s common sense,” Gus said. “And you burned out the motor because you left it running while you were cleaning up, so it is a similar situation.”
“Agree to disagree.” Shawn measured out the grounds, filled the reservoir and started the coffee maker. Soon the sounds and smells of freshly brewing coffee filled the office. He leaned back against the counter, facing Gus. “Now, what were you trying to say before you falsely accused me of abusing kitchen appliances?”
Gus scowled at him but didn’t let himself be distracted again. “I was asking how things went with Nikki.” Shawn had filled him in about the background check when he had borrowed the Blueberry the night before.
“Better than I thought it would,” Shawn said. “I was able to convince my dad to let her stay for a while.” The coffee maker beeped, signaling it had finished brewing. “Finally.” He poured himself a cup and held it up to his nose, inhaling the bitter fragrance of this life-saving nectar from the gods. If only it tasted better; too bad nobody had figured out how to breed a coffee plant with a pineapple.
“How did you manage that?” Gus asked. When he didn't answer right away, Gus's eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Please tell me you didn't agree to help him around the house again. I got stuck doing most of the work last time.”
Shawn went back to his desk, sipping his coffee. He hoped drinking it black would help wake him up faster though the bitter taste almost made him gag. “No chores, Gus. Don't worry.” He picked up his phone and checked it before putting it back on his desk.
“Then how did you convince your dad to let Nikki stay?” Gus asked.
“I have my ways,” he said mysteriously. Gus gave him a look. Shawn rolled his eyes in annoyance. “I explained what's going on with her and he agreed to let her stay. So just drop it, all right?”
Gus looked surprised by his sharp tone. “OK,” he said, putting his hands up in surrender. “I'm just glad she has a place to stay.”
Shawn sighed. He felt guilty for snapping at his friend but he really didn’t want to go over the details with him. Gus meant well, but he wouldn't be able to treat Nikki the same if he knew the truth. She didn't deserve to have to face that every day. He checked his phone again, rubbing at a sharp pain over his left eye. “Me too,” he said. “Now I can buy Red Vines again.” He put the phone down and grabbed his coffee. It was almost cool enough to chug. As he impatiently sipped it, he noticed Gus watching him. “What?”
“Why do you keep checking your phone?” Gus asked. “The last time you checked it that often you were fighting with Juliet.” He looked suspiciously at Shawn. “What did you do?”
“Nothing,” he protested. “Jules and I are fine.” He put his coffee down and gave Gus his full attention. “I spent the morning talking to the nurse who took care of Nikki's mom in Denver. She had some very interesting things to say.” He sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers over his chest. “Apparently, Sarah Peterson hired a private investigator shortly before her death.”
“A PI?” Gus asked. “Why would a dying woman hire a PI?”
Shawn threw back his head and put the back of his hand to his forehead, like an old southern woman feeling faint. “To find the father of a daughter about to be left all alone in the world,” he said, adopting a southern accent.
“Your accent is terrible,” Gus commented.
Shawn sighed heavily as he sat up. “You just don’t appreciate the lengths I go to for artistic flair.”
Gus crossed his arms. “I would if it wasn’t just you messing around. Are you going to tell me what you found out?”
“You ruin all my fun,” Shawn complained. He grabbed his mug, deciding his coffee was cool enough. He drained what was left in one long gulp and put the empty mug back on his desk with a resounding thunk. “One of her nurses arranged everything. The one I spoke to only knew a few details but was able to give me his number. He wasn’t in his office so I left a message. I'm waiting for him to call me back.” He checked his phone again just in case he had missed the call while he was talking.
“How much coffee did you have this morning?” Gus asked, staring at Shawn's left hand.
Shawn looked down and noticed his hand was shaking. “Four cups,” he said. “No, wait, five cups. I stopped at Starbucks on the way in.” He moved his hand so it was out of Gus' view.
“When was the last time you ate anything?” Gus asked, eyeing him carefully.
“Um, what time is it?”
Gus checked his watch. “10:30.”
Shawn thought for a moment. “Then, around seven.” Gus relaxed slightly. “Last night.”
Gus sighed and grabbed his keys. “Come on, let's go.”
“Go where?” Shawn asked in confusion.
“You need to eat something before you go into shock.” Gus said. “Remember what happened the last time you drank that much coffee without eating?”
Shawn winced. That had been while his dad was in the hospital after getting shot. He had passed out next to his dad's hospital bed and woken up in one of his own. It had taken two hours to get the doctor to release him. “Fine, let's eat,” he said, standing up. The room spun slightly for a minute, but he was able to keep his balance. He hoped Gus hadn't noticed. “Then we should stop by the station. Jules said they should have a positive ID on the body by this morning.” He made his way carefully to the door of the office.
Gus reached it first and held it open for him. Apparently his friend was entering full on mother hen mode. “I worry about you sometimes,” he said, following Shawn out the door. “I know you want to solve these cases, but your own well-being comes first.” He went ahead and opened the car door for Shawn.
“Why, thank you Jeeves,” Shawn said as he got in the car, doing his best to hide his annoyance. Gus meant well but he wasn’t an invalid. He was just a little light headed. He buckled up as Gus went around to his own side of the car. “I didn't do it intentionally. I promised Nikki I would find her father. I can't let her down.” He leaned back against the headrest and closed his eyes against the bright morning light.
“You won’t be able to help her if you pass out,” Gus said.
Shawn sighed. “You’re right.” He squinted over at his friend. “Waffles?”
“You know that’s right.”
Shawn relaxed back against the seat as his friend drove them to the nearest diner to get some much needed sustenance. He hoped he would be able to get pineapple on his waffles.
The food seemed to have kick-started his system and Shawn was finally feeling the energizing effects of all that caffeine. He had a definite spring in his step as he entered the police station, Gus trailing along behind him. He knew he would crash hard later so he needed to make the most of his wakefulness now.
He spotted Juliet at her desk, her back to them. She seemed completely absorbed with the file in front of her. The opportunity was too tempting; he motioned Gus to stay back as he snuck up silently behind her. Once he was in position, he spoke quietly into her ear. “Hi Jules.”
She shrieked and spun around. “Shawn!” she yelled as he burst into laughter. “Don't do that!” She glared at him, her face flush.
"You should have seen your face,” Shawn said with a grin. Her expression of wide-eyed shock was priceless. "Dude, did you see her face?" he asked Gus as his friend came up next to him. Gus elbowed him hard in the side. "What?"
"Shawn, I swear - " Juliet said, voice rising in anger. A snort behind them made her pause. She glanced around and her face got even redder. Her scream had attracted the attention of half the station. Shawn could see a few people hiding grins as they surreptitiously watched the drama unfold. "Shawn," she said, lowering her voice. "Can't you sometimes act professional? Especially here?"
"Oh Jules, where's the fun in that?" he asked. She turned back around to face her desk, ignoring him. He glanced at Gus who shook his head, giving him a look that clearly said this was his mess to clean up. Shawn walked slowly around the desk to face Juliet. She didn’t look up at him but he could tell by her stiff shoulders and tightly pressed lips she was pissed. He sighed, knowing he had screwed up. “I'm sorry I made you scream in front of the whole police station, even if it was hilarious.”
She looked up at him warily and he made sure to have his 'serious' face on. He knew she wished he would take things a little more seriously, especially at work. He also knew how she hated to be embarrassed in front of her coworkers. He had crossed a line and she was right to be angry. “How about next time I make Lassiter scream like a little girl in front of everyone?” he asked, trying to coax a smile from her.
“That would immature,” she said primly. Even so, he could see her trying to hide a smile at the thought.
“Are we okay?” he asked quietly.
She sighed and gave him a small smile. “Just don't do that again.”
“Promise,” he said with an answering grin. He clapped his hands together loudly. “So, what can you tell us about the body from the park?” Gus came around the desk to hear what Juliet had to say.
“Before I tell you anything, you need to talk to the Chief,” she said, her tone all business. “She said she needed to talk to you as soon as you came in.”
“How about you tell me about the body first, then I go see the Chief?” he bargained. Getting called in to see the Chief was like getting called to the principal's office in high school. He had enough experience in both situations to know to delay as long as possible.
“She was very clear she wanted to see you right away,” she insisted, glancing past him to something over his shoulder
“Well, what she doesn't know won't hurt her,” he said conspiratorially. Her eyes flashed to his for a second, then back behind him with a warning tilt of her head. “Of course, I would never disobey her wishes like that,” he said hurriedly, realizing who she was looking at. “I'm going to go see her right now.” He turned around and acted surprised. “Why Chief, I didn't know you were standing there. I was just coming to find you.” He saw Gus standing off to the side shake his head.
“Mr. Spencer,” Vick said with a smile. Shawn was instantly on guard. That smile always meant trouble. “If you're done chatting, I'd like to see you in my office.”
“Why certainly.” Shawn headed in that direction with Gus following him.
“Not you, Mr. Guster,” Vick said, putting out a hand to stop him. “I'd like to speak to Spencer privately.” Giving Shawn a look, she turned and walked towards her office.
Gus looked worriedly at Shawn, who rolled his eyes. “The Chief probably just wants to congratulate me on my work recently,” he said, feigning nonchalance. “If she did it in public, everyone else would get jealous.”
Gus snorted. “Yeah right.” But Shawn's relaxed attitude did seem to lessen his own worry.
“Mr. Spencer,” Vick called from the office doorway.
Shawn saluted and headed into her office. Vick closed the doors behind him before sitting down at her desk.
“Have a seat,” she said, indicating the chairs in front of her. He sat and did his best to appear relaxed and unconcerned. “We need to have a talk.”
“We certainly do,” he said, cutting her off. “The vending machine in the break room refuses to give me my Snickers bars. This is the third time I have paid for my delicious peanutty goodness and been left nutless. I demand satisfaction!” He thumped his fist on the armrest of the chair for emphasis.
Vick didn't comment on his antics. Never a good sign. “I have here a report from one of the officers at Howell Park yesterday,” she said, tapping a file on her desk. “Apparently there was a disturbance at the crime scene involving you and a teenage girl. Care to explain?”
“That was my bad Chief,” he said, relaxing slightly. He had already established a cover story for Nikki; now he just had to convince the Chief of it. “My new apprentice is still unclear on crime scene protocol. She was trying to follow the astral trail of the killer and we got separated.”
“Your apprentice?” Vick asked skeptically.
“Yes Chief,” he said. “I found myself with the yearning to pass on my years of psychic knowledge to the next generation. The next day, my apprentice arrived. She said she felt drawn to my office, a clear sign of psychic compatibility.” He saw the Chief about to interrupt and quickly pressed on. He couldn’t get yelled at if Vick didn’t have chance to say anything. Besides, he was really getting on a roll now. “She will be shadowing me, learning how a true psychic solves crimes. She needs to see what I see, hear what I hear, feel what I feel, taste what - “
“Enough Mr. Spencer,” Vick said, cutting him short. “I just have one question for you.”
“If it's who keeps leaving half eaten donuts in the break room, I think its Rodriguez. He always seemed like the type to leave things unfinished. That's a sign of a bad work ethic. You should talk to him about it.” He knew he was babbling, but the expression on the Chief's face was starting to make him nervous. “And who leaves the half eaten donut just sitting there? Do they honestly belief someone else is going to finish it? I know there's nothing I like better than someone else's slobbered on snacks...” He tapered off into silence. The Chief's stare was really starting to unnerve him, and he found himself at a loss of what to say.
“What's her name?”
Shawn froze. She had asked the question quietly, almost curiously. It was a tone he had heard Lassiter and Juliet use in interrogations, when they already knew the truth and just wanted to watch the perp sweat. Until he knew exactly where the Chief was going with this, the less said the better. “Why do you ask?” he asked, keeping his voice even.
“A girl trespasses at a crime scene full of cops, has a ‘psychic vision,’ and leaves without anyone learning her name. This strikes me as a little odd. One might think someone was hiding her identity deliberately.” The look she gave him told him that is exactly what she thought.
“You know how the press are at the crime scenes. She's still new at this. I didn't want them to know her name until she's ready.” Shawn gave himself a mental pat on the back. That reason sounded legitimate and not made up seconds ago.
“There's no press here now,” Vick pointed out. She looked expectantly at him, waiting for an answer.
“Psychic-apprentice confidentiality.” That one definitely sounded made up, but he was running out of excuses. His brain was still sluggish despite the obscene amount of caffeine in his system, leaving him ill-equipped to parry the Chief’s probing.
Vick studied him for a moment, then looked away with a sigh. He thought for a moment he had won, until she reached into her desk and removed a file. “In our system, a person becomes flagged if finding them is of the utmost importance. These people are usually high-profile criminals or missing persons.” She placed the file down carefully, then looked up at him. “Especially missing children.”
Crap. He had a pretty good idea where the Chief was going with this.
She opened the file. “If an officer runs a name that is flagged, the Chief of Police is automatically notified. Detective O'Hara ran such a name yesterday.” She removed a single sheet and handed it to him. “See if she looks familiar.”
He took it, already knowing what it would show. Across the top of the page were the words 'Missing Child.' Underneath was a picture of Nikki and the information Juliet had shared with him yesterday. He looked up at the Chief. “Chief - ”
“O'Hara managed to convince me to speak to you before reporting this to the Denver PD,” she said, cutting him off. She fixed him with a stern look. “Why were you at a crime scene with a missing child?”
“Look, I didn't know she was missing at the time,” he said defensively. “I didn't even bring her to the crime scene. She snuck in on her own. You should probably talk to your boys about that. I would hate to think any member of the SBPD is slacking on the job.” He cut himself off before he could say anymore. Making the Chief mad wouldn't help. He was off his game today and if he wasn't careful, it would cost both him and Nikki. He couldn't afford to give away any more information.
“Mr. Spencer, this is no time for games,” Vick said, her eyes narrowing. “Now answer the question.”
“I did,” he said stubbornly.
“Then why did she follow you to the crime scene?” she said with exasperation.
“I'm working on a case for her.”
She stood up and leaned over the desk to glare at him. “What case?”
Shawn crossed his arms. “I really can't say.”
“This is serious,” she said sharply. “Harboring a runaway is a criminal offense.”
“Oh, really? I never would have thought that,” he said sarcastically, his rising anger and annoyance for being forced into this situation giving an added sharpness to his words.
“Spencer, give me one good reason why I shouldn't arrest you and bring her in myself,” she snapped angrily.
“Because I promised I would protect her!”
They stared at each other, breathing hard. Vick seemed surprised by his outburst. He couldn't blame her; he was surprised himself. He normally had much better control over his temper. He looked away first, tiredly running a hand over his face. He slumped back down in his chair, resting his arms on his knees, staring at the floor as he gather his thoughts. He heard Vick sit back down at her desk.
When he felt ready, he looked up and started to speak. “She came by the office on Monday to hire us to find her biological father. Her mom wouldn't tell her who he is, so she hoped I could divine his identity.” He shrugged. “We didn’t have any other cases, and I was tired of constantly beating Gus at video games. Besides, she reminded me of myself as a teenager. I know I didn't get along with my parents.” He shook his head. “I didn't know how much she was like me until yesterday.”
“When O'Hara did the background check,” Vick guessed. He nodded. She folded her hands in front of her, looking at him intently. “Why didn't you want her to report Nikki?”
He leaned back with a sigh. “Nikki’s a smart kid. For her to have run over 1,000 miles to a city she doesn’t know on the off chance she could find her father, I figured she had to have a pretty good reason. Someone more serious than getting grounded or having an argument with her parents and running away out of spite.” He looked down, hesitant to go on. He had promised to keep what Nikki said to himself. He knew the Chief would need to know eventually but not until Nikki was ready to face what happened.
“Did she give you a reason?” Vick asked quietly after he was silent for a couple minutes.
“Yeah,” he said bitterly. “And I promised her I wouldn't send her back to foster care.” He took a deep breath before meeting the Chief's gaze. “I just need a little more time to find her father.”
Vick must have read something in his face, because she didn't ask any more questions. “I can give you until Monday,” she said briskly. “Then I'll have to report her to the Denver PD.”
He let out a small sigh of relief. “Thanks, Chief,” he said gratefully. Given the distance to Denver, that would give him about a week before someone showed up in person. If the PI knew the name of her father, he hopefully could have things wrapped up by then.
“You’re welcome. Just don’t let me hear about your ‘apprentice’ wandering around any more crime scenes.” She gave him a stern look before gathering up the files on her desk. “Now get back to work; there is a killer that still needs to be caught.”
Shawn knew a dismissal when he heard one. “I’m on it,” he said and headed for the door.
“And Spencer?”
He turned. The expression on Vick's face had softened. “I know how important it is to find him, but try to get some rest. You look like hell.”
He gave a weary salute. “I’ll do my best.”
Heading back to Juliet's desk, he saw his girlfriend and Gus conversing quietly. They stopped talking the moment he joined them. Judging by the guilty expressions on their faces, he had been the topic of conversation. “Don't let me interrupt,” he said airily. “I'm sure you're saying all sorts of wonderful things about me.” He grabbed Lassiter’s empty desk chair and wheeled it over. Sitting down, he leaned back comfortably with a sigh. “Please, continue,” he said when Gus and Juliet just looked at him silently.
“What did the Chief want to talk about?” Gus asked.
Shawn glanced at Juliet. “I’m sorry,” she said guiltily. “I forgot she would get notified I looked her up.”
“It’s not your fault,” Shawn said, giving her a reassuring smile. “And thank you for convincing her to talk to me first.” He turned to Gus. “Vick had a few questions about my new apprentice.” He looked around to make sure no one was listening and gestured him to lean closer. “She also asked if there was any connection to a missing girl from Denver,” he added quietly.
“Shawn,” Gus said, worried.
He waved away Gus's concern. “Don't worry, I bought us some time. She agreed not to contact anyone from Denver until Monday. Plenty of time to find her dad.” He covered a yawn as he pulled out his phone. No new messages. “So what did you find out about the body?” Putting it away, he glanced up to see Juliet looking at him with concern. Gus too. “What?”
Juliet shared a look with Gus before speaking. “We're worried you're pushing yourself too hard with these cases. I know you haven't been sleeping well, and Gus told me about this morning.”
He glared at Gus. “Traitor,” he muttered. Gus shrugged, not looking the least bit guilty. He knew his friend meant well but Shawn still silently vowed to put garlic in his friend’s breath freshener before his next date with Rachel.
“Jules, honey, I'm fine,” he said, turning back to his girlfriend. “I’m just a little tired.” She raised an eyebrow and nodded at his left hand. Looking down, he saw it was trembling again. He covered it with his other hand and grinned sheepishly at her. “I guess I'm jittery from all that coffee.”
“Shawn - ”
“Jules, I can handle it,” he said, cutting her off. “There's nothing to worry about.” Gus tapped him on the shoulder, but he ignored him, focusing his attention on Juliet. “I'm fine,” he repeated, holding her gaze steadily. He could see the moment when she gave in and smiled brightly at her. “Besides, what would the department do without its Head Psychic Detective?” he asked, leaning back in his chair and spreading his arms.
She rolled her eyes. “We solve plenty of cases without you, Shawn.”
“But you solve even more with me,” he pointed out with a grin.
“Um, Shawn?” Gus said.
“In a minute.” Shawn leaned in closer to Juliet’s desk. “Now, how about the prettiest detective in the department tells us about the latest victim?”
“Spencer!”
Shawn barely managed to keep from jumping. Leaning as far back in the chair as he could, he looked up into the frowning visage of one Carlton Lassiter. “Hey Lassie!” he said brightly. He tilted his head. “You know from here, it looks like you’re smiling.”
“Get out of my chair,” Lassiter said slowly.
He spun the chair around to face Lassiter. “But it's so comfy.” He slouched down into the chair and crossed his arms, unwillingly to give it up.
“Spencer,” Lassiter growled.
“Is this because I called Jules the prettiest detective here?” he asked, thoroughly enjoying himself. It was so much fun to mess with Lassiter. “Don't worry. I think you're pretty too.” He batted his eyelashes at the older detective.
Lassiter put his hands on the armrests of the chair and leaned right into Shawn’s face. “Get. Up.”
He smirked at Lassiter. “Make me,” he dared.
“Shawn,” Juliet said warningly.
Before Shawn could react, Lassiter had spun the chair around and dumped him on the floor. He watched as Lassiter calmly wheeled the chair away. “That was uncool,” he yelled after him. Lassiter just smirked as he sat at his desk.
Gus reached down and gave him a hand up off the floor. He brushed himself off while Juliet shook her head. “Can't you two ever get along?” she asked.
Shawn gave her a crooked grin. “Like I've said before, where's the fun in that?” He came around and perched on the edge of her desk. “Now; the body.”
Juliet sighed and handed him a file. “You were right. We were able to positively ID the body as Samuel Cooper. Woody put time of death between 11 pm and 1 am Wednesday night. Cause of death was blood loss from the gash on the neck. Judging by the depth and angle of the cut, we know the killer is left handed and was standing behind the victim when he slashed his throat.”
“Smart,” Shawn said, looking through the file. “Cooper wouldn't have seen him coming and the killer would have avoided most of the blood splatter.” There was the usual background info on the victim. No prior arrests or charges. No known association with any criminal elements. The roommate described him as a pretty easy going guy. There was nothing to explain why someone would want to kill him.
“Exactly,” Juliet agreed. “The acid used to burn his face and hands was a concentrated form of hydrofluoric acid. At that concentration, the most likely place it could have come from is - “
“A chemistry lab,” he said, glancing at Gus. His hunch that the two bodies were related was right.
“We had CSU reexamine both labs,” she continued. “They found traces of blood in Pratt's. We're waiting on lab results but we're pretty sure it's Cooper's. They also found a jug of hydrofluoric acid that looked like it had been recently used. They were able to lift a partial print. Nothing matched in the system, so we're checking everyone who had access to the lab storeroom.”
Shawn closed the file and tapped it against his leg. Something about the case didn't add up. Why Pratt's lab? “What did Pratt have to say about all this?”
“That man is an insufferable jackass,” Juliet said with vehemence. “His lawyer managed to convince a judge that the fingerprints on the murder weapon were not enough evidence to charge him. Since his release, he has been threatening to sue the department for false arrest and defamation.” She snorted. “I wish he was guilty just so I could have the satisfaction of throwing that smug bastard in jail for the rest of his life.”
He raised an eyebrow, surprised by the outburst. He glanced at Gus and saw an equally surprised expression on his face. He rarely saw her so worked up over a suspect. Her face was flushed and her jaw was clenched hard enough he could almost hear her teeth grinding together. This guy sure had a way with people. “Jules, honey, calm down. Take deep breaths.” He took an exaggerated breath, motioning for her to copy him. After several such breaths, she seemed to calm down. “Don't let this guy get to you.”
“I know,” she snapped. She took another deep breath and smiled apologetically at him. “He just as a way of knowing exactly what to say to get a reaction out of you.”
He nodded. He had noticed the same thing. “I sense he will get his comeuppance someday,” he said mysteriously.
She looked at him hopefully. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.” He would make sure of that. He was rewarded by her happy, if slightly vindictive smile. He frowned as something she had said earlier occurred to him. “What about the hair?”
“What hair?” she asked, puzzled.
“The one found at the crime scene,” he said. “You mentioned the lawyer got the fingerprints called into question, but not the hair.”
She thought for a moment. “Right, that hair,” she said suddenly. “I almost forgot about it, since the fingerprints were enough evidence to hold him.” She flipped through a file until she found the right page. “Turns out the hair wasn't even human. The lab matched it to Felis catus.”
“A house cat?” Gus asked. “What would cat hair be doing in a chemistry lab?” He looked over at Shawn as the psychic suddenly stood up. “Shawn?”
Something had clicked in Shawn's mind. The missing piece he had been looking for, or at least part of it. There had been a guy at the crime scene when he and Gus had been talking with Cooper. A guy with cat scratches on his hand. “Have you been able to track down everyone who had access to the supply room?” he asked Juliet urgently.
“Almost everyone,” she said, surprised at his tone. “We're still trying to contact one or two.”
He put his hand to his head. “I'm sensing one of those is our killer. Someone with the last name Newton.” He saw Gus's eyes widen, recognizing the name.
She pulled out the list of suspects. “There is a Timothy Newton, one of Sanders' post doc students. We haven't been able to reach him.”
“That's it! That's our killer,” he said excitedly. He loved the feeling when the pieces started coming together. He still needed to figure out why Newton did it, but he was one step closer to solving the case.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“He's right.” Lassiter was watching them from his desk and had obviously heard what their discussion. “Sanders received a number of threatening emails from Newton in the week leading up to his death.” He raised an eyebrow at their shocked expressions. “What?”
Shawn cleared his throat. “Did you just agree with me? This is a first.” He turned away to face the station. “Carlton Lassiter, the Carlton Lassiter, just agreed with Shawn Spencer,” he announced to everyone.
Lassiter rolled his eyes. “O'Hara, do you have an address for Newton?” he asked, standing up.
“Right here.” she said, brandishing a sheet of paper.
“Let's go.” Lassiter grabbed his jacket and headed out for the door. Juliet got up and quickly followed him. “You coming Spencer?” he called back over his shoulder.
Shawn stared after Lassiter. “It's a sign of the Apocalypse. It has to be.”
“Maybe he's just starting to tolerate you,” Gus said. “You have been working together for seven years. He was bound to warm up eventually.”
“Spencer!”
“I'm still betting pod people,” Shawn said. “Or maybe he's a robot sent from the future to try and stop me from solving cases.” He smirked. “Though if that is the case, he is doing a horrible job of it.”
“Lassiter is not Terminator and if we don't go now they'll leave without us,” Gus said.
“Agree to disagree,” Shawn said but followed his friend out after the two detectives.
Chapter 9
Author: moondragon25 (or moondragon23 on other sites)
Pairing: Shawn/Juliet
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Life is great for Shawn Spencer. He has a cool job, a smart, beautiful girlfriend, and gets to hang with his best friend all day. What more could a guy want? When he gets his next two cases, a dead chemistry professor and a girl looking for her father, it looks like business as usual. Too bad things never go that simply when Shawn is involved. REWRITE OF TWO DEAD GUYS AND A GIRL!
Disclaimer: I do not own Psych or any of its characters. All other publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: I'm not sure if anyone is still reading this, but for those who are I'm sorry I'm late posting this. I was pretty busy the last few days. I've been feeling a bit like Shawn does in this chapter.
I hope you all enjoy it.
Flashback
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8: Caffeine, Confessions, and a Clue
Friday
“Shawn. . . Shawn. . . Earth to Shawn.”
Something came flying through the air and bounced off Shawn's forehead. Glancing down, he saw a balled up piece of paper sitting on his keyboard. He raised his head off his hand and looked away from his computer screen to Gus. “Dude, what was that for?” He blinked. “When did you get here?” he asked in confusion.
“Five minutes ago,” Gus said. “You were kind of zoned out staring at your computer screen. I couldn't get your attention.” He stepped closer and frowned at Shawn. “You look like hell.”
“Gee, thanks,” Shawn said sarcastically, rubbing his no doubt bloodshot eyes.
He hadn't gotten home until just before 3 am. He had tossed and turned for a couple hours before finally falling asleep, only to have Juliet wake him up before leaving for work to find out what had happened with Nikki. After that he had given up on sleep and come to the office. He could only imagine how bad he looked. He had made it a point to avoid all reflective surfaces that morning for just that reason.
“Didn't get enough sleep last night,” he told Gus after a jaw-cracking yawn. “I'm gonna make some more coffee. Want any?” He struggled out of his chair and dragged himself towards the coffee maker.
“I'm good,” Gus said. Shawn pulled out the bag of beans and plugged in the grinder. “What I wanted to ask you - ” Gus was cut off as Shawn started the grinder. He waited for Shawn to finish before trying again. “I wanted to know - ”
Shawn started the grinder again. Gus waited, less patiently this time. Shawn turned the grinder off.
“I wanted - ”
Shawn turned the grinder on again.
“Shawn!” Gus yelled over the noise. “Do you know how bad that is for the motor?”
Shawn turned off the grinder with a grin. It was so much fun teasing Gus. “Sorry, buddy, but I like my coffee extra ground.”
“I’ll show you extra ground.” Gus glared at him. “Don’t let this turn into what happened to the blender.”
“That was a completely different situation,” Shawn protested. “How was I supposed to know you shouldn’t open the lid while the blender was still running?”
“It’s common sense,” Gus said. “And you burned out the motor because you left it running while you were cleaning up, so it is a similar situation.”
“Agree to disagree.” Shawn measured out the grounds, filled the reservoir and started the coffee maker. Soon the sounds and smells of freshly brewing coffee filled the office. He leaned back against the counter, facing Gus. “Now, what were you trying to say before you falsely accused me of abusing kitchen appliances?”
Gus scowled at him but didn’t let himself be distracted again. “I was asking how things went with Nikki.” Shawn had filled him in about the background check when he had borrowed the Blueberry the night before.
“Better than I thought it would,” Shawn said. “I was able to convince my dad to let her stay for a while.” The coffee maker beeped, signaling it had finished brewing. “Finally.” He poured himself a cup and held it up to his nose, inhaling the bitter fragrance of this life-saving nectar from the gods. If only it tasted better; too bad nobody had figured out how to breed a coffee plant with a pineapple.
“How did you manage that?” Gus asked. When he didn't answer right away, Gus's eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Please tell me you didn't agree to help him around the house again. I got stuck doing most of the work last time.”
Shawn went back to his desk, sipping his coffee. He hoped drinking it black would help wake him up faster though the bitter taste almost made him gag. “No chores, Gus. Don't worry.” He picked up his phone and checked it before putting it back on his desk.
“Then how did you convince your dad to let Nikki stay?” Gus asked.
“I have my ways,” he said mysteriously. Gus gave him a look. Shawn rolled his eyes in annoyance. “I explained what's going on with her and he agreed to let her stay. So just drop it, all right?”
Gus looked surprised by his sharp tone. “OK,” he said, putting his hands up in surrender. “I'm just glad she has a place to stay.”
Shawn sighed. He felt guilty for snapping at his friend but he really didn’t want to go over the details with him. Gus meant well, but he wouldn't be able to treat Nikki the same if he knew the truth. She didn't deserve to have to face that every day. He checked his phone again, rubbing at a sharp pain over his left eye. “Me too,” he said. “Now I can buy Red Vines again.” He put the phone down and grabbed his coffee. It was almost cool enough to chug. As he impatiently sipped it, he noticed Gus watching him. “What?”
“Why do you keep checking your phone?” Gus asked. “The last time you checked it that often you were fighting with Juliet.” He looked suspiciously at Shawn. “What did you do?”
“Nothing,” he protested. “Jules and I are fine.” He put his coffee down and gave Gus his full attention. “I spent the morning talking to the nurse who took care of Nikki's mom in Denver. She had some very interesting things to say.” He sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers over his chest. “Apparently, Sarah Peterson hired a private investigator shortly before her death.”
“A PI?” Gus asked. “Why would a dying woman hire a PI?”
Shawn threw back his head and put the back of his hand to his forehead, like an old southern woman feeling faint. “To find the father of a daughter about to be left all alone in the world,” he said, adopting a southern accent.
“Your accent is terrible,” Gus commented.
Shawn sighed heavily as he sat up. “You just don’t appreciate the lengths I go to for artistic flair.”
Gus crossed his arms. “I would if it wasn’t just you messing around. Are you going to tell me what you found out?”
“You ruin all my fun,” Shawn complained. He grabbed his mug, deciding his coffee was cool enough. He drained what was left in one long gulp and put the empty mug back on his desk with a resounding thunk. “One of her nurses arranged everything. The one I spoke to only knew a few details but was able to give me his number. He wasn’t in his office so I left a message. I'm waiting for him to call me back.” He checked his phone again just in case he had missed the call while he was talking.
“How much coffee did you have this morning?” Gus asked, staring at Shawn's left hand.
Shawn looked down and noticed his hand was shaking. “Four cups,” he said. “No, wait, five cups. I stopped at Starbucks on the way in.” He moved his hand so it was out of Gus' view.
“When was the last time you ate anything?” Gus asked, eyeing him carefully.
“Um, what time is it?”
Gus checked his watch. “10:30.”
Shawn thought for a moment. “Then, around seven.” Gus relaxed slightly. “Last night.”
Gus sighed and grabbed his keys. “Come on, let's go.”
“Go where?” Shawn asked in confusion.
“You need to eat something before you go into shock.” Gus said. “Remember what happened the last time you drank that much coffee without eating?”
Shawn winced. That had been while his dad was in the hospital after getting shot. He had passed out next to his dad's hospital bed and woken up in one of his own. It had taken two hours to get the doctor to release him. “Fine, let's eat,” he said, standing up. The room spun slightly for a minute, but he was able to keep his balance. He hoped Gus hadn't noticed. “Then we should stop by the station. Jules said they should have a positive ID on the body by this morning.” He made his way carefully to the door of the office.
Gus reached it first and held it open for him. Apparently his friend was entering full on mother hen mode. “I worry about you sometimes,” he said, following Shawn out the door. “I know you want to solve these cases, but your own well-being comes first.” He went ahead and opened the car door for Shawn.
“Why, thank you Jeeves,” Shawn said as he got in the car, doing his best to hide his annoyance. Gus meant well but he wasn’t an invalid. He was just a little light headed. He buckled up as Gus went around to his own side of the car. “I didn't do it intentionally. I promised Nikki I would find her father. I can't let her down.” He leaned back against the headrest and closed his eyes against the bright morning light.
“You won’t be able to help her if you pass out,” Gus said.
Shawn sighed. “You’re right.” He squinted over at his friend. “Waffles?”
“You know that’s right.”
Shawn relaxed back against the seat as his friend drove them to the nearest diner to get some much needed sustenance. He hoped he would be able to get pineapple on his waffles.
The food seemed to have kick-started his system and Shawn was finally feeling the energizing effects of all that caffeine. He had a definite spring in his step as he entered the police station, Gus trailing along behind him. He knew he would crash hard later so he needed to make the most of his wakefulness now.
He spotted Juliet at her desk, her back to them. She seemed completely absorbed with the file in front of her. The opportunity was too tempting; he motioned Gus to stay back as he snuck up silently behind her. Once he was in position, he spoke quietly into her ear. “Hi Jules.”
She shrieked and spun around. “Shawn!” she yelled as he burst into laughter. “Don't do that!” She glared at him, her face flush.
"You should have seen your face,” Shawn said with a grin. Her expression of wide-eyed shock was priceless. "Dude, did you see her face?" he asked Gus as his friend came up next to him. Gus elbowed him hard in the side. "What?"
"Shawn, I swear - " Juliet said, voice rising in anger. A snort behind them made her pause. She glanced around and her face got even redder. Her scream had attracted the attention of half the station. Shawn could see a few people hiding grins as they surreptitiously watched the drama unfold. "Shawn," she said, lowering her voice. "Can't you sometimes act professional? Especially here?"
"Oh Jules, where's the fun in that?" he asked. She turned back around to face her desk, ignoring him. He glanced at Gus who shook his head, giving him a look that clearly said this was his mess to clean up. Shawn walked slowly around the desk to face Juliet. She didn’t look up at him but he could tell by her stiff shoulders and tightly pressed lips she was pissed. He sighed, knowing he had screwed up. “I'm sorry I made you scream in front of the whole police station, even if it was hilarious.”
She looked up at him warily and he made sure to have his 'serious' face on. He knew she wished he would take things a little more seriously, especially at work. He also knew how she hated to be embarrassed in front of her coworkers. He had crossed a line and she was right to be angry. “How about next time I make Lassiter scream like a little girl in front of everyone?” he asked, trying to coax a smile from her.
“That would immature,” she said primly. Even so, he could see her trying to hide a smile at the thought.
“Are we okay?” he asked quietly.
She sighed and gave him a small smile. “Just don't do that again.”
“Promise,” he said with an answering grin. He clapped his hands together loudly. “So, what can you tell us about the body from the park?” Gus came around the desk to hear what Juliet had to say.
“Before I tell you anything, you need to talk to the Chief,” she said, her tone all business. “She said she needed to talk to you as soon as you came in.”
“How about you tell me about the body first, then I go see the Chief?” he bargained. Getting called in to see the Chief was like getting called to the principal's office in high school. He had enough experience in both situations to know to delay as long as possible.
“She was very clear she wanted to see you right away,” she insisted, glancing past him to something over his shoulder
“Well, what she doesn't know won't hurt her,” he said conspiratorially. Her eyes flashed to his for a second, then back behind him with a warning tilt of her head. “Of course, I would never disobey her wishes like that,” he said hurriedly, realizing who she was looking at. “I'm going to go see her right now.” He turned around and acted surprised. “Why Chief, I didn't know you were standing there. I was just coming to find you.” He saw Gus standing off to the side shake his head.
“Mr. Spencer,” Vick said with a smile. Shawn was instantly on guard. That smile always meant trouble. “If you're done chatting, I'd like to see you in my office.”
“Why certainly.” Shawn headed in that direction with Gus following him.
“Not you, Mr. Guster,” Vick said, putting out a hand to stop him. “I'd like to speak to Spencer privately.” Giving Shawn a look, she turned and walked towards her office.
Gus looked worriedly at Shawn, who rolled his eyes. “The Chief probably just wants to congratulate me on my work recently,” he said, feigning nonchalance. “If she did it in public, everyone else would get jealous.”
Gus snorted. “Yeah right.” But Shawn's relaxed attitude did seem to lessen his own worry.
“Mr. Spencer,” Vick called from the office doorway.
Shawn saluted and headed into her office. Vick closed the doors behind him before sitting down at her desk.
“Have a seat,” she said, indicating the chairs in front of her. He sat and did his best to appear relaxed and unconcerned. “We need to have a talk.”
“We certainly do,” he said, cutting her off. “The vending machine in the break room refuses to give me my Snickers bars. This is the third time I have paid for my delicious peanutty goodness and been left nutless. I demand satisfaction!” He thumped his fist on the armrest of the chair for emphasis.
Vick didn't comment on his antics. Never a good sign. “I have here a report from one of the officers at Howell Park yesterday,” she said, tapping a file on her desk. “Apparently there was a disturbance at the crime scene involving you and a teenage girl. Care to explain?”
“That was my bad Chief,” he said, relaxing slightly. He had already established a cover story for Nikki; now he just had to convince the Chief of it. “My new apprentice is still unclear on crime scene protocol. She was trying to follow the astral trail of the killer and we got separated.”
“Your apprentice?” Vick asked skeptically.
“Yes Chief,” he said. “I found myself with the yearning to pass on my years of psychic knowledge to the next generation. The next day, my apprentice arrived. She said she felt drawn to my office, a clear sign of psychic compatibility.” He saw the Chief about to interrupt and quickly pressed on. He couldn’t get yelled at if Vick didn’t have chance to say anything. Besides, he was really getting on a roll now. “She will be shadowing me, learning how a true psychic solves crimes. She needs to see what I see, hear what I hear, feel what I feel, taste what - “
“Enough Mr. Spencer,” Vick said, cutting him short. “I just have one question for you.”
“If it's who keeps leaving half eaten donuts in the break room, I think its Rodriguez. He always seemed like the type to leave things unfinished. That's a sign of a bad work ethic. You should talk to him about it.” He knew he was babbling, but the expression on the Chief's face was starting to make him nervous. “And who leaves the half eaten donut just sitting there? Do they honestly belief someone else is going to finish it? I know there's nothing I like better than someone else's slobbered on snacks...” He tapered off into silence. The Chief's stare was really starting to unnerve him, and he found himself at a loss of what to say.
“What's her name?”
Shawn froze. She had asked the question quietly, almost curiously. It was a tone he had heard Lassiter and Juliet use in interrogations, when they already knew the truth and just wanted to watch the perp sweat. Until he knew exactly where the Chief was going with this, the less said the better. “Why do you ask?” he asked, keeping his voice even.
“A girl trespasses at a crime scene full of cops, has a ‘psychic vision,’ and leaves without anyone learning her name. This strikes me as a little odd. One might think someone was hiding her identity deliberately.” The look she gave him told him that is exactly what she thought.
“You know how the press are at the crime scenes. She's still new at this. I didn't want them to know her name until she's ready.” Shawn gave himself a mental pat on the back. That reason sounded legitimate and not made up seconds ago.
“There's no press here now,” Vick pointed out. She looked expectantly at him, waiting for an answer.
“Psychic-apprentice confidentiality.” That one definitely sounded made up, but he was running out of excuses. His brain was still sluggish despite the obscene amount of caffeine in his system, leaving him ill-equipped to parry the Chief’s probing.
Vick studied him for a moment, then looked away with a sigh. He thought for a moment he had won, until she reached into her desk and removed a file. “In our system, a person becomes flagged if finding them is of the utmost importance. These people are usually high-profile criminals or missing persons.” She placed the file down carefully, then looked up at him. “Especially missing children.”
Crap. He had a pretty good idea where the Chief was going with this.
She opened the file. “If an officer runs a name that is flagged, the Chief of Police is automatically notified. Detective O'Hara ran such a name yesterday.” She removed a single sheet and handed it to him. “See if she looks familiar.”
He took it, already knowing what it would show. Across the top of the page were the words 'Missing Child.' Underneath was a picture of Nikki and the information Juliet had shared with him yesterday. He looked up at the Chief. “Chief - ”
“O'Hara managed to convince me to speak to you before reporting this to the Denver PD,” she said, cutting him off. She fixed him with a stern look. “Why were you at a crime scene with a missing child?”
“Look, I didn't know she was missing at the time,” he said defensively. “I didn't even bring her to the crime scene. She snuck in on her own. You should probably talk to your boys about that. I would hate to think any member of the SBPD is slacking on the job.” He cut himself off before he could say anymore. Making the Chief mad wouldn't help. He was off his game today and if he wasn't careful, it would cost both him and Nikki. He couldn't afford to give away any more information.
“Mr. Spencer, this is no time for games,” Vick said, her eyes narrowing. “Now answer the question.”
“I did,” he said stubbornly.
“Then why did she follow you to the crime scene?” she said with exasperation.
“I'm working on a case for her.”
She stood up and leaned over the desk to glare at him. “What case?”
Shawn crossed his arms. “I really can't say.”
“This is serious,” she said sharply. “Harboring a runaway is a criminal offense.”
“Oh, really? I never would have thought that,” he said sarcastically, his rising anger and annoyance for being forced into this situation giving an added sharpness to his words.
“Spencer, give me one good reason why I shouldn't arrest you and bring her in myself,” she snapped angrily.
“Because I promised I would protect her!”
They stared at each other, breathing hard. Vick seemed surprised by his outburst. He couldn't blame her; he was surprised himself. He normally had much better control over his temper. He looked away first, tiredly running a hand over his face. He slumped back down in his chair, resting his arms on his knees, staring at the floor as he gather his thoughts. He heard Vick sit back down at her desk.
When he felt ready, he looked up and started to speak. “She came by the office on Monday to hire us to find her biological father. Her mom wouldn't tell her who he is, so she hoped I could divine his identity.” He shrugged. “We didn’t have any other cases, and I was tired of constantly beating Gus at video games. Besides, she reminded me of myself as a teenager. I know I didn't get along with my parents.” He shook his head. “I didn't know how much she was like me until yesterday.”
“When O'Hara did the background check,” Vick guessed. He nodded. She folded her hands in front of her, looking at him intently. “Why didn't you want her to report Nikki?”
He leaned back with a sigh. “Nikki’s a smart kid. For her to have run over 1,000 miles to a city she doesn’t know on the off chance she could find her father, I figured she had to have a pretty good reason. Someone more serious than getting grounded or having an argument with her parents and running away out of spite.” He looked down, hesitant to go on. He had promised to keep what Nikki said to himself. He knew the Chief would need to know eventually but not until Nikki was ready to face what happened.
“Did she give you a reason?” Vick asked quietly after he was silent for a couple minutes.
“Yeah,” he said bitterly. “And I promised her I wouldn't send her back to foster care.” He took a deep breath before meeting the Chief's gaze. “I just need a little more time to find her father.”
Vick must have read something in his face, because she didn't ask any more questions. “I can give you until Monday,” she said briskly. “Then I'll have to report her to the Denver PD.”
He let out a small sigh of relief. “Thanks, Chief,” he said gratefully. Given the distance to Denver, that would give him about a week before someone showed up in person. If the PI knew the name of her father, he hopefully could have things wrapped up by then.
“You’re welcome. Just don’t let me hear about your ‘apprentice’ wandering around any more crime scenes.” She gave him a stern look before gathering up the files on her desk. “Now get back to work; there is a killer that still needs to be caught.”
Shawn knew a dismissal when he heard one. “I’m on it,” he said and headed for the door.
“And Spencer?”
He turned. The expression on Vick's face had softened. “I know how important it is to find him, but try to get some rest. You look like hell.”
He gave a weary salute. “I’ll do my best.”
Heading back to Juliet's desk, he saw his girlfriend and Gus conversing quietly. They stopped talking the moment he joined them. Judging by the guilty expressions on their faces, he had been the topic of conversation. “Don't let me interrupt,” he said airily. “I'm sure you're saying all sorts of wonderful things about me.” He grabbed Lassiter’s empty desk chair and wheeled it over. Sitting down, he leaned back comfortably with a sigh. “Please, continue,” he said when Gus and Juliet just looked at him silently.
“What did the Chief want to talk about?” Gus asked.
Shawn glanced at Juliet. “I’m sorry,” she said guiltily. “I forgot she would get notified I looked her up.”
“It’s not your fault,” Shawn said, giving her a reassuring smile. “And thank you for convincing her to talk to me first.” He turned to Gus. “Vick had a few questions about my new apprentice.” He looked around to make sure no one was listening and gestured him to lean closer. “She also asked if there was any connection to a missing girl from Denver,” he added quietly.
“Shawn,” Gus said, worried.
He waved away Gus's concern. “Don't worry, I bought us some time. She agreed not to contact anyone from Denver until Monday. Plenty of time to find her dad.” He covered a yawn as he pulled out his phone. No new messages. “So what did you find out about the body?” Putting it away, he glanced up to see Juliet looking at him with concern. Gus too. “What?”
Juliet shared a look with Gus before speaking. “We're worried you're pushing yourself too hard with these cases. I know you haven't been sleeping well, and Gus told me about this morning.”
He glared at Gus. “Traitor,” he muttered. Gus shrugged, not looking the least bit guilty. He knew his friend meant well but Shawn still silently vowed to put garlic in his friend’s breath freshener before his next date with Rachel.
“Jules, honey, I'm fine,” he said, turning back to his girlfriend. “I’m just a little tired.” She raised an eyebrow and nodded at his left hand. Looking down, he saw it was trembling again. He covered it with his other hand and grinned sheepishly at her. “I guess I'm jittery from all that coffee.”
“Shawn - ”
“Jules, I can handle it,” he said, cutting her off. “There's nothing to worry about.” Gus tapped him on the shoulder, but he ignored him, focusing his attention on Juliet. “I'm fine,” he repeated, holding her gaze steadily. He could see the moment when she gave in and smiled brightly at her. “Besides, what would the department do without its Head Psychic Detective?” he asked, leaning back in his chair and spreading his arms.
She rolled her eyes. “We solve plenty of cases without you, Shawn.”
“But you solve even more with me,” he pointed out with a grin.
“Um, Shawn?” Gus said.
“In a minute.” Shawn leaned in closer to Juliet’s desk. “Now, how about the prettiest detective in the department tells us about the latest victim?”
“Spencer!”
Shawn barely managed to keep from jumping. Leaning as far back in the chair as he could, he looked up into the frowning visage of one Carlton Lassiter. “Hey Lassie!” he said brightly. He tilted his head. “You know from here, it looks like you’re smiling.”
“Get out of my chair,” Lassiter said slowly.
He spun the chair around to face Lassiter. “But it's so comfy.” He slouched down into the chair and crossed his arms, unwillingly to give it up.
“Spencer,” Lassiter growled.
“Is this because I called Jules the prettiest detective here?” he asked, thoroughly enjoying himself. It was so much fun to mess with Lassiter. “Don't worry. I think you're pretty too.” He batted his eyelashes at the older detective.
Lassiter put his hands on the armrests of the chair and leaned right into Shawn’s face. “Get. Up.”
He smirked at Lassiter. “Make me,” he dared.
“Shawn,” Juliet said warningly.
Before Shawn could react, Lassiter had spun the chair around and dumped him on the floor. He watched as Lassiter calmly wheeled the chair away. “That was uncool,” he yelled after him. Lassiter just smirked as he sat at his desk.
Gus reached down and gave him a hand up off the floor. He brushed himself off while Juliet shook her head. “Can't you two ever get along?” she asked.
Shawn gave her a crooked grin. “Like I've said before, where's the fun in that?” He came around and perched on the edge of her desk. “Now; the body.”
Juliet sighed and handed him a file. “You were right. We were able to positively ID the body as Samuel Cooper. Woody put time of death between 11 pm and 1 am Wednesday night. Cause of death was blood loss from the gash on the neck. Judging by the depth and angle of the cut, we know the killer is left handed and was standing behind the victim when he slashed his throat.”
“Smart,” Shawn said, looking through the file. “Cooper wouldn't have seen him coming and the killer would have avoided most of the blood splatter.” There was the usual background info on the victim. No prior arrests or charges. No known association with any criminal elements. The roommate described him as a pretty easy going guy. There was nothing to explain why someone would want to kill him.
“Exactly,” Juliet agreed. “The acid used to burn his face and hands was a concentrated form of hydrofluoric acid. At that concentration, the most likely place it could have come from is - “
“A chemistry lab,” he said, glancing at Gus. His hunch that the two bodies were related was right.
“We had CSU reexamine both labs,” she continued. “They found traces of blood in Pratt's. We're waiting on lab results but we're pretty sure it's Cooper's. They also found a jug of hydrofluoric acid that looked like it had been recently used. They were able to lift a partial print. Nothing matched in the system, so we're checking everyone who had access to the lab storeroom.”
Shawn closed the file and tapped it against his leg. Something about the case didn't add up. Why Pratt's lab? “What did Pratt have to say about all this?”
“That man is an insufferable jackass,” Juliet said with vehemence. “His lawyer managed to convince a judge that the fingerprints on the murder weapon were not enough evidence to charge him. Since his release, he has been threatening to sue the department for false arrest and defamation.” She snorted. “I wish he was guilty just so I could have the satisfaction of throwing that smug bastard in jail for the rest of his life.”
He raised an eyebrow, surprised by the outburst. He glanced at Gus and saw an equally surprised expression on his face. He rarely saw her so worked up over a suspect. Her face was flushed and her jaw was clenched hard enough he could almost hear her teeth grinding together. This guy sure had a way with people. “Jules, honey, calm down. Take deep breaths.” He took an exaggerated breath, motioning for her to copy him. After several such breaths, she seemed to calm down. “Don't let this guy get to you.”
“I know,” she snapped. She took another deep breath and smiled apologetically at him. “He just as a way of knowing exactly what to say to get a reaction out of you.”
He nodded. He had noticed the same thing. “I sense he will get his comeuppance someday,” he said mysteriously.
She looked at him hopefully. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.” He would make sure of that. He was rewarded by her happy, if slightly vindictive smile. He frowned as something she had said earlier occurred to him. “What about the hair?”
“What hair?” she asked, puzzled.
“The one found at the crime scene,” he said. “You mentioned the lawyer got the fingerprints called into question, but not the hair.”
She thought for a moment. “Right, that hair,” she said suddenly. “I almost forgot about it, since the fingerprints were enough evidence to hold him.” She flipped through a file until she found the right page. “Turns out the hair wasn't even human. The lab matched it to Felis catus.”
“A house cat?” Gus asked. “What would cat hair be doing in a chemistry lab?” He looked over at Shawn as the psychic suddenly stood up. “Shawn?”
Something had clicked in Shawn's mind. The missing piece he had been looking for, or at least part of it. There had been a guy at the crime scene when he and Gus had been talking with Cooper. A guy with cat scratches on his hand. “Have you been able to track down everyone who had access to the supply room?” he asked Juliet urgently.
“Almost everyone,” she said, surprised at his tone. “We're still trying to contact one or two.”
He put his hand to his head. “I'm sensing one of those is our killer. Someone with the last name Newton.” He saw Gus's eyes widen, recognizing the name.
She pulled out the list of suspects. “There is a Timothy Newton, one of Sanders' post doc students. We haven't been able to reach him.”
“That's it! That's our killer,” he said excitedly. He loved the feeling when the pieces started coming together. He still needed to figure out why Newton did it, but he was one step closer to solving the case.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“He's right.” Lassiter was watching them from his desk and had obviously heard what their discussion. “Sanders received a number of threatening emails from Newton in the week leading up to his death.” He raised an eyebrow at their shocked expressions. “What?”
Shawn cleared his throat. “Did you just agree with me? This is a first.” He turned away to face the station. “Carlton Lassiter, the Carlton Lassiter, just agreed with Shawn Spencer,” he announced to everyone.
Lassiter rolled his eyes. “O'Hara, do you have an address for Newton?” he asked, standing up.
“Right here.” she said, brandishing a sheet of paper.
“Let's go.” Lassiter grabbed his jacket and headed out for the door. Juliet got up and quickly followed him. “You coming Spencer?” he called back over his shoulder.
Shawn stared after Lassiter. “It's a sign of the Apocalypse. It has to be.”
“Maybe he's just starting to tolerate you,” Gus said. “You have been working together for seven years. He was bound to warm up eventually.”
“Spencer!”
“I'm still betting pod people,” Shawn said. “Or maybe he's a robot sent from the future to try and stop me from solving cases.” He smirked. “Though if that is the case, he is doing a horrible job of it.”
“Lassiter is not Terminator and if we don't go now they'll leave without us,” Gus said.
“Agree to disagree,” Shawn said but followed his friend out after the two detectives.
Chapter 9