FIC: A Lassierella Story (2/6)
Title: A Lassierella Story
Author: moondragon25 (or moondragon23 on other sites)
Pairing: Carlton/OFC
Rating: PG-13
Summary: It starts like a fairy tale. Guy and girl meet at a party. Girl runs off before the guy learns her name, leaving only a piece of her outfit behind. Guy looks for girl.
Of course, the prince never had to worry about escaped convicts and hostage situations while trying to get his girl. Lassiter will have to work a little bit harder for his happy ending.
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: Had a really crappy week and had to rush my cat to the vet this morning for emergency surgery. Hopefully, you all had a better week than me. If not, maybe this chapter will help cheer you up. It sure helped me.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2: Hidden in Plain Sight
Liz Holden yawned as she tugged on the front doors of Hometown Beanery, not too surprised to find them unlocked. She would need to have another talk with Mandy about that. She made sure to lock the doors behind her once she got inside so impatient customers couldn’t get in until they were ready to open.
She could smell coffee already brewing as she headed towards the break room and detoured to grab a cup. One of the perks of working at a coffee shop was a fresh brewed cup in the morning after a late night. She took a moment to enjoy her first sip before heading into the back to get ready.
Mandy Sinclair was already in the break room, putting her apron on. “You left the door unlocked again,” Liz said.
“I’ll remember next time,” Mandy said blithely. Liz let it go for now, too tired to deal with it this early in the morning. “What happened after we got separated last night?”
Liz made a face. “Someone spilled a drink all over my costume.” She tied back her hair, hissing as she broke another hair tie and it snapped against her fingers. Luckily, she always carried extras and grabbed a fresh one from her bag.
Mandy gave a low whistle. “I hope you gave them hell.”
Liz shook her head. “He was actually really nice about it. Besides, I bumped into him so it wasn’t his fault.” She retied her hair and grabbed her own apron out of her locker.
Mandy raised an eyebrow. “He must be some guy if you let him off the hook. I know how expensive that outfit was.”
“I told you it wasn’t his fault.” She sipped her coffee, humming happily as the caffeinated drink warmed and invigorated her.
Mandy smirked. “That hasn’t stopped you before.”
Liz sighed. Unfortunately, her friend was correct. She did have a bit of a temper when things went wrong. “Well, this time I kept my cool.”
Mandy followed her out of the break room as she went to get the fresh baked goods from the back. “So what’s he like?”
“Who?” Liz asked, grabbing a tray.
Mandy sighed dramatically. “The guy you let get away with ruining a $200 outfit.”
“He’s a cop.”
Mandy rolled her eyes. “I could have figured that out. It was a police department party.”
Liz gave her a shove. “Are you going to help get ready or not?”
“Fine.” Mandy started more coffee brewing while Liz filled the display case with muffins, cookies and assorted pastries. “Come on, I’m dying over here,” Mandy said after several minutes of silence.
Liz hid a smile. Her friend loved to gossip and had to know everything about everyone. The silence must be killing her. “Well, he was tall and had these brilliant blue eyes. I told him about my weapons display at the Renaissance Fair and he actually seemed genuinely interested in it.”
Mandy shook her head. “Another weapons freak. I bet you he has an armory stashed at his house.”
“We’ll see who’s complaining when the apocalypse hits,” Liz said, thinking of her own stash of weapons. No firearms, but plenty of swords, axes, and knives that she wouldn’t have to worry about running out of ammunition for. Not to mention the bows and crossbows that would be equally good for hunting as for protection.
Mandy frowned. “So if you guys hit it off so well, why aren’t you happier this morning?”
Liz sighed. “He asked me for my name.”
Mandy gave her a look. “Aaaaand?” she asked, drawing out the word expectantly when Liz didn't elaborate.
Liz snorted. “What was I supposed to tell him? ‘Hi, I’m Liz. I don’t work for the department, I’m just crashing the party because of a dare I made while I was drunk.’”
“I would leave out the part about the dare but the rest sounded okay.” Mandy paused thoughtfully. “You could have added that you teach at the college; guys like girls that are smart.”
Liz shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I left while he was distracted by someone else and never got his name. It’s best just to forget about it.”
“If you say so. . .” Mandy said skeptically.
Liz set out the last of the baked goods and put the empty trays in the back. “Come on, it’s time to open.” Already a group was forming outside the door, all waiting for their first dose of caffeine to start the day.
The morning was busy, which helped Liz keep her resolve not to dwell on last night. Not that it was always easy. Bright blue eyes, a man’s tall height, even the faint scent of leather, all brought up memories of her mysterious cowboy (not to mention the man who came in wearing a genuine ten gallon hat. Ted had always been a little weird). As the day went on though, she found it easier and easier to forget.
Especially when one of the more annoying customers came in.
“Oh Liz,” Mandy called out from the front as Liz dug through the storage room for more paper cups. “Your favorite customer is here.”
Liz peeked out at the counter and groaned. “Can’t you take him?”
“I’m busy working on six mocha lattes.” Mandy took the cups from her and grinned evilly. “Besides, I wouldn’t want to deprive you of his charming personality.”
“Fine.” Liz took a moment to tamp down her frustration and put a smile on her face before approaching the counter. “What can I get for you?”
The tall detective looked down at her, scowling as usual. “I need a medium vanilla cinnamon latte and a regular coffee, heavy on the cream and four spoons of sugar.”
“Coming right up.” As she made the coffee, she tried to make some small talk. “Where is your partner today?” She liked Juliet; the younger detective was always perky and smiling and had given Liz some great advice on a new conditioner to try for her unruly hair.
“Busy.”
“Got a big case?”
Lassiter’s eyes narrowed. “I can’t discuss police matters with civilians.”
Liz wondered if his face had gotten permanently stuck like that. She had never seen him smile and he always seemed to be in a rotten mood. “Do you want to try a muffin or cookie today?”
“Just the coffee.”
Giving up on her attempt to play nice, Liz concentrated on getting his order together. When she placed the two coffees on the counter, he took a sip of his to make sure she made it right, just like he always did. “It’s adequate,” he proclaimed.
“Well, I’m so glad you like it,” Liz said in an extra perky voice. “That will be $6.87.”
Lassiter eyed her suspiciously as she made his change and counted it twice before shoving it in his pocket. Without a thanks, or even acknowledging her presence, he grabbed his coffees and left.
Liz took a deep breath, determined not to let the detective ruin her good mood. She had seen him act that way towards everyone besides his partner; she shouldn’t take it personally. Forcing her irritation aside, she went to help Mandy with the lattes.
Once the morning rush slowed, she found herself once again thinking about her mystery man. Not wanting to dwell on a lost cause, she chose instead to vent a little about her most annoying customer of the day so far. “I don’t understand how a man that drinks coffee that sweet can be so bitter,” Liz said.
“Lassiter?” Mandy guessed. “Maybe he would be less uptight if he got laid more often.”
Liz smacked her on the arm. “Jeesh, Mandy. Is sex all you think about?”
Mandy got a dreamy look on her face. “Trust me, if you had a boyfriend as hot as mine, your mind would spend a lot of time in the gutter too.”
Liz doubted that but knew arguing wouldn’t change Mandy’s mind. “How do you know he doesn’t have a girlfriend?” she asked instead.
Mandy snorted. “As if. I can’t imagine a woman crazy enough to put up with him.”
“His partner seems to like him well enough,” Liz pointed out.
“Well, he’s definitely not sleeping with this one. Right, that was before you started here,” Mandy said at Liz’s blank look. “It was a few years ago and he was almost tolerable when he was sleeping with his old partner. Then Shawn started working at the station and outed their relationship. She transferred away, Juliet transferred in, and old Lassiter has been grumpy ever since.”
Liz looked at her in amazement. “How do you find out all this stuff?”
“Jeff isn’t the first cop I’ve dated and some of them get really chatty over a good cup of coffee.” Mandy grinned. “I told you this job had its perks.” She nudged Liz’s arm. “Speaking of perks. . .”
Liz made a face. “I don’t want to hear about your bedroom exploits.”
Mandy stuck her tongue out. “Shut up and listen. There are other perks to having a cop as a boyfriend. Like the ability to find out who your mystery man is.”
“And admit to someone with the power to arrest me that I was trespassing at the station last night?” Liz shook her head. “No thanks.”
“There were plenty of people there who weren’t cops,” Mandy reminded her.
“But they came in through the front door,” Liz countered. “Not through a back entrance in a clearly out of bounds area.”
“If you came in the front door, you wouldn’t have been sneaking into the party,” Mandy said. “Which would have defeated the purpose of the dare.”
Liz sighed. “I should have known better than to do tequila shots with you.”
“No, you should have known better than to bet against my sex appeal,” Mandy said with a provocative swish of her hips.
“I still say you cheated,” Liz muttered. “You knew the guy from college.”
“You didn’t specify it had to be a stranger,” Mandy replied. “The bet was I could get any guy in the bar to loan me $50 and you were the one that chose him.”
“I should tell your boyfriend,” Liz said.
Mandy hugged her. “You won’t because you love me.”
Liz rolled her eyes. “Yeah, keep thinking that.”
Mandy pouted. “But I was going to help you find your new apocalypse buddy.”
“No, you’re not.” Liz pulled away and crossed her arms. “I’m just going to hope that he comes into the coffee shop some day and I recognize him. He can’t look too different out of costume.”
“Whatever you say,” Mandy said, clearly disappointed. “Let me know if you change your mind.”
“I won’t.”
The bell over the door rang and a group of ten college students entered. “The study group is early today.” Liz checked the bakery display. “Do we have any more chocolate chip muffins in the back?”
“I’ll check, then help you with the order.” Mandy winked at a couple of the cuter guys and Liz rolled her eyes. Those guys didn’t have a chance, even if she wasn’t already dating someone. Mandy was totally a badge bunny.
Liz stepped forward as the first customer reached the counter. “Hi guys. Your usual?”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lassiter placed O'Hara's coffee on her desk and continued on to his own. He took a sip of his drink as he sat down. The barista may be annoying and insolent but he had to admit (if only to himself), she did know how to make a good cup of coffee.
O'Hara stood up and came over to his desk. “Were you nice to the barista?” she asked.
“Of course I was.” O’Hara gave him a look. “Well, I wasn’t mean to her.”
O’Hara sighed. “Carlton, we've talked about this. You need to be nicer to people.”
“They’re just so perky all the time,” Lassiter complained. “And she was definitely mocking me at the end.”
“If you were nicer to them, I'm sure they'd be nicer back,” O'Hara said. “They’re always polite and friendly to me.”
“Then maybe you should get the coffee from now on,” Lassiter muttered. He rubbed his temples, wishing his stupid headache would go away. That would teach him to drink too much when he had to work the next day.
O'Hara frowned. “What has you in such a crappy mood?”
“Whose says I'm in a crappy mood?” Lassiter argued. “I just want to get my work done in peace without people annoying me with useless questions.”
O'Hara tilted her head. “Is this about the woman from last night?”
“O'Hara, drop it,” he said warningly.
“You must have really liked her,” O'Hara said, completely ignoring him. When had he stopped being able to intimidate her? “I mean, you've had dates run out on you before, so it’s not like this is a new experience.”
“Gee, thanks, O'Hara. I feel much better now,” he said in sarcastic awe.
“Why don't you look her up?” O'Hara suggested.
“That would be an inappropriate use of police resources,” Lassiter said disapprovingly, then sighed. “And I never got her name, so I couldn't even if I wanted to.”
O'Hara patted him gently on the shoulder. “I'm sorry, Carlton.”
“Jules!”
Lassiter groaned as Spencer and his sidekick headed over to them. As if his day wasn't bad enough already. “What are you doing here, Spencer?”
Spencer grinned at him. “Aw, is somebody hung-over?” Ignoring Lassiter's growl, he smiled at his girlfriend. “The Chief called us in.”
Lassiter frowned. “For what case?” He couldn't think of any they were currently assigned that Vick would call Psych in for.
“The one I'm about to give you.” They all turned as Vick walked over to them. “I need to see the four of you in my office right now.”
“So what kind of case is it?” Spencer asked eagerly. “Do we have to break up a league of ninja assassins? Go undercover in the mob to sabotage a drug smuggling ring?” Spencer gasped. “Did someone try to steal Zippy from the museum so they can play fetch with him like in that movie?” He turned to Guster. “Dude, we so need to spend another night in the museum. I told you that movie was real.”
“Never again, Shawn,” Guster said adamantly. “I risked the curse of the mummy once, I’m not doing it again.”
“Gentlemen,” Vick said, her voice stern as she interrupted them. “I’d rather not discuss the details out here. My office, now.”
Lassiter exchanged a look with O'Hara as he stood up. This sounded serious. Guster looked worried as well but Spencer just looked even more excited.
“Shut the door,” Vick said as the last of them entered. She waited until they were all seated before handing Lassiter a file. He glanced through it while she briefed them. “Anthony Robertos and Brad Mitchells were arrested three months ago for breaking into a high end jewelry store and stealing three million dollars worth of diamonds.”
Spencer let out a low whistle. “That's enough to buy a life time supply of astronaut food.”
O’Hara made a face. “Why would you want to?”
“Ice cream you can eat with your fingers,” Spencer said, as if it was obvious.
“May I continue please?” Vick said irritably. Spencer mimed zipping his mouth shut and throwing away the key. She stared at him long enough for Spencer to start to squirm before continuing. “They were both due to appear in court this morning for the first day of their trial. About thirty minutes ago, Mitchells managed to escape. We’re still examining the security tapes to figure out exactly how and if he had any outside help. In the meantime, Robertos isn’t talking and there is still half a million dollars worth of diamonds unaccounted for. We need to find Mitchells before he runs.”
“A man hunt,” Spencer said, nodding approvingly. “Not as cool as ninja assassins but could be fun.”
“This is not a game, Mr. Spencer,” Vick said sharply. “Mitchells killed two security guards and one of the officers that attempted to detain him. He is dangerous and you two will not engage with him.”
Spencer wrinkled his nose. “Why would I want to marry him?”
“She means not to interact with him,” Guster hissed.
“Then why didn’t she just say that,” Spencer hissed back.
“If you two cannot behave, I will reconsider your father’s arguments against putting you on this case,” Vick threatened.
“That won’t be necessary,” Guster said, kicking Spencer in the leg.
“Ow!” Spencer rubbed his leg, shooting Guster a dark look. “We’ll be on our best behavior, Chief.”
“Do we really need them?” Lassiter asked. Man hunts were tricky to organize effectively and Spencer had a knack for messing things up. “We don’t need another repeat of the Tancana case.”
“Shawn did track him down, twice, while we had no idea where to look,” O’Hara pointed out.
Lassiter wanted to snap at her, but she looked subdued at the reminder of the time she had lost a convict. “This time, you run every lead by me before you go running off,” he said to Spencer severely.
Spencer grinned, un-intimidated. Had he completely lost his touch? “No problem, Lassie-face.”
“I already have officers canvassing the area and setting up road blocks,” Vick said. “I want the four of you to go down to the court house and see if you can find anything that will tell us where he’s headed. We'll meet back here in one hour for a full briefing.”
“On it, Chief,” Lassiter said eagerly. This would be just the thing to make him forget all about last night.
“And detectives?” Vick said as they stood to leave. “I don’t need to tell you how important this is. We need to find him quickly.”
Lassiter and O’Hara nodded. Spencer gave a thumbs up. “You can count on us, Chief,” he said.
“Good. Now get going.”
The four exited the office, Lassiter and O’Hara heading to their desks to grab their coats. Spencer followed him. “Can I see that file, Lassie?”
Lassiter narrowed his eyes. “Why?”
“So I can peruse it on the way to the courthouse and have a better sense of how Mitchells’ astral trail will feel,” Spencer said without batting an eye. “With that many people there, it will be hard to pick out otherwise.”
Lassiter rolled his eyes. He didn’t believe Spencer for a second but he had already gotten all the pertinent information from the file. “Knock yourself out.”
“Thanks.” Spencer walked over to O’Hara and glanced around. “We’ll meet you there, Jules,” he said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. She blushed slightly, causing Spencer to grin as he walked away.
O’Hara noticed Lassiter watching her and the blush deepened. She ducked her head as she came over to him. “Ready to go?”
He wasn’t jealous of Spencer; he really wasn’t. He viewed O’Hara as a friend, not a love interest. It just wasn’t fair that Spencer, the lazy slacker who had probably dated more women than people Lassiter had arrested, was in a relationship and he, the dependable stable detective, was not. He fingered the cloth in his pocket and made a decision. “In a minute. I’ll meet you outside.”
He waited until she was out of sight before looking for someone he could trust to handle something discreetly. “McNab!”
“Yes, Detective?” the eager officer asked as he hurried over.
“I have something I need you to do and no one else can know about it.” Lassiter pulled out the scrap of fabric he had collected the night before. “There was a woman at the Halloween party last night wearing a costume made out of this type of material. I need you to find out who she was.”
McNab took the scrap carefully. “How do you want me to go about doing that, sir?”
“I don’t know. Check the security tapes, talk to people, whatever you have to do,” Lassiter said in exasperation. Couldn’t anyone do their jobs without asking a million questions? “But don’t let anyone know why you are asking and don’t lose that scrap.”
“Yes sir!” McNab folded the fabric scrap carefully and placed it in his breast pocket. “You can count on me, sir.”
“Good. Now get to work.” He watched McNab scamper off before he headed out after O’Hara. He had a fugitive to catch.
Chapter 3
Author: moondragon25 (or moondragon23 on other sites)
Pairing: Carlton/OFC
Rating: PG-13
Summary: It starts like a fairy tale. Guy and girl meet at a party. Girl runs off before the guy learns her name, leaving only a piece of her outfit behind. Guy looks for girl.
Of course, the prince never had to worry about escaped convicts and hostage situations while trying to get his girl. Lassiter will have to work a little bit harder for his happy ending.
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: Had a really crappy week and had to rush my cat to the vet this morning for emergency surgery. Hopefully, you all had a better week than me. If not, maybe this chapter will help cheer you up. It sure helped me.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2: Hidden in Plain Sight
Liz Holden yawned as she tugged on the front doors of Hometown Beanery, not too surprised to find them unlocked. She would need to have another talk with Mandy about that. She made sure to lock the doors behind her once she got inside so impatient customers couldn’t get in until they were ready to open.
She could smell coffee already brewing as she headed towards the break room and detoured to grab a cup. One of the perks of working at a coffee shop was a fresh brewed cup in the morning after a late night. She took a moment to enjoy her first sip before heading into the back to get ready.
Mandy Sinclair was already in the break room, putting her apron on. “You left the door unlocked again,” Liz said.
“I’ll remember next time,” Mandy said blithely. Liz let it go for now, too tired to deal with it this early in the morning. “What happened after we got separated last night?”
Liz made a face. “Someone spilled a drink all over my costume.” She tied back her hair, hissing as she broke another hair tie and it snapped against her fingers. Luckily, she always carried extras and grabbed a fresh one from her bag.
Mandy gave a low whistle. “I hope you gave them hell.”
Liz shook her head. “He was actually really nice about it. Besides, I bumped into him so it wasn’t his fault.” She retied her hair and grabbed her own apron out of her locker.
Mandy raised an eyebrow. “He must be some guy if you let him off the hook. I know how expensive that outfit was.”
“I told you it wasn’t his fault.” She sipped her coffee, humming happily as the caffeinated drink warmed and invigorated her.
Mandy smirked. “That hasn’t stopped you before.”
Liz sighed. Unfortunately, her friend was correct. She did have a bit of a temper when things went wrong. “Well, this time I kept my cool.”
Mandy followed her out of the break room as she went to get the fresh baked goods from the back. “So what’s he like?”
“Who?” Liz asked, grabbing a tray.
Mandy sighed dramatically. “The guy you let get away with ruining a $200 outfit.”
“He’s a cop.”
Mandy rolled her eyes. “I could have figured that out. It was a police department party.”
Liz gave her a shove. “Are you going to help get ready or not?”
“Fine.” Mandy started more coffee brewing while Liz filled the display case with muffins, cookies and assorted pastries. “Come on, I’m dying over here,” Mandy said after several minutes of silence.
Liz hid a smile. Her friend loved to gossip and had to know everything about everyone. The silence must be killing her. “Well, he was tall and had these brilliant blue eyes. I told him about my weapons display at the Renaissance Fair and he actually seemed genuinely interested in it.”
Mandy shook her head. “Another weapons freak. I bet you he has an armory stashed at his house.”
“We’ll see who’s complaining when the apocalypse hits,” Liz said, thinking of her own stash of weapons. No firearms, but plenty of swords, axes, and knives that she wouldn’t have to worry about running out of ammunition for. Not to mention the bows and crossbows that would be equally good for hunting as for protection.
Mandy frowned. “So if you guys hit it off so well, why aren’t you happier this morning?”
Liz sighed. “He asked me for my name.”
Mandy gave her a look. “Aaaaand?” she asked, drawing out the word expectantly when Liz didn't elaborate.
Liz snorted. “What was I supposed to tell him? ‘Hi, I’m Liz. I don’t work for the department, I’m just crashing the party because of a dare I made while I was drunk.’”
“I would leave out the part about the dare but the rest sounded okay.” Mandy paused thoughtfully. “You could have added that you teach at the college; guys like girls that are smart.”
Liz shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I left while he was distracted by someone else and never got his name. It’s best just to forget about it.”
“If you say so. . .” Mandy said skeptically.
Liz set out the last of the baked goods and put the empty trays in the back. “Come on, it’s time to open.” Already a group was forming outside the door, all waiting for their first dose of caffeine to start the day.
The morning was busy, which helped Liz keep her resolve not to dwell on last night. Not that it was always easy. Bright blue eyes, a man’s tall height, even the faint scent of leather, all brought up memories of her mysterious cowboy (not to mention the man who came in wearing a genuine ten gallon hat. Ted had always been a little weird). As the day went on though, she found it easier and easier to forget.
Especially when one of the more annoying customers came in.
“Oh Liz,” Mandy called out from the front as Liz dug through the storage room for more paper cups. “Your favorite customer is here.”
Liz peeked out at the counter and groaned. “Can’t you take him?”
“I’m busy working on six mocha lattes.” Mandy took the cups from her and grinned evilly. “Besides, I wouldn’t want to deprive you of his charming personality.”
“Fine.” Liz took a moment to tamp down her frustration and put a smile on her face before approaching the counter. “What can I get for you?”
The tall detective looked down at her, scowling as usual. “I need a medium vanilla cinnamon latte and a regular coffee, heavy on the cream and four spoons of sugar.”
“Coming right up.” As she made the coffee, she tried to make some small talk. “Where is your partner today?” She liked Juliet; the younger detective was always perky and smiling and had given Liz some great advice on a new conditioner to try for her unruly hair.
“Busy.”
“Got a big case?”
Lassiter’s eyes narrowed. “I can’t discuss police matters with civilians.”
Liz wondered if his face had gotten permanently stuck like that. She had never seen him smile and he always seemed to be in a rotten mood. “Do you want to try a muffin or cookie today?”
“Just the coffee.”
Giving up on her attempt to play nice, Liz concentrated on getting his order together. When she placed the two coffees on the counter, he took a sip of his to make sure she made it right, just like he always did. “It’s adequate,” he proclaimed.
“Well, I’m so glad you like it,” Liz said in an extra perky voice. “That will be $6.87.”
Lassiter eyed her suspiciously as she made his change and counted it twice before shoving it in his pocket. Without a thanks, or even acknowledging her presence, he grabbed his coffees and left.
Liz took a deep breath, determined not to let the detective ruin her good mood. She had seen him act that way towards everyone besides his partner; she shouldn’t take it personally. Forcing her irritation aside, she went to help Mandy with the lattes.
Once the morning rush slowed, she found herself once again thinking about her mystery man. Not wanting to dwell on a lost cause, she chose instead to vent a little about her most annoying customer of the day so far. “I don’t understand how a man that drinks coffee that sweet can be so bitter,” Liz said.
“Lassiter?” Mandy guessed. “Maybe he would be less uptight if he got laid more often.”
Liz smacked her on the arm. “Jeesh, Mandy. Is sex all you think about?”
Mandy got a dreamy look on her face. “Trust me, if you had a boyfriend as hot as mine, your mind would spend a lot of time in the gutter too.”
Liz doubted that but knew arguing wouldn’t change Mandy’s mind. “How do you know he doesn’t have a girlfriend?” she asked instead.
Mandy snorted. “As if. I can’t imagine a woman crazy enough to put up with him.”
“His partner seems to like him well enough,” Liz pointed out.
“Well, he’s definitely not sleeping with this one. Right, that was before you started here,” Mandy said at Liz’s blank look. “It was a few years ago and he was almost tolerable when he was sleeping with his old partner. Then Shawn started working at the station and outed their relationship. She transferred away, Juliet transferred in, and old Lassiter has been grumpy ever since.”
Liz looked at her in amazement. “How do you find out all this stuff?”
“Jeff isn’t the first cop I’ve dated and some of them get really chatty over a good cup of coffee.” Mandy grinned. “I told you this job had its perks.” She nudged Liz’s arm. “Speaking of perks. . .”
Liz made a face. “I don’t want to hear about your bedroom exploits.”
Mandy stuck her tongue out. “Shut up and listen. There are other perks to having a cop as a boyfriend. Like the ability to find out who your mystery man is.”
“And admit to someone with the power to arrest me that I was trespassing at the station last night?” Liz shook her head. “No thanks.”
“There were plenty of people there who weren’t cops,” Mandy reminded her.
“But they came in through the front door,” Liz countered. “Not through a back entrance in a clearly out of bounds area.”
“If you came in the front door, you wouldn’t have been sneaking into the party,” Mandy said. “Which would have defeated the purpose of the dare.”
Liz sighed. “I should have known better than to do tequila shots with you.”
“No, you should have known better than to bet against my sex appeal,” Mandy said with a provocative swish of her hips.
“I still say you cheated,” Liz muttered. “You knew the guy from college.”
“You didn’t specify it had to be a stranger,” Mandy replied. “The bet was I could get any guy in the bar to loan me $50 and you were the one that chose him.”
“I should tell your boyfriend,” Liz said.
Mandy hugged her. “You won’t because you love me.”
Liz rolled her eyes. “Yeah, keep thinking that.”
Mandy pouted. “But I was going to help you find your new apocalypse buddy.”
“No, you’re not.” Liz pulled away and crossed her arms. “I’m just going to hope that he comes into the coffee shop some day and I recognize him. He can’t look too different out of costume.”
“Whatever you say,” Mandy said, clearly disappointed. “Let me know if you change your mind.”
“I won’t.”
The bell over the door rang and a group of ten college students entered. “The study group is early today.” Liz checked the bakery display. “Do we have any more chocolate chip muffins in the back?”
“I’ll check, then help you with the order.” Mandy winked at a couple of the cuter guys and Liz rolled her eyes. Those guys didn’t have a chance, even if she wasn’t already dating someone. Mandy was totally a badge bunny.
Liz stepped forward as the first customer reached the counter. “Hi guys. Your usual?”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lassiter placed O'Hara's coffee on her desk and continued on to his own. He took a sip of his drink as he sat down. The barista may be annoying and insolent but he had to admit (if only to himself), she did know how to make a good cup of coffee.
O'Hara stood up and came over to his desk. “Were you nice to the barista?” she asked.
“Of course I was.” O’Hara gave him a look. “Well, I wasn’t mean to her.”
O’Hara sighed. “Carlton, we've talked about this. You need to be nicer to people.”
“They’re just so perky all the time,” Lassiter complained. “And she was definitely mocking me at the end.”
“If you were nicer to them, I'm sure they'd be nicer back,” O'Hara said. “They’re always polite and friendly to me.”
“Then maybe you should get the coffee from now on,” Lassiter muttered. He rubbed his temples, wishing his stupid headache would go away. That would teach him to drink too much when he had to work the next day.
O'Hara frowned. “What has you in such a crappy mood?”
“Whose says I'm in a crappy mood?” Lassiter argued. “I just want to get my work done in peace without people annoying me with useless questions.”
O'Hara tilted her head. “Is this about the woman from last night?”
“O'Hara, drop it,” he said warningly.
“You must have really liked her,” O'Hara said, completely ignoring him. When had he stopped being able to intimidate her? “I mean, you've had dates run out on you before, so it’s not like this is a new experience.”
“Gee, thanks, O'Hara. I feel much better now,” he said in sarcastic awe.
“Why don't you look her up?” O'Hara suggested.
“That would be an inappropriate use of police resources,” Lassiter said disapprovingly, then sighed. “And I never got her name, so I couldn't even if I wanted to.”
O'Hara patted him gently on the shoulder. “I'm sorry, Carlton.”
“Jules!”
Lassiter groaned as Spencer and his sidekick headed over to them. As if his day wasn't bad enough already. “What are you doing here, Spencer?”
Spencer grinned at him. “Aw, is somebody hung-over?” Ignoring Lassiter's growl, he smiled at his girlfriend. “The Chief called us in.”
Lassiter frowned. “For what case?” He couldn't think of any they were currently assigned that Vick would call Psych in for.
“The one I'm about to give you.” They all turned as Vick walked over to them. “I need to see the four of you in my office right now.”
“So what kind of case is it?” Spencer asked eagerly. “Do we have to break up a league of ninja assassins? Go undercover in the mob to sabotage a drug smuggling ring?” Spencer gasped. “Did someone try to steal Zippy from the museum so they can play fetch with him like in that movie?” He turned to Guster. “Dude, we so need to spend another night in the museum. I told you that movie was real.”
“Never again, Shawn,” Guster said adamantly. “I risked the curse of the mummy once, I’m not doing it again.”
“Gentlemen,” Vick said, her voice stern as she interrupted them. “I’d rather not discuss the details out here. My office, now.”
Lassiter exchanged a look with O'Hara as he stood up. This sounded serious. Guster looked worried as well but Spencer just looked even more excited.
“Shut the door,” Vick said as the last of them entered. She waited until they were all seated before handing Lassiter a file. He glanced through it while she briefed them. “Anthony Robertos and Brad Mitchells were arrested three months ago for breaking into a high end jewelry store and stealing three million dollars worth of diamonds.”
Spencer let out a low whistle. “That's enough to buy a life time supply of astronaut food.”
O’Hara made a face. “Why would you want to?”
“Ice cream you can eat with your fingers,” Spencer said, as if it was obvious.
“May I continue please?” Vick said irritably. Spencer mimed zipping his mouth shut and throwing away the key. She stared at him long enough for Spencer to start to squirm before continuing. “They were both due to appear in court this morning for the first day of their trial. About thirty minutes ago, Mitchells managed to escape. We’re still examining the security tapes to figure out exactly how and if he had any outside help. In the meantime, Robertos isn’t talking and there is still half a million dollars worth of diamonds unaccounted for. We need to find Mitchells before he runs.”
“A man hunt,” Spencer said, nodding approvingly. “Not as cool as ninja assassins but could be fun.”
“This is not a game, Mr. Spencer,” Vick said sharply. “Mitchells killed two security guards and one of the officers that attempted to detain him. He is dangerous and you two will not engage with him.”
Spencer wrinkled his nose. “Why would I want to marry him?”
“She means not to interact with him,” Guster hissed.
“Then why didn’t she just say that,” Spencer hissed back.
“If you two cannot behave, I will reconsider your father’s arguments against putting you on this case,” Vick threatened.
“That won’t be necessary,” Guster said, kicking Spencer in the leg.
“Ow!” Spencer rubbed his leg, shooting Guster a dark look. “We’ll be on our best behavior, Chief.”
“Do we really need them?” Lassiter asked. Man hunts were tricky to organize effectively and Spencer had a knack for messing things up. “We don’t need another repeat of the Tancana case.”
“Shawn did track him down, twice, while we had no idea where to look,” O’Hara pointed out.
Lassiter wanted to snap at her, but she looked subdued at the reminder of the time she had lost a convict. “This time, you run every lead by me before you go running off,” he said to Spencer severely.
Spencer grinned, un-intimidated. Had he completely lost his touch? “No problem, Lassie-face.”
“I already have officers canvassing the area and setting up road blocks,” Vick said. “I want the four of you to go down to the court house and see if you can find anything that will tell us where he’s headed. We'll meet back here in one hour for a full briefing.”
“On it, Chief,” Lassiter said eagerly. This would be just the thing to make him forget all about last night.
“And detectives?” Vick said as they stood to leave. “I don’t need to tell you how important this is. We need to find him quickly.”
Lassiter and O’Hara nodded. Spencer gave a thumbs up. “You can count on us, Chief,” he said.
“Good. Now get going.”
The four exited the office, Lassiter and O’Hara heading to their desks to grab their coats. Spencer followed him. “Can I see that file, Lassie?”
Lassiter narrowed his eyes. “Why?”
“So I can peruse it on the way to the courthouse and have a better sense of how Mitchells’ astral trail will feel,” Spencer said without batting an eye. “With that many people there, it will be hard to pick out otherwise.”
Lassiter rolled his eyes. He didn’t believe Spencer for a second but he had already gotten all the pertinent information from the file. “Knock yourself out.”
“Thanks.” Spencer walked over to O’Hara and glanced around. “We’ll meet you there, Jules,” he said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. She blushed slightly, causing Spencer to grin as he walked away.
O’Hara noticed Lassiter watching her and the blush deepened. She ducked her head as she came over to him. “Ready to go?”
He wasn’t jealous of Spencer; he really wasn’t. He viewed O’Hara as a friend, not a love interest. It just wasn’t fair that Spencer, the lazy slacker who had probably dated more women than people Lassiter had arrested, was in a relationship and he, the dependable stable detective, was not. He fingered the cloth in his pocket and made a decision. “In a minute. I’ll meet you outside.”
He waited until she was out of sight before looking for someone he could trust to handle something discreetly. “McNab!”
“Yes, Detective?” the eager officer asked as he hurried over.
“I have something I need you to do and no one else can know about it.” Lassiter pulled out the scrap of fabric he had collected the night before. “There was a woman at the Halloween party last night wearing a costume made out of this type of material. I need you to find out who she was.”
McNab took the scrap carefully. “How do you want me to go about doing that, sir?”
“I don’t know. Check the security tapes, talk to people, whatever you have to do,” Lassiter said in exasperation. Couldn’t anyone do their jobs without asking a million questions? “But don’t let anyone know why you are asking and don’t lose that scrap.”
“Yes sir!” McNab folded the fabric scrap carefully and placed it in his breast pocket. “You can count on me, sir.”
“Good. Now get to work.” He watched McNab scamper off before he headed out after O’Hara. He had a fugitive to catch.
Chapter 3