(Leverage/Psych) Crashing for xover_exchange
For the community
Title: Crashing
Author: juri_anne
Fandoms: Leverage/Psych
Characters Shawn Spencer, Carlton Lassiter; Sophie Devereaux, Elliot Spencer, Parker
Pairings: Shawn/Carlton {ish}
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 3,272
Spoilers: Possible spoilers for Leverage up to 1x07. No spoilers for Psych.
Warnings: Homophobia/Hate Crimes
Disclaimer: Psych and Leverage belong to their respective creators
A/N: Humongous thank you’s to the two betas: perdiccas & pie_is_good . You were both wonderful.
Summary: Someone is on a murder spree in Santa Barbara, and Shawn knows that Carlton is close to figuring out the killer.
“You look good in a tux, Lassie-face. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
Carlton Lassiter jumped at the appearance of the man next to him. Why didn’t it surprise him that Shawn Spencer, head pain in the ass of the Santa Barbara Police Department and general nuisance, would be attending this charity event? He was here on unofficial business, and he didn’t have time for Spencer’s theatrics. He handed his invitation to the lovely brunette at the table and gave her one of the best smiles he could muster.
“It’s best not to scare the people handing out the tickets for the bar,” Spencer said. It took every ounce of restraint not to throttle the younger man.
Carlton turned to Spencer, insult on his lips, but was cut off.
“Oh let’s not fight here. After all, it’s an evening for the children.” Spencer turned his attention to the woman and gave her a wink. “I’m his plus one. Shawn Spencer.” All it took was for a little crook of his mouth and meaningful look, and the woman was putty in his hands. Carlton would never be able to understand how his voodoo worked.
The next thing he knew, Spencer dragged him into the crowded lobby of Santa Barbara General Hospital. The place was decorated to the nines. Dr. Edward Manning, the hospital’s Chief of Staff, had obviously spared no expense. A string quartet played soothing classical pieces in one corner, a serving staff with champagne flutes and tiny hors d'œuvres served on silver platters, and all the guests were dressed in their finest ready to schmooze and flatter their way into the good graces of -
“Hold on. My plus one?” Carlton stopped in his tracks, causing Spencer to fall back slightly. “What do you mean you’re my plus one? How did you even know I was going to be here? And if you say you had a psychic vision, I will shoot you. Witnesses be damned.” Carlton watched the other man turn around.
“You’ve got such a loud and open mind, Lassie. I don’t even have to try and read you. Your amazing thoughts just shout to me. Come! Join me for a night of fun and frivolity! And see how many mini éclairs you can fit in your plastic-lined pockets!”
Carlton raised an eyebrow. If Spencer could really read minds, then he was a cracked-out Lindsay Lohan in a miniskirt. Just for dramatic effect, Spencer raised his hands to his temple, but Carlton grabbed them and pulled them away as fast as he could.
“No! You’re not doing this with all these important people here. None of your shenanigans tonight!”
“They’re really more like harebrained schemes.”
“If they were harebrained schemes, they’d be clever.”
Spencer cocked his head to the side and smiled. Carlton growled.
“I want to know why you’re here, besides trying your best to embarrass me.” Carlton looked down and noted that Spencer still had not removed his hand from his elbow. If anyone had passed them, he knew what conclusion they would have drawn. Carlton supposed it was too late to be embarrassed.
Spencer rolled his eyes, placed his other hand on Carlton’s other arm and spoke quietly and evenly.
“I know that you’re investigating Dr. Manning without the Chief’s consent. I know that you think he’s the one guilty of all those violent murders. You’re just not sure how to pin it on him.” Spencer leaned closer into Carlton’s personal space. “The spirits are here to help you, and only I know how to communicate with them.” His voice was hot on Carlton’s cheek. “I know you know you need my help.”
Carlton could feel himself slip into Spencer’s pull. He was like a whirlwind in a tuxedo. Spencer backed up but left one of his hands still attached to Carlton’s arm. The sudden absence of Spencer’s body heat was dizzying.
They made their way through the floor, occasionally stopping to speak with a few people. It seemed that most of them knew Spencer in some form or another. Of course each time they encountered familiar faces, Spencer would have to be difficult and refer to him with a ridiculous name that he was sure was too insane to be questioned. It never was; Carlton had to reintroduce himself to everyone they met. It worried him that these people had government jobs, yet they fell victim to this con man time and time again.
Carlton did his best to tune the other man out whenever he started up new conversations. He glanced around the room, wondering to himself what these wealthy elitists really knew about their victims. Did they know that Maria Soto was only 23 and had an appointment two days prior to begin in vitro fertilization? Did they realize that Michael Devins was also about to start a family with his husband? He was lucky that Michael’s sister-in-law, Marissa had agreed to talk to him. If it wasn’t for her, he would have never found this lead. Every single person in this room that had even heard a whisper about what had been going on was going to the station. He would see to that even if he personally had to arrest the entire party.
Spencer was off to greet another old friend, but something stopped him in his tracks. The person he was talking to, a black-haired woman of around 40 with the most phenomenal legs he had ever seen was standing next to a young man with tanned skin and blonde hair. It was Dr. Edward Manning. From just a glimpse, the man could have easily been mistaken for a surfer, but the groomed appearance and the fitted tuxedo gave off another impression. Carlton had seen him in papers and on the news, but none of that did the man any justice. He was quite pleasant to look at - too bad he was on the top of his suspect list.
“There you are.” Spencer reached out his hand, a gesture to bring Carlton into the conversation. “I tried to find more of those miniature éclairs, but it seems like someone cleared them all out. I bet you’ve got a guest with some sticky fingers, both figuratively and literally.” The woman who Spencer had first approached looked familiar to Carlton, but he couldn’t place her. Carlton suddenly snapped out of his thoughts by the feeling of Spencer’s arm snaking around his waist and pulling him close.
“I’m glad I’m getting a chance to talk to you, Dr. Manning,” Spencer said. “My partner and I have been considering adding another family member to our, um, family, and we’ve heard some wonderful things about your fertility center. You come highly recommended!” Spencer looked up at Carlton, batting his eyelashes and flashing one of those dazzling smiles he normally used to extract information from O’Hara. He had no idea what Spencer thought he was doing, but Carlton was pretty sure this was not how he had envisioned this evening. “We’ve got a surrogate all lined up. We just need to know where to get the cocktail mixed.”
“I don’t think it’s very appropriate right now,” the woman said. “Dr. Manning is quite busy with his guests.” Irritation was clear in her voice, but what caught him was the fact that her accent was most definitely American. Carlton didn’t know why, but he had expected it to be British.
Carlton took her line as a perfect out. He wrapped his arm around Spencer’s shoulders and pulled him closer with more force than strictly necessary.
“We’ll just leave you to it then. We’re so sorry to bother you.” Carlton tried his best to smile through his clenched teeth.
“No, no. It’s all right,” Dr. Manning said, placing a reassuring hand on the woman’s shoulder. Carlton noticed a slight flinch, but she composed herself quickly. “We’ve got a wonderful facility here at Santa Barbara General. You’d be hard pressed to find anything better in the entire state.” He spoke with a tense voice and a forced smile.
“That’s wonderful, isn’t it, Carly?” Spencer wiggled his neck, causing Carlton to loosen his grip. He complied, but only because it dawned on him what Spencer was attempting to do. For the first time in his career, he had to say that it was almost brilliant. Not that he would ever admit that to anyone.
“It’s fantastic.” Carlton looked down at Spencer and saw a flicker of surprise flash across his face. Two can play at this game. “We’ll have to make an appointment, of course, but I can’t wait to tell Juliet that we’ve got a hospital at the top of our list now.”
“We’ll most definitely be making that appointment,” Spencer continued. “I need to get a psychic reading of the place. Want to make sure that our little one is born in a healthy and happy environment. I don’t want him or her to be surrounded by bad jujubes.”
There it was. Carlton noticed the expression on Dr. Manning’s face drop, and he could practically see the orange-like color drain out of his skin. No matter how much he insisted to others that Spencer was a fake, people out there still believed him. Whether Dr. Manning was superstitious or not, the fear that Spencer may be telling the truth was most definitely real, and Carlton decided to add icing to the cake and reinforce this theory.
“My partner here has the most amazing talent. He works with the Santa Barbara Police Department to help them on difficult cases.”
Spencer leaned forward and whispered quite loudly in Dr. Manning’s direction.
“I can also tie a knot in a cherry stem with my tongue.” He winked suggestively at the doctor whose face flushed.
“Are you any good?” Dr. Manning asked.
“Oh yes! Carly can attest to that.” Spencer smirked at Carlton.
The woman beside them coughed.
“I don’t think that’s what he meant,” she said. “Sir, the mayor is waiting for you.” She stepped back to allow Dr. Manning to walk in front of her.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Dr. Manning. I’m sure we’ll see you again in the future.” Spencer extended his hand to Dr. Manning, who took it with some trepidation. Carlton felt sure Dr. Manning regretted this action, considering Spencer started to vibrate uncontrollably as soon as they touched. Oh, he knew this well. It was nice not being at the receiving end of one of Spencer’s so-called visions.
“What are you doing?” Dr. Manning demanded. He tried frantically to pull his grip from Spencer’s, but the younger man did not go. “What’s going on?”
Wild eyes caught Carlton’s, and he found himself saying, “He’s having an episode. This sometimes happens when they’re too intense for him to handle.”
As if burned, Spencer’s hand flew back. The woman, sensing the need to remove Dr. Manning from the situation, began to drag the doctor away while Spencer pretended to regain his senses. Playing the worried lover, Carlton pulled Spencer close into him, hoping it looked like he was trying to calm the other man down.
Once Dr. Manning and his assistant were out of the line of sight, Spencer started fainting like a damsel in distress.
“I need some fresh air.” Carlton moved his arm from around Spencer’s shoulders to under them, and slowly they made their way out back into the courtyard. A few people were outside, but with the chilly December air, most of the guests were inside where it was warm. There was a large oak tree in the center of the yard surrounded by concrete benches, and for the party, colorful paper lanterns had been strung in the branches, giving off a soft glow.
“You’re my knight in shining formalwear, Lassie-pants.”
That was it. Carlton threw him hard onto one of the benches, knowing it was going to be cold and painful. It made him feel slightly better.
“Of all that is Holy, please tell me what you’re doing?”
Spencer was searching through his coat, something he felt more important than the man yelling at him, and it was frustrating Carlton beyond his normal capacity. Why did he ever think he could get a straight answer from him? After a few moments, Spencer pulled something out of one of his pockets and placed it in his right ear. Carlton tapped his foot impatiently, still waiting for a reasonable explanation.
“Sorry guys, I didn’t mean to jump in like that.” A pause. “You can yell at me later, Sophie, but right now the goal is getting that bastard put away, and I can do that. Are you guys still working on the paperwork?” Spencer’s hand went up to his right ear. “Great, keep doing what you’re doing. I’ve got a grump-osaurus rex threatening to eat me.”
“I told you that you need my help. I’m here to help you communicate with the spirits.”
“Who were you really just talking to?” Carlton demanded. This time, Carlton held Spencer’s attention, which was only a minor relief.
“Those were the spirits. They’re very high-tech these days. Now if you’ll just relax, I will explain everything. But first, could you be a lamb and go grab me a drink from inside? These visions are giving me severe dry mouth.” Just to make his point, he smacked his lips as loud as he could.
He was hesitant on leaving the other man alone, but with the appeal of a small respite away from him, Carlton all but stomped back inside. As he approached the table, ready to grab the small glass of red punch, a man with shoulder length hair and glasses pushed his hand away. Carlton had a retort on the tip of his tongue, ready to emasculate the hippie, but he was cut off, not for the first time this evening. This was beginning to become a habit, and one he had to learn how to break. Quickly.
“Are you Detective Carlton Lassiter?” Carlton could feel his eyebrows rise. That wasn’t what he was expecting. “There’s a Shawn Spencer asking for you outside.”
Couldn’t he wait just a few seconds to get to the table first? “I know, I’m just-”
“No, sir. He says you need to come as quickly as possible.”
All of this was Spencer’s fault. Carlton had been caught off guard with Spencer’s arrival, put in awkward situations with countless strangers, and made a fool in front of Dr. Manning. At the moment, he was being manhandled out back into the courtyard by a gorilla in a monkey suit, who looked incredibly familiar, only to be in the presence of the biggest pest of his life.
As they approached the door, Carlton could feel the man’s grip lessen and then disappear, and within seconds, the man was lost in the crowd. Good riddance. The courtyard was empty now, save for Spencer and the man he was talking with. Quickly, Carlton dashed behind a column and strained his ears to hear what was being said.
“I don’t know what your game is, but whatever you think you know, you need to forget it.” Dr. Manning was furious, and he had no qualms at showing it.
“What? That I saw you murdering Maria Soto, Jason Tennant, Robert Stokes, and Michael Devins? That I saw you planning to go after Michael’s husband next? That I know that the donations that you receive tonight aren’t going to the charity, but into your pockets so you can fund more of these hate crimes? It’s not something I can easily forget.” Carlton had never heard Spencer speak so boldly before, at least not without the touch of sarcasm that always seemed to be there. It was the first time he could honestly say that he was hearing the real Shawn Spencer.
“There are many ways I can make you.”
“You do realize how cliché that sounds, right? You could least get a little creative about it. Start monologuing, but spice it up by explaining how creatively you’re going to cut up my body and feed me to the mutated sharks you’ve been experimenting on in the secret lab under the hospital. But that’s not your modus operandi is it? You prefer beating innocent people senseless until there’s no life left in their body.”
“Innocent?” Dr. Manning scoffed. “I’m the real hero here. I’m the one stopping your kind from polluting the population with your disease. They were all weak and wrong, and they had to be dealt with.”
Spencer laughed. He was doing his best to paint a target on his forehead, the idiot.
“You really are a walking, talking cliché and apparently not afraid to admit it. What’s next, going to have me killed for knowing too much about your operation? Scared I’ll run to my partner if I haven’t already?”
“It doesn’t take a psychic to figure that one out.”
Before the doctor was able to put a finger on Spencer, Carlton jumped out, gun drawn and pointed at the man.
“Freeze! Santa Barbara Police Department!” he shouted. The sound echoed in his head. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Worried that Dr. Manning had backup waiting, he risked a glance. Instead of tough bodyguards or an angry lynch mob, he saw two people in suits, a man and a woman, holding guns out at Dr. Manning as well. FBI, from the few seconds he could see them.
“Did I happen to tell you that my partner is armed and happens to be the head detective of the Santa Barbara Police Department?” Spencer feigned being out of breath again, falling back onto the bench that Carlton had left him sitting on earlier. But this time, as Carlton and the other two approached Dr. Manning, he could see that Spencer was not acting this time. In a moment of weakness, Carlton lowered his gun and knelt in front of Spencer. He was pale and sweating.
“I’ve got him.” The male agent said. He had the doctor’s hands cuffed behind his back and was already walking him out the doors into the main room. The blonde women, most likely his partner, stayed behind.
“Special Agent Hagan.” She extended her hand to Carlton, and he shook it hesitantly. His focus was still on making sure Spencer was all right. “We just wanted to thank you and your partner for helping us with this investigation.” That caught his attention.
“Helping with the investigation?” Carlton stood up and had to look down at the young woman. She had her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail, suit crisp and perfectly tailored to her body. She flashed her badge at him and quickly put it away.
“Yes, sir.” She pulled out the folder she was holding under her arm. “We’ve been watching this man for a while now, but until your partner, Mr. Spencer led us to these files, we were unable to piece it all together. With the two of you convincing Dr. Manning you were romantically involved, we were even able to place him at each of the murders. Good job, Detective!” She slammed her fist into his shoulder, hard. He should have known better than to be surprised by such strength in a small package. In fact, she reminded him slightly of Juliet.
“My partner, Special Agent McSweeten, will be in with the chief tomorrow to handle the paperwork.” Hagan winked at Spencer and then walked inside, following after her partner.
Well, this night couldn’t get any weirder.
“I knew I could count on you.” Spencer reached his hand up and linked his fingers with Carlton’s.
-END-
Title: Crashing
Author: juri_anne
Fandoms: Leverage/Psych
Characters Shawn Spencer, Carlton Lassiter; Sophie Devereaux, Elliot Spencer, Parker
Pairings: Shawn/Carlton {ish}
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 3,272
Spoilers: Possible spoilers for Leverage up to 1x07. No spoilers for Psych.
Warnings: Homophobia/Hate Crimes
Disclaimer: Psych and Leverage belong to their respective creators
A/N: Humongous thank you’s to the two betas: perdiccas & pie_is_good . You were both wonderful.
Summary: Someone is on a murder spree in Santa Barbara, and Shawn knows that Carlton is close to figuring out the killer.
“You look good in a tux, Lassie-face. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
Carlton Lassiter jumped at the appearance of the man next to him. Why didn’t it surprise him that Shawn Spencer, head pain in the ass of the Santa Barbara Police Department and general nuisance, would be attending this charity event? He was here on unofficial business, and he didn’t have time for Spencer’s theatrics. He handed his invitation to the lovely brunette at the table and gave her one of the best smiles he could muster.
“It’s best not to scare the people handing out the tickets for the bar,” Spencer said. It took every ounce of restraint not to throttle the younger man.
Carlton turned to Spencer, insult on his lips, but was cut off.
“Oh let’s not fight here. After all, it’s an evening for the children.” Spencer turned his attention to the woman and gave her a wink. “I’m his plus one. Shawn Spencer.” All it took was for a little crook of his mouth and meaningful look, and the woman was putty in his hands. Carlton would never be able to understand how his voodoo worked.
The next thing he knew, Spencer dragged him into the crowded lobby of Santa Barbara General Hospital. The place was decorated to the nines. Dr. Edward Manning, the hospital’s Chief of Staff, had obviously spared no expense. A string quartet played soothing classical pieces in one corner, a serving staff with champagne flutes and tiny hors d'œuvres served on silver platters, and all the guests were dressed in their finest ready to schmooze and flatter their way into the good graces of -
“Hold on. My plus one?” Carlton stopped in his tracks, causing Spencer to fall back slightly. “What do you mean you’re my plus one? How did you even know I was going to be here? And if you say you had a psychic vision, I will shoot you. Witnesses be damned.” Carlton watched the other man turn around.
“You’ve got such a loud and open mind, Lassie. I don’t even have to try and read you. Your amazing thoughts just shout to me. Come! Join me for a night of fun and frivolity! And see how many mini éclairs you can fit in your plastic-lined pockets!”
Carlton raised an eyebrow. If Spencer could really read minds, then he was a cracked-out Lindsay Lohan in a miniskirt. Just for dramatic effect, Spencer raised his hands to his temple, but Carlton grabbed them and pulled them away as fast as he could.
“No! You’re not doing this with all these important people here. None of your shenanigans tonight!”
“They’re really more like harebrained schemes.”
“If they were harebrained schemes, they’d be clever.”
Spencer cocked his head to the side and smiled. Carlton growled.
“I want to know why you’re here, besides trying your best to embarrass me.” Carlton looked down and noted that Spencer still had not removed his hand from his elbow. If anyone had passed them, he knew what conclusion they would have drawn. Carlton supposed it was too late to be embarrassed.
Spencer rolled his eyes, placed his other hand on Carlton’s other arm and spoke quietly and evenly.
“I know that you’re investigating Dr. Manning without the Chief’s consent. I know that you think he’s the one guilty of all those violent murders. You’re just not sure how to pin it on him.” Spencer leaned closer into Carlton’s personal space. “The spirits are here to help you, and only I know how to communicate with them.” His voice was hot on Carlton’s cheek. “I know you know you need my help.”
Carlton could feel himself slip into Spencer’s pull. He was like a whirlwind in a tuxedo. Spencer backed up but left one of his hands still attached to Carlton’s arm. The sudden absence of Spencer’s body heat was dizzying.
They made their way through the floor, occasionally stopping to speak with a few people. It seemed that most of them knew Spencer in some form or another. Of course each time they encountered familiar faces, Spencer would have to be difficult and refer to him with a ridiculous name that he was sure was too insane to be questioned. It never was; Carlton had to reintroduce himself to everyone they met. It worried him that these people had government jobs, yet they fell victim to this con man time and time again.
Carlton did his best to tune the other man out whenever he started up new conversations. He glanced around the room, wondering to himself what these wealthy elitists really knew about their victims. Did they know that Maria Soto was only 23 and had an appointment two days prior to begin in vitro fertilization? Did they realize that Michael Devins was also about to start a family with his husband? He was lucky that Michael’s sister-in-law, Marissa had agreed to talk to him. If it wasn’t for her, he would have never found this lead. Every single person in this room that had even heard a whisper about what had been going on was going to the station. He would see to that even if he personally had to arrest the entire party.
Spencer was off to greet another old friend, but something stopped him in his tracks. The person he was talking to, a black-haired woman of around 40 with the most phenomenal legs he had ever seen was standing next to a young man with tanned skin and blonde hair. It was Dr. Edward Manning. From just a glimpse, the man could have easily been mistaken for a surfer, but the groomed appearance and the fitted tuxedo gave off another impression. Carlton had seen him in papers and on the news, but none of that did the man any justice. He was quite pleasant to look at - too bad he was on the top of his suspect list.
“There you are.” Spencer reached out his hand, a gesture to bring Carlton into the conversation. “I tried to find more of those miniature éclairs, but it seems like someone cleared them all out. I bet you’ve got a guest with some sticky fingers, both figuratively and literally.” The woman who Spencer had first approached looked familiar to Carlton, but he couldn’t place her. Carlton suddenly snapped out of his thoughts by the feeling of Spencer’s arm snaking around his waist and pulling him close.
“I’m glad I’m getting a chance to talk to you, Dr. Manning,” Spencer said. “My partner and I have been considering adding another family member to our, um, family, and we’ve heard some wonderful things about your fertility center. You come highly recommended!” Spencer looked up at Carlton, batting his eyelashes and flashing one of those dazzling smiles he normally used to extract information from O’Hara. He had no idea what Spencer thought he was doing, but Carlton was pretty sure this was not how he had envisioned this evening. “We’ve got a surrogate all lined up. We just need to know where to get the cocktail mixed.”
“I don’t think it’s very appropriate right now,” the woman said. “Dr. Manning is quite busy with his guests.” Irritation was clear in her voice, but what caught him was the fact that her accent was most definitely American. Carlton didn’t know why, but he had expected it to be British.
Carlton took her line as a perfect out. He wrapped his arm around Spencer’s shoulders and pulled him closer with more force than strictly necessary.
“We’ll just leave you to it then. We’re so sorry to bother you.” Carlton tried his best to smile through his clenched teeth.
“No, no. It’s all right,” Dr. Manning said, placing a reassuring hand on the woman’s shoulder. Carlton noticed a slight flinch, but she composed herself quickly. “We’ve got a wonderful facility here at Santa Barbara General. You’d be hard pressed to find anything better in the entire state.” He spoke with a tense voice and a forced smile.
“That’s wonderful, isn’t it, Carly?” Spencer wiggled his neck, causing Carlton to loosen his grip. He complied, but only because it dawned on him what Spencer was attempting to do. For the first time in his career, he had to say that it was almost brilliant. Not that he would ever admit that to anyone.
“It’s fantastic.” Carlton looked down at Spencer and saw a flicker of surprise flash across his face. Two can play at this game. “We’ll have to make an appointment, of course, but I can’t wait to tell Juliet that we’ve got a hospital at the top of our list now.”
“We’ll most definitely be making that appointment,” Spencer continued. “I need to get a psychic reading of the place. Want to make sure that our little one is born in a healthy and happy environment. I don’t want him or her to be surrounded by bad jujubes.”
There it was. Carlton noticed the expression on Dr. Manning’s face drop, and he could practically see the orange-like color drain out of his skin. No matter how much he insisted to others that Spencer was a fake, people out there still believed him. Whether Dr. Manning was superstitious or not, the fear that Spencer may be telling the truth was most definitely real, and Carlton decided to add icing to the cake and reinforce this theory.
“My partner here has the most amazing talent. He works with the Santa Barbara Police Department to help them on difficult cases.”
Spencer leaned forward and whispered quite loudly in Dr. Manning’s direction.
“I can also tie a knot in a cherry stem with my tongue.” He winked suggestively at the doctor whose face flushed.
“Are you any good?” Dr. Manning asked.
“Oh yes! Carly can attest to that.” Spencer smirked at Carlton.
The woman beside them coughed.
“I don’t think that’s what he meant,” she said. “Sir, the mayor is waiting for you.” She stepped back to allow Dr. Manning to walk in front of her.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Dr. Manning. I’m sure we’ll see you again in the future.” Spencer extended his hand to Dr. Manning, who took it with some trepidation. Carlton felt sure Dr. Manning regretted this action, considering Spencer started to vibrate uncontrollably as soon as they touched. Oh, he knew this well. It was nice not being at the receiving end of one of Spencer’s so-called visions.
“What are you doing?” Dr. Manning demanded. He tried frantically to pull his grip from Spencer’s, but the younger man did not go. “What’s going on?”
Wild eyes caught Carlton’s, and he found himself saying, “He’s having an episode. This sometimes happens when they’re too intense for him to handle.”
As if burned, Spencer’s hand flew back. The woman, sensing the need to remove Dr. Manning from the situation, began to drag the doctor away while Spencer pretended to regain his senses. Playing the worried lover, Carlton pulled Spencer close into him, hoping it looked like he was trying to calm the other man down.
Once Dr. Manning and his assistant were out of the line of sight, Spencer started fainting like a damsel in distress.
“I need some fresh air.” Carlton moved his arm from around Spencer’s shoulders to under them, and slowly they made their way out back into the courtyard. A few people were outside, but with the chilly December air, most of the guests were inside where it was warm. There was a large oak tree in the center of the yard surrounded by concrete benches, and for the party, colorful paper lanterns had been strung in the branches, giving off a soft glow.
“You’re my knight in shining formalwear, Lassie-pants.”
That was it. Carlton threw him hard onto one of the benches, knowing it was going to be cold and painful. It made him feel slightly better.
“Of all that is Holy, please tell me what you’re doing?”
Spencer was searching through his coat, something he felt more important than the man yelling at him, and it was frustrating Carlton beyond his normal capacity. Why did he ever think he could get a straight answer from him? After a few moments, Spencer pulled something out of one of his pockets and placed it in his right ear. Carlton tapped his foot impatiently, still waiting for a reasonable explanation.
“Sorry guys, I didn’t mean to jump in like that.” A pause. “You can yell at me later, Sophie, but right now the goal is getting that bastard put away, and I can do that. Are you guys still working on the paperwork?” Spencer’s hand went up to his right ear. “Great, keep doing what you’re doing. I’ve got a grump-osaurus rex threatening to eat me.”
“I told you that you need my help. I’m here to help you communicate with the spirits.”
“Who were you really just talking to?” Carlton demanded. This time, Carlton held Spencer’s attention, which was only a minor relief.
“Those were the spirits. They’re very high-tech these days. Now if you’ll just relax, I will explain everything. But first, could you be a lamb and go grab me a drink from inside? These visions are giving me severe dry mouth.” Just to make his point, he smacked his lips as loud as he could.
He was hesitant on leaving the other man alone, but with the appeal of a small respite away from him, Carlton all but stomped back inside. As he approached the table, ready to grab the small glass of red punch, a man with shoulder length hair and glasses pushed his hand away. Carlton had a retort on the tip of his tongue, ready to emasculate the hippie, but he was cut off, not for the first time this evening. This was beginning to become a habit, and one he had to learn how to break. Quickly.
“Are you Detective Carlton Lassiter?” Carlton could feel his eyebrows rise. That wasn’t what he was expecting. “There’s a Shawn Spencer asking for you outside.”
Couldn’t he wait just a few seconds to get to the table first? “I know, I’m just-”
“No, sir. He says you need to come as quickly as possible.”
All of this was Spencer’s fault. Carlton had been caught off guard with Spencer’s arrival, put in awkward situations with countless strangers, and made a fool in front of Dr. Manning. At the moment, he was being manhandled out back into the courtyard by a gorilla in a monkey suit, who looked incredibly familiar, only to be in the presence of the biggest pest of his life.
As they approached the door, Carlton could feel the man’s grip lessen and then disappear, and within seconds, the man was lost in the crowd. Good riddance. The courtyard was empty now, save for Spencer and the man he was talking with. Quickly, Carlton dashed behind a column and strained his ears to hear what was being said.
“I don’t know what your game is, but whatever you think you know, you need to forget it.” Dr. Manning was furious, and he had no qualms at showing it.
“What? That I saw you murdering Maria Soto, Jason Tennant, Robert Stokes, and Michael Devins? That I saw you planning to go after Michael’s husband next? That I know that the donations that you receive tonight aren’t going to the charity, but into your pockets so you can fund more of these hate crimes? It’s not something I can easily forget.” Carlton had never heard Spencer speak so boldly before, at least not without the touch of sarcasm that always seemed to be there. It was the first time he could honestly say that he was hearing the real Shawn Spencer.
“There are many ways I can make you.”
“You do realize how cliché that sounds, right? You could least get a little creative about it. Start monologuing, but spice it up by explaining how creatively you’re going to cut up my body and feed me to the mutated sharks you’ve been experimenting on in the secret lab under the hospital. But that’s not your modus operandi is it? You prefer beating innocent people senseless until there’s no life left in their body.”
“Innocent?” Dr. Manning scoffed. “I’m the real hero here. I’m the one stopping your kind from polluting the population with your disease. They were all weak and wrong, and they had to be dealt with.”
Spencer laughed. He was doing his best to paint a target on his forehead, the idiot.
“You really are a walking, talking cliché and apparently not afraid to admit it. What’s next, going to have me killed for knowing too much about your operation? Scared I’ll run to my partner if I haven’t already?”
“It doesn’t take a psychic to figure that one out.”
Before the doctor was able to put a finger on Spencer, Carlton jumped out, gun drawn and pointed at the man.
“Freeze! Santa Barbara Police Department!” he shouted. The sound echoed in his head. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Worried that Dr. Manning had backup waiting, he risked a glance. Instead of tough bodyguards or an angry lynch mob, he saw two people in suits, a man and a woman, holding guns out at Dr. Manning as well. FBI, from the few seconds he could see them.
“Did I happen to tell you that my partner is armed and happens to be the head detective of the Santa Barbara Police Department?” Spencer feigned being out of breath again, falling back onto the bench that Carlton had left him sitting on earlier. But this time, as Carlton and the other two approached Dr. Manning, he could see that Spencer was not acting this time. In a moment of weakness, Carlton lowered his gun and knelt in front of Spencer. He was pale and sweating.
“I’ve got him.” The male agent said. He had the doctor’s hands cuffed behind his back and was already walking him out the doors into the main room. The blonde women, most likely his partner, stayed behind.
“Special Agent Hagan.” She extended her hand to Carlton, and he shook it hesitantly. His focus was still on making sure Spencer was all right. “We just wanted to thank you and your partner for helping us with this investigation.” That caught his attention.
“Helping with the investigation?” Carlton stood up and had to look down at the young woman. She had her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail, suit crisp and perfectly tailored to her body. She flashed her badge at him and quickly put it away.
“Yes, sir.” She pulled out the folder she was holding under her arm. “We’ve been watching this man for a while now, but until your partner, Mr. Spencer led us to these files, we were unable to piece it all together. With the two of you convincing Dr. Manning you were romantically involved, we were even able to place him at each of the murders. Good job, Detective!” She slammed her fist into his shoulder, hard. He should have known better than to be surprised by such strength in a small package. In fact, she reminded him slightly of Juliet.
“My partner, Special Agent McSweeten, will be in with the chief tomorrow to handle the paperwork.” Hagan winked at Spencer and then walked inside, following after her partner.
Well, this night couldn’t get any weirder.
“I knew I could count on you.” Spencer reached his hand up and linked his fingers with Carlton’s.
-END-