Hi! So, basically the same notes as last time and I've put the newer/different notes first. This was a WIP on Psychfic so if you want to read all my lovely story notes, feel free to read it on there. Here are my condensed notes:
-This is a sequel, so you should go back and read "Silence is Golden? Yeah Right" first but it's not absolutely necessary. This takes place a couple days after the first story.
-Spoilers for ep 4x09 "Shawn takes a Shot in the Dark", ep 3x09 "Christmas Joy"
-This story is rated M for a reason. There's strong language and talk? of sexual assault. There's also angst and fluff.
-There's one chapter in here (ch 17) that is very similar to a chapter in my story Carlton Lassiter Meets a New Friend. Just know that I wrote the other story before I got to this chapter.
-As you might have noticed, each "chapter" here is actually a group of chapters since that is how it's saved on my computer. For WIP, I'll post a chapter at a time but since I already have 3 stories completed that I want to post here, each around 30 chapters, I'm not separating them.
-DISCLAIMER: I'm not affiliated with Psych in any way, shape or form, or else it would be a lot more violent (I'm a sadist)
-I am also not an expert in anything: medicine, law enforcement, sign language, english or anything else you can think of, so don't complain if I got anything wrong, I just made an educated/logical guess.
-I think that everything italicized are flashbacks
-All original character names I randomly made up, usually by hitting a random key and typing the first name that came to mind. Except Shawn's grandpa, who didn't have a name in that one flashback so I gave him my grandfather's name
PROLOGUE
Santa Barbara, 1983
Madeleine Spencer was sitting up in her bed with the bedside light on. She was reading a romance novel that one of her friends loaned to her. The house was quiet since it was nearing midnight. Shawn had gone to bed hours ago and Henry had the night shift. Outside was a completely different story. A severe thunderstorm had rolled in an hour ago and every so often lightening would flash across the room.
As Madeleine was about to turn the page, she heard a loud crash of thunder and the lights went out. Sighing, she put her book down and was about to settle down for the night when a creak outside her door made her pause. Quietly opening the bedside table to grab the flashlight, Madeleine's hand brushed against the gun that Henry insisted she learn to use. He would have her go to the shooting range at least once a year to practice.
As the door slowly opened, Madeline gripped the flashlight with her left hand while her right hovered over the gun. There was a pause in the door's movement and when she was just about to grab the gun, a there was a flash of lightening that illuminated the room and the figure in the doorway.
"Shawnie," Madeleine breathed as she turned the flashlight on to see her son's face more clearly. Even at the distance and the poor lighting, she could tell that her 6 year old son was terrified. "What's wrong Goose?"
Sniffling, Shawn took a step closer, one hand still clutching the door handle. "The storm woke me up, mommy. And then there was a loud crash and my nightlight went out. When I couldn't get my lamp to turn on, I got scared." Looking down at his feet, Shawn mumbled, "I know daddy said that I'm too old, but can I stay with you tonight? Please?"
Nodding her head, Madeleine said, "Of course you can Goose. Let me handle daddy later."
Not having to be told twice, especially when a really loud crack of thunder sounded, Shawn quickly ran to the other side of the bed and crawled under the covers. He got into as small of a ball as he could while Madeleine laid on her back. Wrapping her left arm around Shawn's back, she started stroking his hair with her other hand.
"Don't worry, Shawnie, nothing is ever going to happen to you, not with your father and I around. We will always be there to protect you. Even if he doesn't show it, your father loves you very much. And so do I."
Feeling Shawn relaxing, Madeleine started to hum some lullabies as the storm continued to rage on around them.
CHAPTER 1
Santa Barbara 2014
Shawn is slowly trying to creep up the stairs, using some of the stealth techniques that his father taught him. When he gets to the top, the door is locked. Shawn uses a piece of wire to pick it. When he hears the click, Shawn slowly opens the door. Thinking that the coast is clear, Shawn starts to make his way out of the kitchen.
"Hey Shawnie."
That voice, the one that's been tormenting him for almost a year, stops Shawn dead in his tracks.
"You know, it's not polite to try to sneak away. I guess we have a few more lessons to teach you."
Shawn turns to see the Boss coming out from behind the opened basement door. Chastising himself for not checking there, Shawn tries to back away, only to be met by the Enforcer grabbing his arms from behind.
"First, I get a kiss," Boss says as he leans forwards.
Shawn bites his lips, causing the Boss to stumble back.
"You son of bitch," the Boss yells as he slaps Shawn's face, hard.
Shawn falls to the floor as the enforcer punches him in the stomach. Laying in the fetal position, Shawn flinches when the Boss strokes his cheek.
"Now Shawn, what am I going to do to you?"
Still unable to talk, Shawn sends the Boss a glare. The Boss in returns, stands up and smiles evilly.
"Have a nice trip."
Shawn looks confused for a few seconds until the boss nudges him over, just as Shawn realizes that he's in the door way. Arms protectively over his head, Shawn tries to ignore all the fresh bumps and bruises that he's receiving. That is, until he gets to the bottom and hears a crack and pain explodes in his leg.
As Shawn withers in agony, he can just barely make out the Boss and Enforcer making their way down the stairs.
"Oh, don't think a little broken bone is gonna stop me from having my fun tonight."
"SHAWN!" *Smack*
"Ow!" Shawn Spencer exclaimed, rubbing his arm as he turned to face his soon-to-be-ex best friend, Burton Guster, known by most as Gus. "What did you do that for?"
"You were screaming like the devil was after you and not answering me," Gus said as he tried to read Shawn's face.
Schooling his features, Shawn asked, "Then why couldn't you just shake my shoulder like any sane person instead of leaving bruises?"
"I tried that, but you still weren't responding. I was getting worried." Gus sighed as he looked forward. "Do you still want to go in?"
Shawn turned and looked at the front doors of the Santa Barbara Police Station. Opening the car door, Shawn said. "Yeah, I want to see Jules and Lassie. I haven't seen them for a while."
Scoffing, Gus got out and walked around to give Shawn a hand. "You just saw Juliet Saturday, it has not been that long."
"Well, I haven't seen Lassie or anyone else from the station since Wednesday, therefore it's time for a visit." Shawn carefully balanced on his crutches. "Man, I can't wait to lose these extra limbs."
Closing the door and locking it, Gus said, "Yeah, me too. But it's going to be another couple of weeks, right?"
Shawn nodded as he started up the stairs. "Yep. I've got a doctor's appointment tomorrow to see how my leg is fairing. I also have a physical therapy session. Those things wear me out."
"They're suppose to, if you're sore, then you know its working. No pain, no gain. "
"Ha ha ha," Shawn replied as they stopped at the top so Shawn could catch his breath. "I hate that expression. Why does it have to hurt? I mean, you were obviously in pain when you broke whatever it is you're going in for, isn't physical therapy suppose to help ease the pain? It's just not fair."
"I hear you. You ready to go in?"
Shawn nodded as Gus opened the door.
When they entered the bullpen, they didn't see either Juliet or Carlton. Trying to keep his disappointment from showing, Shawn spotted Buzz McNab coming back from the break room carrying coffee.
"Nabby!" Shawn greeted as he hobbled closer.
"Hey, Shawn. Gus." Buzz responded as he detoured to them. "Wow, it is so great to hear your voice again."
"Thanks man! It's great to be heard."
"Hey, Francie made some cookies for you and I was suppose to drop them off on my way home from work, but this works just as well. I'll go get them."
"I love cookies!" Turning to Gus, Shawn smiled. "See Gus, it's like fate!"
Before Gus could respond, Buzz came back with a tin. "Here you go. They're gingersnaps, Francie's specialty."
"Awesome!" Shawn tucked his crutches under his arms as he took the tin and proceeded to eat a few. "Not as good as Pineapple cookies, but they're still up there."
"Shawn! We just ate breakfast not even 30 minutes ago! How can you still be hungry?" Gus admonished as he took the tin away.
"But I'm always hungry!" Shawn whined as he tried to get the tin back. He almost fell over if it wasn't for Buzz's quick reflexes. "Thanks man."
"No problem."
"Hey! Have you seen Jules or Lassie?" Shawn asked as he tried to look around Buzz's huge figure.
Looking around the near deserted bullpen, Buzz shrugged as he replied, "I don't know about Detective Lassiter, but I saw Juliet heading into the break room with her mug."
"Thanks Buzz. I guess we'll wait at her desk then. Tell Francie thanks."
"Oh, you're welcome. You know, she also makes fabulous . . . ."
"MCNAB!"
They all turned to see Carlton Lassiter leaving the Chief's office.
"I need you over here for a minute." Carlton ordered as headed to his desk.
"Yes sir," Buzz replied before turning back to Shawn and Gus. "Sorry guys, I've got to go. Nice to see you again."
"Thanks Nabby." "Bye Buzz." The two replied as they watched him leave. Starting towards Juliet's desk, Shawn tried to catch what Carlton was telling Buzz, but he was being too quiet. Whatever it was, it had to have been big by the way Carlton kept gesturing wildly while he packed his briefcase.
Shawn was just sitting down in Juliet O'Hara's chair as she rounded the corner carrying her mug of coffee. "Hey Jules!"
"Hey Guys! What are you doing down here?" Juliet took a sip of her coffee as Gus stood behind Shawn.
"Nothing much, just checking in with my favorite detectives." Seeing Juliet blush, Shawn asked, "So, do you know what's up with Lassie? He seems very excited."
They all looked over to see Buzz nodding and then heading off to his own desk while Carlton straightened his.
"No, I don't know, sorry. He got a phone call about 10 minutes again and then headed into the chief's office. He shut the door and even closed the blinds."
"Hmm, very interesting," Shawn muttered as Carlton picked up his briefcase and jacket before coming over to them.
"O'Hara, I'm going out of town tonight, I should be back sometime tomorrow afternoon." Carlton barely stopped for her responding "okay" before turning and leaving.
"How rude!" Shawn said, trying to sound offended. "He didn't even acknowledge us! I have half a mind to follow him!"
"Shawn!" Juliet sighed. "Just give him a break. He's seems really excited about whatever it is he's about to do."
"Yeah, and I wish I knew what it was." Shawn said as he started to get up, only to have Gus push him back down. "Dude! What is your problem?"
"Shawn, I did not bring you all the way down here to try and get a case. We were just here to say hi and then you wanted to go see if you wanted anything out of the storage unit."
Sighing, Shawn said, "Fine. Are you coming by for dinner tonight, Jules? My dad's fishing right now, so he'll probably make whatever he catches."
"I don't think I can make it. There's a MLK celebration at city hall tonight and I got assigned to help with security. It's usually one of the quiet assignments, but it can take as long as 4 hours. As long as nothing happens, the earliest that I could get to your house is 8."
"Then how about pizza? I'll call in an order for 8:30. My dad usually goes to bed around 9, so we'll have the first floor all to ourselves for as long as we want." Shawn put on his innocent face.
Laughing, Juliet replied, "I've got to work in the morning, but I could stay for a few hours."
"It's date then."
"Okay," Juliet said as she patted his cheek. "See you then."
Gus rolled his eyes as he slapped Shawn's shoulder. "Come on Casanova, I promised your dad that we'd be back for lunch. We've got to get going. Bye Juliet."
CHAPTER 2
By the time Carlton arrived at his destination, he was pissed. The only seats available on the airplane were in economy and both times he had to sit next to chatting old grandmothers who didn't know how to turn up their hearing aids and the one kept whacking him when he didn't respond. Since he wasn't planning on spending more than one day out here, he only had a carryon duffel bag as well as his briefcase, so he was able to get through the airport quickly
To make his day even better, it was at least 30 degrees cooler than Santa Barbara, meaning that his suit jacket was no where thick enough to keep him warm. Stopping at some benches, Carlton fished out his overcoat that he barely remembered to grab. As long as it didn't get too much colder, he should be fine. Making his way quickly through the airport, Carlton was able to get a taxi fairly easily.
"Sheriff's Office," Carlton barked as he leaned back and stretched his legs. The taxi driver seemed to sense the bad mood Carlton was in and quietly pulled out into traffic. It was the middle of rush hour, which did not improve his mood with all the slow drivers and constant car horns.
Arriving at his destination, Carlton quickly paid the taxi driver and rushed into the building. Heading to the front desk, he barely got out an "Excuse me," before the lady cut him off.
"I'm sorry, but the Sheriff's Office closes at 5, which is in 10 minutes. So unless it's an emergency or a very quick visit, I suggest that you wait until tomorrow." The old bat didn't even look up from her typing.
Taking a deep breath and barely suppressing the urge to draw his gun, Carlton growled, "I'm Head Detective Carlton Lassiter of the Santa Barbara, California Police Department. I'm here to see Captain Richard Jones regarding a case. Now I just spent over 5 hours on cramped airplanes to get here. It is fricking cold out there and I am not leaving this station until I meet this captain. Now are you going to tell him that I'm here or should I just head back there." Carlton glared at the little old lady as she finally looked at him.
Probably thinking that it would be easier to just comply, she picked up her phone. After a short conversation, she put down the phone and said "He'll be right out."
Smiling tightly, Carlton said, "Thank you," as he backed away from the desk a bit.
A man about 10 years older and 50 pounds heavier than Carlton came out and offered his hand. "Ah, Detective Lassiter. You may call me Rick. Welcome to Kearney, Nebraska. Did you have a nice flight?"
"No," Carlton said as he picked up his bag. "Captain, can we please skip the pleasantries and get right to the case. It was a long flight and I quite frankly want to get this over with."
"Of course." Turning towards the receptionist, he said. "Ma, why don't you go home? And tell Crissy that I'm gonna be really late."
Sending Carlton a glare, Ms. Jones nodded and started to pack up her stuff.
"Don't mind her. She doesn't like new people." Rick said as he lead the way to the back. "As I said on the phone, we think we have footage of your man parking and exiting a vehicle a couple weeks ago."
Stopping in front of a TV at least 20 years old, Rick turned it on and pressed play. They watched as a black early-90's Jeep Wrangler pulled into a parking space somewhat crookedly. After about a minute, a figure exited the vehicle and slowly limped towards the entrance of the bus station.
Pressing stop, Carlton nodded. "Yeah, that's Shawn Spencer. Have you gotten a positive ID on the plates yet?"
Picking up a file, Rick leaned against a desk. "We only got partial plates since it was dark but we did get a hit. They're register to a Tom Ingrid, 38 years old, works as a janitor at the local hospital but no one has seen him since he left for vacation over 3 weeks ago. He's apparently not a very social person, barely anyone could tell me much about him besides being quiet and efficient."
"According to Spencer, he's dead. Have you contacted the brother yet?"
"Nope. Sam Ingrid, 34 years old. Works as a personal trainer in Grand Island. He's listed his place of residence as the same as his brother's, near the railroad tracks."
"Can we go check that out?"
"We can ask a few questions but we can't do much without a warrant."
"How long will it take to get one?"
"Tomorrow morning at the earliest."
"Well then," Carlton put his coat on. "Let's go ask some questions."
Arriving at the house, Carlton looked around the street. "Spencer was right, the neighborhood is practically deserted."
"Well you know, with the times some people have trouble keeping their homes or even keeping them maintained."
"Whatever. Let's get this over with." Carlton said as he started up the drive. "There's the Jeep."
Carlton hurried up the steps and knocked on the door. A soft cough made him turn around. "Yes?"
"I appreciate that you want to get this done as quickly as possible, but please remember that this is my turf. Therefore let me take the lead, Detective." Rick said as he got between Carlton and the door in order to ring the doorbell.
Fuming slightly, Carlton sighed, "Fine, but I reserve the right to ask any questions that come to mind, got it Captain?"
"Sure thing."
They waited almost 5 minutes before admitting defeat. Taking a quick glance around, Carlton started walking around the house.
"Excuse me Detective, but what exactly do you think you are doing?"
"Just taking a look around. I'm not going to enter without probable cause." Taking a quick sweep of the yard, Carlton's eyes stopped on the sole tree. "What's that?"
"What's what?" Rick asked as he moved to follow him.
"This mound of dirt." Carlton squatted down to examine it. "It's about 6 feet by 2 feet. The perfect size for a grave. Spencer said that they buried the other bodies, but this is too new, possibly only a few weeks old." Standing up, Carlton headed back to the front.
As they reached the street, he asked, "How soon can you get that search warrant?"
"9am at the earliest." Rick said as he unlocked the car.
"I'll meet you here at 9:15am."
CHAPTER 3
Shawn was pacing back and forth on his crutches in the living room as his dad watched. 8pm had came and went and it was nearing 9 with no sign of Juliet.
"Shawn, she'll be here."
"What if something happened? She should have called to let me know that she would be late."
"Shawn." Henry got up and stood in front of Shawn, causing him to stop. "She'll be here. You said that she had to be at the MLK thing tonight, right? Well, those things are a hassle to get people to leave. Why don't you sit down? You've been pacing for a good 20 minutes and I think that your arms need a break."
Shawn looked down to see his arms were shaking. "Okay, fine. I'll sit." Shawn practically collapsed in the armchair and let his crutches fall to the floor. He heard his dad huff before rearranging the crutches and then going into the kitchen.
Hearing the doorbell, Shawn started to get up, only to have his dad push him back down. "Shawn, just sit and drink this water. I'll get the door." Handing over the glass, Henry headed to the door. Sending a glare at his father's back, Shawn sipped the water. Listening to his dad's side of the conversation, it turned out to only be the pizza.
As Shawn reached forward to put the empty glass on the table, his cell phone rang. Quickly grabbing it, he saw that it was Juliet. Letting it ring a few times as he caught his breath, Shawn looked over to see his dad still talking to the pizza guy. Taking one more deep breath, he answered.
"Hey Jules! . . . No it's okay. . . No, I wasn't too worried. . .10 minutes? Yeah that's fine. The pizza literally just got here, so that works out perfectly. . . Okay see ya, Bye Jules."
Hanging up, Shawn closed his eyes. He heard his father bid the pizza guy goodnight and enter the living room. Smiling a bit, Shawn teased, "I didn't know that it takes 10 minutes to pay for a pizza. Do you have a date set up or something?"
A smack to the back of the head made Shawn open his eyes. "No, Smartass. She's the daughter of one of the guys I use to work with. I hadn't seen her since she was 10 so I asked about her and her family. She's in college now, going to become a lawyer." Noticing Shawn's cell phone still in his hand, Henry asked, "Who called?"
"Jules. She'll be here in about 10 minutes." Shawn started fiddling with the phone.
"Okay, did you want me to leave?" Not getting an answer, Henry touched his shoulder. "Hey, are you alright kid?"
Looking up, Shawn bit his lip. "I just don't know if I can do this. Jules and I haven't been completely alone since I got back and I don't know what to do."
"Just be yourself."
Laughing, Shawn looked down at his cast. "I don't even know who I am anymore."
"Shawn, Juliet is a good kid. As are you. You two are good together. I noticed it 4 years ago and I noticed it last week. Just don't think too much about it."
"I can't believe that I'm taking advice from my old man." Shawn mumbled as he rubbed his face.
"You'll be fine. Now, I'm going to go upstairs and turning the radio on. Don't make too much noise and make sure you lock up."
"Thanks dad," Shawn called as his father headed to the stairs. Henry just waved in response.
Waiting until his dad was all the way up the stairs, Shawn sighed as he got up. They folded up the rollaway bed a few days ago since Shawn started sleeping in his old room and the couch was still in the garage. When Shawn and Gus visited the storage unit, Shawn had called his dad so that they could bring a couple of his chairs to the house. His dad was a bit opposed when he saw them but figured that it would only be for a couple weeks until Shawn got over his fear of couches.
Going into the kitchen, Shawn grabbed a couple of sodas and napkins. He had to leave his one crutch next to the fridge. As he was going back to the kitchen to retrieve it, the doorbell rang. Turning his head to look, his crutch got caught in the doorway and he fell, making a lot of racket on the way down. Two sets of footsteps came rushing to meet him.
"Shawn?" "Kid, are you okay?"
Keeping his eyes closed, Shawn rubbed the back of his head where he smacked it on the floor. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"Here, why don't you sit up."
Using the proffered hand, Shawn sat up only to lean his head onto his raised knee.
"You sure you're okay kid?"
"Yes dad, I'm sure!" Shawn snapped as he glared at his father. "I just got a little dizzy, nothing to worry about."
Sighing, Henry grabbed Shawn's arm and lifted him up. Shawn swayed for a moment and he grabbed the doorway.
"What the hell dad?"
"You said you were fine, that means that you should be able to stand by yourself." Henry bent down to grab the crutches but only found one. "Where's the other crutch Shawn?"
"It's by the fridge. That's where I was going when I fell."
Handing the one to Shawn, Henry went to the fridge. Juliet took a step forward to touch the back of his head, causing him to hiss in pain.
"Shawn, Are you honestly going to tell me that you're fine?" Juliet looked at him skeptically.
"Yes. It's nothing." Shawn shivered as his dad placed a bag of frozen vegetables against his new bump.
"Sorry kid, but it'll help the swelling go down. Now I'm going back upstairs, call me if you need anything." Handing the second crutch to Juliet he marched upstairs.
"Please excuse my father, he gets very cranky when he's up past his bedtime." Shawn threw the frozen veggies on the coffee table before taking his second crutch from Juliet.
"He's just worried about you. You didn't see his face when he got to you a couple minutes ago."
"I know he cares. We've just been under the same roof too long and it's starting to get to the both of us." Shawn sat down in one of the armchairs as Juliet claimed another.
"Just go easy on him." Juliet reached forward and opened the pizza box.
"I can try, but that's how my dad and I function, we bicker with each other. It's normal for us."
"If you say so." Taking a bite of pizza, Juliet asked, "So what are we watching tonight?"
"Well, Gus and I stopped at the store and bought some of the movies that I've missed. What do you say to Harry Potter 7?"
"I'd say that it's in 2 parts and each one is almost 3 hours long. Pick something under 2 hours."
"Tron: Legacy?"
"Okay."
As the credits were rolling, Juliet was laughing hysterically as Shawn told her about one of his and Gus' many exploits.
"We didn't even make it half way across the lawn before my dad caught us. We had to wash off in the yard and then go back and apologize to the old bat even though she did more harm to us then we did to her dogs."
"I can't believe that she actually had a skunk!"
"Technically, it lived under her porch." Shawn yawned as he took a sip of his water.
Standing up, Juliet grabbed her purse. "I should go. I have to be at work in 9 hours and with Carlton gone, I'm going to have more work to do."
"Okay. I might stop by Wednesday with smoothies!"
"Okay," Hesitating, Juliet bent down and kissed his cheek. "I'll see you later."
"Bye." Shawn watched until the door closed behind her. Sighing, he muttered, "Great, even a kiss on the cheek from Jules makes me nervous."
Grabbing his crutches, Shawn did a quick clean up before checking the doors and making his way upstairs.
CHAPTER 4
When Carlton arrived the next morning, there were already 5 or 6 vehicles in front of the house, including a coroner's van. He strode up to the Captain Jones, who was assigning teams.
"Captain," Carlton greeted as he removed his sunglasses.
"Ah, Carlton. We're just waiting on word from the Judge's office about the warrant and one of the deputies is going to bring it down. You're on my team inside the house. We're going to secure the main floor before splitting up. One team goes up and then our team goes to the basement. If what your boy says is true, that's where the treasure is."
"Alright then." Carlton said as a young recruit hurried over with a cell phone.
"Captain, we have the go ahead."
"Thank you Edward. Oh, and Detective? While I shouldn't even be letting you in the house until it's clear, please try not to fire your weapon unless it is absolutely necessary."
"Of course," Carlton gritted as he squared his shoulders.
"Okay troops, let's go!"
While the first floor was in desperate need of a maid, there was nothing to be found. But when they entered the basement, Carlton knew they hit jackpot. It was a mess. There was blood and other bodily fluids all over and around a couch in the first room. The straps on the couch were worn but still strong and the torture devices had blood on them as well. A few of the younger officers who had managed to be on the inside team had to duck out quickly or else risk contaminating the scene. There was a faint odor of blood and decaying flesh in the air. And even though there was no body in the basement, Carlton had a pretty good idea where it was.
Before Carlton left around 11am to head back to Santa Barbara, the outside team had managed to uncover 3 skeletons as well as the slightly decomposed body of who they assumed to be Tom. With the promise of calling Carlton if anything else turned up, the Captain was somewhat relieved to see him go.
It was late afternoon as Shawn was struggling to get in the house. He just spent the last hour in physical therapy and he was so ready for a nap. Needless to say, he was tired and sore. As he hobbled into the kitchen, his dad was walking behind him, ready to catch Shawn if needed. When he reached the kitchen table, Shawn collapsed into one of the chairs, letting the crutches fall to the floor.
Chuckling, Henry bent down and picked them up. "Jeez kid, you must be tired."
Shawn folded his arms on the table, placing his head on top. "Maybe if someone hadn't made me walk over 2 miles after a grueling torture session." His voice slightly muffled by the table.
"It was hardly even a 5 minutes walk. Besides, you're the one who didn't want to wait for me to pull the truck around." Henry learned the crutches against the wall and went to the sink to fill a glass of water.
Shawn was so tired, he didn't even realize that his dad had placed the glass in front of him. Sighing, Henry shook out 2 of the prescribed painkillers before gentle shaking Shawn's shoulder.
"Hey kid." Shawn looked up at him with sleepy, half-lidded eyes. "Why don't you take a couple of pills and then go take a nap."
Nodding, Shawn reached out a hand for them, swallowing them dry before drinking half the glass of water. Then Shawn put his head down, fully intending on sleeping right there.
"Shawn." When Shawn didn't respond, Henry rolled his eyes before trying again. "Shawn, come on. I know you don't fall asleep that fast."
Shawn looked up at his dad with defiance, even though it's not as strong as it use to be.
"Come on kid. It's not going to do you any good to sleep in this chair. Let's get you upstairs."
Still looking half asleep, Shawn stood up on wobbly legs and reached for his crutches. Henry walked behind him with a hand on his back, hoping he won't fall.
After 3 excruciating minutes, they were finally at the top of the stairs. Shawn leaned against the wall, praying that he can make it. Henry gently took one of the crutches and wrapped his arm around Shawn's back.
"Come on kid, you're almost there." Leaning heavily on Henry, they made it down the hall and into Shawn's old room where he collapses on the bed before Henry can move the blankets.
"Shawn, at least scoot to one side so that I can get part of the blanket on you." Shawn didn't reply, already fast asleep.
"I guess I was wrong. You can fall asleep that fast." Henry grabbed one of the extra blankets from the hall closet and draped it over his son. Shawn opens one eye to look at him. "Go to sleep kid. I'm heading to the store before dinner since we're running low on food."
Shawn nodded and closed his eyes. Sighing, Henry grabbed a piece of paper off Shawn's desk and wrote him a note saying that he would be back within the hour.
As Henry was walking to his truck, he got the eerie feeling that he was being watched. Not seeing anyone, he got in his truck, deciding that he would make it a fast trip.
Carlton was halfway across the Santa Barbara airport, ready to get some dinner and call it a night when his phone rang. Grumbling, he took out his phone and barked, "Lassiter."
"Yes, Detective Lassiter? This is Captain Jones. I just got some important information about Sam Ingrid that I thought you might want to know."
Carlton waited a beat, but when the other man didn't continue, he growled, "If it is so important, then get on with it!"
"Yes, well, um. We were finally able to contact the girlfriend. She said he left last night to meet a friend and tie up some loose ends."
Getting an unsettling feeling in his gut, Carlton asked, "I'm not going to like this, am I?"
"No sir. We contacted the airline and his plane arrived early this morning. In Santa Barbara."
CHAPTER 5
Carlton quickly hung up and dialed Henry's cell number. The call went straight to voicemail. Getting a very bad feeling, Carlton hurried through the airport as he tried the house phone and Shawn's number. Both rang several times before also going to voicemail.
"Dammit," Carlton growled as he pushed his way through the crowd waiting for taxis and headed to the short term parking lot. He quickly dialed a different number as he bolted across the blacktop. Luckily, this person answered right away.
"Vick."
"Chief, it's Lassiter."
"Carlton? Are you back already?"
"Yes, Ma'am. We have a situation."
"Explain."
"One of Spencer's kidnappers is in the area and I haven't been able to get a hold of either Spencer."
"Okay. Where are you?"
"I've just reached my car and will be at the Spencer house in less than 20 minutes, 15 if I push it." Carlton quickly pulled out his keys and unlocked the door.
"Alright. I'll keep trying to reach them. Let me know when you arrive at the Spencer's."
"Yes Ma'am." Carlton hurriedly hung up as he started up the vehicle and tore out of the parking lot.
Henry came in the house with groceries and put them on the counter. He heard a faint rustling noise but contributed it to the trees. He pull out his cell to charge it since the battery died while he was out. Turning back to the bags, he heard a thud and a dragging noise coming from upstairs.
"Shawn?" Henry called as he started up the stairs. About half way up, the house phone rang. He grabbed the phone in the hallway as he proceeded to Shawn's old bedroom.
"Hello?"
"Henry, thank god." The relief evident in her voice, Henry was thrown off for a moment.
"Karen? What's wrong?" He opened Shawn's door only to find a messy bed.
"Are you and Shawn okay?"
"What? What type of question is that?" Henry asked as he turned to check the bathroom.
"Detective Lassiter tried to call you but there wasn't an answer on any of the phones."
Henry was about to knock when he noticed that the bathroom door was slightly open. "I was out and my phone died on me. It's charging right now." Pushing it wider, he found an empty room except for the window being open.
"What about Shawn?"
Henry closed the window when he started to hear a soft thumping noise coming from Shawn's room. "What about him? He was wiped out from his physical therapy so he stayed here to sleep."
"Have you checked on him?"
"I'm trying to but I . . . Karen what's going on? What do you and Carlton know that I don't?" Henry pulled the phone away from his ear as he turned back to Shawn's room. "Shawn! Where are you kid?"
"Lassiter managed to uncover the names of Shawn's kidnappers."
Seeing the silently opened closet door, Henry walked to it slowly as he replied, "There's more to it than that! Now are you going to tell me what you know or do I have to come down there and . . . . Oh my God, Shawn!"
Henry almost dropped the phone from the shock of what he was seeing. Shawn was in the far corner of the closet, rocking back and forth, clutching his legs to his chest as tightly as possible. His shirt was ripped and he only had a pair of bloody boxers on. Scanning the rest of the room, Henry noticed that the one blanket seemed to have been ripped away from the bed while the rest of the bedding was a mess. One of the windows was open and had a smear of blood on the window sill.
"Karen, something happened. I need back up here right away. I need, Oh god, I need an ambulance and crime scene unit. And a perimeter search." Henry quickly ran to his room.
"Henry? What happened."
As Henry took out his gun and checked it, he replied, "I'm not sure, but I think someone broke into the house and ra-attacked my son." He took a deep breath before heading back to Shawn's room.
"Oh no. Henry, where are you?"
"I'm in Shawn's room. He's hiding in the closet right now. I have my gun in case the bastard tries to come back." Henry did a quick search of the rest of the room and outside the window.
"Okay. Henry listen to me! Lassiter had a feeling that something would happen. He'll be there in a few minutes. I want you to lock the door and attend to Shawn."
"Okay," Henry replied as he stepped back into the closet. "Shawn?" Henry whispered as he reached a hand out for his son's shoulder.
Unfortunately, Shawn reacted by whimpering and trying to get to away from the contact.
"How is he?"
"He, he won't let me touch him, he hasn't even looked at me yet." Henry tried to keep his voice steady, but he knew that he was failing.
"Okay, Henry? I'm going to have Carlton secure the rest of the house and then come check on you two. I'm also sending over a couple of patrols. I'll be there in 10 minutes. Okay? Henry answer me!"
"Yes, okay."
"Alright, in the meantime, try and calm him down. And make sure to cover him up. He's probably gone into shock by now. I'm going to let you go now okay?"
"Yeah, thanks Karen." Henry heard the line click and stood up. He pulled Shawn's robe off the back of the closet door and gently placed it over his son. Shawn flinched but didn't try to shake the thing off.
Settling in the doorway of the closet, Henry started talking to Shawn as his son continued his steady rocking.
"You're okay kid, I'm right here. I'm not going to leave you alone again until that bastard is caught."
CHAPTER 6
Carlton was just pulling up to the Spencer house when his cell went off. Seeing that it was the Chief, Carlton answered before exiting the vehicle. "Lassiter."
"Carlton, we have situation. It looks like the perp managed to get to Shawn while Henry was out. I need you to do a perimeter search, both inside and out. The guy might still be around."
"Okay. I just pulled up." Carlton took out his gun and checked it.
"Good. They are in Shawn's bedroom with the door locked and Henry has his gun. Henry knows that you're there and that I'm coming over with back up. Be careful."
"Yes Ma'am." Carlton quickly disconnected as he proceeded around the house.
About 5 minutes after hanging up with Karen, Henry was still quietly talking to Shawn, telling him whatever stories pop in his head. Shawn hadn't acknowledged his father yet but he had calmed down, almost to the point of falling asleep.
Hearing a gently knock on the bedroom door, Henry quickly picked up his gun and stood up. He closed the closet door before calling out, "Who's there?"
"It's Lassiter."
Relaxing a bit, Henry unlocked the door to find Carlton holding his own weapon pointed towards the floor.
"How is he?" Carlton asked as he took a look around the room.
Sighing, Henry went back to the closet. "He hasn't said a word and won't let me touch him. He looks about ready to drop."
"Yeah, an traumatic event can do that." Carlton said as he walked around the room. "Did you find anything important?"
"I didn't really look. There's some blood on the windowsill, but it could be Shawn's."
Carlton squatted down next to the bed. "There's some blood and semen on the sheets here."
"Oh God," Henry sighed as he leaned against the door.
"Henry, are you okay?" Carlton took a step forward.
"Yeah, I'll be fine as soon as that bastard is caught."
Carlton nodded as his phone went off. "Lassiter. Yes, Chief, I cleared the house and surrounding area, there's no one. Okay. I'll let him know." Hanging up, he turned to Henry. "The Chief's outside with additional units and an ambulance. She's coming in with the paramedics."
Henry nodded as he looked back at Shawn, who seemed to be snoring. "Thanks Carlton."
An hour later found Henry pacing the nearly empty waiting room with Gus and Carlton sitting quietly. Carlton had told Henry what little he knew about the Ingrids, which only seemed to make him more agitated.
"Henry, why don't you sit down?" Carlton said as Henry made another pass.
"I can't. I'm too angry to sit down."
Sighing, Carlton tried again, "Henry, you really need to calm . . . ."
"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! THAT BASTARD WAS IN MY HOUSE AND ATTACKED MY SON!"
While Gus seemed to shrink under the wrath of Papa Bear Spencer, Carlton stood up and got right in Henry's face. "If you don't calm down right this damn minute, you won't get to see your son right away. You'll either be leaving in cuffs or given a sedative. So if you'd rather see your son today instead of tomorrow, I suggest that you SIT DOWN!"
The glaring contest seemed to go on forever before Henry deflated and rubbed his face. "I'm sorry, Carlton. It's just not fair." Henry stepped back and collapsed in the closest chair. "Why did this have to happen? Shawn was just getting back to his old self again. Laughing, joking, being a general pain-in-the-ass. He should have been safe in his own house, his own room. Why did any of this have to happen to him?"
Taking a deep breath, Carlton knelt down in front of Henry so that they were eye to eye. "I know this is hard, but he'll get through this. He's too stubborn and obnoxious not to. Of course nothing will never be the same again but that doesn't mean that this has to keep him down. I've seen a lot of abuse victims make remarkable a strides. Shawn just has to know that there are people who will fight for him."
Scoffing, Henry shook his head. "Thanks Carlton."
Carlton nodded as he stood up and returned to his seat across from Henry. After about 5 minutes, a doctor finally came in. "Family for Shawn Spencer."
Taking a deep breath, Henry stood up and followed wordlessly as the doctor led him to the family lounge. Once they were seated, Henry finally spoke. "How's my son."
Sighing, the doctor said, "Physically, he'll be fine. We did a rape exam and there were some tears that led to the bleeding. They seemed to have closed themselves off but it'll hurt to move for a while. There were quite a few defensive wounds and some made from a knife. Only a wound in his left shoulder was deep enough for stitches. The rest have been cleaned and wrapped. He'll be fine to go home tonight."
The doctor paused at this, making Henry look up. "And Mentally?"
"As you know, they administered a sedative for the ambulance ride but he has yet to wake up. We weren't too concerned given his history and preferred to keep him out of it for the exam. As soon as he wakes up, I'd like to have the on-call psychologist . . . ."
"No." Henry whispered.
"I'm sorry?"
"No, I know my son and he won't want to speak to a psychologist. And if he has to, he knows exactly what to say to make them back off since his mother is one."
"If you're sure?" Henry nodded. "Okay, then I'll let the nurses know that you can take him home as soon as he wakes up." The doctor said as he stood up.
"Hey, doc?" Henry called as the doctor reached the door. "As you might have noticed, Shawn has a cast on his leg. Would it be alright if we borrowed a wheelchair? I don't want him walking if he's this out of it."
"Of course, I'll let the nurses know to get the paperwork."