Miami 1994
Juliet O' Hara was on top of the world. Her cheerleading team just won regional, and there was rumor that the quarterback was going to ask her out. Grant it, she didn't find Jeff, the quarterback, all that interesting, but he was a quarterback and she was cheerleader, it just made sense.
Of course, she was on top of the world, until he bumped into her. Derek Bagley. Dark sweatshirt, baggy black pants, chains clinking together as he walked, and that bright blood red hair spiked. He was the complete opposite of the perky, blonde, cheerleader who wore her outfit proudly. Still he gave her a grin that would have made all of Juliet's cheerleader friends turn away and scoff with distaste, but it made Juliet feel a little giddy inside.
"Hey pom-pom," he greeted, eyeing her over.
"Derek," she replied causally.
"What's with the outfit?"
"We won regional."
"Whoop de doo," he scoffed.
Juliet rolled her eyes. "Well then, I see we have nothing else to talk about."
She went to stride past him when he stopped her with a question. "Hey pom-pom, you wanna get dinner tonight and then maybe later you could show me some of your cheerleading moves?"
She stared at him shocked. She quickly glanced over at her all her cheerleader friends, swarming around the football players. If anyone of them noticed she was talking to Derek, they would quickly come over and pull her away, claiming for her own protection. He was not the type of boy Juliet should consider dating. He was bad and dangerous, someone sweet and loveable Juliet should avoid.
"Pick me up by eight."
Present Day
His hair was ruffled. His shirt was not tuck in and he had missed a button while he hurried to get out the door. It was also not the same shirt he was wearing earlier. He had given up on a tie, finding it too hard to tie with one hand this late at night. Very disheveled for his normally tidy and orderly self, something Shawn just had to comment on.
"Hey Lassieface, you look different," Shawn began. He turned to his partner, Gus, and asked, "Doesn't he look different?"
Gus glared at him, obviously not happy to be out of bed at this hour either. Shawn snapped his fingers. "I know what it is. You're copying me Lassie."
"What!"
"No tie, untucked shirt. I'm flattered you're trying to copy my style Lassie," Carlton groaned, "but we've all got to listen to our own conscious, walk to the beat of our own drum."
"Spencer, it's almost two in the morning, this isn't me copying your style of what ever the Salvation Army will give you, it's me being woken up late at night, grabbing whatever I could find to get to the crime scene. So shut up," Carlton hissed.
He turned to his partner, Juliet O'Hara. She too had been too tired to get dressed to her normal standards. Instead of her dress jacket and pants, jeans and sweater that Carlton knew Shawn was drooling over. She also did not have her hair up; her blonde wavy hair was down at her shoulder. Carlton overheard Shawn whispering to Gus about how good Juliet looked, and just walked past them.
"O'Hara, what we got?" he asked, trying to sound professional.
"A man was found dead in the bathroom, that had an 'OUT OF ORDER' sign that none of the employees put up. The door was locked from the inside, and looking like a possible suicide," Juliet explained.
"So why is the annoying Boy Blunder here then?" Carlton asked, glaring at Shawn who now seemed in a serious, heated argument with Gus.
Juliet glanced at him quickly and whispered, "Vick's idea of punishment for breaking the window with that pineapple. She said if we ever get a case later then one am, call him and make sure we wake him up."
"Great, for a month she's also punishing us," Carlton muttered.
Shawn waltz up to Carlton, with Gus behind him. Gus pushed him and muttered, "Go for it."
"You do it, you're the one with the nose," Shawn hissed backed.
"What is your problem Spencer?"
"Um… I kinda, see…" Shawn trailed off, looking at Gus pleadingly.
Sighing, Gus walked up to Carlton and placed an arm around him. "See Lassiter, Shawn and I were just discussing how you got hurt."
"Get off me," Carlton snapped and Gus obliged.
"I think you were doing something police force related, but Shawn thinks it would some sex position," Gus explained.
Glaring at Shawn Carlton ordered, "Spencer, don't ever think about my sex life again. Got it?"
As he walked away Shawn turned to Gus and asked, "So… what did you smell?"
"I'm not telling," Gus stated, with an air of superiority.
"Gus!"
"Hurry up and tell Juliet that the spirits confirmed this guy just offed himself and there's nothing to it, so we can go home," Gus ordered. "And then I'll tell you."
"Can I at least see the crime scene first?" Shawn asked.
"Just hurry up, I've got a presentation today."
Shawn walked over to the bathroom and quickly peered in.
The man was slummed on the floor, head hung, with no sign of a struggle and no way anyone could have gotten in or out after the door was locked. The police had already bagged the empty pill bottle and seemed ready to wrap this case up. But then Shawn noticed a piece of the tile ceiling foam that has broken off, laying in the corner. Frowning, Shawn has to shake the crazy idea out of his head and starts to head out of the bathroom.
Glancing on last time at the dead body, Shawn noticed on the man's right hand there was a callus. Smiling, he walked out towards the waiter that was being questioned by Carlton and Juliet.
"So you didn't notice anything strange?" Carlton clarified.
The waiter shook his head. Carlton turned to Juliet and said, "All right, I think we can finish up here."
Crying out, Shawn interrupted him. "Oh boy! My arm, it suddenly feels heavy. Like an extra ten, twenty pounds added on to it."
He began swinging his right arm, trying to shake off what ever was attached to it. "It looks like a black square box, with a handle!"
"A briefcase!" Juliet cried, excited she could figure out his vision.
"Yes, someone get the lovely lady a price," Shawn replied, grinning at Juliet, who grinned back. Turning to the waiter, he asked, "Did you notice if the man left his briefcase here?"
A look of realization passed over the man. "Yeah, when I brought the check to the table, I noticed he was gone and thought maybe he had ditched. I saw his briefcase and went to pick it up when my other table, two women, needed to pay."
"What happened to his briefcase?" Shawn asked.
The waiter bite his lip, trying to think. "When I came back to put it in the lost and found there was money on the table and the briefcase was gone, so I figured he left."
"How was his tip?" Shawn questioned randomly.
"Pretty good, actually. My other table tipped me better, but that's only because with the ladies I can put on the charm," the waiter told, smiling at Juliet now.
She rolled her eyes, and Shawn was about to dismiss the waiter when Carlton asked, "You had a table of two women, you're sure, not just one? When did they come in, before the victim, after the victim?"
"There was two and they came in a little bit after the guy," the waiter answered.
"Where were they seated?"
The waiter glanced back at the tables, trying to remember. "Either that one, or that one."
He pointed to the two off in the corner, the tables often over looked. Carlton nodded and told him, "All right, no more questions right now."
As the waiter walked away, Juliet went to ask Carlton if he cared to share his train of thought, but he ignored her and walked over to the two tables, sitting down in the chair and looking over at the victim's table.
"What is he doing?" Juliet asked.
Shawn shrugged, and told her, "Listen, Jules, I know you probably don't want to hear this, but the spirits and I aren't sure it was a suicide."
She groaned. "No, come on Shawn, it past two in the morning, I just want to sleep."
Carlton came back up to them, looking distressed. He was glaring at a spot on the floor, looking like he was trying to set it on fire. Juliet sent a warning glance at Shawn, begging him not to say anything that would upset Carlton, but Shawn ignored her.
"Lassie, the spirits are telling me this isn't a suicide," Shawn stated quickly and then prepared himself for the yelling.
Carlton looked up from the spot on the floor and made eye contact with Shawn. Shawn was speechless when he saw that there was not angry in Carlton's eyes, just pain.
"We'll talk about it later today with the chief," Carlton told him quietly. "We're done here, you can all just go home."
"Thank you," Juliet whispered and started walking towards the door, but Shawn stopped her once they were a safe distance from Carlton. Groaning she snapped, "What?"
"You don't notice anything different about Lassiter?"
"Other then it's past two am and he's still up, no Shawn I didn't," she replied, eyeing the door to her freedom.
"He seemed… sad."
"No, he seemed tired, like I am, so excuse me Shawn," she stated and walked passed him and out the door.
Gus walked over to Shawn, glaring. "Not a suicide Shawn? Are you kidding me?"
"Gus, if you were planning on killing yourself would you do it in a public place? Or better yet, would pay for you're meal? What would they do, force a dead guy to wash dishes?"
"Is that all you're basing your case on? Him paying for his meal?"
"That and his briefcase was stolen. Someone wanted him dead for his briefcase," Shawn concluded. "So tell me now about what Lassiter smelt like."
Gus started walking towards his car, but turned around and smiled at his friend. "Perfume."