The clock struck noonish in Santa Barbara, causing a crowd of seagulls to disperse, much to their obvious annoyance. A man in a pinstripe suit walked through the parking lot, Sidestepping broken bottles and crushed beer cans. This was not his usual routine, no, this was a rarity. He should be in an air conditioned van halfway to Sacramento by now. But an accident on the freeway had delayed them, so here he was, a California representative, walking through a parking lot to retrieve his cell phone. His assistant had insisted on him being accompanied, but he had politely declined. After all, if he couldn't fetch his own cell phone, how was he supposed to represent a state a big as California?
The sun beat down, glinting of his US flag pin. It was odd, he thought, that the parking lot should be deserted. It was only noon. He shrugged it off, but no sooner had he taken another step did he hear footsteps to his right, hurried and coming his way. He turned, staring into the alleyway. He strode forward, peering into the alley. A strong arm reached out of the darkness, and a knife slid across his neck, as the hooded murderer ran, away from the body, away from the crime.
OoOoO
Shawn Spencer flicked his wrist and let the newspaper basketball fly, landing three feet short of the trash can, and directly on Burton Guster's shoes.
"Shawn, how many times have I told you not to play paper hoops in the office?" Shawn responded by putting his feet up on the desk.
"Oh Gus. Don't be a mango platypus. Besides, I'm not the one who'll be cleaning up." He jumped to his feet, despite Gus's eyeroll.
"But more on that later. Jules called. We're supposed to meet them at the station asap."
Gus grabbed the keys off the desk.
"Oh, and we're stopping for jerk chicken on the way."
Gus nodded.
"You know that's right.
OoOoOoO
Lassiter grumbled into his
coffee mug, checking his watch again.
"Damnit! We shouldn't have called those two in the first place. They're a half-hour late. Probably stopped for some ridiculous snack."
"And I thought I was the psychic!" Shawn said, grinning ear to ear, Gus in tow, as they burst through Chief Vick's doors. Lassiter approached the younger, adequately gelled man.
"Don't even start, Spencer! This is my case, and if you even do one little psychic spasm, I will personally see to it that-"
"That's enough, Detective." Said Chief, rising from her chair. Lassiter stopped his rant, but didn't take his eyes off Shawn. Gus and Juliet exchanged a look, and turned towards the Chief.
"Okay people, listen up. This isn't just any murder, this is the murder of a politician."
Shawn raised an eyebrow, and raised his hand. Chief Vick paused in her lecture.
"Yes, Mr. Spencer?" Shawn pointed at a box on her desk.
"Are those chocolates? I have a craving for creamy goodness."
Juliet rolled her eyes, and Lassiter threw up his arms.
"Please focus, Mr. Spencer. As I was saying, I expect all of you be on good behavior. This will certainly attract the media, so I don't want any," She looked at Shawn, who was using her glass fish as a hat. "Mishaps." She gestured towards the door.
"Well, get moving!"
OoOoOoO
Shawn and Juliet looked down at the sad scene that lay at their feet.
"Heartbreaking, isn't it?" Shawn inquired.
"Devastating." Juliet agreed, furrowing her brow. Shawn shook his head.
"So lonely." They stood in silence for a minute before turning away from the fallen smoothie, and towards the crime scene.
"Okay, so what do we have here." Lassiter asked, almost to himself. " Representative Thorn was walking to his car, when he was dragged here," he gestured to the alley a few feet away," and his throat was slit. I say it was a mugging gone wrong, as there are signs of a struggle." Shawn squinted at the alley, scrutinizing the pavement. He stopped when he saw a small pin, just to the right of the victim's head. He drew in a breath, and put a finger to his temple.
"Check next to his head. I can sense something, uh, sharp? Yes! Sharp and shiny. Like a thorn." He pulled his hand away with a theatrical wheeze, and watched as Lassiter knelt down to pick up the pin.
"Well, Spencer, this just got a lot more complicated." He held up the pin. On the back was a tiny note. Painted in crimson letters, was an eagle, with a thorn in it's mouth.
"Yes it did, Lassie. Yes it did."
