"Holy moly! Someone killed your mommy and daddy?" Shawn asked.
Gus nodded.
"Mommy," Shawn screamed.
Maddy flew up the stairs. "What's wrong, Goose?"
"Someone killed his parents, Mommy. Someone killed them!"
"What?"
"He said so. He said they killed his mommy and daddy in August."
Maddy, wide-eyed, ran downstairs to the home phone.
"Where are you going, Mommy?" Shawn yelled.
"To call you father," she replied, swiftly dialing the familiar number.
"Spencer," Henry answered.
"Henry, Shawn was playing outside and he dragged a little boy in, and-"
"Slow down, Maddy, I can't understand you!"
"Shawn found a little boy, and he told him his parents are dead."
"Shawn did?"
"No, the little boy did. He was dirty, and wearing rags. He doesn't know his name. He tells us his parents died in August. Can you look up any murders in August from the last five years?"
"No problem. What does he look like?"
"Dark skin, brown eyes, and long dark hair. I would give him a haircut, but I'm sure he's afraid of scissors."
"Alright, I'll see you at home, Mads. Goodbye"
"Goodbye Henry."
As she hung up, a tiny voice queried, "Will you cut it off? Shawn says you don't hurt when you do."
"Sure, I will..."
"Gus," Shawn answered.
She nodded. "Come to the bathroom. Let me warn you in advance, these clippers are very loud."
Gus nodded, but still cringed when she actually turned them on.
"Okay, hold still," she instructed.
He flinched every time she touched his head, but shocked her by not freaking out so long as Shawn held his hand. When Shawn let go, however, the other boy screamed.
When it was over, she picked up a hand mirror to show him his haircut.
"Ahh!" he screamed, hiding under a nearby towel. "What is that?"
"It's a mirror, Gussy," Shawn began, "That's you."
Gus came out from under the towel. "Me?"
Shawn nodded.
Meanwhile, at the SBPD, Henry had gotten a hit.
"Hey Junior," he called to one of the kids helping out at the station.
"Yes sir?"
"Can you ask Detective Garrison to pull the files I wrote on this paper?"
"Yes, sir. And my name is Carlton."
Henry waved him off.
Carlton returned with the files soon after.
"Can I help you, Sir?"
"This is a murder case, so it's too gruesome for your eyes."
"Okay," young Lassiter replied sadly, walking off.
Henry opened the files, and soon found a match.
Mr. and Mrs. James Tennyson, and their son Hubert. The little one, though only a year old at the time of the picture, matched the description Maddy gave him. Sure enough, the two adults were found in a ditch in August three years before.
"Maddy," he started when she picked up the phone, "I found him."