Bad Ju-Ju
„Jules." Shawn called over to the desk even before they were there.
„Where were you guys?" she asked.
„Out. Following some leads. Speaking of which. I have something for you." She was already blushing when he held up his cell phone and said: „A picture."
After her first confusion she looked at the picture and had to learn that the confusion wasn´t solved with that.
„Is that …?" she asked but didn´t finish.
„Yes, it is." Shawn affirmed brightly. „But in this case it´s actually more about the driver."
„We think that he might have been at the house of your victim from last night." Gus explained.
„Of course, some of the neighbours mentioned to have seen a car like that the day before." Juliet recalled flipping through her papers. „Here. They said it parked there for a few minutes. And that´s the driver? Where did you find him?"
„On my route." Gus told her proudly. „It was pure coincidence."
„Yeah and you took advantage of it without hesitation." Shawn accused him.
„I´m not apologizing for that. You would have done the same thing."
„That´s not the point. The point is that …"
„Guys." Juliet cried. „What am I supposte to do with this photo?"
„I dunno." Shawn shrugged. „I thought you might be able to … what´s the word? Compare it with photos of other bad guys."
„You really think that this old man has something to do with the murder?" Juliet asked doubtfully.
„He said he just asked for the way after taking the wrong turn." Gus supported her.
„Sure he said that." Shawn said. „But I want to be sure, you know. Isn´t that police 101? Not taking anything for granted? Alway double checking things?"
„Well, I can let the lab analyse it." Juliet said. „Letting the picture run through the database. Even though it´s not the best quality. But we actually already have a suspect."
„Who?" the two boys cried unisono.
„It´s a guy named Kenneth Booster." Juliet told them. „He worked with the victim in the same garage. A few days ago their boss heard them argue pretty hard about some money, they obviously share with a Mr. Mercer. Booster owes a 45. the exact same type of weapon that killed Brady. And he hasn´t showed up for work today."
„Then why don´t you bring him in for questioning?" Gus asked.
„We tried. We were at his house but he wouldn´t open. Carlton is on his way to get a warrant." she looked at her watch and frowned. „Actually he should be back already."
In this moment Lassiter strolled into the station in a rather good mood. He waved Juliet with the paper in his hand.
„I´ve got it, O´Hara." he told her. „Let´s go and get this skunk."
„Where do you come from?" Juliet asked confused.
„What do you mean?" he asked back at her.
She looked at her watch again. „You were out for at least an hour. Usually you need only half that time for a way like this."
„So what?" Lassiter opened his arms. „There´s traffic on the streets." He raised the paper in his hands again. „But I have good news. We´ll have our guy very soon now. Let´s go and get over there."
„Right now?" Juliet asked.
„´f course." Lassiter said. „I´m not waiting for that guy to get away. Spencer what is it?" he asked when Shawn had placed himself in his way so he had no choice but to notice him.
„Can we come along?" Shawn asked begging.
Lassiter looked into those put-on puppy eyes and sighed. „All right." he said while Juliet closed her files and got up from her desk. „But no touching of anything when we are in there and you don´t come in until we give the all clear. Got me?"
„Copie." Shawn said. „Can I have a gun?"
„NO!" Lassiter and Juliet cried unisono while Shawn and Gus followed them out of the station, Shawn laughing and Gus just excited about what they might find. Little did he know about what they would find in the suspect´s house. One should think that after so many years he would have grown some sort of sixth sense for it. But neither of them seemed to have because they all were doing it just like always. After they´d driven over to the house, Lassiter and Juliet told them to wait in the car and then went to the door and knocked.
„S.B.P.D. Mr. Booster." Lassiter yelled. „We have a warrant for your house so you better open if you don´t want to buy a new door. I give you ten seconds."
Gus was literally hanging on the inside of his window, watching them. When Lassiter stepped back to kick the door open, he heard the passenger door being opened and swirled around in time to see Shawn getting out. The door was closed before he had a chance to call him back. Another thing he should have learned over the years. Of course Shawn wouldn´t wait until Lassiter allowed them to come. The only comfort he got was from the fact that Lassiter and Juliet hadn´t learned that lesson either. Cursing, Gus opened his own door and hurried after Shawn and into the house.
They had just entered the living room when Juliet demanded them to stop. Lassiter stood right in the middle of the room, before him the dead body of Mr. Kenneth Booster.
...
Shawn was back in the Psych office sitting on his computer. There were three names on the screen in front of him. The first name was Andrew Brady, who had also been the first guy who had got killed. The second name was Kenneth Booster. Weird enough to see them together in this context but along with this third name … it made Shawn´s bowels grumble. It wasn´t really the name that made him feel uneasy. He had never heard of an Alan Mercer. It was just the fact that this Mr. Alan Mercer was obviously befriend with those other two dudes. At least they had been doing business with each other. The fact that they´d argued about money indicated that. And more than that. What Shawn had found out with his digging made it look like … well it pretty much indicated that they were connected with …
The door was opened and Gus entered the office. He parked his suitcase in the corner and was about to sit down behind his own desk, when he noticed Shawn´s face.
„What is it?" he asked. „You look so concerned."
Shawn didn´t know what to say. „It´s …" he started and then started all over again. „These dead guys. They were both … You know, the dead guy´s house we were in yesterday? He was in Mexico lately. You saw the passports?"
„Sure." Gus affirmed after a moment of recalling.
„The other guy was too." Shawn explained. „Booster. I did some research. They were there the same time."
„So probably together." Gus deducted. „So what?"
Shawn just looked at him. „They were there three months ago." he finally said. „The date of their entry is May the 21st."
Now Gus understood his uneasiness. „That was the day Lassiter´s wife was killed." he remembered and sat down. „Oh, my gosh. You think that could be them? The guys that killed her and got away?"
„I … think there is a possibility that it could be them." Shawn said hesitating. „I mean it´s a strong coincidence in that date, isn´t it?"
„But you have no proof?"
Shawn opened his mouth to say something but then stopped and closed it again. „No." he finally admitted.
„Then it might be better not to tell Lassiter about that theory." Gus immediately suggested. „It could upset him. Or worse."
„I didn´t know you cared so much about his state of mind." Shawn tease halfhearted.
„I care about the possibility that he could snap and go out to shoot some random people, Shawn." Gus said. „Maybe starting with us."
„Don´t be silly." Shawn chuckled. „He wouldn´t do such a thing." He looked into Gus´ face and stopped laughing. „He wouldn´t, would he?" he asked uncertain.
„I´m not so sure about that." Gus stated sounding exactly like back in the days when they´d tried to prove Lassiter´s innocence when he had been charged of killing a suspect. „I just think it´s probably saver if we have proof before we load this on him." Gus now explained himself.
„Maybe you´re right." Shawn admitted. „We could start by tracking down their third travelling partner."
„Their what?"
„They were down in Mexico with another guy. He is listed as a translator. His name is Alan Mercer."
„A translator."
„Yes. Seems he´s working for a local translation agency here in Santa Barbara. We should check him out. Maybe he can tell us something about his two friends."
„If he isn´t dead already ass well." Gus added.
„Why would you say that?" Shawn asked.
„I don´t know. Experience with the former friend of the first victim? Mr. Kenneth Booster?
„Good point." Shawn said. „We better hurry. I drive."
Gus had barely time to hurry after him before he was out of the door.
...
They entered the translation agency "Trans-Semantics" and were greeted by a young woman sitting behind a desk. Shawn gave her his best charming smile.
„Hello." he said. „My name is Shawn Spencer. This is my associate Alexandre Holmsherlock." Gus was about to say something of his own when Shawn cut him off by saying: „He is Mexican and doesn´t speak a single word English. But he is a highly gifted author what brings me to the reason of our visit. We are looking for a translator to translate my good friend´s 5832 page novel into the English language. I believe a certain Mr. Alan Mercer works for you company. He was highly recommended to us."
The young woman, who´s nameplate read Ingrid Laverne, looked slightly confused. „Mr. Mercer is translator for the Finish language." she informed them.
„Exactly." Shawn replied after a brief consideration. „My friend´s novel is written in exactly that language."
„Didn´t you say he is Mexican?" Miss Laverne asked.
„That´s true. For exactly three years now. His family immigrated from Helsinki to Mexican City."
„But Holmsherlock sounds like a very English name for me though." she pointed out.
„It is an English name." Shawn admitted. „He changed it to be accepted by the community. It seems Finish people are not so well treated in Mexico City, especially around the Equatorial area. No one was more shocked about that than I was, believe me. But obviously the name Hunde Anleinen is not well seen in Mexico. Shocking." He got a sudden bump in the side from Gus. „But the name is not important anyway." he said and cleared his throat. „Is Mr. Mercer available?"
Miss Laverne turned around briefly to the desk behind hers. „I´m sorry but he already left for the day." she told them.
„Oh, what a shame." Shawn replied. „You don´t happen to have his home number by any chance? Or his address? It´s kindofa time issue, you see."
„I´m afraid we´re not allowed to give those information away." Miss Laverne said firmly. „If you want his services, you´ll have to wait until tomorrow."
Shawn only listened to her with one ear. His eyes had wandered over to the desk she had turned to for a second. It was a neat desk in perfect order, except of one thing that lay there and that didn´t belong to the usual daily business of this office. It was a cinema flyer. One film was circled and it was the show for four o´clock today. Now it was four thirty.
„That´s all right." he then said. „I guess it can wait that long. Thank you very much."
With that he turned around and left. Gus followed after giving Miss Laverne a friendly smile for his wordless goodbye since he wasn´t supposte to speak English as the Finish Mexican novel writer that he was.
„Where are we going, Shawn?" he asked when they were outside.
„We´re going to the movies." Shawn answered with a grin. „It´s been a while since we saw Silence of the Lambs."
...
Shawn explained to him what he had seen on their way to the cinema. It was almost five when they arrived at the cinema. They would have to look for the guy within the theater. If he was still there that was. Shawn´s suspicion was, that Mercer had a meeting with someone in that particular showroom. A business-partner maybe. Maybe even his soon to be murderer. He didn´t think it would be his girlfriend. No one took his girlfriend to the cinema when Silence of the Lambs was the choice. Except they had both a very weird idea of romantic atmosphere.
When they entered the cinema hall Hannibal Lecter was just about to tell young Clarice Starling how to look on the case the right way, that there were things right in front of her and she wouldn´t see it.
„What does he do this man you seek?" Hannibal asked her to help her find the right track.
„I´m not comfortable with this, Shawn." Gus whispered. „Looking for a bad guy like this."
„Gus, don´t be such a critic." Shawn whispered back at him and pointed at the screen. „She obviously had no choice but to ask for his help. The man was a genius after all."
„I´m talking about us, Shawn." Gus replied. „We have no idea who we are looking for."
„I think I have a pretty good idea." Shawn mumbled. He had spotted a bald guy in the third row from behind. He showed Gus the man.
„How do you know it´s him?" Gus wanted to know. But this time Shawn couldn´t give him an answer. He didn´t know it himself. Not exactly at least. It was not that there was much at choice. The rows weren´t even halfway filled. But there was something about that guy that intrigued Shawn even though he couldn´t say what it was. It was just one of those feelings he sometimes got and that got the closest to real psychic visions. He made his way into the row right behind him, closely followed by Gus.
„What needs does he serve by killing?" Hannibal Lecter asked Clarice on screen.
Shawn put his finger to his mouth to show Gus to say nothing and sat down behind the guy. He was indeed bald. Not a single hair on his head. He wore a jacket. Jeans, pretty old but still somehow stylish. A man had to believe that a jacket like that was stylish to keep it that long, Shawn thought. He could see a tiny scar behind the guys ear. Otherwise he couldn´t see anything in this diminish flickering light of the cinema. Maybe he should have taken the row before him, he mused. So he would have been able to see his face. But now he was back here and he had to think of something. So he did the only thing that came to his mind and that seemed to make sense. He pushed the guy in the back. And not just a little. He pushed him hard enough to almost make the guy fly onto the seat before him. Gus threw him a shocked glance.
„Are you crazy?" he asked and when the guy turned to them angry and grumbling, he said in the sweetest and most polite way he had: „I´m very sorry, sir. He has mistaken you with a friend of ours. It´s quiet funny, you know. You really look just like him. At least from behind. But obviously you are not, so … we apologize."
Shawn took the man´s appearance in as fast as he could. A strong face, heavy bone structure, thick nose. Nothing special though. He´d never seen him before. Still there was something about him that seemed familiar. Something that wanted to be detected but was hidden a little too good. The man looked at them grimly but then decided, that he could accept the apology without hurting them. He sat back down and made himself comfortable again.
„Dude. What the hell are you doing?" Gus demanded to know.
„I don´t know." Shawn answered. „But I might do it again."
„What? No, you won´t." Gus hissed and grabbed his arm so he couldn´t repeat this stupidity.
„Dude. I need to see him again. There is a clue on him somewhere. I … I just didn´t get it yet."
„You don´t even know if that is the right guy, Shawn."
„Trust me, Gus. It is the right guy."
The man had now enough of their whispering and stood up to sit down farther away from them. It didn´t seem that he had understood their whispering. It had just disturbed him by watching the movie. Maybe he really was just here to watch the film, Shawn mused. But that wasn´t the point anymore. The point was, that this clue that refused to come to him. He just had to know what it was. So he got up and followed the guy, despite Gus´ try to hold him back. Halfway down the rows, Gus gave up and just refused to follow him. So Shawn sat behind the guy alone this time. He prepared himself, knowing that at least in one point Gus was right. The guy was one hell of a tower. But he needed to see him. So he pushed him again. The guy swirled around, pissed as hell.
„Harry!" Shawn cried with the widest most childish grin he had in petto. „Just because you owe us two hundred bucks you don´t need to pretend you wouldn´t know us anymore."
While he said this he took in everything he could spot on the guy. There was something on his jacket. But in the moment he´d spotted it, the guy turned to Gus, to see if this whole joke was for real or if he truly should crack a skull to finally have his peace in this cinema. When he saw Gus grinning at him apologetic, he grumbled in an angry manner and walked – no stamped off, to sit down in the first row. Far away enough from these jokers.
„Are you satisfied now, Shawn?" Gus asked.
But Shawn didn´t listen. Suddenly he knew why he had been so intrigued by that guy. The collar of his jeans jacket. There was a piece missing, wasn´t it? That´s what he had seen just before the guy had turned to Gus. He was sure he´d seen that. But no, he couldn´t be absolutely sure. The light in here was flickering and it could have been a shadow. But he had to be sure. One hundred percent.
„I need to see him again." he told Gus, but was held back.
„How often do you need to come close to a beat up, before you back off?" Gus asked.
„Just one more time." Shawn promised and slipped out of Gus´ grip. He hurried out of the row and down the stairs.
„Shawn." Gus tried to call him back but he was already too far ahead. Something had started to flash up in his mind. Images of photos and reports he had read three months ago. Something about a piece of jeans cloth. He just had to know.
He´d reached the first row when Gus caught up with him. And this time he wouldn´t let go and allow him to run into that guy. Shawn struggled against his grip, tried to convince him to let him go, that he needed to see the guy one last time, but Gus had enough. He had no intention of getting beaten up because of Shawn. Funny enough, on the big screen Hannibal Lecter was just beating the living crap out of his prison guards to escape. Maybe that increased Gus´ efforts of holding Shawn back.
But it was useless anyway. The guy had spotted them by now and of course he knew that they had followed him. Now he had enough. He stood up and walked over to them, definitely not amused.
„Hey. Buddy." Shawn cried. „Imagine. I pushed a guy back in the last row because I thought it was you."
The man – now Shawn was sure it was Alan Mercer – just kept walking up to them. He really looked pissed by now. There was no joke that could convince him now that everything was just a mistake. Gus let go of Shawn and shoved himself behind his back.
„What the hell do you guys want from me?" Mercer demanded to know.
Now he was close enough for Shawn to see his jacket. There was truly a piece missing in the collar. The exact shape of the piece of cloth that had been found in Victoria´s hand. The suspicion wasn´t just a suspicion anymore. It was a proven fact now. This guy was one of the men who had raped and killed Lassie´s ex-wife three months ago. And when he was, then the others were too. Someone had started to hunt down and kill the guys who had killed Lassie´s wife.
„I know who you are." Shawn said when this revelation hit him. The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. Mercer´s reaction was not pleased.
„What does that mean?" he asked with a threatening voice.
„It means nothing." Gus tried to convince him but of course he failed. Shawn was still staring at Mercer with this morbid fascination that had grabbed him. This was one of the guys that had killed Lassie´s wife, was all he could think of. Even when Mercer came closer, he wasn´t able to back off.
Mercer obviously took his staring for accusation and assumed – absolutely right by the way – that Shawn knew what he had done. And he did what one could expect from a criminal and murderer to do in this case. He pulled a knife out of his pocket.
Gus skipped back and would have run if Shawn had done the same thing. But Shawn was still just staring at Mercer. Not that he didn´t notice that it would be a very good idea to run right now. Hell, of course he knew that. Only for some reason his legs wouldn´t move. There was still this thought in his head that kept sticking there. Someone had hunted down and killed the guys who had murdered Lassie´s wife. Someone.
„Shawn, for gods sake, run!" Gus cried.
Now Mercer was almost at him and finally Shawn woke up. But too late. He saw the blade flashing in the light, when Mercer came down on him. He tried to skip back but still far too slowly to make it in time if the guy was coming after him. Fortunately it didn´t come that far. A shot rang out through the darkness of the cinema and Mercer fell down, a look of surprise on his face. The few visitors of the show started to scream. Shawn looked down on Mercer and he knew, not just guessed, he knew that this first bullet had already killed him. And with that the third murderer of Victoria Lassiter had met his judge.
What needs does he serve by killing? Hannibal Lecter´s words came up in Shawn´s memory again.
He had no idea why, until he saw Lassiter stepping out of the shadows and into the flickering light that was cast by the screen. He was still aiming at the man that lay on the ground.
„Are you all right?" he asked Shawn and Gus. When they just stared at him wide eyed, he assured them: „Don´t worry, I got him."
„You didn´t just get him." Gus objected out of breath. „Man, you killed him."
Lassiter didn´t give a response. He just holstered his gun and looked down on Mercer again. There was something in his eyes that looked like glee. Shawn had seen similar looks in Lassiter´s eyes before but never when he had seen it, it had been about a dead man. This look just wasn´t right. It was a look of joy and it shouldn´t be there. Because Lassiter wasn´t supposte to know who he just shot.
