"No," Lassiter shook his head vehemently as he stormed back into the station. "No, no, no, no, nein, non, NO!"
"Carlton!" Juliet jogged to catch up to her partner.
"Absolutely not."
"Carlton!" She tried again.
"You are insane! Completely and utterly insane"
"Will you just think about it?"
"Hell no!"
"What on Earth is going on out here?" Vick stepped out of her office, hands on her hips. She raised an eyebrow at the two detectives that she had ordered to leave not five minutes ago. "Was I not clear enough? I told you two to get out of here."
"My partner has cracked," Lassiter spoke first, "officially cracked."
Vick ignored the dramatics and turned to the younger detective. "O'Hara?"
"I had an idea," she explained. "About how to solve the case and Carlton here strongly disagrees with my idea."
Lassiter snorted, "That's an understatement."
"Detective, please," Karen stopped him. "O'Hara? What's this idea of yours?"
"Look, we're all tired and we've all been staring at the case files and the photos for so long we're not seeing anything anymore. We need fresh eyes."
"Are you suggesting we let the FBI take over? They've been at my heels since the body of Penny Baker was found."
Juliet shook her head, "Someone else entirely."
"O'Hara, I've got a headache the size of Texas and a two year old I've barely seen in two weeks, how about you hurry things up a little."
Juliet took in a deep breath, "Shawn Spencer."
Karen began to laugh. It wasn't until she saw the serious look in the detective's eyes that she stopped. "You're serious?"
"I know it's a pretty radical idea-"
"Another understatement," Lassiter mumbled under his breath earning two glares.
"Even though he wasn't a psychic, you can't forget the fact that he had a hundred percent solve rate."
"This is crazy!" Lassiter spoke up. "You're not actually thinking of asking him back are you? He lied to us! The police! He should be in prison, doing time for fraud!"
"Hey, I'm not exactly happy about the idea either," Juliet snapped. "But we're getting desperate. And as much as I hate to admit it, he's good at this, with or without the psychic visions."
"You do realise the field day the press will have with this?" Karen asked. "Santa Barbara PD so desperate they call back a man who conned them for two years for help?"
"Is it worse than another dead body?" Juliet asked.
Karen let out a deep breath, "No, it's not."
Lassiter shook his head, "I don't like this."
"You don't have to, Detective," Karen told him. "Get some sleep, both of you. We'll contact Mr Spencer in the morning."
They both nodded. "You too Chief," Juliet spoke up. "We're not the only ones who need sleep."
Karen replied with a weak smile.
Juliet woke in the morning more awake and refreshed than she had on a long time. She threw back the covers energetically and quickly jumped into the shower. Her mind had already begun working out how to get hold of Shawn, trying to ignore the weirdness factor of thinking about him while she was in the shower.
She hadn't seen Shawn in a year, remembering saying goodbye to him at his office. She guessed he must have left town not long after. She realised she hadn't spoken to Gus since then either. One day the three of them were eating Chinese take-out at her desk and then next thing she knew everything had fallen apart. She just hoped Shawn's dad knew where he was and maybe, just maybe Juliet could find someway to forgive Shawn, try and out the past behind her and move on.
She met Lassiter outside Henry's house an hour later, a cup of coffee in each hand. She handed her partner one and took a sip of her own. "I know you don't want to do this Carlton," she said.
"No, I don't," he agreed. "But if you think it will help catch this psycho, then I'll do what it takes to help."
Juliet smiled. "Thanks." It had taken them both a long time to become a strong partnership. His untrusting and hard attitude had once clashed with her more open and positive demeanour. She had always been able to the see the good in people and believed that love and marriage lasted, while Lassiter glared suspiciously if you did him a favour and grumbled under his breath about his own failed marriage if anyone even mentioned a wedding.
Luckily it was their love of police work, their memorisation of the police codes and procedures and their equal desire to catch bad guys that formed their friendship. And even if they did shout at each other once in a while, they both knew a free cup of coffee the next day, or a staying an hour later to help with paperwork was a silent apology. That's what Juliet had learned with her partner, actions always spoke louder than words.
They walked up to the front door. Lassiter lifted a fist and knocked on the door. They waited patiently for over a minute before a figure appeared, swinging open the door. "Mr Spencer," Lassiter greeted with a nod.
Henry frowned, "Detectives."
"Can we come in?" Juliet asked.
Henry hesitated for a moment before stepping back to let the pair inside. "I was just making coffee, you want some?" He asked.
"No thank you," Juliet replied politely, gesturing to the coffee cup in her hand.
"So why are you here?" He asked.
"It's about Shawn, Mr Spencer."
Henry stopped and looked up at the detectives, his eyes wide. "Is he-?" He whispered.
Juliet quickly realised what Henry must have thought. "He's not dead," she blurted out.
Henry let out the breath he'd been holding. He glared at Juliet and Lassiter, the anger evident as he spoke, "Don't you ever do that to me again!" He turned his back on them and walked into the kitchen. Juliet and Lassiter looked at each other before following Henry.
"We're trying to get hold of him, Mr Spencer."
"Why?" Henry asked suspiciously.
Juliet sighed and stared at the floor, "We need help….with a case."
"The serial killer?" Henry guessed and Juliet nodded. "I don't know where he is."
"When was the last time you saw him?"
"Look guys, I haven't seen my son in over year. I haven't spoken to him in over a year. I can't help you." He turned his back on them for the second time.
"Do you know of any place he would go?" Juliet questioned.
Henry laughed. "You're kidding right? My kid spent the better part of five years on some huge damn road trip, he could be anywhere. That's if he's still in the country, he's always had some weird affection for Mexico."
Juliet sighed. "Okay, thanks for your help Mr Spencer."
He snorted, "What help?"
"I hope you don't mind if I call if I have any more questions?"
Henry shrugged, "Go ahead."
Juliet and Lassiter turned to leave when Henry called after them. "Try Gus…he might know where Shawn is."
"Thanks," Juliet grinned. "We will."
"Hey Helen?" Gus shouted from his office, "I need the stats from the latest seroxin trials!"
"Sure," a female voice shouted back. "How about using the intercom next time?" She added.
Gus grinned. He knew how much his assistant hated him shouting. A second later Helen appeared in the doorway with a file in her hand. "Here ya go."
"Thanks," Gus smiled as he took the offered file.
"By the way, there are two detectives outside."
Gus raised an eyebrow, "Detectives?"
"Asking to speak to you."
"Me?" Gus squeaked. What could the cops want with him?
"Do you want me to send them in?"
Gus nodded, gulping audibly, "Sure." He immediately began straightening out his desk, as if an untidy desk was a felony. He looked up as a shadow fell over his desk. He looked surprised as he realised who it was. "Juliet? Lassiter?...What are you doing here?"
"We need a favour."