"You didn't get far. Told you not to forget the discount coupon?" Shawn tells the approaching footsteps, as he watches videos on Gus's laptop. "And don't forget to ask for extra sauce."
"I would have remembered." A soft feminine voice, not a masculine voice, answers.
"What are you doing here?" Shawn jumps out of his chair as he turns and sees who the visitor is. "I have nothing to say to you."
"Just let me explain. " O'Hara pleads quietly.
She had waited in her car within sight of the Psych Office, waiting for a chance to get Shawn alone and talk to him. Finally Gus left, probably to get lunch so she needed to work fast.
She scurries to the office, taking a deep breath, slowly opens the door and walks in. Now she was standing in front of his desk. "You can call the police if you want but I would like you to hear me out first. You and I have known each other for a long time."
Shawn glares at her for a minute before crossing his arms across his chest. "What?"
"How well do you know her?"
"She's my wife, of course I know her." He answers defensively.
"Did you know she is the daughter of Andrew Reed? A well known mobster who has managed to keep his hands clean despite all the accusations and implications of what he's been involved in."
"No she's not. Her last name is Baxter."
"That's her step father's name. She also goes by the name of Reed. This is what you don't know about her." With a shaky hand she holds out a folder.
Shawn hesitantly takes the folder from her hands, their fingers touching, sending a tingle through O'Hara. She wasn't sure if Shawn felt it as well.
He opened the folder and started reading, then sat back down.
After several minutes of reading, Shawn looks up.
"She didn't tell you any of this?"
Shawn didn't answer but resumed reading.
"Does she have contact with Andrew? Her biological father?"
Shawn shakes his head. "I can't believe it. How did you find this out?"
"I was worried about you and did a search. "
"You were worried about me?" Shawn leans back in his chair and gives her his lopsided grin, a familiar sight that melts her heart.
"Yes. I still care for you. I'm sorry I told you to leave me alone. I was angry, hurt and - - "
"Lost your trust in me?" He gazes into her eyes. "But I was right wasn't I?"
"Yes. When I realized I was wrong, it was too late, you were already gone. " She looks into his face, wanting to pull him close again. "Shawn, I know what I've done, the way I did the search is unethical, and I'm sorry for invading your privacy, but there was no other way. As a detective, I had to be sure of the facts before I said anything, and the facts speak for themselves."
"That they do." Shawn murmurs as he closes the folder.
She is using you and I don't want you to be a pawn in her family's game. I don't want you to get hurt again. Together, we can build a case against her father, against his business and bring it down. There have been countless innocent victims left in his wake. And Shawn, you are in the ideal place to gather the info and pass it on to us."
"I could do that." Shawn leans back and rocks in the chair.
O'Hara goes on to explain her idea. "You are already part of the family. It's not like we could slip someone in without them getting suspicious, or recruit an already established member to assist us. We would make sure to give you protection when you need it or want out of the family."
"Who else knows about this idea?
No one⦠yet. I wanted to run it by you first." She relaxes for a moment, hoping that she has gotten him hooked or at least interested in the idea. "Shawn, I need a favor. "
"Hit me!"
"I've been suspended pending an investigation into what I've uncovered. It would really help me if you would talk to the investigators; tell them why I did what I did. And if you agree to volunteer to help flush him out, it would mean my suspension would be overturned and I would owe you more than I could ever repay you. "
And without skipping a beat, he answers. "Give me their names and numbers. "
