Gus, with Shawn in the passenger seat, pulled into a large creme Victorian and parked in between the large hedge on the left and the Mercedes-Benz on the right. They walked up to a large porch with a swinging bench on the right side where lay a small stack of books. Shawn reached out and knocked on the door. A couple minutes later it swung open and a petite brunette in sweats and a ponytail asked, "Yes?"
"Hi, my name is Frank Poncherello and this is my partner Jon Baker. We work with the SBPD. Can we come in?" said Shawn, quickly inputting his surrounding to his memory stash. The girl looked hesitant as she hid halfway behind the door.
"I'm going to have to see some badges."
"I'm afraid we don't have badges. We aren't cops. I'm a psychic detective that works as a consultant for them. Basically i do all the work with half the paper work," smiled Shawn.
"I'm sorry, i just don't feel comfortable without a confirmation," said the girl as she closed the door. Shawn and Gus looked at each other. Gus put his head down.
"Just do it," said Gus. Shawn reached out and knocked on the door again. The girl came back.
"Look, i'm sorry but i-" began the girl before Shawn interrupted her.
"I'm sensing something. It's not human. It's a monster!" shouted Shawn. The girl looked frightened and hid behind the door more. "No, its not a monster! its...Its...-" but shawn had let out a bark. He began barking in different pitches and pretending to be interrupted; as if he was in a conversation with a dog. then he stopped and looked at the scared eyes peeping around the wooden door. "I'm sorry for your loss. I know how important your dog Skip was to you. He wants you to know that he is sorry he chewed on your heels. They were just to shiny to resist. He also wants you to stop thinking about getting a cat. Get a dog and play catch with him, but this time make sure the ball stays in the backyard." He restarted his conversation with Skip. "One last thing, He's also sorry that he couldn't continue to help you through your pain. It was just his time to go i guess. He loves you Raina."
The girl was hidden behind the door completely now, but Shawn could here the faintest muffled sob behind it. She looked back at Shawn again with tears running down her face. "You really are psychic. come on in." She led Shawn and gus into a floral room with golden linings and many pictures of her mom, dad, and herself hung around the room.
"Raina, we came her searching for help that only you could give us. We are working on your case and we were reading through your file when i felt like there was more you could offer."
Raina shook her head, trying to remove the memories that had just grown in her mind and tried to focus on what he was saying. "i already told the cops everything i know. I don't know how much more help i could be."
"We think we may have found another way you can help us," said Shawn Carefully. He had to word it right if he was going to get anything from her. He could already tell she was going to be difficult to persuade. Raina looked puzzled but flicked her hand in a go-on movement. "Well we- i mean I," rephrased Shawn at the look Gus was giving him. "I know you told us everything you remembered. We know you were blindfolded, but i sensed that you could tell us more. Did it smell bad? Did you hear cars? Would you be willing to go blindfolded again and tell us everything else that happened?" Raina face went pale.
"I'm n-n-not sure if i c-could do it. I've been trying to forget everything that happened to me but everytime i close my eyes-" choked Raina. fresh tears glistened in her eyes and dropped like grenade in her lap. "I go back to that place and-and, i just don't think i can help you. I'm sorry Mr. Poncherello." Raina got up to show them to the door but Shawn reached out his hand and gently grabbed her hand.
"Raina, we understand what he did was awful and cruel. We know you went through something no one should have to go through, but thats the thing. He is still out there and he is still attacking innocent women like you. You could help us catch this man! Be brave for those girls he kidnapped. Please, help us catch this sick man so you and all of the other women can live in peace knowing he could never do this again," said Shawn; Conviction in his eyes. Raina looked down at him, slightly disappointed with herseld that she didn't have the courage anymore. She released his hand and sat back down. "Thank you. Gus, give me your tie." Shawn grabbed the green and yellow striped tie and placed it arounf her eyes. She shuddered at his touch but breathed heavily and got through it. "You ok?"
"Yes," said Raina.
"Okay, this is what i need you to do. Go back to the time right before you were taken. Where are you at?"
"I had had a bad week so my friends took me out to relax. It was a ton of fun but i had work the next day so i only drank virgin Pina Coladas. About two in the morning, i was walking back to my car when a guy came up behind me and forced a cloth over my mouth. thats when i passed out."
"Good. Now focus on the moment right before he took you. Was there anything that seemed odd?"
"Not at first. But now that i think about it, there was this fruity odor behind me. And there was a van in the middle of the parking lot with the sliding door open. It said Stu's something. I couldn't read the rest of it."
"Thats great Raina, now i need you to stay focused hear. Go back to the time when you first woke up. Is he there with you?"
"No. I don't hear him.
"Then tell me what you do hear."
"I don't hear anything. Oh wait, theres pattering and squeaks. There are rats in here!" Raina Picked her feet off the ground as if it was covered in rats. "I hear boots walking towards me. I di-didn't realize what it was until he had, until he had-deep intake of breathe- until he had grabbed my hair and pulled my head backwards. Now he's...he's" Raina began sobbing some more as she recalled him putting his monstrous hands around her neck. Shawn sat down next to her.
"Come on Raina, focus. Tell me what happened after he left. Raina he's not hurting you. Its just you, me, and Jon. He CAN'T hurt you!" determined Shawn. She began to shake violently like she was ready for him if he ever came back for her. Shawn didn't want to touch her in case she attacked him but he felt like he should do something!
"Okay. Okay. Well i had passed out when he left. I was alone. Now i remember. I was alone for a long time."
"Now's the time. Tell me what your surroundings are. Do you hear or smell anything unusual?"
"Well the ground is really cold. It feels like cement. I hear a small hum from some kind of fridge. Oh! I hear birds, seagulls actually! I'm by the ocean. Yes, now i remember. The air smelled salty with a mixture of apricots and cucumbers. I had tried to get up and feel for a door so i could escape but i kept running into shelves full of old jars. No!" Raina began shaking again. She gripped the couch cushions for dear life as her face lost what little color it had left. "Hes-s-s-s back!" Raina now gripped her head to protect it from some unknown force. She started rocking back and forth trying to concentrate on the surroundings now but the memory kept dragging her back. Gus looked at her in complete shock; clearly unaware of what to do. Shawn leaned over and gently grabbed her elbow but as soon as his finger collided with her sweatshirt, she rolled her hand into a fist and punched him right in the face.
" Raina, take off the blindfold! He can't hurt you anymore!" shouted Shawn over Rainas thunderous sobs. Gus ran over and tried to pull her off but she was to determined to let the man who caused her so much pain get what he deserved that she elbowed Gus in the gut. he fell backwards as the wind knocked out of him. Soon Rainas spidery fingers were wrapped around Shawns neck and squeezed with every ounce of energy she had left. Shawn tried to pry her fingers away from him but the thrust in his face had momentarily kept him immobile. He began slipping into unconsciousness when he felt the hands release him. he opened his eyes to find an older man and woman pulling her up the stairs. Gus came over and helped him up.
"You okay?"
"Yea, you?
"Yea. That girl was really strong. Stronger, i would say, then most men." Shawn started wiping the newly found blood from his nose.
"Yes. Yes she was." Gus cleared his throat and the two began looking around the room in embarrassment. The two people who had taken Raina away came into the room. Although only in their early 40's, the couple now looked over 50 after all the stress they had been through with their daughter.
"Ahh, Mr and Mrs. Damscot, thank you for he-"
"What did you do!" yelled Mr. Damscot right in Shawns face.
"Mr. Damscot, please, we were just trying-" defended Gus.
"Do you know what you have done? We had just gotten her to move on and now you have just sent her recovery rate back to zero!" Shouted Mrs. Damscot. "How could you make her go thorugh that? Do you know what she is doing right now? she is crying her eyes out trying to get the memory of that psycho out of her mind! But heres the kicker! She can't because every night she is going to have to relive that experience! Who are you anyways?" Mrs. Damscot had tears running out of her eyes but they were still furious looking with this strangers idiocy.
"My name is Shawn Spencer and this is my associate Mr. Butterworths. We work with the SBPD. All we were trying to do was catch the man that did this to her."
"Well i hope you got what you are looking for because this will never happen again!" yelled Mr. Damscot. "Now get out of my house!" Mr. Damscot pointed his finger in the direction of the front door. Shawn sighed his defeat and followed the fingers trajectory with Gus right behind him.
The Next Day...
"Caucasian, female, 27. Looks like suicide by hanging but that is all circumstancial right now," said Buzz. He looked up at the fragile female dangling from the banister. Shawn sighed. Raina, what have you done.
