"You have got to be kidding me," Carlton Lassiter snapped.
"I-I'm with Lassie," Shawn said. "Yang's metaphorical and psychic fingerprints were all over that shop; she had to be the killer."
Chief Karen Vick tightened her jaw and crossed her arms.
"I'm sorry, Shawn, but it's just not possible," she said coolly. "Ms. Rotmensen returns to the institution straight from her work, and worked under constant surveillance while at the Happy Seagull. Furthermore, after the—unfortunate—incident—with you and Gus, she had a psychotic episode and was placed under observation for two days."
"The coroner confirmed that Max Lynn was killed during those two days?" Juliet asked. "She couldn't have—I don't know—kept the body on ice or something?"
Vick sighed and shook her head.
"No. He was definitely fresh. Furthermore, as Detective Lassiter pointed out, there was no blood trail on the shop floor and significant pooling under the corpse, which seems to indicate Lynn was stabbed in the shop," she said.
Gus bumped Shawn's arm with his elbow.
"Told you you should have looked at the body," he whispered.
"Gus, please, hush," said Shawn. Turning back to Chief Vick, he asked, "So Yang's alibi is solid?"
"She was under observation at the time, we have the surveillance tapes and the words of two eminent psychiatrists," Vick said. "I think that's about as solid as it gets." Nobody said anything. "Well, if that's all, I believe I have several reports to file."
Taking the hint, the four detectives exited Vick's office with varying degrees of reluctance.
"Great, Shawn," Gus said. "This is like one of the locked room mysteries, with a killer and a dead guy and no way he could have done it but you KNOW he did it anyway. And you know how those end up. The detective always ends up with the killer in the same room and taunts her into trying to-" his hand shot up and locked onto Shawn's wrist. "I'm not letting you out of my sight."
"Gus, don't be a half-pint of cherry berry soda pop," said Shawn. "Help me catch Jules. I need to talk to her when Lassie's not looking over our shoulders."
"What? Why? What are you going to do? Are you gonna ask her out to dinner again? Shawn! Listen to me!" Gus whispered fiercely. "This isn't a game you big-"
"Nothing so brassy as that. I want you to- oh, hey, Jules! We were just talking about you!"
"I know, Shawn," Juliet said. "You're right behind me. I could hear everything you said."
"Oh, fantastic! Look, we were just going to ask you... that is, I was going to ask you..." Shawn fumbled.
"Is this a date, Shawn?" Jules raised an eyebrow. "Because I think the words you're looking for are 'lunch,' 'Vitti's,' and 'with me.'"
"Okay. Stop. Let me try again. Juliet, would you mind coming with me after lunch to go visit Mr. Yang?" Shawn said. "Sorry, I just couldn't get Vitti's in there. Maybe we could get carryout. Their breadsticks are- oh, my God. It's like eating melted gold. Minus the intense mouth burns and fatal intestinal poisoning."
"Shawn!" Gus exclaimed. "You can't go down there- are you insane? Too?"
"No, wait, Gus," Jules interrupted. Her eyes met Shawn's, and she cocked her head slightly to one side. "I understand why you want to interrogate Mr. Yang, but why bring me along?"
"So Yang will stop hitting on me," Shawn said. "No, seriously, Jules. It's really really annoying-"
"We have no idea what that feels like," Lassiter put in, deadpan. "No, wait! Actually, we do."
"-and I need someone to throw her off her game," finished Shawn. "You know. Get her... not focused on me. So I can read her psychic aura and-"
"Wait, you want Yang to focus on Jules?" Gus put in. "That is the worst idea you have ever had! Except for that one noodle incident."
"Which noodle incident? The one with the Ramen, or the one with the panda?" Shawn asked. "Because the one with the Ramen was totally your fault, dude."
"Shawn, that sign clearly said-"
"I'll do it," Juliet interrupted.
"You will?" said Shawn.
"You will?" echoed Gus.
"You will?" Lassiter finished. "Seriously?"
"We needed an interview with the prime suspect anyway," Juliet said, looking at Lassiter. "And I already know Yang won't grant an interview unless Shawn is present."
"True," muttered Lassie. "So we can, what, have him sitting bound and gagged in a corner while we interrogate the perp?
"Not exactly," Juliet said.
The room was white, all white, with a grey table and grey chairs. Boring. Shawn shifted uncomfortably in his white jumpsuit. Beside him, Gus was struggling with the high zip collar, which had jammed just under his chin.
"Know who you look like?" Shawn said.
"Ming the Merciless," Juliet said, from the other side of Shawn. "Here, Gus. Let me help." She leaned forward and tugged on the zipper, coaxing it free and then pulling it all the way up.
"Jules, that was amazing," Shawn said.
Juliet shrugged.
"It's just simple mechanics, Shawn."
"No, I mean-" Shawn broke off midsentence. On the other side of the Plexiglas wall, a door had just opened. All three of the investigators fell silent as the bright-eyed, curly-haired, perpetually cheerful woman known as Mr. Yang was escorted through the door, flanked by two women in white. Her hands were handcuffed, but she she waved happily, her face stretched in a gleeful smile.
"Shawn! Oh, God, how I've missed you." Mr. Yang allowed herself to be seated and waited for the orderlies to snap the restraint link on her handcuffs. She looked up brightly, tossing a stray strand of dark hair out of her face. "So. How's your mommy doing?"
Shawn shut his eyes briefly.
"Look, Yang, we need to talk-"
Yang's smile reappeared, and she almost clapped her hands.
"Ooh! Yay! I love it when you talk like that. Is it... is it about our relationship? Be honest, Shawnie: am I too distant? Too... abstracted? Never there when you need me?"
"We're investigating a homicide case," Juliet interrupted, dropping a thick manila folder onto the countertop with a distinct tock. "Max Lynn. The Happy Seagull. Ring any bells?"
Yang frowned, squinting at the manila folder.
"You know," she said, "you know..." her eyes narrowed and her words trailed off into silence. Abruptly, her eyes snapped up and focused on Juliet's. "I've heard about you, Juliet O'Hara. I've heard about, about the little hanky-panky with Shawn. My Shawn." She tossed her head, her eyes still locked on Juliet. "I don't think I like you."
"Whoa, whoa, that's enough," Shawn interposed, leaning forward and as in-front-of Juliet as he could. He cracked a smile, nervously, and elbowed Gus to move forward. "Yang, let's not get our trousers in a bunch- metaphorically speaking- because I'm not actually sure they let you wear trousers, or that you would want to wear them- which it's fine if you do, I totally understand-"
Yang laughed, and the tension in the room relaxed.
"Oh," she sighed, leaning her head against the Plexiglas. "Oh, oh. That's what I love about you, Shawn. Your sense of humor... dramatic timing. That's why I left you the clock, you know. I play by the rules. But Yin, Yin won't do anything like that. You should know... it's all chaos there."
"Yin?" Gus whispered. "What-"
"No good, Yin's dead," Shawn said, to Mr. Yang. "What else you got?"
Again, Mr. Yang laughed- and suddenly, looking up, went serious-bordering-on-angry.
"You kissed her, didn't you Shawn?" she snapped. "Admit it, you kissed her and you liked it. I can see it right there on your face- I can SEE IT- YOU CHEATING BASTARD-" Yang's sentence dissolved into a fragmented tirade of curses and shrieks as the two orderlies rushed back into the room and began struggling with her.
Shawn sighed and leaned back in his chair, disappointed. He shook his head, glanced at Jules, and shook it again.
"Not good enough," he said.
In the hallway, Juliet hurried to catch up with Shawn, her white jumpsuit slung over her shoulder.
"What do you mean, not good enough?" she said. "Shawn, what's going on?"
"I'll tell you what's going on," Gus said, appearing at her elbow and struggling with the zipper on his own jumpsuit. "The crazy lady just got jealous of you, Juliet. I'd start locking my door if I were you, before she decides to sew a nice dress out of your skin."
"I think I can handle myself, thanks," Juliet replied. "Shawn, come on. Tell me what you got."
Shawn shook his head- and stopped. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something brown and white sticking out of the doctor's office. Without stopping his stride or turning his head, he focused in on the clipboard. It was a guest login chart; SPENCER, SHAWN was penciled in the chart's slot, next to ROTMENSEN, D. and the date. "Rotmensen, D." appeared two other times on the chart- two slots above his visit record, and near the top. Shawn stopped and put a hand to his head.
"Whoa. Gus. Oh. Whoa. Major psychic vision here." Shawn closed his eyes. "Yang's telling the truth. She didn't kill Max Lynn, at least not personally."
"So what, she had help?" Gus asked.
"Maybe," Shawn said, still not opening his eyes. "No, no, I'm sensing something different. I'm sensing..." He opened his eyes. "Wait a minute. Where's Lassiter?"
Lassiter's burgundy station wagon was still idling in the guest parking spot as Shawn, Gus, and Juliet bounded out to it. Right away, they could tell something was wrong. Lassiter was still visible in the driver's seat, but he had slumped backwards, his head resting peacefully on the back of the seat.
"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!" Juliet cried, reaching the car in a burst of speed and-
"Don't touch that handle!" Shawn yelled. Juliet jumped and pulled her hand away from the door handle. "Gus, check for wires. You remember what happened... last time..." he trailed off. Gus and Juliet both bent over the door handles, their eyes frantically scanning the interior of the car. Almost as one, they straightened up.
"Clean!" Gus reported.
"Same here. I'm opening the door!" Juliet said. She grabbed the door and pulled it open.
Nothing happened.
"Is he okay?" Shawn asked, walking around the front of the car. "Is he-" he stopped and coughed. "Fumes... built up pretty strong..."
"He's fine," Juliet said, with a sigh of relief. She reached and yanked the keys from the ignition. "And I think that was Yang's plan. Knock him out, put in the car, keep the engine running... it's a good thing we got out here as soon as we did."
"See, Shawn? See?" Gus broke in. "I'm telling you, this case is way too dangerous!"
Shawn was about to answer, but he noticed something under Lassiter's feet. He paused, leaned down, and pulled out an oversize yellow manila envelope. All three of them stopped. The trademark yin/yang sticker with the red squiggle down the middle was plainly visible on the envelope.