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Shawn was speeding around the Psych office. Papers here, papers there. Highlights here, highlights there. Gus walked in and stopped where he stood, unsure if he had stepped into the right office. He had never seen Shawn work so hard on a single case before.
"Shawn?" Gus called out. Shawn looked up, shocked that there was someone else in the room.
"Oh, hey buddy" Shawn responded.
"What you got there?" Gus asked.
"Just some research into the case." Gus shook his head.
"You still think it was murder…"
"I gave in some proof to Chief Vick!" Shawn said.
"I still don't understand how that's evidence."
"Think about it Gus!" Shawn exclaimed. He just didn't understand how people could be so slow. How could it all make such sense to him but so little to everyone else? "If there are no prints on the files, that means she's been covering up her tracks. Which means, there is a possibility that she was in the booth when Ramoray died."
"Alright" Gus said, playing along for his sake. "Assuming there are no finger prints on the files, and you can carry on your investigation… what then?"
"Well, that's what I've been looking into!" Shawn said, gesturing to the mountains of paper around him. "I looked up the name Lestrange on Google and in the station. Here is every file on that name. And other than a whole lot of Harry Potter related articles, I found one crucial piece of information."
"And what's that?"
"The lack of it!" Shawn exclaimed. Gus stared at him shocked. "Lestrange and Santa Barbara have absolutely no connections! So what was Miss Tiffany doing here?"
"Maybe she was visiting a friend…"
"Already ahead of you. There is a 78 year old woman named Helga Duff-"
"Helga Duff? She was going to be in the play at that theatre!"
"Yes. I know. She was best friends with the late Kate Lestrange. She had a son named Jack and then they moved to New York and where did Tiffany Lestrange come from?" Shawn asked.
"New York…"
"Exactly! That is the only link between the Lestrange's and Santa Barbara. In fact, that is the only link between the Lestrange's and the theatre. So, why would Tiffany help out with the play? Even if she was in Santa Barbara to visit her grandmother friend, why would she be alone in the theatre with Ramoray?"
"Shawn, these are all very loose links…"
"Exactly!" there was a moment of silence. Gus looked at Shawn with a grin.
"I'm free for the rest of the day…" Gus said.
"I have Helga Duff's address…" Shawn said.
Without another word, both men picked up their jackets and ran quickly to the Blueberry.
Shawn knocked on the door. A woman who looked no older than 60 opened the door. Shawn and Gus exchanged glances, expecting someone much older looking to be in her place.
"Excuse me" Shawn said. "We're looking for a Helga Duff."
"That's me" the woman said. Shawn stared at her.
"Does your mother perhaps share the name?" Gus nudged him. Helga Duff just stared at them.
"No…" Helga said. Shawn gave Gus one more look.
"Right. Well I'm Shawn Spencer, Head Psychic Detective at the Santa Barbara Police Department. This is my partner Billy Bob Jenkins. We were wondering if we could talk to you about the death of Drake Ramoray."
Helga gasped and took a step back. Her hand flew to her heart.
"Drake is dead?" Shawn and Gus exchanged another glance.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. I thought you knew" Gus said.
"Well, I didn't" Helga said. She took a second to herself before composing herself again. "Still, come on in. Ask me your questions."
"That's really not necessary" Gus said.
"We can come back later" Shawn said.
"Nonsense. Just come on in. I'll make some tea." Helga left the door open and walked inside. Shawn shrugged at Gus and followed Helga in. Gus stared after Shawn and then followed them in, closing the door behind him.
Shawn and Gus sat next to each other on the couch. In front of them was a coffee table with three cups of tea. And then, sitting opposite them was Helga Duff.
"I'm really sorry you had to find out about Drake's death this way" Shawn said. "Were you two close?" Helga shrugged.
"We did a few shows together. But no. We weren't actually that close" Helga said. There was an awkward silence before someone spoke again. "How did he die?" she asked.
"Accident" Gus said at the exact same time Shawn said "Murder". They both exchanged glances.
"It's under investigation" Shawn said.
"Right. Well, I can't think of a single person who would have it out for him. He was a very kind man. All he did was sit in his booth organising the next play" Helga said. "It's a shame he was going to be closed down."
"Why was he being closed down?" Shawn asked, though he knew the answer to his own question.
"He was short on cash. I kept offering to give him money but… he kept refusing. His pride always got in the way."
"You offered him money?" Gus asked. He looked around the house. It wasn't exactly a mansion. Did she even have enough money to offer?
"I'm an old woman" Helga said. "I have no use for this money anymore."
"How much money are we talking about here?" Gus kicked his leg.
"A couple million" Helga answered without shame. Gus coughed up his tea in shock and Shawn just stared. Helga laughed. "I'm not exactly going to waste it all on a house" she said, understanding their reaction. "There are better causes."
"Like helping a theatre stay in business" Shawn said. Helga smiled.
"In death." Gus and Shawn stared confused. "My will!" Helga said quickly. She left the room and came back with a piece of paper. She handed it to Shawn and Gus.
"You left 2 million to Drake Ramoray" Gus noted.
"Yes. He would always have far too much pride to accept it as an offer, so maybe as a death wish… he'd be more willing. Don't look at me that way. I'm 78."
"Billy, may I speak with you in private?" Shawn asked. They stood up and walked to the hall. Once he was sure Helga wouldn't be able to hear them, he spoke.
"Look at the will" Shawn said. Gus picked up the will again.
"I don't get it…" Gus said. "What am I seeing?"
"It's what you're not seeing!" Shawn said. Gus rolled his eyes.
"You're evidence can't always be the fact that there is no evidence, Shawn."
"Nono! That's not what I mean. Look, you're a filthy rich old lady. All your friends and family is dead. The closest thing you have to family is your best friends granddaughter who happens to be visitng you. Wouldn't you include her in your will?"
Gus looked over the will again and found that Shawn was right. There was no Tiffany Lestrange in the will. And Shawn had a point.
"So here it is. Tiffany is visiting her Grandma's best friend. Tiffany's family is dead, Helga's family is dead. They relate. Tiffany finds her way into Helga's will and sees that despite being the closes thing to family, she's not included in the will. Instead, a man she's not even that close to gets most of her money. Tiffany, upset and greedy for money, goes to find Drake Ramoray at his theatre. With him dead, Helga would leave all her money to her.
"That sounds like motive to me" Shawn said.
"Now, just a second, Shawn" Gus said. "Don't you think we should talk to Helga first. See what she has to say about this?" Shawn sighed.
"Fine."
The two of them walked back into the room and sat back down on the couch. Helga looked at them both with curiosity.
"About this will…" Shawn started. "I was just wondering why Tiffany Lestrange isn't included in it." Helga looked taken back.
"Who?" she asked. Shawn and Gus looked at each other.
"Tiffany Lestrange. Kate Lestrange's granddaughter?"
"Oh! Kate's Granddaughter! Yes, she is in the will!" Helga picked up her will and circled a name, then she handed it back to the boys. "There, you see? Natalie Pond. 1.5 million."
"Natalie Pond?" Gus asked.
"Well, Natalie Lestrange-Pond. She married, you see." Shawn pulled out the case file and took out the picture they took of Tiffany and handed it to Helga.
"Is this Natalie Pond?" Shawn asked. Helga picked up the picture and squinted.
"Yep. That's her! No doubt about it!"
"Oh, Shawn" Gus said. "All that research and you couldn't even check to see if her first name was right…"