“You don’t understand! You have no clue what it’s like!” Juliet winced to hear those words coming from Shawn’s mouth. She had only seen him truly angry a couple times before, but not like this. She stood on the other side of the window, watching her partner interrogating her boyfriend. She’d seen a similar situation a few times before including a session with a polygraph machine, but this was different.
“Well then why don’t you enlighten me Spencer? Tell me why you think we shouldn’t throw you in jail for fraud and never let you see the light of day again?” Juliet shivered at the venomous tone in Carlton’s voice.
Earlier that day, she and her partner were following some leads on a recent string of murders when she’d gotten a call from Shawn. When she answered, she could hear Gus and Shawn talking, but not to her. Obviously Shawn had butt-dialed her, again. Before she hung up, she heard something that threatened to tear her world apart.
“Come on Gus, don’t be a box of stale popcorn at opening night of Highlander 2. We both know that I’ve got to check this out if I’m going to have one of my visions and the spirits are telling me that this is the right place.”
“Shawn! We both know that you’re not psychic so stop playing around and let’s get out of here before someone sees us. These guys will KILL us!”
Juliet was shaken to the core and looked down at her phone in shock. She and Shawn had recently synced their phones and the GPS application showed exactly where he was. In a shaky voice, she told Carlton what she heard and where he was. Immediately, he turned the car around with screeching tires and blaring sirens. He spoke in an angry snarl. “I KNEW it! You’re mine now Spencer!”
He caught up to Gus’s little blue car and forced them to pull over. Lassiter pulled Shawn out of the passenger seat and forced him into the back of his car without saying a word. Gus followed him, shouting with an alarmed voice until Juliet stepped in front of him and told him to go contact Shawn’s father. Upon reaching the police station, Lassiter dragged Shawn down to the interrogation room. Ironically it was the same room where Carlton had seen the fake psychic kiss his partner.
Now, Shawn’s secret was out and although Juliet was beyond angry with him for deceiving her and the rest of the department for all these years, it didn’t change the fact that she loved him. Looking at him, she couldn’t understand how she had actually believed him. She was a detective! They were practically living together! How could she not know? She brushed the tears from her eyes and focused on what Shawn was saying, hoping to finally hear the truth.
Shawn let out a bitter, cold laugh. “Why shouldn’t you throw me in jail? Because without me, you’ll never catch these guys.” His anger slipped away and he slumped back in the cold metal chair. “Look, Lassie. The ‘psychic’ thing was your fault… If I hadn’t come up with something, some reason why I knew all those tips I was calling in, you were going to arrest me. Once I convinced people I was psychic, the chief kept dropping cases in my lap and I kept on solving them, every single one of them! It’s the best and most important thing I’ve ever done in my life. Well, second most…” His eyes were haunted and lost as he looked directly at Juliet through the one-way glass. She felt her heart skip a beat at the conflicted feelings rushing through her.
“Spencer, you obviously have a gift.” Lassiter’s tone was slightly gentler now. Juliet knew there was a grudging respect between these two, though they would never admit it. She always hoped they could work it out. “Why didn’t you become a legitimate detective?”
“You know why! You were there!” Juliet saw Lassiter flinch in surprise as Shawn shouted and leaned forward over the table, his face a contorted mask of anger. “My dad told you to book me, before he hauled me off to do it himself. Grand Theft Auto – not just a fun, violent game, but it’s also the last nail in the coffin for the career my dad trained me for since I was old enough to walk.” His voice shifted into a mocking tone of his father. “How many hats are in the room, Shawn? Walk me through the crime scene, Shawn. No dinner until you shoot that last bottle off the fence, Shawn.
Lassiter grumbled and shifted uncomfortably in his seat before saying, “Tell us what you know about these drug runners. They’ve already killed eight people and if we don’t shut them down, there are going to be a lot more victims.” Shawn sighed and took a long slow breath. He closed his eyes and lifted his hand to his temple. Carlton immediately barked, “Cut the crap Spencer! We know you’re not a psychic!”
Shawn’s eyes flashed open and spoke in a low dangerous tone. “You don’t know a damn thing about me, detective. You never really did! Now shut up and let me work!” Juliet let out a small choked gasp as she realized he could be talking to her as well. Blinking back tears, she sat down and studied him closely.
He took another deep breath and raised his hand to his temple once more in his familiar way. After a few seconds, she could see Carlton shifting in his seat and was sure he would interrupt again, but then Shawn spoke. “There were four of them at the warehouse where Gus and I followed: all with dark hair and Hispanic features; gang colors, mainly blue, white and black. The one in charge, with the thin goatee and sunglasses and a chrome .45 sticking out of his pants, was telling the others to get the shipment and move it because the cops were getting too close.” He tilts his head to the side and continues, “There were two cars, both white Cadillacs from the early 2000’s, heavily modified. One had gold spinners on the rims - license plate was 6DFK734. I can’t see the other plate but there was a set of black fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view and the dash and seats were maroon-colored. One of the guys moving to the cars was wearing a pair of vintage Converse sneakers and I know I’ve seen them somewhere before.”
Juliet’s jaw dropped as she heard the details that Shawn pulled, seemingly, from memory. She knew that Shawn didn’t really have supernatural powers, but seeing him work like this was even more astounding! His eyes were still closed and his head moved back and forth, like he was turning pages in a book. Suddenly, his eyes flew open and he exclaimed, “Jorge on his name tag. He works at the police impound lot! That’s how he and his gang managed to keep away from the police!”
A few seconds later, Juliet staggered out of the viewing room and into the room with the two men. “How…? What…?” Her eyes were wide. She glanced at Carlton and his face was a mirror of hers: shock and amazement. They had both seen Shawn’s antics countless times over the years, and though many of his psychic “visions” were impressive, this was even more so.
Shawn looked the two awestruck detectives and said simply, “I have a photographic memory.” Then he seemed to deflate in his chair. His voice shifted into a passable imitation of Rod Serling and he began, “Imagine if you will, a man that remembers everything he has ever seen or heard with perfect detail: pictures, voices, conversations, murder scenes, case files, Civil War reenactment battle maps, walking in on your parents having sex.” Juliet and Lassiter both winced at that one. “Not only can you never get it out of your head; you see and hear everything as if you’re living it all over again. The signpost up ahead says simply, ‘The Spencer Zone.’”
His eyes focused on the window behind them, but neither of them turned around and waited for him to continue. “I used the psychic shtick as because it was a way for me to do what I’m good at: be a detective, but on my own terms. You all know me well enough to know that I’d never be a good cop: I can’t keep track of anything, I’m always late, I never play by the rules or follow the code. But I am good at spotting the details, putting the pieces together, reading people and beating a lie detector. All the things you taught me Dad.” This time, Juliet and Lassiter did turn around to look at the mirror. He had heard the faint squeak of the viewing room door and three sets of footsteps. That would be his dad, Gus and the Chief.
The intercom snapped on suddenly and Henry Spencer’s voice came over the speakers. “I know kid. Why do you think we backed you all these years? ” Shawn noticed the slight emphasis on the word “we”. He smiled slightly and said softly under his breath, “I always figured that Karen knew.”
He looked intently at the two detectives who had become such an important part of his life. “Let’s put these guys away. After that, you can figure out what you want to do with me.”
Story Notes:
My First Fan-Fic of any kind. Hope you like it! The idea just popped into my head and since I've been hooked on so much of the fan-fiction floating around out there, I figured I'd give it a shot.
My first draft had some language. It made sense for the story, but it just didn't feel like Psych to have it there.
Shules Established, so general spoilers for Season 5 and 6.
This became the basis for a series that I'm calling "Stranger than Fiction" that takes place after this story. If you like this, check out the other "episodes" in the series.
My first draft had some language. It made sense for the story, but it just didn't feel like Psych to have it there.
Shules Established, so general spoilers for Season 5 and 6.
This became the basis for a series that I'm calling "Stranger than Fiction" that takes place after this story. If you like this, check out the other "episodes" in the series.
Author's Chapter Notes:
First Chapter (of Three) where Juliet finds out about Shawn and he has to reveal how he really does it.
Spoiler for "Shawn Rescues Darth Vader" (Episode 6.1)
Hope you enjoy!
Spoiler for "Shawn Rescues Darth Vader" (Episode 6.1)
Hope you enjoy!
Chapter End Notes:
Let me know what you think! Reviews are welcome and encouraged. If you all want more, I've got more to post!
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