1992 – Bosseigh High School

Gus helped Shawn up from the floor. One of the Seniors had just run him into a bank of lockers. They could still be heard laughing down the hall.

“Don’t let them get to you,” Gus offered.

Shawn shrugged and flashed a lopsided grin. “You know they don’t. Kevin is just jealous that his girl is talking to me.”

“His girl?”

“Yeah, you know, Jacqueline. Head cheerleader. Blonde bombshell.”

“Shawn, since when is Jacqueline Gurwitz talking to you?”

“Since I was assigned to be her chemistry partner.” Shawn smiled confidently.

“Complaining about you to her friends while you are in earshot does not count as talking to you.” Gus admonished.

Shawn shrugged as they wandered down the locker-lined hall. “You take your triumphs where you can.”

Present Day

Uproarious laughter filled the office. Shawn and Gus rounded the last corner on the last lap of their morning rolling chair race. Shawn grabbed the back of Gus’s chair, flinging him to the side and propelling himself into the lead. Watching Gus try to regain direction, he nearly ran into the girl who had just entered the office. She gasped and flattened herself against the wall. She relaxed as Shawn jerked to a stop, only to fall into his lap as Gus ran into the back of him.

“I am so sorry…” Shawn stammered helping her up.

“We are so sorry,” Gus cut in. He stood and took her hand to help steady her. He kicked his chair down the wall behind him.

The girl was smiling, at least. “Wow, I’m glad to see you guys like your job so much.” She blushed slightly and removed her hand from Gus’s.

Shawn kicked himself back a few feet and stood up. He assessed the girl quickly, noting her paint specked army surplus letter bag, blonde pigtails – not her natural color, and her paint specked – again not natural - finger nails. Looked like oil paint, maybe acrylic. Mid twenties, 27 at the oldest. As he reached her face, he saw she was assessing him, too.

“Nice color, your shirt.” She extended her hand to him. “Penelope Lane.”

Shawn shook her hand, “Shawn Spencer. This is Gus.”

“Burton Guster, but everyone calls me Gus.” He shook her hand in turn. Gus suddenly noticed that he and Shawn had her cornered. Stepping back, he indicated the couch. “Would you like to sit down? Like a soda or something?”

“We don’t have any soda,” Shawn hissed in his ear as she walked to the next room.

“We do if I send you across the street to get one for her.” Gus responded.

Shawn wrinkled up his nose and shook his head. Gus nodded emphatically and hitched his head towards the door. Shawn responded by sticking his tongue out.

Penelope cleared her throat from in front of the couch. Both boys turned towards her. “I’m good. Thanks.” She lowered herself into one of the chairs. “I’d rather talk about why I’m here.”

Shawn and Gus both scrambled for the remaining chair beside Penelope. Gus got there first, and Shawn collapsed dramatically onto the couch. Penelope regarded him from beneath a cocked eyebrow.

Shawn mimicked her expression as he asked, “What can we do for you, Penny Lane?” He snickered.

Penelope rolled her eyes. Gus shot Shawn a piercing glare.

“Really? Really, like I’ve never heard that before.” She pointedly turned to Gus. “My best friend has disappeared. You two come highly not recommended by someone I dislike. So I thought I should talk with you."

“Who…?” Shawn started to ask. Penelope made a stop motion with her hand. “Did you just give me ‘the hand’?”

She cast a glance over her shoulder at him. “It’s not important. What’s important is finding Ashley.” Rummaging through her letter bag, Penelope produced a crumpled piece of notebook paper. “She left this at the apartment. She’s my room mate.”

Gus took the paper and read over the address. He didn’t recognize it. “Where is this?” He handed the note to Shawn.

Penelope shrugged. “I found that in the kitchen waste basket.”

“It’s a club called Velvet Jones” Shawn said. Gus and Penelope turned to look at him. “What? I get out sometimes.”

Penelope sighed. “Okay. So we start there.”

“We? Nah, you can leave this to us. We’ll contact you when we find something.” Shawn said, examining the note. He sniffed the paper, Penelope cocked her eyebrow again.

“Shawn, I think we could include Ms. Lane in our investigation. She is our client, and it is her best friend that is missing.” Gus offered, an attempt to appease Penelope.

Shawn pushed himself up off the couch. “Nah.” He wandered into the reception area of the office and out of view.

Penelope knitted her eyebrows. “Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea,” she mumbled.

“We’ll find her for you. I promise. And obviously your help will only expedite the process,” Gus reassured. “When was the last time you saw her?”

“Two days ago, Wednesday morning, before she left for work. She was cooking breakfast for Marty.” She flopped back in the chair.

Gus leaned on the chair arm between them. “Marty?”

“Her boyfriend. I think he’s a DJ. Maybe at that club?”

“You don’t know what her boyfriend does?”

“We don’t see each other too often. I work nights, so I was coming in Wednesday morning. She’s only been seeing him for about month. I’ve met him, but I don’t know him.” She idly picked at a frayed spot on her bag.

Gus produced a business card from his pocket. He plucked the pen from behind his ear and scribbled on the back. “This is my cell number. Give me a call if you need anything.” She examined the card, back and front before depositing it in her jean pocket.

He rose from the chair and crossed the room to retrieve a notebook. He settled back into the chair and poised his pen to write. “Okay. What can you tell me about Ashley?”

Penelope sat up again, her short pigtails bobbing as she nodded her head. “Her name is Ashley Phillips. We’ve been friends since grade school.”

Over the next half hour she passed to Gus every piece of information she thought might help. Where Ashley worked, what hours she kept, how she spent her free time, and who she talked to.

Gus noticed Shawn sitting at the receptionist desk. He was fending disinterest, but Gus knew better. He was eavesdropping on the very conversation he had abandoned.

“Okay,” Gus finally said. “We’ll be in contact with you.” He flipped the notebook closed. He stood and offered his hand to help Penelope up. He noted her miniscule hesitation, before she took his hand and pulled herself up.

Gus walked her to the door, past Shawn who was pretending to read a Sports Illustrated with his feet propped on the desk.

“Is there anything else we can do for you today?” Gus asked as he pushed the door open for her.

She shook her head, but then looked up into his eyes, “Actually, do you have another card?”

Gus produced another card from his pocket. This time she took the pen from behind his ear, scribbled on the back of the card, and handed both back to him. “I’ll see you tomorrow at the club.” She gave him an obvious elevator look. “Yeah…”

And she was gone, out the door and across the street. Gus looked down at the card in his hand. It read “Call me anytime” and had her cell number on it.

“I think she likes me,” Shawn stated haughtily.

Gus rolled his eyes and disappeared into the back office to Mapquest directions to the club.