Eventually a coroner came and took away Elvin's lifeless body. Desiree couldn't believe they had just watched him die. He had died so quickly, she couldn't believe how fast it happened. Police were now at the auditorium since it was now considered a crime scene. Desiree walked with Shawn and Gus to the balcony, the three had planned on investigating more to see what actually happened to cause Elvin to die. A police officer had blocked their path though.

"Uh, can I help you?" He asked, turning to face them.

"Has anyone come out of there?" Shawn asked, pointing over at the private box Elvin had been in.

"Just the cops. I've been here the whole time." The police officer replied.

"Did you hear anything from in there?" Shawn inquired.

"I'm sorry..." The police officer apologizes, looking at him with confusion. "Uh, who are you?"

"Uh, I'm Shawn Spencer and this is Desiree O'Neal. We're psychics with the police department." Shawn introduced himself and Desiree, pointing at her when he said her name. She smiled at the police officer politely and waved at him.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Spencer, Ms. O'Neal, look, I don't doubt your ability. I actually have an aunt who could see apparitions. It's ooky-spooky stuff. But they told me not to let anybody in here without a badge, so..." The police officer explained.

"I see." Shawn nods, sharing a look with Desiree and Gus. "Okay. As long as you feel safe." He said, turning to leave with the others when a nervous stutter from the police officer caused them to stop.

"S-Safe?"

"Oh, what with the dead guy's spirit being here, and him being so angry..." Shawn replied, his voice trailing off.

The police officer stares at him with wide eyes. "How angry?"

"Well, considering he might have just been murdered, that's...I mean, that's definitely a negative." Shawn laughed along with Gus.

"I mean, I wouldn't be happy." Shawn continues and Desiree rolls her eyes, but she had a small smile on her face as the two guys kept laughing. Shawn suddenly shrieked, lifting his left arm and then his right arm, acting as if Elvin's angry spirit had him. Desiree glances at the police officer with raised eyebrows, noticing that the police officer believed Shawn since he had a look of fear on his face. "No, please! Spare me! I'm here to help you! Gus! Dezi! Back me up here!" Shawn pretended like he was choking and began mumbling nonsense. Desiree rolled her eyes, thinking he was taking it a bit too far. She shared a look with Gus and they both shook their heads.

Shawn then threw himself to the floor and convulses. "Y-You guys just take a quick little look-see, okay? I'll be downstairs." The poor terrified police officer stammered and was quick to flee from the room.

"Shawnie, maybe you took that a bit too far." Desiree mumbled, glancing down at Shawn who had been staring up at her with a smile.

"That was fun." He chuckled, standing up.

"Fun? I'll never understand you." Desiree chuckled, walking over to Shawn and offered her hand to help him up. Shawn grinned and took her hand, letting her help him up. Once he was standing, they let go of each other's hands.

"I'm a very complicated person." Shawn grinned.

"Very true." Desiree hummed in agreement.

"Come on, guys." Gus ushered, heading for the private box. The trio quickly head inside, closing the door behind them. Inside the private box, fast food was scattered on the table and other items were over turned. Shawn cringes after seeing the table. "Well..." He picks up a donut off the table. "We certainly know what his vice was."

"He was a heavy eater. So what?" Gus asked as Shawn set the donut back down.

"Nothing. I'm just thinking Lassiter's heart attack theory might not be so far off." Shawn replied.

"Don't let Lassiter hear that you think he might be right." Desiree commented and the two guys laugh, nodding in agreement. Lassiter had the theory that Elvin had fallen from the railing and died from a heart attack and Desiree even had to admit that it made sense. The trio continued to search the private box when something caught Desiree's eye. A number 1953 in the notebook on the table.

"Shawnie." She nudged Shawn's shoulder, gaining his attention. She realized he had already been staring at the number with furrowed eyebrows.

"I see it." He replies. "Who's contestant 1-9-5-3?"

"It only goes up to 200 something." Gus responded.

"Then something has to be important about that number." Desiree murmured, watching as Shawn flipped through the notebook, the same number being circled on another page.

"What does 1-9-5-3 mean?" Shawn questioned.

"Nothing." Gus shrugs. "Is it a rule?"

"No, they don't really number the rules like that." Shawn answered. Shawn took another glance around the room noticing the tipped over chair, the knocked over vase and pencil holder. Desiree saw it too. It had to have been just more than a heart attack to kill Elvin.

After seeing their expressions, Gus looks at them with furrowed eyebrows. "Think there was an altercation?"

"No, something else. He was all by himself up here." Shawn replied.

"You smell that?" Gus suddenly asked.

"Dude, don't look at me." Shawn shrugged and Desiree rolled her eyes.

"It's sulfuric." Gus realized.

"Gus, I am not the one who had the egg salad." Shawn pointed out.

"No, no, no. We manufactured something last year, heavy stuff. When it started to go bad, it smelled the same. You could pick out a bottle across the warehouse." Gus began leaning forward around the desk, continuing to sniff the air.

"I can't smell anything." Shawn admits, glancing at Desiree curiously. "You?" She shook her head in response.

"Well, you two don't have the supersmeller." Gus replied, causing his friends to roll their eyes.

"Gus, you have got to stop calling your nose 'the supersmeller'. If you want to nickname a body part, nickname your butt, man. Call it 'The Tight Bouncer', or 'The Hexagon'. Ladies are going to dig that, I'm telling you." Shawn commented. Desiree grimaced and shook her head. She didn't agree with him.

"It's there. It's right there. It's subtle, but it's right there." Gus spoke, pointing at the floor near the desk.

"What is it?" Shawn asked.

"I don't know. It's nothing we manufactured." Gus replied.

"Aren't you supposed to know this kind of stuff?" Shawn questioned.

"Shawn, I sell pharmaceutical supplies. I'm not a scientist." Gus hissed at him.

"But you're saying it is something." Shawn continued.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure." Gus nodded.

Shawn picks up a Chinese take out box off the floor. He picks up the chop sticks to take some food out. "Don't eat it." Gus scolded, earning an annoyed look from Shawn.

"Shawnie, that's so gross." Desiree sighed.

"Dude, do I look like an idiot?" Shawn inquired.

Gus stares blankly at him while Desiree replies with, "Yes. Yes, you do."

"Hey, that's not nice." Shawn pouted.

"Well, it's true." Desiree shrugged. Shawn shook his head and pulled out a ziplock bag, pulling some of the noodles out of the box to put in the bag.

"what are you-You're taking some to go?" Gus asked with confusion.

"Yes, for the road. In case later on I get hungry enough to eat something that might be poison." Shawn sarcastically replied.

Below on the main floor, Lassiter entered the room. Gus quickly signaled for his friends to duck and the three of them quickly hid. From what they overheard, it sounded like the police officer they had talked to was telling Lassiter they were up there. Desiree knew they needed to get out of there now.

"Man, we gotta go." Shawn muttered and the three quickly left the balcony as sneaky as they could.

Desiree followed the boys down stairs to where Lassiter and his new partner was talking to the press. "Who's the blonde?" Gus asked.

"Lassiter's new partner. He transferred his girlfriend." Shawn responded.

Desiree's eyes widen with surprise. "Wow, really?" She asked as she turned her attention back to the conversation.

"Shawn, they're going to stop investigating." Gus spoke up after they kept listening to the conversation. Desiree grew worried about that. This wasn't a closed case, there was more to it. She and Shawn just knew that. She shared a look with Shawn, knowing one of them needed to do something to make sure that this investigation wouldn't stop.

"One last question and I really have to go wrap up the scene." Lassiter told the reporters.

"Do something." Gus nudged Shawn.

Shawn looks confused, but after glancing at the group of reporters, he raises his hand up to his head, pressing his thumb and middle finger to the side of his head as if he's getting a vision. "Uh, moo gooo gai pan!" Desiree rolled her eyes as he shouted gibberish, but it worked though since the reporters stopped asking Lassiter and his new partner questions and everyone turned to Shawn. She hoped Shawn had a plan though after seeing his expression, she had a feeling he was just winging it. Shawn continued speaking gibberish while the camera was turned to him.

"Uh, check the food! It was murder!" Shawn adds. "Oh, did I just say all of that out loud?" He asked, pretending to act like he didn't mean to do that. Desiree chucked and shook her head at him. That was one way to get everyone's attention.

****

"Shawn, you'll never find out what that is without a lab." Gus told Shawn, who was looking at the bag of noodles he held. Desiree walked besides them as they left the building the Spelling Bee was held.

"I'll get a lab." Shawn assured him.

"A high tech lab? Right now?" Gus questioned, his voice laced with disbelief.

"Maybe." Shawn replies defensively. "I...Might have a connection."

Desiree shared a look with Gus. Neither one quite believed that Shawn had a connection. His tone didn't sound very convincing. Desiree went back to her shop and worked the rest of the day. She found it challenging to focus, her mind frequently drifting back to the strange events at the spelling bee and Elvin's sudden death. As she closed up shop for the evening, she couldn't shake the feeling that something crucial had been missed.

Later that night, she was at her house in her room getting ready for bed. She was ready to crash from the busy day she had. She had changed into her pajamas and was climbing under the covers when her phone rang. She was a little surprised to see Shawn was calling her.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Dezi, hey." Shawn's voice came through the other line.

"Hey, Shawn. What's up?" She asked, sitting down on her bed and pulled her legs up against her chest.

"Uh, I know it's late, but can I come over?" Shawn asked.

Desiree's heart skipped a beat at the request. She glances at the clock; it was already past ten. "Yeah, sure. Is everything okay?" She questioned, concern lacing her voice.

"Yeah, yeah, it's fine. I'm actually already here so I'm coming in now." Shawn answered and not giving her a chance to reply before the call was ended.

Desiree got up from her bed, a mixture of curiosity and concern swirling in her mind. She hurried downstairs to greet Shawn, finding him closing the front door behind him and locking it. He set his spare key on the counter as he leaned against it, setting his helmet on the counter as well. Desiree was confused why he was here so late, but what really worried her was the fact he was limping.

"Shawnie, are you limping?" She questioned, walking over to him.

Shawn glances up, a look of surprise flashed across his face. "I, uh, no, I'm fine."

"Y'know, for someone who lies about being a physic, you're a terrible liar." Desiree commented, standing in front of him with concern etched across her face.

Shawn flashes her a half-smile, trying to downplay it. "Ah, just a little sore from riding around. You know how it is."

"You went driving around this late at night?" Desiree asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I needed to clear my head." Shawn admitted.

"Shawn, you should sit down and rest your leg. Actually, you probably need to go to the hospital. Wait, first, tell me what happened?" She rambled, her worry escalating as she guided him to the couch in the living room.

Shawn chuckles lightly, though his usual playful demeanor was tinged with discomfort. "It's really not that bad, Dezi. I just took a small tumble is all." After getting a look from her, he sighs heavily and sat on the couch. "So it wasn't my fault, really. This van was driving at me and the headlights were really bright. Whoever it was almost was driving like they were losing control. I swerved off to the side of the road to miss them." He explained, grimacing slightly when she started rolling up his pant leg.

"So, you were almost hit by a van?" Desiree questioned, her voice tinged with concern as she examined the injury on his leg.

Shawn winces slightly as she touched the tender area. "Yeah, it's a bit more than a scrape." He admitted, trying to downplay the discomfort.

Desiree glances up at him, her expression softening. "You really should get this checked out at the hospital," She urges gently. "It might need stitches."

Shawn shakes his head, flashing her a grin. "Nah, I'm good." He replies, watching her closely. "Besides, I'd rather spend time with you."

Desiree felt her cheeks warm up at his words. She shakes her head with a small smile. "I appreciate the sentiment, but this is serious, Shawn. It needs medical attention. Let's get you to the hospital."

"No, I don't want to go. I'm fine, honestly." Shawn tried, but Desiree stood her ground, crossing her arms and giving him a stern look.

"Shawnie, you are not going to win this argument." Desiree replies. "You're limping, and...Are you holding your arm like it hurts too?" She realized, noticing how he held his left arm gingerly, keeping it close to his side.

Shawn's grin faltered a little. He hadn't intended on her figuring that out. He had hoped she hadn't noticed. "Okay, okay. Fine." He gave in, knowing he was defeated. He didn't want her worrying anymore.

Desiree gives him a sympathetic look, her expression softening. "Thank you. Let me get changed real quick and we can head to the hospital." She headed upstairs, grabbing some clothes out of her dresser and went to the bathroom to change. She was glad Shawn was cooperating. She had been a little worried he would be difficult, but he wasn't.

After getting dressed, she goes back downstairs to the living room. She helped Shawn up off the couch and led him to her car. Once he was situated in the passenger seat, she climbed in the driver's seat and pulled out of the driveway, heading to the hospital.

She had the radio turned low, glancing at Shawn a few times. She still was concerned and wanted to make sure he was okay. "Stop staring." Shawn comments, giving her a small smile. "I know I'm irresistible, but you're going to crash the car."

"Very funny, Shawn." Desiree chuckles lightly, though a blush creeps up on her cheeks. "I'm just making sure you're okay."

"You don't have to worry so much." Shawn tells her. "I'll be fine."

"I'm always going to worry." Desiree replies softly. "I care about you."

Shawn flashes her a small smile, taking her free hand that was resting on her thigh. She was a little surprised at the action, but smiled nonetheless. She felt the butterflies flutter in her stomach and her heart skip a beat at the contact. She wasn't quite sure what was happening, but she liked it. "I care about you too and I appreciate that you're doing this. But really, it's not a big deal." Shawn told her, intertwining his fingers with hers.

Desiree smiles brightly at him, squeezing his hand gently. "It's no problem." She assured him, continuing to hold his hand as she drove. She tried to ignore the way her heart was beating a little faster than normal, the butterflies fluttering rapidly in her stomach. She wasn't sure what was happening, but she enjoyed the feeling.

At the hospital, the two friends went inside, Shawn limping along side her. The nurse behind the desk had him sit down and filled out the paperwork for him. Shawn kept trying to downplay his pain, but Desiree could tell by his facial expressions it was a little worse than he was letting on. She knew him all too well. While they waited for the doctor to call them back, Shawn glanced around the waiting room, his attention soon landing on Desiree. She was sitting in the chair next to him, her legs crossed and her hands resting in her lap.

"Hey, Dezi." Shawn murmured, breaking the silence in the waiting room.

Desiree turns towards him, her expression soft and concerned. "Yeah, Shawn?"

"Thanks for being here," He said earnestly, his eyes reflecting gratitude. "I know it's late and all...I appreciate you taking care of me."

She smiles fondly at him, her concern melting into warmth. "Of course, Shawn. You're my best friend. I'll always be here."

Shawn returns the smile, reaching out to take her hand and squeezes gently. "Thanks."

The two friends fell into a comfortable silence, their hands still intertwined. Shawn didn't release her hand until they were called back and the doctor examined his injuries. Shawn was kept there over night just in case, Desiree staying the whole time. She didn't leave his side. They spent the night talking and laughing together, enjoying the company. Shawn was grateful to have Desiree there, she made it more bearable. Desiree didn't mind staying with him, wanting to make sure he was going to be okay and keep him company. She didn't want him to be alone. She tried convincing him to tell his father about this, but he refused. She knew how strained their relationship was and understood why, even though she felt his dad had a right to know.

The following day, Shawn was released from the hospital. His leg was wrapped up and his right hand was wrapped up. He was still limping, but he claimed he was fine after Gus asked him. "Did you call him?" Gus questioned, referring to his dad.

"You should know the answer to that." Desiree quips, earning a playful glare from Shawn. "What, am I wrong?"

"No, but that's not the point." Shawn retorted.

"He'd want to know if you're okay." Gus told him.

"All he care about are results," Shawn finishes undoing the wrap around his right hand, tossing it to the ground which caused Desiree to roll her eyes at him. "Just like those possessed spelling bee parents. You know what's wrong with this?" He questioned, stopping by a room to look through the window but then kept walking, well, limping.

Desiree sighs. "That you took your bandage off and threw it on the ground?" She inquires, her eyes trailing to the floor to the discarded bandage. "And you're not calling your dad that you got into a motorcycle accident?" She added, raising her eyebrow and giving him a pointed look.

"Once again, not the point." Shawn remarks. "All of this is wrong."

"Shawn, you're delirious. You're upset. You lost control of your bike last night." Gus said in understanding. When Shawn stopped walking, his friends did as well and looked at him with concern.

"Gus, I didn't lose control of anything. Someone tried to kill me or send a very serious message." Shawn seriously spoke. As he turned to keep walking, Gus sent Desiree a look.

"Is he being serious or is he actually delirious?" Gus whispered.

"He's serious. He came to my house late last night and told me what happened." Desiree murmured back.

"And you're just now telling me?" Gus asked, his voice a little louder than he intended.

"Hey, I would have, but it was pretty late last night and then we stayed here all night. Figured you'd be sleeping and busy this morning." Desiree replied defensively, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Fine, okay." Gus sighs heavily, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "But you really believe him? That someone was actually trying to kill him or something?"

"I know it's hard to believe, but yeah, I do." Desiree murmurs, glancing at Shawn. "He wouldn't just lie about that..." She pauses before adding, "Okay, maybe he would, but I can tell he's not lying. Not about this."

Gus was quiet for a few minutes, his brows furrowing together. He was deep in thought and trying to process what his best friend had told him. It didn't make sense. Who would have tried to run Shawn off the road?

"Gus?" Desiree nudged his arm, her voice snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Sorry," He apologizes with a sheepish expression. "I just...It's a lot to take in."

"I know," Desiree said softly, placing her hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "Trust me, I get it. But, we gotta believe him. He wouldn't make it up. I'm sure there's something more to this." Her gaze went to Shawn, who stopped in front of a room and looked like he was about to go in. "Come on." She walked over to Shawn along with Gus and Shawn explained to them that Brendan, one of the kids who had been at the spelling bee, was in the room. Shawn was hoping to get some information. Desiree wasn't sure if this was a good idea, but she reluctantly went along with it. They now were in the room that had different balloons and cards for the boy. His mother was sitting by him as he laid in bed.

"Brendan appreciates you checking on him." His mother smiled.

"Well, we were in the neighborhood, and, uh, Gus here is a huge fan. He almost won the spelling bee himself." Shawn explained.

The family looks surprised yet impressed as they glance at Gus. "I took some bad advice." He admitted. Desiree stifled a snicker, knowing Shawn was the one he took the bad advice from. When they were younger, Shawn had tried to help Gus out in the spelling bee by mouthing the next letter to him but he got it wrong and Gus was disqualified from the spelling bee.

Desiree had spotted the inhaler on the table near the bed which made her furrow her eyebrows. She didn't know this boy needed an inhaler. She could tell Shawn noticed the inhaler too. "Well, Brendan's going home tomorrow. He's fine. He's more upset about missing the spelling bee." Brendan's mother spoke up, sending her son a sympathetic look.

Gus nods in understanding, Desiree gives the boy a sympathetic expression while Shawn shrugs. "Well, maybe they'll decide to redo the whole thing." Shawn voiced.

Brendan looks at him with confusion. "Why would they do that?"

"Did you see the inhaler?" Shawn questioned once the trio left the room.

"Yeah, it looked like the same as another kid in the spelling bee had." Desiree commented and Gus nodded in agreement.

"Get me a seating chart. I'll bet you I know who Brendan was sitting next to on day one." Shawn said.

"Already checked it out." Gus admitted, earning surprised and impressed expressions from his friends.

"Nice." Shawn smiled.

"Guys, something's going on with that Czech kid." Gus started and the group paused in the middle of the hallway.

"Talk to us." Shawn urged as he and Desiree both looked at him curiously.

"The doctor on his inhaler, Dr. Zavin in Ventura...He doesn't exist. I do training on that route. The last doctor in the book is Youngerman. I double-checked it today." Gus explained, gaining surprised looks from his friends.

"You're saying that inhaler..."

"Is a fake." Gus finished Shawn's sentence, nodding in response.

Shawn laughs suddenly and grins, turning to walk away. Desiree furrows her eyebrows, sharing a confused look with Gus. "Dude, what's up with the sudden laugh? Kinda creepy." Desiree called out.

"Where are you going?" Gus added.

Shawn turns to them, now walking backwards with the grin still on his face. "I...Am going to build a doghouse."

"Doghouse?" Desiree mouths, confused why he was suddenly going to build a doghouse. She looks at Gus, but he was just as clueless. "Okay, I'm going to work, I'll see you later." She sighed, patting Gus on the shoulder and left the hospital. 

****

That night Shawn had explained to her the reason why he went to build a doghouse. He reminded her how when he was little he had wanted a dog so badly but his dad had made him prove that he was ready to take care of a dog and build a doghouse. And since Shawn had never finished anything in his life, his dad told him to finish the dog house before he agreed to help him out. Shawn explained to Desiree that his dad was the connection he had to a high tech lap since he knew someone who worked at one. It all made a lot of sense after Shawn told her the full story.

It was now the next day and the trio was at the station, in Chief Vick office with Lassiter and his new partner, Juliet O'Hara. Desiree sat in front of Gus, who stood behind her and Shawn sat next to her. Chief Vick stares at them with disbelief. "Poisoned?"

"We feel somebody poisoned his food." Shawn admits, his hand on the side of his head to act like he was getting a vision and he had his eyes closed as well. "There is a...Styrofoam container...Yes, and a...Uh..."Happiness is a golden poem..." Dezi, help me out here."

"Fortune cookie." Desiree spoke up.

"That's the one." Shawn said, opening his eyes and snapping his fingers as he smiled at her.

"This is ridiculous." Lassiter sighed heavily, but Juliet sent him a look.

"Is it?" That gained an annoyed and disbelief look from her partner.

"Mr. Spencer, Ms. O'Neal, what awe have now points to a medical condition. Not murder. All appearances show Mr. Cavanaugh having an anaphylactic reaction." Chief Vick explained.

"Not to be out of line," Gus chimes in. "But that could be triggered by several types of poisons or altered medications."

"Or shellfish," Lassiter cut in, rolling his eyes. "Which he was allergic to."

"Those results will show up in the toxicology report which we will have a copy of in approximately two weeks." Chief Vick voiced, sitting back down since she had been standing.

Shawn's eyes widen. "No, no, no, no. That'll be too late. All the constants will have gone..." Shawn starts as he stands up, having trouble with his injured leg and accidentally hitting the chair. Desiree shot him a concerned glance when he regained his balance. "Home. You won't be able to finish a real investigation. Chief, I..." He brings his hand up to the side of his head, once again pretending to get a vision. "I...I sense this. Something got out of control and the perpetrator was willing to kill to cover it up."

"What proof do you have? Besides Ms. O'Neal here to back you up." Chief Vick added.

Desiree shares a look with Shawn and Gus, not sure what they were going to say and not sure what to say herself. They had no proof, really. They just had a feeling. "Only what we feel." Shawn sighed.

"Why are you still listening to this crap?" Lassiter questioned.

"Dude, what is your glitch?" Shawn asked him with annoyance.

Lassiter gets off the wall he was leaning on to walk to him with a glare. "You. You are my 'glitch'. Look," He glances at Chief Vick. "They got nowhere with their little inhaler assignment and then he tells the media that we had a murder scene." He points at Shawn. "Cut them loose, Karen." Chief Vick looked at him with disbelief and then a harsh glare. Lassiter realized his mistake and adds, "I mean, do whatever you think is best...Chief."

Desiree was surprised he had the balls to talk to the Chief like that, but she wasn't surprised that he wasn't a fan of her and Shawn. It wasn't the first time she had seen or heard him act this way. Though she was shocked to see him talk like that to his Chief. "Mr. Cavanugh was going to make an announcement." Gus continues. "What about that?"

"The director's said he'd recently spoke of retiring." Juliet spoke up.

Shawn shakes his head. "That's not what he was going to say."

"Oh, you know?" Lassiter rolled his eyes at him.

"I know." Shawn sassily replied and Desiree chuckled quietly. He was always full of attitude. 

"Mr. Spencer, I asked you and Ms. O'Neal to check in about the inhaler incident." Chief Vick starts, standing up and looking between the two. "If you or your partner have anything about that, I'd be happy to hear about it. Otherwise..."

Desiree shares a look with the boys, biting her lower lip. She wasn't sure what to do. They didn't have concrete evidence, just suspicions and a sense that something wasn't right. Taking a deep breath, she speaks up, her voice steady but unsure. "Chief Vick, we understand the need for evidence, but we've seen enough to believe there's more to this than what it might seem like. Mine and Shawn's instincts-"

"Are not evidence." Lassiter interjected sharply.

Desiree meets Lassiter's gaze firmly. "They're worth investigating further. We know there's been a cover up and a murderer is on the loose." She finished, not breaking eye contact with the Detective, who looked at her with annoyance.

Chief Vick considers them for a moment, her expression unreadable. "I appreciate your dedication, but without solid proof..." She trailed off and Desiree's shoulders slump, disappointment clear on her face. She understood what that meant.

****

"Well, we tried." Desiree muttered, walking down the hallway of the police station with the boys.

"We've got to get back into the spellmaster's room." Shawn stated.

"You're serious?" Gus asked.

"Gus, the killer was there. There's gotta be some other piece of evidence inside." Shawn replied.

"We're not gonna have time to get in there." Gus responds. "Besides, it's locked."

Desiree perks up, a grin tugging on her lips. "This is where my picking locks skills come in handy." She was excited to finally be able to pick the lock, since she learned the skill a while ago and had never gotten a chance to use it.

"You know how to pick locks?" Gus asked with surprise.

"I do," Desiree grins and nods. "Did you forget I learned that from my cousin who's a locksmith?"

Gus shakes his head slightly, amused and impressed. "I guess I did. Remind me not to get on your bad side."

"I wouldn't recommend it." Desiree teased, nudging his arm playfully.

Once the trio got to the building where the spelling bee was taken place, Shawn stopped them. "Woah, woah, woah. How hard is it to get into this event without a ticket?" Shawn questioned.

"Impossible." Gus answered.

"The new spellmaster." Shawn's gaze fell on a blue jacket on a railing that had a badge that read 'Reginal Finals (Western) Bill Fineman. Spellmaster'. "Check it out." He smirks. They were standing near the back door where Bill Fineman was seen out back smoking. "That's exactly what I was hoping you'd say." He leaned over sneakily, grabbing the jacket off the railing of the steps to outside and closed the back door quietly though Bill had noticed the door closed just as it was too late.

Gus' eyes widen. "You can't do that to him."

"Gus, he has to learn sometime that smoking is bad for him." Shawn tells him and turns to walk to the balcony again with Desiree and Gus, who eventually follows them. "Dezi, let's see those skills in action." He nudged her with a grin.

Desiree grinned mischievously as she stepped up to the back door, examining the lock. With practiced ease, she pulled out a small set of lockpicks from her bag, selecting the right tools for the job. Gus and Shawn watched with anticipation, Shawn leaning in closer with a grin while Gus glanced nervously around, checking for any potential onlookers. Desiree inserted the tension wrench into the keyhole and began to manipulate the pins inside. Her hands moved swiftly and confidently, feeling the subtle feedback from the lock. After a few moments of focused effort, there was a soft click, and the lock gave way.

"Got it. Let's go, guys." She said with a grin, putting her tools away. She was happy that it worked and didn't take her too long, but she also felt nervous because she hoped no one caught them sneaking in. She followed them inside, closing the door behind her quietly. She grimaced though when Shawn bumped into something and let out a yelp of pain, bending over and earning a glare from Gus who shushed him.

"I'm so sorry if my agonizing pain is inconveniencing you." Shawn sarcastically told Gus.

"Shawnie, you good?" Desiree whispered, looking over at him with concern.

"I'm fine." Shawn waved it off when he noticed something in the carpet. A whole indent in the carpet. "What's this?"

Desiree notices it, furrowing her eyebrows and kneeling by him. "Yeah, that's weird. There's more than one."

"It's a mark on the carpet." Gus replies, sounding confused and worried as he checks to make sure no one sees them. "Let's go. Someone must have heard that."

"Gus, we'll be fine." Desiree assures him as she stands by him, smiling reassuringly at him. "We're okay. Just chill."

"Thirty seconds, live to air." A man on the intercom is heard. "Positions, please."

"Time's up, Shawn." Gus points out as Shawn gets up, limping over to a closet. "Did you hear me, Shawn?" He looked annoyed when Shawn opened the closet doors.

"I've got something." Shawn admits, pulling out a camera on a tripod which surprised Desiree. What was that doing in the closet? Shawn places the camera on a tripod on the exact place where the indents in the carpet was and they matched perfectly. "Yes."

"Ten seconds. Prepare the next word." A man on the intercom warned.

"That can't be right." Shawn muttered.

"It doesn't mean anything, Shawn. Let's go." Gus urgently said.

"Wait, I think he's right. This is really weird." Desiree agreed, furrowing her eyebrows and glancing around the place to try to get more information on what she was seeing.

"Broadcast in five, four, three, two..."

"Maybe this direction." Shawn turned the camera around and looked through it.

"Hello, we need the word now." A man on the intercom urged. "Is everything okay?"

Desiree could see everyone was starting to get confused or worried as murmured fill the air. Some was even looking back up at the balcony which made her bite her lower lip nervously and kneel to try to hide herself. "Something's wrong. Send security." The man on the intercom spoke, causing the trio to share a worried look.

Shawn quickly leans over to speak. "Uh, no. Sorry for the delay." He looks at Gus. "Give me a word."

"A word?" Gus stared at him with disbelief.

"Yeah, something hard, but something you can spell." Shawn replied.

"Shawn, you're seriously gonna pretend to be the spellmaster?" Desiree asked with wide eyes, looking at him with disbelief and slight amusement.

"I can spell anything." Gus defensively said.

"Except 'Aggiornamento'." Shawn taunts, gaining a glare from Gus. "Give me one."

"No." Gus shakes his head. "You are not going to be spellmaster."

"Gus, give me a word so we can get out of here!" Shawn whispers-yells. "We're so close."

"Is everything okay up there?" The man asked through the intercom.

"It's fine." Shawn spoke into the mic after clearing his throat. He looked at Desiree and Gus pleadingly, but Gus just stood there, looking annoyed.

"Fine, I'll give you a word so both of you can stop bickering." Desiree cut in, whispering yelling as frustration fills her. "'Clodplate'."

"What the h** does that mean?" Shawn whispered-yelled back with furrowed eyebrows, glancing at her.

"Blockhead or a fool." Desiree explained, sending him a look and referring to him that she was calling him that too.

Shawn looks at her with offense. "You did not just call me a clodplate. But fine, whatever." He huffs, turning to the mic. "'Clodplate'."

Murmurs filled the room again and the girl looks confused. "Can you repeat that?" She asked.

"Yes. Clodplate." Shawn replied in a slow tone, pronouncing it more clearly.

"Clodplate, seriously? This is the third round." Gus quietly scolded.

"Hey, I thought it was the first thing that popped up in my mind," Desiree whispers-yells at him, looking at him with a glare. "I wasn't the one who didn't give him a word, so don't give me attitude, Guster."

Gus huffs, rolling his eyes at her. "She's right, you could've helped me." Shawn told him.

"This is a dead end, Shawn. We're walking. Let's go." Gus got up along with Shawn, who sighed and nodded before he moved to put away the camera.

"Definition, please?" The girl questioned.

Shawn looks annoyed and moves to sit down quickly, getting microphone feedback as he talks. "A term that refers to a blockhead or a fool."

When the girl got the spelling right, everyone claps as she sat down. "Wait a second, I got something." Shawn admits, looking through the camera before putting it away. He realizes the camera had the perfect angle to the dad of the Czech kid who held a small dictionary on his lap. "We got him! He was watching the Czech."

"Let me see." Gus stepped in the way when Shawn moved and was surprised to see Shawn was right.

"We need to get the next word." The man said through the innercom.

Shawn groans and sat down. "Give me a word, Dezi since Gus is no help."

Desiree thought about it for a moment before says, "Alright, how about 'absquatulate'?"

"Absqu-what?" Shawn questioned, staring at her with confusion.

Desiree nods, her grin widening. "Yeah, it means to leave abruptly. Which is what we need to do soon so we don't get caught." She added in a whisper, her expression serious.

Shawn nods and speaks into the microphone, "'Absquatulate'."

"Absquatulate. Definition, please?" The girl requested.

"To leave abruptly." Shawn answered.

The girl sat down after getting it right while everyone applauses. "Are we off the list, Bill?" The man questioned through the intercom.

"Uh, no, everything's fine." Shawn quickly responded. He gestured for Desiree to give him another word. He had to admit he was impressed she knew some big words, but then again she did have a huge vocabulary and was very smart, so it shouldn't surprise him.

"Okay, um, '"Okay, um, 'triskaidekaphobia'," Desiree said after a moment of thought.

Shawn looks at her incredulously. "Fear of the number thirteen? Really?"

Desiree shrugs with a grin. "Hey, it's a long word and fitting for this round."

Shawn turns back to the microphone. "'Triskaidekaphobia'."

The girl at the podium looked perplexed but asked for the definition. Shawn repeated it, and after a moment, she got it correctly.

****

"That wasn't me. I was locked outside. I have a reputation to uphold." Bill complained to security as he walked up the stairs near where the trio stood and were trying to act normal. Though the position Shawn was in was anything but normal and Desiree had to force herself not to chuckle at the position he chose.

"So he was watching the Czech. We have no proof." Gus says, walking down the stairs with his friends. "There was no film in the camera."

"He was using that lens for something else besides taking pictures. Now, what?" Shawn sighed.

"Cavanaugh was known for ferreting out rule-breakers. He once caught a kid stealing the advance word list. And everything he did had a purpose." Gus explained.

When Shawn suddenly stopped near a table, his friends stopped as well and looked at him with confusion. He grabbed one of the pamphlets on the table, looking annoyed once he opened it. He handed it to Gus and Desiree leaned over to see the word list that was for round two which made her sigh heavily.

"You couldn't have grabbed one of these five minutes ago?" Shawn asked Gus.

"Hey, I think my words were harder than most of those." Desiree defended herself. She wasn't an English teacher or anything, but she liked to think her words were pretty good.

"Honestly, Dezi, I liked your words better than the ones on the list." Shawn reassured her, nudging her with a smile as she grinned back at him.

"We're down to the final two spellers." A commentator reveals as the trio step into the auditorium to sit down. "This has been a hard-fought battle right from the start. We've had tragedy, controversy, but when it really mattered these kids put together a fantastic display of the power of learning."

Gus' scoff gains Desiree's and Shawn's attention. "Look at this," He shows the open pamphlet to them. "Brendan Vu went down on 'Gladiolus'."

"So?" Shawn shrugged.

"So if I'd been able see any of the competition, I could've told you that was the winning word from the first spelling bee in 1929." Gus dramatically spoke.

Desiree shares a look with Shawn before they look back at Gus. "Okay, you're scaring me again."

"All of these words from that round were the winning words. They do that once in awhile. They make it a theme round. This one won the 1985 Bee, this one from 1943..." Gus realized, his eyes widening.

Desiree stares at him with disbelief. "Okay, honestly, I'm gettin' a little scared now." How and why did he know all that?

"Yeah, Gus, what are you saying?" Shawn asked him.

"Guess which kid got the winning word from 1953?" Gus questions, causing Shawn to mouth 'I don't know' while Desiree shrugs. "You're staring at his father." He pointed out since Shawn kept glancing over that way. Where they were sat at, they could easily see the Czech's kid dad who still had a small dictionary on his lap and Desiree noticed he kept looking at it every once in awhile. But as she thought things through, she was surprised and shocked. She shared a look with Shawn and they both looked at the stage where the Czech boy stood at the mic.

"Guys, that's who Cavanaugh was going to disqualify. That's what he was tracking in the rule book. 1-9-5-3. It was 1953." Shawn realized.

"It all makes sense now." Desiree mumbled, shaking her head with disbelief.

"Jiri Prochazka," Bill, the spellmaster, speaks up. "You have the next word. 'Mastoparietal'."

"P-Part of speech?" Jiri stuttered.

Desiree glances over at his dad, noticing he was looking through the small book again. "It is an adjective." Bill replied.

"C-Could I have the d-definition?" Jiri questioned.

"Yes. Relating to the mastoid portion of the temporal bone and to the parietal bone." Bill explained.

The trio watches with shock as Jiri's dad does a signal to his son. "Shawnie, you see the signal?" She muttered to Shawn, watching as Jiri's dad was pointing to his hand.

"Yep, I got it." Shawn smirked.

"Let's call the chief." Gus suggested and Desiree nodded in agreement, following the boys out of the auditorium.

****

"And this year's winner of the Central California Regionals is Jiri Prochazka." Ms. Foote announced, clapping along with the rest of the audience. She was on stage with a big check in hand as Jiri and his dad stood by him while a cameraman took their picture. By this time, Chief Vick, Lassiter, and Juliet had arrived and walked in. Shawn walked in ahead of the group and, of course, made a big scene as he walked on stage. Desiree wasn't surprised at all. If anything, she would be surprised if he didn't make a big scene.

"Woo-hoo! Yeah! Whoo-hoo-hoo! Whoop it up, people! This is what you came to see, right here! This is it!" He grabs Jiri's arm and his dad's arm to raise them in the air. "Yes! This competition meant everything to Miklous!" Desiree stands by Gus near the back as police officers walked inside. Shawn then pretended to act like he was starting to convulse. "Oh, boy! Gus! Dezi, here we go! Guys, it's happening!" Desiree shares a look with Gus, she looked more amused than him though. Shawn pulls away from Jiri and his dad, stumbling over to the table. He stands straighter, looking up. "I know who killed Elvin Cavanaugh."

"Can't he ever just tell us to arrest someone?" Chief Vick sighed.

Desiree chuckles. "What's the fun in that?" She joked, causing the woman to roll her eyes though she had a small smile on her face.

"He does this a lot?" Juliet asked with surprise.

"Yes." Chief Vick and Lassiter replied in unison.

Desiree sends Juliet a reassuring smile. "You'll get used to it."

"I'm sorry. I'm kind of a slave to my visions. I'm a slave." Shawn apologized as he acted like he was breathing heavily.

"Do you want me to cuff him?" Lassiter offered with annoyance clear on his face.

"Why-Why would I want that?" Chief Vick questioned, looking and sounding surprised as she looked at him.

Lassiter shrugs. "Just a suggestion."

Desiree looks at him with a glare. "You cuff him and you're gonna have me to deal with." She threatened, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Please, I could easily take you." Lassiter rolled his eyes.

Desiree smirks. "Are you the one who has a black belt in karate, detective? 'Cause I am."

"I have a taser." He replied, gesturing to the taser that was holstered to his belt.

"I can take that too and use it against you, so I would be careful about making threats, Carlton. I can be sneaky." She warned him. She was definitely not a person you wanted to mess with. Lassiter could easily get under her skin - which she hated and plus it was fun to annoy him sometimes, especially when she and Shawn teamed up to annoy him.

"Enough." Chief Vick spoke, giving them a warning look. Desiree nodded and stepped back, sending Lassiter a warning look. He rolled his eyes and huffed, crossing his arms as he looked away.

"They just sort of come when they want to come." Shawn admits, looking over at Jiri. "Jiri, spell 'soubrette'."

"Why is this man speaking?" Miklous inquired, looking annoyed.

"You can't, can you? Not without help from your dad, and that's not a real inhaler. Is it?" Shawn added, only making Miklous more upset.

"This is crazy. This...This..." Miklous muttered.

Shawn gasps dramatically, stumbling back and looking at the balcony. "Cheating...Was Cavanaugh's obsession. He was going to expose you as a cheater. He was going to disqualify Jiri and you knew it, and you couldn't let that happen. You had way too much to lose. You slipped into the box, you knew his comfort was food. He was dangerously unhealthy. Oh..." He points up at the balcony. "He's starting to go into shock...You knew he wouldn't stop the Bee. He never stops the Bee. By the end of the round, it was too late. He was too dizzy to walk. He stumbles." He pretends to stumble around as what Cavanaugh would have done. "He tumbles over the rail, crashes to the chairs below...And there goes the evidence. Expect for one thing." He points at Miklous and then the inhaler Jiri held. "That inhaler." Jiri puts the inhaler in his pocket nervously. "It sends electronic signals. The transmitter is in your jacket. You sent the signals from the audience to the stage, and I bet at your home we'll find the van that ran me off the road when I alerted the police and a dangerous cocktail of unforgiving poisons."

"You don't need it." Juliet steps forward, surprising everyone. "I took your and Desiree's advice. I ran the Chinese food through the lab. Nothing's definite..." She turns to Chief Vick apologetically. "I'm sorry. They just seemed sure. I took a shot."

Desiree was pleased that Juliet had listened to her and Shawn and it made her smile. She was surprised, but happy the blonde ended up listening to their advice and took initiative. Chief Vick speaks up, walking to the stage with Lassiter. "I'll take it from here." 

Desiree sent Shawn a smile, giving him a subtle thumbs up. He winked back at her in response. She admired how Shawn always managed to turn even the most tense situations into moments of theatrical revelation. As Chief Vick took charge of the situation, Desiree felt a rush of satisfaction knowing they solved another case. 

****

Desiree watches as Juliet guides Jiri to the police car and Lassiter brought his dad over. "I could've won that thing." Gus muttered with a pout.

"Yeah, you could've. Thank the Lord you didn't." Shawn replied, earning an offensive look from Gus.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Gus inquired.

"Come on, Gus. The guy who wins is saddled forever as, you know, the dude that won the Spelling Bee. I'm sure you would have dealt with it later, but kids, high school kids especially, they're just ruthless...Judgmental...Horrible little bastards. You wouldn't have been able to date a cheerleader. They wouldn't have invited you to any parties. You have been the object of ridicule. I mean, this way, you got to be a smart kid and a cool kid, the best of both worlds." Shawn explained and Desiree smiled, thinking it was sweet how Shawn tried to make him feel better.

"That's true." Gus agrees. "I appreciate that, Shawn."

"Yeah, it was a nice balance. That's why I had to give you the wrong letter." Shawn admitted, causing Gus to stop and look at him with narrowed eyes.

Desiree sighs heavily. "Here we go." She muttered under her breath as she stopped with Shawn.

"You knew that was wrong?" Gus asked Shawn.

"Oh, come on, Gus. 'Aggiornamento'. Everybody knew it was an 'i'." Shawn shrugs with a smile. Though after seeing Gus' look on his face, he realizes his mistake and starts to slowly back up. "Alright, you hold on. You were happy one second ago."

"I was about to win. I studied for three months." Gus angrily said.

"Yeah, and you would have kept studying forever and ever, all the way 'till nationals. You're upset now, I can see that," Shawn nervously says as Gus started to walk towards him. "But you'll be fine with it later."

"You know what that did to me?" Gus glared at him.

"Yes, yes, I do. We went out the next night and-and you were so flustered that you threw caution to the wind and you hooked up with Melinda Castleberg! It was nice!" Shawn quickly starts running, using trees to help him stay out of Gus' reach while Gus chased after him. "Dezi, a little help here!" He called to her as she just stood there, watching the pair run around with amusement.

"What do you want me to do?" Desiree laughed, crossing her arms as she watched him.

"Get him to stop chasing me!" Shawn yelled, continuing to run.

"He'll get over it!" She called back.

"Get him!" Shawn pleaded when he reached her, using her as a shield. He stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders as he tried to hide behind her.

"Gus, calm down! It's just a Spelling Bee!" She chuckles. She wasn't even going to bother trying to get away, knowing Shawn would just grab her and continue to use her as a shield. "You know Shawn's just teasing you."

"But he cost me a chance to win a Spelling Bee." Gus pouted.

"Well, yeah, but if he didn't, you wouldn't have been happy because you would've studied for the rest of your life and possibly bullied. I say we just forget this happened and go get ice cream or something." She suggests. She could really use some ice cream right about now. And she could see Gus was slowly starting to agree. "I'll even pay for yours, Gus." She added, figuring he would completely agree then.

Gus sighs, his frustration easing as he realized Desiree was right. "Alright, fine. Ice cream sounds good."

"Wha-What about me?" Shawn whined, still hiding behind her.

Desiree laughs and shrugs, looking over her shoulder at him. "I'm not paying for yours."

"You can't let me starve!" He whines, his hands sliding down from her shoulders and wrapping around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder. "I'm practically wasting away!"

Desiree rolls her eyes, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach and pushed him away gently. She then began walking away with Gus, linking her arm with his. "You are such a drama queen, Shawn. Now c'mon. We're getting ice cream and you're buying yours." She chuckled when she heard him groan. She glanced over her shoulder and sees him slowly trailing behind them. She could tell he was pouting which made her chuckle again and shake her head. It was never boring when she hung out with Shawn and Gus. She wouldn't change anything about it either. 

A/N oof this was a long chapter but i love desiree & shawn so much, they're so cute! & i love this trio too