memories, psych [ 1 ]

chapter forty-eight

"Great. I'm missing a huge symposium on on new frontiers in medical treatment, and I don't even know what for." Gus states as the trio stand on the boat that Vick is driving.

"What is that? The fungus one?" Shawn asks.

"Yeah. Don't play, Shawn. You know that fungus is my bread and butter." Gus says.

"Really? You know what my bread and butter is? Bread and butter." Shawn states. "Fungus has never entered into the equation. Not once. All the chief said was that time was of the essence and that she'd brief us on the boat."

"I wonder what this case is about. It obviously has something to do with the ocean." Gus says.

"Ah, Gus, it could be anything. Crab on crab violence, a gang war between the mermen and the shark people, or maybe she wants to take us wild orca hunting." Shawn says.

"Did you, like, fall asleep to The Little Mermaid or Finding Nemo last night or something?" Vanessa asks.

"All right, guys. Come on up." Vick says and the trio immediately go to her. "All right, hey, here's the deal. A safety inspector named Butch Hicks fell to his death from an offshore oil rig last night, and his body washed up on shore. The rig he was working on is the Bamford Number Seven and that's where we're headed."

"Okay, first of all, let me just say, awesome! I've always wanted to go on an oil rig." Shawn says.

"Excuse me, chief, but how is this a police matter?" Gus asks. "From what you've said, it sounds like an accident."

"Yeah, that's what the coast guard thinks, but I'm not so sure. We received an anonymous tip about a week ago that we traced to a payphone outside the dive shop on the pier. The caller said that something highly unsafe was going on out on that rig and that he was risking everything to warn us."

"Dudes, Harbor Seal." Shawn points out.

"What?" Gus gasps.

"Did you share this information about the anonymous tip with the coast guard?" Shawn asks.

"Absolutely not. I've had dealings with them in the past, and I don't trust 'em." Vick states.

"Well, if you suspect foul play, shouldn't your lead detective be here? I mean, where's Lassie?" Shawn asks.

"And Juliet? Shouldn't she be here?" Gus asks.

"Okay, well, the truth is, um, what we're doing isn't exact-- we're acting more in an unofficial capacity, and any more questions, and I'm gonna turn this boat around and take you all back to shore, understood?"

"I'm all right with that. Except that Gus' leg is touching mine." Shawn says.

"Is not." Gus objects.

"He keeps looking at my ear." Shawn says.

"Enough." Vick tells them. "Now we're gonna be there in about five--" She's cut off by a siren blaring.

"This is the United States Coast Guard." A woman's voice calls over a bullhorn. "Stop your engine and prepare to be boarded."