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A headache was pounding away in his skull. He dragged his hands across his face, slightly disgusted at the spikier feeling of stubble along his jawline than he typically kept. But he had to keep it if he wanted to fill in the role Karen had assigned to him, then it was necessary.
Shawn had spent the whole night with the SBPD chief going over their latest running case. And it was starting to look like a cold case, but Karen had an inkling something was brewing.
When he had first come to the station -aside the the chief and him making fun of each others outfits, Karen looking much more formal complete with a cardigan, a scarf and somewhat heeled boots while Shawn wore the same sun-bleached jeans he had for the last case just with an AC/DC shirt he intended to sleep in. Instead he threw a leather jacket on top and his feet back into his shoes- Karen had pulled him into her office and asked him if he would be willing to go undercover. He almost made a joke about how she is a married woman. But he refrained. Because it’s nearly midnight, she looks stressed beyond any other look he’s ever seen in her face, and she looks scared to ask him.
When Shawn had responded and told her in kind he needed a little more information, her first quip was another question in turn to his.
“Mr Spencer, are you in any way homophobic, transphobic, or queerphobic?”
“If I had a magic wand ma’am, then I wouldn’t be able to lie.” she had only raised an eyebrow at that.
“Answer the question Spencer. I need to know this before I throw you into anything.”
“It was a Joke, Chief Vick. Back in high school, a couple of bullies used to call me a fairy. So, if I had a magic wand, that would make it even more true.”
“Is this you coming out to me?”
“Hey, you asked. Don’t you go and switch things up on me!- I’m a proud bisexual man. And I have no shame. My father doesn’t care anymore. And the Gusters have pretty much known since I was 10 and practiced holding hands with Gus.”
“That’s a lot of information Mr Spencer, she chuckled. She wasn’t sure if this was Shawn admitting he was in a relationship with Guster, or that he was looking for one at some point. “Are you and Burton dating, Shawn?” she pressed her face into a frown. It didn’t particularly matter to her either way, but it was important to know because they worked so much together at the precinct. It was standard really.
“Uhhhhh? Yes? And No?”
“Elaborate.” an eyebrow raised into her bangs.
“Yes. Because we’ve been dating in and off. But also no, because it’s on and off. But then yes again because we love each other both platonically and romantically and the other ‘-ally’ that I won’t say to your face. But then no, again, because we’re both also sort of polyamorous. Gus and I are dating, to a certain degree. But he’s more comfortable being- uh, intimate, to say, with women. Where I’m pretty exclusive with whatever sort of partner. So yes, him and I a couple, in a relationship, dating. But he’s also free to date a woman, and he’s given me my freedoms to flirt and date outside of him as well. We just have to be pretty up front with it. And Gus is a worse flirt than I am so he tends to forget.”
“Well, since you’re already technically in a relationship with your business partner? I must ask, do you have any interest in any of my officers- or detectives?”
“That’s uh- that’s depends, Karen.” her expression did not change in the slightest. “I wouldn’t mind if there was a spark with either of your detectives really, they’re both very dear to me in more than one way, and attractive both aesthetically, like Jules is pretty and Lassie is just charming to look at, but also noetically. Their either have their own opinions and ideas about them that makes the te of them so different and yet attractive for nearly the same reasons.
“So, If there’s something wrong with me admiring any of that, especially in the way of Carlton, then I can either back off, or do whatever it is that won’t get me in trouble.”
“My Spencer, you would not be punished for anything. Feelings and urges aren’t so easily contained, as well as they can be hidden. As such, the only reason my head detective got in trouble for the last colleague he slept with was because they did it under my nose. It’s never rare for two police officers to date and later marry. It happens very much the same in the military. But because of the dangers of the job and emotional attachments, if one is not direct about their relationships in a job like this, then that makes much more trouble.
“So long as you don’t go and try to propose to either Guster or one of my detectives by tomorrow, then I have no problems.”
“Why couldn’t I propose to Gus?” Shawn asked with a half pout.
“Do you want to fill out that paperwork for the both of you all the while working on this case?”
When she finally moved on to the case, nearly 20 minutes after Shawn had even arrived at the station, did the interrogation on his sexuality and further on to his dating life sink below the surface and they just let it slowly bubble past them as Shawn did his best to transition with the topic.
“Uh, no. I can’t say I would. But, in that regard; give it to me straight doc, what am I in for?”
It took Karen a moment to properly understand just quite what he meant. But it seemed to lift the mood just a before a glance to her left had the whole room of emotions land sliding back
“Well Spencer,:’
In the last month, 16 people of brunette or dark brown hair with light coloured eyes: men, women and even 1 amab nonbinary person among the mix. They had all been seen last at their place of work and called in missing within a week later.
Four women and two men have shown up strangled to death in numerous fields and farmlands just around the bordering cities of Santa barbera. Dressed in blue fabrics that were much more like curtains rather than actually clothing and half buried in the dirt. Their eyelids had been cut off, and if Shawn were any type of profiler; which with his skills- he wasn’t too far from being able to do, Shawn would say it was some representation of their kidnapper and murdered wanting the attention of him and making it so they could not close their eyes.
He kept flipping through the pages of the casefile, being careful of the horror novel this was turning out to be.
None of the other missing people had shown up. The police and shamefully some of the department had started to detach from the case. It had been slow going for about 4 months now and without any more bodies showing up, and few people having recently gone missing fitting their kidnappers usual criteria, it was quickly becoming a cold case.
Karen never quite meant for Shawn to remain in the officer with her for so long. But going over the individual files for their victims, the workplaces, all the possible suspects, suspect and witness testimony and interrogations done by officers Shawn had barely met, it was well past four in the morning by the time Shawn was finally able to learn the full of his role in the first place.
“I apologize for all of the intrusive questions Mr Spencer. And for the time I’ve taken away from you when you could have been sleeping.”
“It’s alright, Boss. I don’t really sleep much anyways. I just try to exercise a bit and I drink a lot of coffee. Both of which actually help me to stay awake. But I understand, this really couldn’t wait without it being more suspicious. Ask me to do some undercover work while the rest of the world is asleep, yeah?”
“Something like that. As for coffee, you could always have a cup or three from the coffee station. It’s not great, but it does the job.”
A thought ran through Spencer’s head. “‘One cup of coffee was a blessing; two cups was an indulgence; three cups, a sin.’ However, despite how he couldn’t quite care to remember where he knew that quote from, whether a book or a movie. There was only one way to really dictate how much a cup of coffee was. And that was dependent on fbe size of the cup. Not actually measuring out a damn cup worth of boiling hot caffeinated bean water. No one who drank coffee, ever just drank one cup. It was the biggest mug they had [available] or none.
“I uh, I have a place I usually go to for coffee. It’s a bit of a distance away from here. But their cheapest stuff is delicious, and if we finish this up soon, I could run to my apartment and change into whatever is most appropriate, and be back here with some coffee for the both of us. You’ve just gotta let me know who and what I am, and as soon as I’ve got coffee, that’s who I am. So long as I’m still allowed to visit the station.
“Yes. Of course Mr Spencer. For the whole of your undercover work, you’ll be welcomed by the police department here. By tomorrow, all of my officers who have worked the case, Detectives Lassiter and O’Hara as well as the rest of the station when I can, will be aware you are working under cover.
“You’ll be playing the part of a man named Owen Paul.
A 36 year old male with dark brown hair and light coloured eyes, to which you fit the physical description of just fine.
We aged you up on all of the paperwork so you fit some of the criteria more. You work at a local library and skateboard just about everywhere because you don’t trust the roads.
You live in a somewhat rundown apartment near the sand of the beaches and while we haven’t labeled your sexuality; your name and appearance are just general enough that there’s been over 4 Owen’s known to frequent this one gay club. The O’Clarin, if you’ve heard of it.”
Shawn smirked at this. He’s not only heard of it, but he’s been inside. Most queer-hang out spots were pretty anonymous, so as long as you could prove you were over the age of 21, you weren’t expected to share last names.
“Now, we actually have met an ‘Owen Paul’. And while the witness story we have for you is completely false. Details like the shabby apartment and quiet job are true.
Our Owen Paul could be a brother of yours. His hair is slightly off in texture, but if you style it right, I’m sure things could work. Mr Paul really works at a small family owned restaurant. But we needed you to stand out a little more to our main suspect.”
“So, I’m being a witness, then? My undercover role is pretend to live what is essentially the life of a real person, an openly gay man, and get the attention of the bad guy?”
“Precisely.”
“Cool. What’s my story?”
“You were supposed to take our latest known victim, Rory Backer, out on a date the night he disappeared. Becker is a recently divorced and bi-curious man from what a friend had told us.
This friend has no problem helping you fit into your role. As for the suspect, you’ll be claiming to have seen a specific make and model of a car speeding away from Backers apartment and didn’t think much of it until you saw it lingering around your work.
Lucky for us, the library you’ll be working on is just around the corner and a little up the street from our family owned restaurant. Well place you into a false witness protection in order to lure out whoever our man is.”
“The real Owen Paul will be watched over by officers Elickt and Josenburhg. I trust my men to keep him safe. And I trust you, Shawn Spencer, to be the very best Owen Paul we’ve got.”
It didn’t take Shawn long to mull over just what this role would mean for him while he helped Karen Vick clean up all over her folders and the extra papers that came with him agreeing to his undercover work. He left that one out as a precaution in case his father, or Gus, for some reason didn’t see it fit for Shawn to take this case. He needed an open mind about the whole thing. It would be a little strange working with the station and all of the officers while essentially living as a higher profile version of a real person.
But, it would also be fun.
“Do I get to wear a crop top?” Shawn waggled his eyes.
“Yes, I suppose you do, Mr Spencer. Now, if you would be so kind as to get those coffees you mentioned, please return shortly with an outfit or two I can have myself and the detectives help you decide. I’ll be calling O’Hara and Lassiter to the station while you’re out. So I suggest you let your father and your best friend know what’s going on before we have too many questions or extenuating circumstances on our hands. And Mr Spencer? Dont add add any sugar to my coffee. I like it sweet, but not like a dessert. And thank you agin for agreeing to this without knowing much beforehand. I really do believe you’ll be good for this investigation.”
“Alright.” Shawn stood up, balancing himself on his arms because he had been sitting for so long. “God, I might just walk home. My legs feel so tight-“ he shuddered a breath past his flapping lips. “I’ll bring some coffee back for everyone. And I’ll return showered and dressed maybe at least more appropriately. It might take me a little extra time. But I’ve got to find one of my favorite books. I promise it will help in my role.”
“And what is your favorite book?”
“’Lie With Me’. I own both the original French version and the translated version.”