“But have you discussed this with him?”

“Did you talk to your feet before you sent them the mental order to cross the street?” she said.

Actually, today he had. But he knew what she meant. He needed to talk to Shawn about this right away.

“Are you getting any beams from Shawn right now?”

She thought it over, cocking her head like a puppy to aid her reception. “Nothing.”

“That’s what I was afraid of,” Gus said. “All those police radios are interfering with the signals.”

“I didn’t know they could do that,” Tara said. “It’s never been a problem before.”

“It’s a new invention,” Gus said. “With all the bandwidth going to cell carriers, the cops have switched to psychic frequencies for their radios.”

“I’d better get closer to him then.”

“No!” Gus said. “I mean, he’s asked me to relay a request-an order-to you.”

“I didn’t hear him do that.”

“Exactly,” Gus said. “That’s why I have to tell you that Shawn wants you to-Shawn orders you-to wait by the car.”

He waited for a moment for her to process this. Then she smiled and went back across the street. Forcing his legs to go faster, Gus walked over to the shack’s front door, where seven of the police were still standing frozen as the crime scene tech finally managed to get up off his knees.

“Good to see your new cologne’s going over as well as the old one, Lassie,” Shawn said.

“I thought he was responding to one of your jokes,” Lassiter said. “It’s how they make me feel.”

Gus stepped up before Shawn could respond. “There’s something we need to talk about.”

“Not just yet, Gus,” Shawn said. “Detective Lassiter was just going to demonstrate what makes him Santa Barbara’s finest.”

“You really think I won’t go in that shack?” Lassiter said.