“What?”

“Honesty,” Shawn said. “Sincerity. Heart.”

“I don’t know,” Henry said. “Since you’ve never actually tried anything that radical before, it’s hard to say what would happen if you did. But I can guarantee that nothing else is going to work.”

Shawn nodded thoughtfully as he took this in. Then he turned away from Henry and faced the wall. When he turned back, the trademark smirk was gone from his face. He stared at his father with deep, grave eyes.

“Ellen Svaco came to Psych for help,” Shawn said. “I didn’t realize the kind of trouble she was in. If I had, she might still be alive. I can’t do anything about that, but at least I can help catch her killer.”

Henry thought about this. “I’ll help,” he said. “On one condition.”

“I’m not going to sit in for you on the great rock and roll swindle,” Shawn said. “But I will troll the retirement homes for your replacement if that will make you feel better about breaking up the band.”

“It’s not that,” Henry said, “and it’s not negotiable.”

“Everything’s negotiable,” Shawn said.

“Not this,” Henry said. “If I’m on this case, you’re off it.”

Chapter Fourteen

Shawn stared at his father as if he hadn’t heard him correctly. “You do understand that this is my case.”

“I understand that it was,” Henry said. “Now you’ve got to ask yourself what’s more important: that this woman’s murderer be brought to justice, or that you’re the one who does it.”

“How about this,” Shawn said, thinking quickly. “I’ll stay on the case, but Gus will promise not to be involved.”

“Hey!” Gus protested from his corner.

“Like you weren’t looking for a way to get on this without me,” Shawn said.

“Only so I could work as a mole, passing you information from the inside,” Gus said.

“Which is why I wasn’t going to let Gus in, either,” Henry said. “This case is too dangerous.”