Ash and An Evening With Mr. Yang

Our friend called Ben.

"Make a hole!" Lassie ordered as we walked in.
I looked up to see Shawn's mother making me try to go back out, only for Shawn to block it and then saw her.
"Mom?" He asked making her come over slightly.
"Hey, goose." She told making the four of us go over since Penelope was staying by my side.
"Hi, Mrs. Spencer." Gus told.
"Hey."
"Hey, Madeleine." I told very unsure about this.
"Hello Ashley. I thought you were dead?" She pointed out making me throw my arms up in question.
"Why does everyone think that?"
"No clue." Shawn, Gus and Penelope told as one.
"Spencer! Let's go!" Lassie shouted making me cover my ears from reflex.
"I hate that man I call friend." I admitted as I lowered my hands since Shawn carefully pulled them down and gave me a reassuring squeeze.
"You're friends with him?" Penelope asked making me shrug.
"We need to talk. I'll make it quick." She told Shawn.
"Sure, no problem." He told before looking towards us three. "Find the clue. I'll be right there!"
"Bye." We told her.
"Actually, Ashley. I would prefer you stay for this." She admitted.
"Ok?"
"Bye." She told Gus and Pen before we moved away from everyone.
'I'm always so awkward around his mother.'
"I'm not going to mince words. Your father called me, he's worried about you two." She admitted. "He wants me to convince you not to do this since Ashley won't."
"So he calls you, you hop on a plane. That's how it works, huh?" Shawn questioned in confusion.
"No, Shawn, I didn't fly down here. I was at a conference in Ventura." She admitted.
"You were in town?" We both asked making her nod.
"Would've been nice to know." Shawn admitted in a hurt tone
"Truth is, I'm worried about you, too. I did psych evals of several officers who were involved in this first round of this maniac's game. It wasn't pretty." She explained.
"All right, look, first of all, Mom, I have a date tonight with Ash. All right?" Shawn told.
"Yeah this doesn't feel like I should be here. Imma go." I told only for Shawn to grab my hand to stop me, and I could tell he needed comfort.
'Damn it.'
"So I have to wrap this up at a reasonable hour. And secondly, this guy has never gone up against me and Ash. What I'm going through, she can help me find what I'm missing. If I can stand here, and tell you that I will nail this guy, are you really going to tell me to walk away?"
"Shawn!"
"Mom!" He slightly shouted back making her go silent. "I can beat him. I will beat him, especially with Ash by my side."
"Okay, goose. Nail the son of a bitch." She told making him quickly cheer that she agreed.
"Yeah. Okay, I've got to go, Mom." He told kissing her cheek and I gave her an awkward fist bump before we rushed off.
'I'm so awkward when it comes to mother figures.'
"I find it adorable you get awkward with my mother." He told as we looked around where the others was.
"We've been over this Shawn. I hardly talked to your mother when I was a child, we don't have a lot in common." I informed him.
"I think I would say otherwise. Can you do the thing?"
I closed my eyes and began to hum duck tails as I did a waltz towards where I was being pulled. When I stopped I was in front of the conference room as Karen was talking about something with them.
"Well, someone must have signed for this."
"It wasn't delivered. Dobson found it outside the file room." Lassie pointed out,
"Well, how in the hell can..." Karen spoke before taking a deep breath as me and Shawn moved to stand next to Gus. "Okay, you know what, people? Eyes open!"
Before we could continue, Buzz walked back in with a message.
"Chief? Lou Sardocki from the Independent is on the phone. He says you owe him a statement?" He told making her more mad.
"Oh, I'll give him a statement." She muttered as she stormed out.
"Yeah I never wanna get on her bad side." I admitted as Shawn and Gus nodded as Mary carefully opened the paper.
When he did, he revealed a mouse in a large cage and a beeping could be heard now.
"That's pretty clever." Mary told as he carefully got the new riddle to read.
"I can not believe they didn't put any holes in that." I mumbled before Mary spoke.
"Meet my little buddy Ben.
Pitter patter is your hint.
If you can't remember when,
just read the fine print." He read before looking at the stop watch. "And we have less than one hour."
"Shawn, can you speak to it?" Jules asked.
"No, he can't speak to it!" Lassie told.
"Stop being a hater Lassie." I told.
"I'm still very confused." Penelope admitted.
"Shawn's our resident psychic." Jules told
"He's not psychic." Lassie corrected.
"You're dating a psychic?!" She questioned me.
"Again. We went on a break when I went undercover. We gotta talk first before seeing if we become a couple again." I reminded her before looking at Shawn. "Can you give talking to the mice a go?"
"He can't talk to it, Ashley." Lassie told.
"Yes, he can. Just give him some room. Back up." Gus told making the three of them do so.
"Fine, knock yourself out, Doctor Dolittle." Lassie told.
"Doctor Dolittle?  I know you can do better than that, Lassy. I know you can." Shawn told as he leaned down and looked at it.
Me and Gus leaned down with him as well and Penelope kept away since she did have a fear of rodents.
"I don't... I don't know what I'm supposed to remember." Shawn whispered to us, causing Gus to stand up and clear his throat.
"Hey, everybody. Guess who I am?" He told before he began to intimidate Michael Jackson. "Hee, hee!"
"Bunny?"
"Well the riddle states that he's Ben, Pitter patter is our hint. Can't remember then we gotta read the fine print." I somewhat repeated as we continued to whisper while Gus danced.
"The riddle was made out of cereal though. There is no fine print."
"Fine print can be on anything."
"Can you use that brilliantly beautiful walking vault brain of yours?"
"Sure. Johann Gutenberg was the inventor of the fine print. Originally it was cause of books having to be written by hand, so he created the printing press. It was largely known to be used in making newspaper articles." I informed him making him give me a look. "What?"
"I think I got it." He told before kissing the side of my head before looking back at the cage.... Only for Gus to finally speak.
"I'm Michael Jackson. King of pop." He told making the rest of the team look at him in confusion, so Gus stopped and went back to his side of Shawn and began to whisper again. "Shawn, I don't think this is working."
"Are you kidding me? That was a home run. Keep up the good work." Shawn whispered to him.
"Pitter patter is the hint." Mary started as he leaned down to look at Shawn through the cage. "Now, I don't think we're speaking to a mouse. I think the mouse is speaking to you. What do you got, Shawn?"
"Fine print." Shawn spoke when he worked it out before quickly rushing up, making me and Gus do the same before Shawn take the cage off.
"Hello, my friend." Mary quietly told the mouse as he picked him up and Shawn quickly began to move the mulch that was laid down for him, revealing the newspaper.
"It's the fine print. He was walking on it." Shawn told as he pulled the paper up to find what we were looking for.
"Where Spencer when you need a fast reader." I joked as we went searching for what we needed.
"Dude, this is crazy!"
"Adam Hornstock selling black snake. Will go fast." I read before Shawn found another one.
"Mira Gaffney seeks Bruton Gaster to love her tender." He read making Mary gasp.
"All people from past cases."
"How do you know that?" Lassie asked.
"I told you, I did my research. And finding
Bouchard's treasure was extremely impressive."
"Thank you, Willard." Me and Shawn told him.
"My pleasure." He told before Gus found one.
"Shawn." He told pointing to it making Shawn read it before quickly moving it away from me.
"What was it?"
"You don't wanna know."
"Shawn. Tell me. Please." I told making him look down and away from Penelope.
"I can't. Not while the others are around." He whispered.
"Fine." I told making him look at another one that caught his eye.
"Snarky psychic seeks ferroequinologist to help with killer smile.' He's calling me snarky?"
"I can see it." I admitted.
"Really?"
"Only when you're either really stressed or really tired."
"That's fair I guess."
"Ferroequinologist?" Jules questioned.
"A ferroequinologist is a train enthusiast." Me and Gus told as one.
"How do you two know that?" Lassie questioned.
"Because I am a ferroequinologist." Gus stated.
"I too, am a ferroequinologist." Mary added.
"Ash?" Lassie asked.
"You've known me for like 3-4 years and you've met my best friend from Uni. Does it really confuse you?"
"Well not when you put it like that."
"Love her tender.' The tender is a small fuel car right behind the locomotive." Gus continued.
"And 'black snake' is slang for coal train." Mary added.
"Guys we don't have long to get to the train station then." I pointed out.
"Why?" They all asked.
"There's only one coal train that runs through Santa Barbara." Gus stated before rushing out as Shawn let out a sigh.
"Thank God." He mumbled before we all rushed to the cars.
When we got to the cars, I quickly stopped Shawn since the others were ahead of us.
"What did it say?"
"Really, now?"
"I would prefer it." I stated making him sigh before showing me the one that seemed to be about me.
"Ashley Harper, looking for a father that doesn't abuse her and a mother who isn't presumed dead." He read out loud as he looked at me.
"I'm gonna kill him." I told making him give a sad smile.
"I'm sure you will. We gotta catch them first though." He told before we jumped into my car and Penelope and Gus were in the back.
"We're you two kissing?" Penelope asked.
"No." We both told before I turned the light and siren on and we rushed off towards where we needed to go.