The Butcher, The Baker and The Candlestick Maker

Part One

In seeking truth, you have to get both sides of the story.
- Walter Cronkite

Holden looked directly down the barrel of the gun. The glint of the 45 smiled back, reminding him of a few days ago when he was on the other end- the not so deadly end; or so he thought.

"What the hell were you thinking Shawn?!" Gus closed the car door behind him.

Shawn had recently been in a "fight" which Gus was meant to intervene and "save" a girl from a "mugging". Needless to say, a) it was Shawn's idea and b) the idea worked horribly.

Shawn ran up to an unsuspecting Gus and his date, wearing a balaclava. Shawn was able to blurt out "Give me you mon-" before Betty, the date, grabbed Shawn's wrist, twisted his arm round. Gus had screamed and leant over so as Shawn pirouetted, he slipped and flipped over Gus’s back. After Betty grabbed the fake gun, she put the pieces together. It didn’t seem likely there was going to be a date #2.

"You were meant to protect her. Look, it would have all worked out if you hadn't chosen a girl with a deathly grip." He murmured, massaging his poorly wrist.

“And if I had been told of this plan, maybe?” Shawn tutted in response.

"Now if you don't mind-" Shawn said as he picked himself up. "-I have a lovely, not so dramatic, date with O'Hara." And smugly walked inside the Santa Barbara Police Headquarters. Gus followed suit, tutting.

"Well how do you do my gem, my beauty, my-?"

"Not now Shawn." Juliet hushed Shawn with a single finger. "I'm sorry, this new victim has showed up. Same MO as the last one." Shawn gritted his teeth when he thought about the multiple shots through the face, losing the victim their identity; especially after blowing off each fingertip. It kinda put a downer on the moment so Shawn, Gus and Juliet followed Carlton to the morgue.

"Well, I wish I had more to give you. He's male. I was going to try dental records but..." Woodrow, the naive mortician, lifted the blanket, covering the body. Everyone, bar Woody who stared with intrigue, shot their gaze elsewhere. "He hasn't got much dental going on in there."

“Is there anything else..?” Lassy kept his stern jaw; Gus, not so much. After handing Gus a bucket, Woody revealed a small evidence bag.

“He was shot in the back, not just the evident places but I also found this shard of glass in the arm. I’m sending it over to get it identified for you.” Shawn noticed the clear glass. He also noted, with his keen eyes, small white symbols. Could be letters, he thought to himself, when Juliet spoke up.

“He was found in an alley. Who knows what had been thrown out. It’s probably just a beer bottle, but good idea, Thank you Woody.”

“Thanks Woods.” Shawn escorted Gus out. Sternly, Lassiter turned back to Woody.

“Keep us posted if you get anything to tell us who this guy is. O’Hara, we should check out the crime scene.”

Gus and Shawn drove up to the alley where the shooting took place. Shawn now began to take in the scene. A pool of blood lay amidst the clutter of garbage; the arm of a plastic doll, a partial footprint in the blood- already found and documented, newspaper covered in blood spatter and a few smashed beer bottles. Shawn peered closer.

“Gus, that guy didn’t get the shard in his arm here.  See? The glass is brown, not clear.”

“So where did he come from?” Gus took lead as he walked back up the alley, noticing a small blood trail. “Shawn, over here.”