**Sorry for the delayed update. **

"Good morning, Juliet," I purr as I answer the phone. A call during business hours means business, but it's always a treat to see her.

"Hi, Shawn. Look, I am swamped right now and can't get out of the office, but I need you to do me a favor." She sounds worried, so I cut my usual jokey demeanor.

"Sure, yeah, anything."

"Lassiter hasn't come into work today, which is really unusual. Can you stop by his place and see if anything is out of place?"

"Gus and I will be right by."

"Great, I'll text you the address." Huh. I don't normally get along with Lassiter, but this is mildly concerning. I text Gus that we need to do some recon for Jules in order to get him to bring his car over to the office. Granted, this is obviously pro bono, but good relations with Jules mean easier access to cases in the future. And my bike isn't exactly subtle. In the off chance that Lassiter is in trouble, a surprise approach will be key.

A few minutes later, we're in Lassie's neighborhood and pulling up to what must be his house...but two cars are there.

"Lassiter has company?" Gus vocalizes my surprise. I hop out of the car, despite Gus' warning of a potential killer on the loose. I roll my eyes and put my hand to the hood of the unfamiliar car - cool. So they didn't arrive recently.

"Don't be ridiculous, Gus, Lassie clearly has just been having some adult fun a little too late into the morning."

"You know that from a car?" he exclaims.

"Who else would have come over either in the late night or early morning and still be there?"

"Maybe a rapist-murder-cannibal?"

"No one like that drives a hybrid. Now c'mon. Let's see if we can get a look at whoever let Lassie hit it." I snicker. "I wonder if she's deaf. Maybe blind and deaf?"

"Shawn, that is none of your business, and I will not be caught breaking and entering in to a cop's house." Always a wet blanket. He'll join in the second I get in the house. I scurry around to the side of the house, and Gus follows only to continue trying to talk me out of it. I can see into the kitchen - and the clothes scattered around the floor. I tut disapprovingly.

"He's not even yet fully divorced," I whisper to Gus. "Also, it's not breaking and entering if the door is open," I say while finding the door unlocked.

"Shawn, it definitely is," but he follows me in all the same. I tiptoe towards the direction of the path of discarded clothing, which leads me to Lassiter's bedroom. Yep, two sleeping bodies, only half-covered by the sheet. This is going to be absolutely hilarious.

"Lassie, Lassie, Lassie," I walk in, saying loudly. "You're late for work," I exclaim as he groggily rubs his eyes. His lover is stirring as well. My observational senses work at light speed as usual, and I spot Lassiter's ties attached to the bedpost as well as his handcuffs. I raise my eyebrows at that. My, my. I didn't know Lassie had such exotic tastes. A woman's underwear - cute and lacy, not the type you would expect a woman Lassie's age to wear - is thrown across the room.

"Spencer," Lassiter yells - nothing unexpected there. "What the hell are you doing in my house?" He frantically moves to better cover himself with the bed sheet.

"I told you - you're late for work! Jules was worried about you and asked me to check on you."

"Uh, Shawn," Gus whispers, pointing to the woman, who has now rolled over and is looking rather alarmed at the appearance of two strangers. No, wait, not strangers. I know that girl...Juliet's stepsister! She also scrambles to cover herself with the sheet, but not before I notice the plethora of hickeys on her chest and the bruising from restraints on her wrists.

There is a long moment of shocked silence.

"Lassiter? You fucked Juliet's stepsister? What the hell, man. Doesn't that violate some partner code rule?"

"Or a lot of them?" Gus adds. The two lovers exchange a guilty glance.

"It's not what it looks like," the young woman tries.

"Yeah, it's not what it looks like," Lassiter joins in.

"I was driving home and got tired, and I just needed a place to crash for the night."

"Right, of course, and I'm guessing you were handcuffed to the bed at some point during the night because you just feel more secure that way?" I taunt them. She bites back a smile. Lassiter blushes.

"You two should be ashamed of yourselves. How would Jules feel if she knew what you had done?" I address this to Lassiter. "For her sake, I'm willing to keep this between us, in exchange for getting access to your next case," I bluster with fake anger, "but you had better get your ass to work, mister."

"Get out of my house, Spencer," Lassie retorts, unintimidated by my threat. "NOW," he yells, sending Gus and I scattering out the door.

"That was messed up," Gus comments the moment we're back in his car.

"I'll say. I'm going to ring Jules and let her know Lassie is a-okay."

"You're not gonna tell her about..."

"God, no. Would you want to?" He just shakes his head emphatically. As I'm dialing, I see her car pull around the corner. "Oh, hell," I mutter. "Gus, drive, drive, drive. We have to go meet Jules before gets close enough to recognize Jasmine's car." Gus complies, squealing out of the drive way to meet Juliet. We drive up to her, and Gus rolls down the window.

"Hey, Jules, I was just about to call you. I thought you said you were swamped and couldn't get out of the office?" I exclaim.

"Yeah, but you took so long getting back to me, I got worried."

"Well, nothing to be worried about. Good ol' Lassie just overslept some." I watch as her gaze moves past me to focus on something behind me.

"Is that...Jasmine's car at Lassiter's house?" she asks. Neither Gus nor I can think of a response fast enough, and she sees the hesitation in our eyes before speeding into Lassiter's driveway.

"Jules," I exclaim while Gus pops a U-turn, following her to the house. I stumble out of the car. "I don't think you should go in there," I yell after her as she strides for the front door.