Rory Derkins works at a 1800 stress line in Santa Barbara in order to carry out the 250 hours of community service he was sentenced to after an assault charge. He is a poet and had attacked someone because they didn't like his poetry. Shawn considers this enough reason to suspect him of being involved in the mysterious suicides of Bill Hiltonbock, an unknown second victim, Mortimer Tilden, and Gloria Starks and tells Gus to make a call to the stress line and ask for Rory so that he can see him in action. What happens next is very disturbing to both of them, as Rory seems to find beauty in death and quickly escalates the call by putting suicidal thoughts in Gus's mouth. Gus wants him arrested immediately and it is not long before Lassiter and Juliet arrive based on their own research. Juliet had drawn up a list of those working at the stress line, and Rory's name instantly stood out to Lassiter because he had been the arresting officer after his assault. He strides into the office indignantly while Rory is listening to music through his earphones, which he almost always is because it inspires his poetry. Lassiter disconnects the earphones expecting to hear loud metal blast through the office after hearing similar music play at the last two crime scenes, but to his unpleasant surprise it turns out Rory listens to nothing but classic pop. However, Lassiter still considers it more than a coincidence that Gloria's suicide note was written in eyeliner and Rory happens to be in possession of an eyeliner pencil. He arrests him a second time, but Shawn saves the day by busting the real killer, Wes Hiltonbock, not long afterwards.
Trivia[]
- Shawn tells Gus that Rory is wearing so much eyeliner that he could be the drummer from The Cure. This refers to Jason Cooper, who has been with the English rock band since 1995.
- The song Rory is listening to as Lassiter disconnects his earphones is the 1967 hit Up, Up and Away by The 5th Dimension.