Tommy Nix is a notorious local Santa Barbara street racer, and even more notoriously a thrill seeker. He's also tied to a car theft ring which he resorts to murder to get to the top of.
History[]
Carlton Lassiter and Juliet O'Hara, on the trail of the latest car theft in a ring they've been tracking, find the thief shot dead in the car they stole. Taking point, Shawn Spencer jumps into the case when he intuits from the bullet's trajectory that the shooter was in another car, figuring because of the car theft ring that the car of the shooter has a forged VIN. The thief is Max Contreras, who dealt with Logan Paget. Paget, when questioned, says the car was his and it was stolen, but Lassiter and O'Hara point out no reports on the car were made to the police.
Tommy Nix is first seen at Contreras' auto garage, openly admitting he's one of the street racers but refusing to divulge the location of the new race because Spencer and Burton "Gus" Guster were never invited. The two sleuths then track the location on their own, appropriating Henry Spencer's truck for the race and tricking it out with a nitrous oxide boost. Nix is the driver they race against, and surprised by the pair's gusto, they're welcomed into the crew. He confides his dream to hit the ultimate rush by a 200 mph in a state-of-the-art sports car, making him seem suspect.
Contreras' girlfriend, Gina, who was at the garage and has two paralyzed fingers from when she was cut at their joints in an accident, pulls Spencer aside seemingly to make out. She then reveals she's looking for a wire, knowing he's with the cops. She pulls a revolver, revealed to be the gun used to kill Contreras, but Lassiter and O'Hara barge in and arrest her on the spot, having done their own trailing in the drag racing. But back at the Psych office, Spencer is certain she didn't kill Contreras, as with her damaged hand, she couldn't have both driven the car and shot Contreras at the same time. Rushing out to get to SBPD, to Gus' chagrin, he comes back, as Nix and his two accomplices are holding the pair at gunpoint. He confesses, saying Contreras was a hurdle he had to jump so he could his own car theft ring. he then states his demands that the two get the sports car Contreras stole out of police impound.
While Gus is a hostage, Spencer gets him the car and drives it to the warehouse. Figuring out Nix is after the 200-mph thrill with the car, he and Gus don't chase after the gang as the two accomplices drive in one direction and Nix speeds away in the other. A police blockade is set up on Nix's route, but he doesn't stop. When the tail pipe brekas, Nix panics and shouts in fury as the car stops just before it crashes into the cops. He surrenders and is arrested, swearing vengeance on the two Psych sleuths. The tail pipe is revealed to have been sabotaged by Spencer with a zucchini blockage.