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No Celebrity Endorsement Implied

LOGLINE:
Shawn and Gus track an elusive international art thief while vacationing in Canada.

SYNOPSIS:
Shawn and Gus are on the slopes on their ski vacation in Whistler, British Columbia when Shawn spots wanted international art thief Pierre Despereaux.  Despereaux is so good, he's never left enough evidence behind to be formally accused and so promptly gives Shawn and Gus the slip.  Shawn goes to the Mounties for help, who need very little convincing of his psychic abilities.  Deputy Commissioner Dykstra calls Lassiter to ask for Despereaux's files to be sent up, and Lassiter insists on being part of the investigation.  Lassiter and Juliet arrive in Canada just in time to meet Shawn and Gus at Despereaux's latest crime scene.  The thief has stolen an antique necklace worth several million dollars.  Shawn notices a spot on the wall where a painting used to be and assumes Despereaux stole that as well.  The owner says he sold that painting two weeks ago.  Lassiter sees all the telltale signs of Despereaux – no fingerprints, no alarms tripped and a signature Merchanteuse Blonde cigarette burning in an ashtray – but not Despereaux himself.  Shawn spots flowers in a vase inexplicably moving, like in a wind.  But they are in a high-rise condo.  Shawn tracks the source of the breeze to a window slightly cracked open.  He pushes the widow open and looks up to see a shoe disappearing onto the roof.  Shawn rejoins the group and claims Despereaux is on the roof of the building.  Lassiter is skeptical, but Shawn and Gus race up to catch the thief, who compliments them on a vast improvement on their skills from the horrendous skiing of the day before.  Then he excuses himself, saying he's going back to his room – and jumps off the building.  By the time Lassiter and the rest of the Mounties arrive, Despereaux has disappeared, leading everyone except true believer Corporal Mackintosh to doubt he was ever there at all.

A dejected Shawn and Gus go to a fancy restaurant for dinner.  Gus wonders how they got a reservation since you have to make them months in advance, and Shawn only invited Gus on the trip on Friday.  As they argue about those logistics, Shawn spots Despereaux across the room, waving them over.  He tells them they are out of their league.  It's impossible to catch him, which makes what would be an exciting life actually pedestrian.  To make things interesting, Despereaux writes down everything he is going to do in town – grab a Manet, make them look foolish, and treat himself like a king.  As Shawn and Gus are distracted by a flaming Baked Alaska, he disappears again.  The guys then go to the Mounties, where Shawn “divines” that Despereaux is going to steal a Manet that night.  The only Manet in town is on the yacht of former billionaire now millionaire William Pulver.  They all stake out the boat and pounce when they see a shadow moving on the docks, but it just turns out to be a surprised dockworker.  From the dock, Shawn can see into the yacht and discovers that the Manet is gone.  Despereaux somehow got it right under their noses.

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