Then and there, Shawn made up the lie that he was psychic, and through some highly convincing theatrics, it worked. The police then hired him as the "Head Psychic" and began to bring him in on difficult cases that usually had the police stumped. Along for all the adventures is Shawn's reluctant but loyal best friend, Burton "Gus" Guster, who has a straight, narrow, and secure job as a pharmaceutical sales representative. Disbelieving of Shawn's psychic charade is Head Detective Carlton Lassiter, who would sooner cuff Shawn than follow a "vision." Other central characters include Lassiter's partner, Juliet O'Hara, and Interim Police Chief Karen Vick, both of whom are often amused by Shawn's "psychic" influence.

A wealthy widow's young date is murdered, pitting Shawn and Gus against a dirty rotten scoundrel they are convinced trained the victim to be a con artist.