For the next two nights Cindy wandered around the park mumbling. "You know I am starting to look like the typical crazy homeless woman talking to herself."

"Nobody said you have to talk to me the whole time." came Lindsay's voice in her ear.

"This is boring. But I can shut up if you want."

"No you can't." Was Lindsay's sarcastic retort. "I was just kidding." She added when Cindy didn't jab back.

"Shh." I think I hear a woman screaming she said as she took off running.

"Shit, Cindy don't..." Lindsay said as she jumped out of the van. "Move in." She yelled into her radio.

Cindy followed the screams down a path but stopped cold when she saw two hooded boys standing in front of her. She turned to go back when another boy and a girl, with a video camera, came up behind her. "Shit, you just cost me twenty bucks." She put her hands on her hips and tried to catch her breath.

"What the hell are you talking about?" said one of the boys.

"Well you see, my friend at the District Attorney's office bet me that I was going to do something stupid while I was out here waiting for you to come back."

"Get a load of this guys, this bitch has some pretty powerful friends." He said as he raised his bat and moved toward her. "Unfortunately for you mine are more powerful."

Cindy tried to stay calm, "I'd rethink this if I were you."

"Man, maybe we should bail." Said another boy nervously.

"SFPD. Nobody move." Came Lindsay's voice from behind them and suddenly they were surrounded.

Cindy moved forward, "you might want to call daddy," she said looking directly into his eyes.

Within five minutes the four were handcuffed and being led away.

Lindsay walked over and punched Cindy on the shoulder. "ow. I'll give you ten if you don't tell Jill about this."

"Make it twenty and I'll think about it." Lindsay said as she put her arm around Cindy and led her back to the car.

The four friends met for lunch the next day to put this last case officially behind them. Cindy worked all night to get her article in the morning edition which, given the characters, was the talk of the town.

Vandeweghe and his friends were dumb enough to use the same bats in all of the attacks, so they contained plenty of physical evidence. The girl's video camera still held the attack of the latest victim, and the police technicians found the evidence to link the website to Joe Johnson.

"I'm sure they are all going to plead out. No way they want to take this to trial." Jill informed the group as she nibbled a fry. "And Judge Vandeweghe is going to take a leave of absence for a while."

"How's Derek?" Cindy asked.

"He's fine. I think Ed is having a harder time. He doesn't understand why Derek didn't come to us from the beginning. And he's pretty mad at me for waiting until it was over before I told him"

"I'm sure he'll come around. It all worked out." Cindy reassured.

"I'm just sorry you got put in the middle."

"Just doing my job." Cindy said as she stole a fry from Jill.

"Next time just stick to your job and leave mine to me" Lindsay replied with a frustrated sigh.

Cindy gave her a worried look, "Are you still mad at me?"

Lindsay wanted to go into her usual 'you need to be more careful' rant but when she saw how nervous Cindy looked she faltered. "No, I'm not. I just wish you would be more careful."

"I second that." Jill and Claire said in unison.

Cindy gave them a relieved smile, "I can't promise that I will succeed but I will try."

"That's all we are asking," Claire said as she raised her glass. And with that they toasted the end of another case.

When the meal was over Jill tossed the bill to Cindy. "What's this for?"

"You still owe me a twenty, I figure you buy lunch and we're good." Cindy shot Lindsay a look and got a shrug in reply. "Don't blame Lindsay, I bet her that you would bribe her."

Cindy dug into her wallet as her three friends left the table laughing.

Thanks to all those who read and reviewed.