Everyone gathered in Chief O'Law's office and when the chief called for everyone, she did mean everyone. Standing beside her was her new deputy, Sparky and much to Mina's dismay, Ashley Ryan. She stood close to Blind, knowing that two of her rivals would try to have a go at her. The normal garrulous Sparky was the first to explain something.

"Kidnapping a high court judge?" he said, stepping forward. "When I'm deputy? Not on my watch! I am the face of law!"

"Ahem…" the chief said, towering over him.

"Hehe," the diminutive twinkish man giggled. "Except when you're around, chief!"

The chief smirked and ruffled his blond hair. "Good boy!"

Blind muttered beneath his breath. "She sure treats the new deputy like a dog."

Mina wrinkled her button nose. "More like her bit…"

Ashley gave a fake cough in order to draw attention to her. "While the rest of you are behaving like third graders, this kidnapper is probably mistreating a *nice* (she made sure to raise finger quotations just to be obnoxious, knowing Blind wouldn't see) old woman. And more importantly, the regional judge of Business Park. Perhaps we can leave the grade school bickering for the playground."

"Wowee…" Mina said, her eyes widened. "That's surprisingly mature of you Ashley…" and she muttered beneath her breath. "Double mature for looking out for one of your ex's relatives."

"That's right…" Chief O'Law said, moving her hand from Sparky's head to place it on her desk. "This is an order of highest concern. Now where did you last see Divine…Blind. Or rather hear…"

Blind deftly ignored the sight joke and answered directly. "Last I heard of her was earlier today. She had stopped off at her favorite French restaurant, Les Scargos for some buttered snails and baguettes. I told her to call me when she got home but that never happened. All attempts to reach her failed. I even called her landlord to ask if she made it home alright…and he said he didn't see her come back."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

The chief rubbed her strong chin. "And who do you think could have kidnapped her? Does she have any enemies?"

Ashley rolled her eyes. "Like every felon in the tri-state area maybe! But the question is, who could want her so bad that they'd kidnap her now!"

Ashley's green catlike eyes swiveled over to Mina. "You're oddly quiet, undergrad. Especially since you have put away several of those criminals.."

Mina was so nervous she began to stammer loudly with her wires and eyes slightly crossed, pointing in two different directions. "Umm...uh…no. Not that I can think of. You know me, me and criminals we're not exactly on a talking basis! They kind of hate me after I lock them up."

Mina giggled nervously trying to hide the truth beneath some laughter. Ashley merely shook her head. "You have been speaking to that loathsome fop star and his shifty manager for days now. Did any of them mention the justice…?"

Mina was silent. Everyone's eyes (minus Blind's of course) were judging her and she gulped.

"The only justice that was mentioned…was that Dustin Himbolake said he wanted justice for his hair. The prison showers have been murder on his cornrows!"

The room was silent and Mina had just mentioned justice and murder in a jokey context. She dug her left heel into her right ankle, punishing herself for lying about Divine's kidnapper.

"Okay then…" Ashley answered. "You're less than useless. As usual. I might go speak to them myself."

She shuffled off in her emerald heels and Blind, much to Mina and Ashley's surprise, said, "Ashley. Thanks for doing this for me."

Ashley's face flushed, her nostrils flared and she spoke through gritted slightly fanged teeth. "I'm not doing this for you, ex-sight. Your grandmother was nicer to me than you ever were. She was a big influence on my ways of looking at justice."

"Ok then," Blind said, shrugging his shoulders. "Thank you doing this for her."

Ashley's round flushed face looked like a pink balloon ready to be popped. But she took a deep breath, let out a hmph and stomped away.

Mina was somehow even more dumbfounded than Blind. Ashley was getting into her boyfriend's good graces even more than her. She had pangs of jealousy and embarrassment she wasn't helping and she clenched her pale hands in frustration.

"Never mind," she thought to herself. "I'm just gonna save Divine by doing what I do best in court. Fighting for justice. I'll get Dustin off scot free and then he'll HAVE to release Divine!"

Telling herself that made Mina unclench her hands. Everything was going to go smooth tomorrow…even if she was fighting on the wrong side of justice.