Mina placed her hands on her hips, her upper lip jutted out in an attempt to be serious. "Miss Montero, are you confessing to aiding and abetting a known criminal?"

"Or aiding and abetting his fashion sense?" Raven snarked.

"Guilty as charged for the latter!" Miss Montero answered.

"Good!" Mina said, blowing out a heave of air. "Because I was gonna say! This is soooo cool! I actually own a piece of the Maria Santiago fashion line! That brilliant purple fedora!"

"Really, Senorita Rosa?" Monica answered with a sly smirk. "Pink seems like your definitive color! But I admire your sense of adventure!"

Mina began to geek out in a way someone with an attorney's badge shouldn't. She knew that, but she couldn't help herself. "Really? Because I am trying so hard to find a new style! This old style just reminds me of my past failures. I want something that ushers in the new me!"

"Well!" Monica said, reaching for another purple feathered fedora and placing it on the young attorney's head. "You have come to the right casa for the new tu!"

Mina grinned brightly, giggling as she tipped the floppy hat over her eyes. She lowered her voice, trying to sound like Maria Santiago's husky, too-cool-for-your accent. "Hasta manana mis amores! Es Maria, chicas!"

Raven fingered his dark goatee. "Hm, methinks you shouldn't be cosplaying a known criminal!"

Mina shook her head, snapping her out of the trance. She lifted the fedora and handed it back to Monica. "My apologies. I think I went a bit Insantiago there! We just have a few questions for you, Ms. Montero."

"Do you plan on charging mi for any crimes?" Monica answered. "Like that detective?"

"Why?" Mina said with half lidded eyes. "You certainly haven't committed any crimes...of fashion!"

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"Smooth..." Monica answered, winking at her. "But Senor Mayor is right. I have to tell you what really went down. You see, my brother is a big fan of those tela novellas. And especially old crime shows. We were just getting by in our low rent apartment, and one day, he said, "Life is like a heist, mi amor, the best things in life aren't free. It is up to me to snatch them like a sparkling joya!"

She was surprised when rather than shame her and her brother, Raven and Mina both had eternal sparkles in their eyes. "That's so cool!" Mina said. "It's right out of a crime drama."

Raven muttered, "Maybe he should have written one instead of acted it out."

Mina shot daggers from her eyes, but realized he was probably right.

Monica added. "And so, Maria Santiago was born. A modern bandita with an old timey sense of honor. A guapa female zorro if she didn't kill anyone!"

Now there was a bit of drool leaking from the corner of Mina's mouth. "Such a cool heroine!"

Monica smirked. "Si. I went to school to be a seamstress. But I didn't find any good paying jobs, so I decided to invest them in Maria Santiago instead!"

"Soon," the young seamstress continued. "Maria was snatching gems left and right. And she captured the biggest gem of all: the heart of the world!"

"The Rubylove?" Mina asked.

"Nah kid," Raven squawked. "A metaphor. And I never metaphor like that I didn't like!"

"Exactamundo!" Monica said, a light in her dark eyes. "She captured the amor of everyone. Their hopes, their dreams, and their wallets. Maria Santiago was an enchantress as well as a thief, inspiring freedom, fashion…and FABULOSITY!"

"Annnnnnd!" Monica said with her eyes wide. "SHE HAS THE PERFECT TAGLINE! Say it with me…"

Raven, Mina and Monica all recited in perfect unison. "Where in the hell is Maria Santiago?!!"

Finally, Mina managed to snap to attention. "l may know the power of a good catch phrase or two. But my lawdy…uh…you do realize that Ricki is accused of murder. And for Maria Santiago, murder is a big nopesdaisy!"

Monica looked down. "Siiiiii…" she sighed. "That is my fault. You see, I.. "

Before Monica could answer, the Ear Hearing News switched on. Tim Justin, who had since renounced his time being on the tab of the Electra Company and vowed to bring fair and just news, stood outside a press conference at the police station. Chief O'Law and Deputy Sparky Atkins-Electra flanked Inspector Croix-Saint who was making sure his whirly-twirly mustache was perfectly curly.

"This just in," Tim Justin announced in his famous catchphrase. "The international French-Canadian detective, Inspector Jean Croix-Saint announces his breakthrough on the Maria Santiago case. He is prepared to tell us, like a game of Hint! Who did it, where and how!"