"So you guys said you had an angle on the case?" Matthew dropped a stack of files on Ingrid's coffee table.

"Matthew," Fillmore began instead of answering his question. "Who is the one person you always take your problems to?"

"My mom, I guess."

"Why?"

Matthew turned toward Ingrid for help. She silently encouraged him to answer.

"Um, because I know she'll always help me."

"Why will she always help?"

Matthew looked thoroughly confused. "Because she's my mom."

"Exactly," Ingrid stepped in. "People will do anything for family."

"Even throw a competition," Fillmore finished.

Matthew rubbed his temples. " So what you're saying is, one of these girls has a family connection with someone in another middle school? That could be all of them."

"But you'll check right?"

"That's what you put me here for. But I'll need to get some information at school tomorrow. My mom's going to be here soon anyway."

"Matthew, why don't you just stay here with Ingrid and me?"

"Yeah, we're just going to watch videos we rented. Ariella's going to be here so why don't you stay? It'll be fun."

"Really?" Matthew looked from Ingrid to Fillmore.

"Yeah, you always come over and help us then leave. You should stick around more often. Besides, your mom is going out with my dad tonight so she can pick you up after they come back."

Matthew nodded, "Okay, what are we watching?"

Filllmore passed him the tapes. "We've got one horror movie and one comedy."

"Awesome, I-"

The doorbell rang, "I'll get it," Ingrid got up and opened the door. "Hello Katherine. Come on in."

Katherine came in and Ingrid shut the door. "I came for Matthew," she explained.

"Actually Katherine, we were wondering if Matthew could hang out with us tonight. Fillmore and I are oing to be watching movies."

Katherine nodded, "that's very kind of you Ingrid. Of course he can stay. Can I talk to you though?"

Ingrid nodded, "do you wanna go up to my room or stay here?"

Katherine glanced at Matthew and Fillmore, sitting in the living room. "I think your room would be the best."

Ingrid led Katherine up to her room and closed the door. ingrid sat on her bed and Katherine took the window seat. For a while no one spoke. "What can she possibly want to say to me?" Ingrid wondered. Finally, Katherine cleared her throat and spoke.

"I wanted yto thank you for allowing Matthew to help you on the case. He loves it."

Ingrid shrugged slightly. "It's no problem, Katherine. He's good."

There was silence.

"Is there something else you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Ingrid, do you dislike me?"

Ingrid was a bit surprised but she didn't show it. She thought for a moment. Did she dislike Katherine? Not really. What she fealt wasn't dislike, it was, something else. Finally she spoke. "No, not really."

"You're father tried to explain you to me. He said that you're job made you block out emotions. He talked about how for you everything is black and white. There's no gray place for interpretation and he said you thought me being an artist was impractical. He told me that you don't think I'm right for him."

It took a moment for Ingrid to process everything Katherine had just said. Once she had she realized how much her father had gotten wrong. She shook her head. "I do use facts and logic. But everything else is wrong. You can not block out your emotions. In fact, Fillmore and I use them to solve cases all the time. And there is always a gray area and room for interpretation. As for you and my dad go, I can't make choices for him. At first I didn't think you were right for him as anything but a friend but it's not my life. So, if my dad thinks your good for him then I agree."

"So you're okay with all this?"

'Why does she want my opinion all of a sudden?' Ingrid wondered. "Sure, I'm fine."

Katherine got up to leave and Ingrid followed. By the time she got downstairs Ariella had taken a seat ian a chair.Ingrid sat down between Fillmore and Matthew. "I''ll explain later," she whispered to Fillmore's unasked question."

"Everyone gather in the kitchen please." Mr. Third and Katherine had just come home from their date. Everyone shuffled from the living room to the kitchen and sat around the table.

"Do you want me to leave, Mr. Third?" Fillmore asked, sensing a family meeting.

"No Fillmore, you're practically part of the family. Stay."

So Fillmore sat next to Ingrid, trying to figure out what was going on. He looke at Ingrid questioningly but her look said that she was in the dark.

Mr. Third cleared his throat. "Well, I don't really know how to tell everyone this so..." He turned to Katherine, "show them."

Katherine took her hand out of her pocket, revealing a diamond ring. "We're getting married!" She announced; beaming.

Ariella forced a smile, "Congratulations."

"That's great mom," Matthew faked enthusiasim.

Ingrid, who had been to shocked to do anything at first, recovered. "What?"

Ariella nudged her sister slightly. Ingrid shot her a why-didn't-you-back-me-up look before standing. "You can not be serious." And with that she went outside; slamming the door.

Ariella stood up, "I'll get her."

"No Ariella, she can't keep acting this way, I'll get her."

"Mr. Third," Fillmore intervened. "I know that she's your daughter but I think that she may need to talk right now. And I'm not sure she'ss talk to you."

Mr. Third comtemplated for a moment. "Okay Fillmore, you're probably right. I'm not her favorite person right now."

Fillmore got up and walked to the door. Before he opened it he turned around and went back to the kitchen. "She may want to take a walk," he explained, grabbing a flashlight.

Mr. Third nodded, "not too far though. It's pretty dark."

"Okay," again Fillmore headed to the door. He opened it to find Ingrid sitting on the ledge of her porch. "Hey," he said. He didn't move any closer than right outside the door.

"If my dad sent you out here to get me, forget it."

Fillmore shook his head, "he didn't send me. He was going to come out but I told him that you'd probably talk to me more."

She was silent. She didn't want to talk to anyone. "If you're going to give me a lecture about how I'm being selfish or stupid or-"

"I'm not," Fillmore interrupted.

"Then what are you going to say?"

Fillmore shrugged. "Maybe I'll just listen. No one seems to do that anymore."

Ingrid who had been looking at the ground, looked up and smiled.

Finally, Fillmore sat down beside her.

"Do you wanna take a walk?" he asked; presenting the flashlight.

"Yeah."

Fillmore clicked on the light and theywalked to the sidewalk. "Where do you wanna go?"

Ingrid shrugged, "I don't care, anywhere."

So they walked; in silence at first but then Ingrid spoke. "Don't you think they're rushing it?" She siad angrily. "They just started dating and now they're getting married!"

Fillmore didn't answer, he wasn't sure he was supposed.

"Fillmore? I want your opinion do you think they're rushing it?"

Fillmore thought, "they are if they just met. But if they knew each other a long time before they started dating then maybe it's okay."

Ingrid looked at him a minute, "not you too, Fillmore. You can't think this is right."

"Ingrid, if they've known each other then it doesn't matter how long they've been going out. Maybe they just know."

"Fillmore, you can't just know."

Fillmore looked at Ingrid, they were back at the corner of her street. Suddenly they both stopped walking. "You don't think so?"

"No not so soon."

"But after a while, things happen Ingrid."

"Yeah, I guess they do."

And that's when it happened. Ingrid found herself in the same position she had been in the night before. But this was a different guy, the wrong guy. She wasn't supposed to kiss him. But it was better this way and she realized it now. This was how it should be. The very first guy she kissed, the only one she had such feelings for. But reality smacked her in the face as it often does and she pulled away.

"I shouldn't have done that."

Fillmore shook his head, "it was my fault. I know you and Anza are together. I don't know what happened."

"I-I need to think."

Fillmore nodded, "I'll go home. And Ingrid, I'm sorry."

But this time Ingrid shook her head. "Don't be.

Ariella was drawing in her sketch pad when there was a knock on her door. "Come on in Ingrid."

"How did you know it was me?" She entered and closed the door.

"I know how you knock. I bet I even know what you want."

Ingrid sighed, "It's not about Katherine."

"I didn't think it was."

"Last night Joe and I had a date,"Ingrid began; plopping on her sister's bed.

"And you kissed him." Ariella continued.

Ingrid nodded, not even wondering how Ariella knew this.

"And you didn't like it."

"I did," Ingrid began. "It was just so empty, like there was nothing there."

Ariella nodded understandingly. "Well I think-"

"That's not all," Ingrid rushed on. "I think I made a mistake, I-"

"You kissed Fillmore, didn't you?" Ariella already knew what happened, she had predicted it, she wondered what took it so long.

Ingrid looked at the ground before nodding. "Yes, and it was much better. There was just, something there." She paused and looked at Ariella. "What am I supposed to do now? I'm going out with Anza."

"You've got to talk to Fillmore first. You two need to know exactly what happened and why and you've got to know exactly how you feel. Then talk to Anza. No one can figure out what you want but you."

Ingrid sighed. "Talking to Anza's going to be hard. He expected this, I know he did."

Ariella nodded, holding back a slight smile.

"You knew. You knew all along this was going to happen."

Ariella tried to look innocent but smiled and nodded. "This case is one of the best things that could happen to you, Ingrid."

For a moment Ingrid gave her sister a questioning gaze. "Are you saying that I should-"

"I'm not saying anything, this is between you, Fillmore, and Anza."

"But you want me to-"

"I want you to do what you think is right."

Ingrid sighed and leaned back. What had she gotten herself into?