Joe and Josie stared at the computer screen.

"What are we going to do about this?" Josie asked.

'"The first thing we are going to do," Joe answered, "is go back into the squad room, have a cup
of coffee, and then discuss this as calmly as possible."

They walked into the squad room.

While they were standing near the coffeepot, talking, Edith stormed in, stamped over to them and demanded, "Joe, I want you to lift my
suspension right now.

"Oh?" Joe asked.

"Yes. She (Edith pointed to Josie) had no business suspending me in the first place. "

"Look, Edith," Josie began.

Edith broke in, "Don't talk to me, you hypocrite. "

"Listen, Edith, " Joe said, Josie and I are dealing with a crisis right now."

"You mean the rumor about the two of you?"

"How did you know about that rumor?" Josie demanded.

"If you mean, was I the one who posted it, the answer is no," Edith retorted, "and I resent your insinuating anything of the kind."

"Nobody's insinuating anything," Joe assured her. "And as for your being reinstated, do you think you deserved to be suspended in the first place?" he asked.

"Do you know why I was suspended?"

"Yes, Edith. You were suspended for slapping a perp."

"Because she made a crack about you, which she probably wouldn't have made if you hadn't resigned."

"And it was my fault that you resigned, Joe," Josie said. "You know it was."

'So don't you think I should be reinstated?" Edith asked.

"Why don't we talk about this in my office?"

####

A few minutes later, the three of them were in Joe's office.

"So, Edith, " Joe began, "you feel that you should be reinstated because Josie is the one who handed down the punishment?"

"Like I said, she had no business punishing me, because she had no right to accept the captaincy in the first place."

"She's right, Joe. And if it weren't for Edith, I might not have owned up," Josie said.

"What do you mean, if it weren't for me, you might not have owned up?"

"You came to me right after you slapped that perp. You didn't try to hide what you had done."

"Well, if my coming to you was such a shining example, why did you suspend me?" Edith asked sarcastically.

Joe answered sternly, "She suspended you because slapping that perp was wrong, and you're just lucky you weren't charged with brutality."

"After I suspended you, I felt like such a hypocrite, I couldn't stand it any more," Josie said. "I knew, then, that I had to come clean, no matter
what the consequences might be."

"And you've got to admit, the consequences were pretty severe," Joe pointed out.

"But you know, I don't feel as bad about being a Cadet as I did about..." Josie hesitated.

"It was worse for you when you were the captain, right, Josie?"

Josie nodded her head

"And I'll bet you'd like to forget all about your captaincy, right?" Joe went on.

"I wish I could."

"Tell you what, Josie," Joe said. "Why don't I just expunge it from the record?"

"You mean?"

"Your captaincy never officially happened. And that means that any decisions you made during your now non-existent captaincy are null and void."

"So I'm not suspended any more?" Edith asked.

"No," Joe said, "but I want you to write me a report on the proper procedure for making an arrest. It's for your own good."

"Yes, sir," Edith said.

######

That evening, after supper, Josie and Gary were sitting on the sofa in their living room, talking.

"Gary, there's something I have to tell you, and it's not good."

"Don't tell me Joe decided to fire you after all," Gary said.

"No, you know he wouldn't do that," Josie said. "But it does involve Joe... and me."

"What is it?"

"I was going through some message boards,"

"To find and detract that rumor you started," Gary said.

"Exactly. Well, while I was looking, I found one about me and Joe."

"What in the world could anyone have to say about you and Joe?"

"I printed it out," Josie said, reaching into her pocket and handing sheet of paper to Gary.

Gary read it and asked ,"What did Joe say about this garbage?"

"He said that the people who really know us will never believe it."

"He's right."

"I'd just like to know who..." Josie began. She stopped. "Wait a minute!" she exclaimed.

"You think you know who did it?"

"Yes," Josie said, "I think I know exactly who did it."

"Who?" Gary asked.

"Revenge is a strong motive, a very strong motive," said Josie.

"So you think it was..."

"Yes, that's just who I think it was," Josie said. "Peggy Walters."