It was a beautiful sunny day, and Danny should have been happy. He was spending time at his favorite place in the world—a baseball stadium—with four of his favorite people. But he felt restless and unable to concentrate on the game. Maybe it was because the Yankees were losing to the Detroit Tigers, or maybe it was the case he was currently working on whatever it was, he couldn't keep still. He sat on the end of the group between Don and an empty seat, tapping the armrest with one hand and bouncing his feet, struggling to stay focused. He looked over at his co-workers paired off in their own conversation, enjoying the company and the warm weather, seemingly oblivious to his predicament. Aiden and Don were teasing each other, each trying vainly to pretend not to be interested in the other, and Mac and Stella were watching the game together, exchanging sly smiles and pretending not to notice.

Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore. When everyone stood for the seventh inning stretch, he jumped out of his seat. "I'm gonna go get somethin' to eat," he told his friends. "Anybody want anything?" All four shook their heads, and he turned and headed down the stadium stairs.

He wasn't really hungry, so he wandered around the concourse a little, stopping from time to time to catch the action down on the field. During one such pause he was leaning on the railing watching a Yankee batter struggling at the plate against the Detroit pitcher, when a woman beside him shook her head.

"I hate the Yankees," she said with an accent he couldn't quite place.

"Better be careful how loud you say that," he warned, turning to look at her. She was about 5'4", with blue eyes and a mass of brown hair pinned up on the back of her head. She looked very familiar to him but he couldn't quite place her.

She smiled at his admonition and turned to look at him as well. "Detective Messer?" she asked, surprised to see him.

Recognition hit him. "Miss Parrish."

Maddie was surprised a second time. "You remember me?"

Danny nodded. The case had been closed a month ago, but he remembered. "I don't get too many teachers coming in for their students," he explained.

She smiled a small smile. "Yeah, well, Dantrell called so I went."

He returned her smile, the street kid in him silently thanking her one more time. Out loud he asked, "How's he doin'?"

Her smile widened. "Great! He's a B student, 'cept in my class…he's getting an A in chemistry," she told him proudly. "He graduates in June—first in his family to finish high school."

"He made it through the trial okay?"

Maddie nodded. "Someone detailed a squad car to follow him around before and during it. They made it look like he was under surveillance instead of police protection so those gang bangers left him alone—didn't want to get caught doing anything illegal." She was watching the expression on his face carefully and continued, "He took his grandmother and sister to a shelter during the trial, and their church helped them find a safer place to live." She paused a moment and studied him. "It was you, wasn't it?"

"Me?"

"You sent the squad car."

Danny shook his head. "No, I…"

"Your eyes give you away, Detective," Maddie smiled. "I know it was you."

He looked down at his hands resting on the railing. "Maybe I made a phone call…it was nothin'."

"It wasn't nothin'," she told him. "You saved his life."

He shook his head again but didn't reply, and the two stood quietly together for a moment, looking out over the baseball field.

Then Maddie broke the silence. "Dantrell's giving a big speech at graduation," she told him. "You should come."

"Yeah?"

She looked up at him and smiled. "Yeah. Eastside High, June 7th at 7:00. I'll save you a seat."

He grinned. "Okay. I'll be there," he promised.

Out on the field the bullpen door slammed and a Tigers relief pitcher ran out onto the field. Maddie's face lit up. "Here comes the closer," she smiled. "It's all over now…"

He laughed. "So you're from Detroit." It was a statement rather than a question.

"Accent give me away?" she asked.

He nodded. "That and the only people that actually root for the Tigers are people who've been breathin' too much car exhaust," he teased.

She grinned. "Have you seen the scoreboard? It's the ninth inning and my Tigers are up by five runs over your Yankees."

Danny smiled sheepishly. "Can you keep a secret?"

Puzzled, she replied, "Sure."

He leaned closer to her and whispered, "I'm a Mets fan."

Maddie laughed. "Brave man admitting that here."

He grinned again and they watched together as the Tiger pitcher disposed of three Yankee batters in a row.

"Game over," Maddie said happily.

Danny sighed. "I guess I should go find my friends," he said. "They're probably wonderin' what happened to me."

She nodded. "Yeah, go find 'em. But don't forget, June 7th, 7:00," she reminded him.

"I won't," he assured her. He fished out his wallet and pulled a business card from it. "Here, take this before you go," he said scribbling something on it and handing it to her. "That's my home number on the back, too…if your students ever need anything…"

She took it and smiled softly. "Thanks. It's good to know they have someone in their corner."

He looked down at her. "Yeah," he replied. "It is."