I pulled off my helmet, locked it to the handlebars with a metal chain, and shook out my hair. Luckily when your hair is as stick straight as mine, helmet head isn’t much of a problem. I gave it a good fluff and felt the shag cut fall back into place. Currently it was auburn with deep purple highlights. Though I’ve been through so many shades in my lifetime, I’m not even really sure what my natural color is anymore.

I grabbed Strawberry Shortcake and made my way inside, the cool air-conditioning a sharp contrast to the heat outside. Even in fall, the temp in So. Cal never goes much below seventy, and this week we seemed to be hitting Indian summer in spades. After sending my purse through the conveyor belt and stepping through a pair of metal detectors, I made my way up to the second floor where Pines was scheduled to be arraigned.

A towering blonde in jeans and sneakers, holding a big, black Nikon, leaned against the drinking fountain outside the room.

“Hey, Tina,” she said, raising a hand in greeting.

“I see Felix gave you late shift, too, huh?” I said, gesturing to her camera.

She nodded. “Caught me in the middle of the dinner rush at Mr. Chow. And Britney had reservations today, too.”

Cameron Dakota was the Informer’s only full-time photographer. Most of the time Felix found it cheaper to pay freelancers by the picture, but Cameron had a knack for not only capturing celebs with their pants down (literally, if she was lucky) but also providing clear, quality shots that kept readers coming back time and time again to the Informer’s pages. And, oddly enough, she actually seemed to enjoy being stuck on Brit watch. Personally, if I had to follow Hollywood half-wits to Starbucks every day, I’d shoot myself.

Lucky for me, I only had to cover them in court.

“Pines in there yet?” I asked, gesturing to the large oak doors.

Cam shook her head, long blonde hair whipping at her cheeks. “He’s up next. Right now he’s in the room next door with his lawyers. No cameras allowed in the courtroom, so I’m waiting for a walk-of-shame shot.” She gave me a wink.

“Go get ’em, tiger.”

I pushed through the doors and slipped into the back of the courtroom.