"Are you telling them to meet us at the wine bar?" Elise wants to know.

"Yeah, I've invited a couple guys so far." I'm still surprised she's so into helping with the investigation. Maybe she just wants to go out to 20 Spot, though.

"I invited four," Elise announces. "Finish your coffee," she orders. "Let's go."

20 Spot is 5 blocks deeper into the Mission. Riding down Valencia, puttering and not speeding because Elise is riding illegally on the back of my bike, without a helmet, is great people watching. It's the hipster part of the neighborhood, quite the scene, a place to see and be seen. Bottomless brunches, tea salons, cafes, Vietnamese, and of course, many, many Mexican restos abound.

The nightlife is the best. Sure,...

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