As [Robert Fambrini] told the story: "He said he was one of the looters at Frederick's [of Hollywood]. He wanted to return it but was afraid to go there." The bag contained two items stolen from the store's Lingerie Museum: the pantaloons of the late actress Ava Gardner and a bra donated by actress Katey Sagal of TV's "Married With Children." Conscience-stricken? Perhaps. Or maybe dissatisfied with the haul. The thief admitted to the priest that he had been looking for a bra worn by Madonna, but by the time he had arrived at the store it had already been stolen.

Getting the Shaft: One of the challenges of being a private investigator, says Frank Crescentini of Long Beach, is that you not only have to compete against other gumshoes but TV and movie characters as well. "I had a client tell me, 'Columbo would have done it different,'" Crescentini said. "I had another guy call me and say, 'I watch "Law and Order" every night so I know exactly how the law works.' I said, 'So why don't you handle the case yourself?'"