Only Andy and Denby knew that Don had come to her apartment, and she didn't know how to explain the presence of the Dominicans any other way. Danny was already under the IAB microscope. Diane's mind raced. Her cooperation with Jill made her complicent with a fleeing felon, and the whole squad would fall under suspicion if her connection to Don got out.

I can't do that to them. She stared at herself in the mirror. How did I get myself into this? Rubbing her sore shoulder, Diane sat down on the edge of the tub and methodically applied a small bandage to her scraped knee. Thinking made her head hurt, but she took a moment to calculate the cost of the truth. Demotion for sure...possible prosecution. If they let me stay on the job, I'd probably transferred out to another station. Maybe even another district. It'd be like losing my family.

There was a tentative knock on the door. "You okay, Diane?" Baldwin's deep voice made her smile. She could just see him, standing guard at the door, keeping Martens at bay with his sheer size for as long as possible. He'd become a good friend already, that Baldwin. Even Denby was turning out different than she had thought at first. But she still wondered, was this the real Harry?

"I'm ready". Her heart was in her throat as she opened the door and spoke to Baldwin. His face was full of concern as he nodded, "It'll be all right." They walked down the hall, which seemed longer now to Diane, and joined the heated discussion in the living room.

"Well THAT'S convenient, isn't it?" the Martens yelled in exasperation. He and Harry were going at it while the others stood back and watched.

"That's it in a nutshell, your honor. You don't believe me, ask her. Go ahead." Harry was managing to maintain a cool exterior, but Diane could tell he was just barely keeping the lid on.

"Ask me what?" Both men stopped their exchange and turned to look at Diane. The spotlight was now fully on her and she clenched her hands. Andy looked absolutely panicked and she wondered just what had been discussed during her intermission.

Sergeant Martens stepped past Harry and stopped at the window, toying with the curtain pull. "I know you're tired, Detective Russell. It's been quite a night, hasn't it?"

She didn't like his tone.

"Just one question, if you please." He twirled the cord around in his hand. "Did you meet Detective Denby at a bar earlier this evening?"

Dead silence.

The question hung like smoke in the air of her apartment. Diane had already resolved to answer truthfully in front of everyone, but she hadn't expected this. She folded her arms and replied, "Yes, that's right."