�His father�s a high-ranking DEA exchange officer from the Dominican Republic. Does that help?�

�Thanks, John. You have no idea how much. Thanks again.�

�You�re welcome, detective,� John gushed, and Diane could imagine his face glowing with pride. He really was a great assistant, she mused. He should consider working on the job; he certainly had the information-gathering and people skills he would need to be a successful detective himself.

Diane pushed her way past the officers milling in the kitchen, flirting with Mary. She winked at Mary then went to Claire�s room, since there had been no noise from that room for quite a while. Diane was concerned that Harry�s story might actually be true, and if so, everyone in that bedroom was in danger.

�Hey, how�s it going in here?� Diane asked in as lighthearted a voice as she could muster.

�Come in, detective,� Siquieros said. �It�s good we finally have everyone together.�

�What�s going on?� Diane said as she entered.

�We�ve been having a nice little chat,� Siquieros sneered, and as Diane walked around him, she noticed he was holding a gun on Claire and Danny. Harry was not in the room, but Diane masked her surprise well, because Siquieros didn�t seem to notice her looking around for him.

�I�ve been asking your friends where I might be able to find Mr. Denby,� he continued.

�Have you tried his apartment?� Diane offered.

�Yes, and yours, too,� he leered, trying to knock her off balance. �Sorry about destroying the locks on your door. I�m sure the department will pay you back for that, as well as the evidence we had to remove.� At that, he put his free hand into his pocket and pulled out a pair of Diane�s underwear, obviously pulled from her laundry basket. He flipped it around in his fingers until the crotch was visible, and watched Diane�s reaction. He was disappointed to find nonchalance in her face when he expected fear, or at the very least, revulsion.

�When we get the DNA results back from the lab, I�m sure we�ll find you are quite connected to Mr. Denby, and you may find your career in danger as a result of consorting with such a dangerous murdering felon.� He admired her underwear for a moment, and as he moved it toward his face, Diane�s face registered the horror he had been seeking. At the last second, he smirked, and shoved it back into his pocket.

�You�re an unbelievable asshole!� Diane hissed.