�He was unaided?� Diane asked, her eyes narrowing.

�Well, at the last moment, I�m ashamed to say, he lacked the courage to do the honorable thing, and so one of his extended family members was forced to assist him in making the right decision.�

�This is your own son we�re talking about. You hit your own son!� Danny said, incredulous.

�The family is only as strong as its weakest members, my son,� Siquieros said in his best priestly voice. �In my family, we honor the ancient Japanese custom of hara-kiri. Of course, we have replaced the daggers with modern means of restoring honor that are just as effective. I feel we�ve grown closer with our little talk,� Siquieros said, and he set about screwing a silencer onto the end of his gun. �I feel like you�re part of the family now. But, I must admit, I�m disappointed in you, and you have all become weak links in my family. I�m sure you understand that this is all for the best, for everyone in the extended family.�

Siquieros lifted the gun and aimed it at Diane. He smiled when he saw her angry reaction, and he couldn�t wait to wipe that scowl off her face. His gloved finger was on the trigger, and as he began to pull it, he had a thought. He hesitated for a moment to muse, �Oh, by the way. Do you recognize this weapon?�

Diane and Danny shook their heads reflexively, but Diane could have guessed its registered owner if given the chance.

�It belongs to Mr. Denby. I�m sorry to say, he�s been on quite a killing spree lately. The poor boy has simply snapped under the pressure of losing his lady love to his rival here,� he chuckled, waving the gun in Danny�s direction.

�What makes you think anyone will buy that crock of shit?� Danny grumbled, his face taut with indignation.

�Funny thing about cops. They are terrible gossips. Occupational hazard, really. Frankly, everyone will believe that because they already do.�

Diane and Danny shared a brief, embarrassed glance.

�That, and the drop in salary as he was shuttled off to a lowly courier position, were all too much for him. And with the problems with alcohol, and such a painful background, he merely snapped on Valentine�s Day. It�s a very sad story, really: a man on the rebound, suffering from a psychotic break and a tragic relapse just when he was getting back on his feet. Tsk, tsk, tsk.� He pointed the gun at Diane�s head and put his finger on the trigger again.