�Why were you calling Mary?� Detective Sorenson stood and towered over John, who was trying to think as fast as he could to cover his tracks.

�Um, Danny, I�ll get this,� Detective Russell intervened. John noticed she looked very shaken. Detective Sorenson backed down, but not before shooting a very irritated glance toward the other detective. He did not want to get into the middle of this bizarre little triangle, so he pretended not to notice Det. Sorenson�s consternation. Again. Det. Russell stood and motioned for John to follow her into the hallway.

�John, what did Mary say?�

No sooner had the words escaped her lips than Mary flew down the stairs and nearly collided with John and Det. Russell. Mary opened her mouth to start yelling, but Diane put her finger over her own lips to shush Mary, then grabbed her by the arm and turned her toward the interview rooms, glancing over her shoulder to see if any of the other detectives had caught the action in the hall. Her eyes met Det. Sorenson�s eyes, and they exchanged a glance that John felt was filled with hatred and suspicion. John felt sick.

Det. Sorenson rose to follow them down the hall, but Lt. Fancy caught him at the door. As John followed Det. Franco and Det. Russell into the interview room, he noticed that the whole squad was preparing to respond to a call. John figured it must be a big homicide. He motioned to Fancy, who waved him off in a way that it was clear that John should continue as planned with Det. Russell. John nodded, and ducked into the interview room. Det. Russell closed the door behind him, indicated he should sit, and stood with her hands on her hips, staring down at Det. Franco and John.

Andy took charge of the scene when they arrived at the apartment building. There were a dozen uniforms and three patrol cars with lights flashing trying to control the crowd in the street. An ambulance was parked in the middle of the street, its doors open, and one EMT was in the driver�s seat manning the radio. Most of the attention was directed at a pub on the underground level of the building called �The Speakeasy.�

�Oh, how original,� Andy scowled at Greg, who rolled his eyes and shrugged. The Fifteenth squad detectives fanned out, each contacting the officers who arrived on scene to get the background story and the status of locating witnesses. Andy and Danny proceeded into The Speakeasy to view the scene before the paramedics removed the bodies.

�Well, at least they didn�t call it �Cheers,�� Danny grinned, noting the dismal interior created a brooding environment that looked completely the opposite of its fictional counterpart.

�So, what�ya got?� Andy said to the closest uniform.