�And what?� Diane looked genuinely puzzled.

�Well, I know I�m not your �type.� So, it must be...I�m a pretty good cop for a lesbian, right?�

Diane flushed instantly. She was speechless. The thought had never entered her mind. But there was no mistaking; it was probably driving her subconsciously all day. Claire had managed to sum it up in less than ten words.

�Yeah, for a lesbian,� Diane shrugged, quickly recovering her composure. She was relieved to hear Claire�s guffaw.

�Do you go through this with every new partner?�

�No,� Claire laughed at first, then became very serious. �Most never know, because I keep my personal life to myself. You�re the first partner I�ve let get close enough to know me personally. I trust you, Diane.�

Claire said that last phrase in a tone of voice that Diane could not mistake: it was clearly a warning. Diane�s head was spinning, trying to decipher all the subtexts in today�s conversations. Claire sounded like she was protecting Harry, or herself. Maybe both.

Diane decided not to share information about her tryst with Danny with either of these cousins. She returned to her desk and pulled out the schedule of meetings. Time to go again. She had to survive each day, and she didn�t want to think about what kinds of complications the rest of this week would bring.

Monday morning in the new year, and everyone was back to work as usual, bustling around the city, preparing the financial markets for a new political administration, worrying about impending economic doom, preparing entrepreneurial backups. All was business as usual for the detectives at the 1-5. The number of homicides didn�t seem to be decreasing, and the same mischievous characters where in action on the streets. Danny and Andy were at a bar, where one patron had just shot another one.

�So, how are you and Diane getting along?� Andy finally asked, exasperated at his partner�s tight lips.

�We�re not. She�s not done with that Denby yet.� Danny looked over his shoulder to make sure Diane was out of earshot. She and Claire were interviewing witnesses on the other side of the bar. �It�s getting frozen between us.�

�Look, if you want that guy out of your way, you�re going to have to do something about it.�

�Thinking about that landfill over in Brooklyn?�