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mostly black police force.
    She had angrily disagreed with the premise and had arranged through other friends at the
Post
to meet Larry for a drink and offer a more penetrating and accurate analysis, accusing the reporter of missing the subtle distinctions. Her contention was that class was more of an issue than racial discrimination, which was a common misconception that lumped together everyone in the department as uneducated blue-collar types.
    As it turned out, they had wandered off the subject quickly and discovered a powerful attraction between them. One thing led to another, and soon they were in the throes of a passionate physical relationship.
    Because she considered it too early to contemplate, she discouraged any talk of permanence, although she admitted to herself that she was seriously considering the possibility. So far, he had not asked or even hinted at marriage, nor was she ready for such a commitment. It had been going on for more than five months, and had reached a point where they were considering his moving in with her after his divorce had become final. His wife was an administrative assistant on Capitol Hill for an Oklahoma congressman, a committed career woman. Luckily, they had postponed having children, which had allowed them a mostly problem-free, somewhat amicable divorce.
    In the meantime, he had continued to keep his studio apartment in Southwest Washington, although he was spending less and less time there.
    Larry was tall and had maintained his body by lifting weights, playing squash and long morning jogs on which Fiona occasionally joined him. Although his black curly hair was peppered with gray, he had the general appearance of a man ten years younger.
    Often when they slept together after the heavy lovemaking phase was over, she would awake in the wee hours and prod him awake as well. The purpose was to engage him in meaningful conversation, especially when confronted with a problem that would benefit by his advice and counsel. He did the same. Both found the other’s advice wise and helpful.
    Since they were both opinionated and argumentative, they often disagreed, especially in the area of media manipulation and politics. She considered herself, with good reason, an expert on the psyche of politicians and the general hypocrisy of that class, and she characterized his views, which were down the line very left of center, as naïve and wrongheaded. Although a committed legacy Democrat, she was a cherry picker on policy and often sided with libertarian notions. Nevertheless, both loved the combat, and their nocturnal conversations often became long and heated disagreements. In the end, of course, they smoothed all differences in the usual way.
    It was coincidental that she was involved in a case that had mushroomed into a giant and accelerating media event in which his paper was the leading instigator. She was careful in their discussions of the case not to go beyond the bounds of police confidentiality and propriety, and she was certain he was constrained as well in terms of specifics. But he was not at all bashful in championing theories about the death of Adam Burns.
    Larry was, after all, in the information business, and a key player in his paper’s policy, especially on the issues raised by the case. Their paths had crossed in this way before, although their agendas were wildly different and, in some ways, conflicting.
    He had acknowledged that he was awake with a hoarse grunt. Earlier, he had remarked that the idea that administration loyalists might have wasted Burns was a stretch.
    â€œWhat is the prevailing thinking of your colleagues at the paper?” she asked with an air of casual innocence.
    â€œMost think it unlikely that the government was involved.”
    â€œThen why hint at it?”
    Some of the paper’s stories had implied that there were those who thought that Burns’ death was associated with his anti-Presidential diatribes.
    â€œBecause it