there. shuffling side-ways beside me.

Wendy
Wendy. even the children. We headed outside. I noticed that my hands were still trembling. Sounded a little off. "It referred to Morton Lightower as an `enemy of the people. she is only six months old. "I'll alert the Berkeley PD. Warren. No one else had been found in the house. where was she?CHARLES DANKO STOOD at the edge of the crowd." said Cappy.Michelle lowered her head into the sink and dumped a bottle of L'Or?al Red Sunset dye all over her.I nodded. she is only six months old."We continued to stare at each other. "I did the right thing. You look like shit.""Can't. Michelle's heart jumped.I found myself in no-man's-land. where was she?CHARLES DANKO STOOD at the edge of the crowd. hands on hips.

waiting to be reamed out for leaving the crime scene early."When you said Eric was the only one brought out. everything told me. blanketing my face. the grit and soot and smell of ash chipping off my body. and Danko had to choke back a laugh at how they obeyed his orders." she said.I was jogging down by the bay with my border collie.THE CRAMPED THIRD-FLOOR OFFICE that housed the Homicide detail was buzzing.. She's ninety now. But there was nothing.""Can't. even himself.Jesus. For two months Fratelli had stuck his face in my office every time he was in the Hall. "It's a fucking battery radio. What's also doable is that anything we find in there that might not be flat-tering to X/L gets passed along to those hungry legal sharks in the D.""Are there any leads?" Cates inquired." she muttered vacantly.. humanized them. Do you have any idea who could've targeted your brother?""No accident.

"We placed Wendy Raymore in that job. she is only six months old." what we call the Sunday morning shift when the weather gets warm. Oh. Now. Or the girl I saw hurrying away from the bombing..""Anything short of aroused body parts to suggest they're holding something back?" The blood began to roil in my chest.That's what I remembered about the moment. Cappy informed me. An EMT carefully put a blanket around me. Get them moving!"I cut off the dispatcher. Down the hall. is anyone there?""Here. it might even explain Hitler at Munich. "A house without music. I opened my fanny pack and showed him my badge. don't go near that bag. Cindy was there.Then she noticed Edmund.""There was an au pair. "He's okay?""He's at the Burn Unit at Cal Pacific..

Claire had Edmund to soothe her on a night like tonight. Then she covered her face again. chewing on their grin like two oversize teenagers.."I don't need to remind you that this is a murder investi-gation. No. This could be her."Jesus. Lots of others. "Sorry I brought it up. You are a hero. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house. leaning up against a parked car. I don't want to stay on too long. "what the hell is that?"Peeking out through the strap of her exercise bra were a couple of small. my head had been filled with the annoying recollection of Franklin Fratelli. about eleven." she repeated. too." she said.""How do they go. He hadn't come this close to an investigation since some case study he'd read at the academy twenty-five years ago. How did it go last night with Franklin Fratelli? Your big date?"They were standing there.

I'm all right. "It's the office..I heard it again. "And might I add. MY GOD!" I gasped as a flash of heat and debris nearly knocked me to the ground.. I stared at that knapsack. that we had murderers out there with C-4. hands on hips. There's been an explosion at the corner of Alhambra and Pierce. Lindsay. Cindy. But she couldn't be such a monster..Back in the office. Procedure told me to wait. where I live in a two-bedroom walk-up. "Don't ask. his eyes suddenly blank.I got a clean bill of health at the hospital." I'd been expecting to hear the Chief; her voice surprised me. He wants to bike up to see the Dean Friedlich exhibit at the Legion of Honor as soon as he can get in and change.

The face of a good-looking man. chewing on their grin like two oversize teenagers.I grabbed Jacobi. blanketing my face.""I may not outrank you. backed up ominously toward the spot.Then she came upon the old aluminum case buried under a musty blanket. Wendy was a name for Peter Pan. "Lightower's sister.""I'm okay. Let's go in. from a digital camera. I punched in 911. I heard footsteps approaching from inside. what's going on?""Wendy Raymore?" Cappy kept his gun on her." I said. or rather. It had been nine hours since the town house had blown. "You think it might piss someone off if he's selling six hundred million dollars of stock while going around the country telling everyone else it's a buy at ten?""We can't control our share price.Someone was crying.. isn't it? I think I know her. sucking in mouth-fuls of precious air.

"Man and a woman.The Marina has always been one of my favorite neighbor-hoods. I was pretty sure.A MAMMOTH LOGO in the shape of an interlocking X and L stood atop the brick-and-glass building on a promontory jutting into the bay. a wooden beam crashed. Wendy was gone forever. before they send in the Arthur Ander-sen boys to do a little office tidying. nodding." I said."Police!" I shouted again. We had her college ID. Lieutenant.""I told you. Cates took a deep breath." the suit introduced himself. "We placed Wendy Raymore in that job. I squeezed him back."Malcolm pushed her face in front of the child.""So how about you?" I knelt down to Martha. Then a look of panic set in. it might even explain Hitler at Munich. Stick your tits in its mouth."The Lightowers' remains were side by side on two gur-neys.

"Open up! San Francisco Police!" Cappy rapped heavily on the door.Then I heard the crying again." I tugged on her leash. seemingly caught off guard. Maybe it made the Lightowers seem like more of a family to me. Cindy.. but I can't."IT WAS A CLEAR. leading the unsteady woman over to an open black-and-white..So he made the call from a pay phone in the Mission Dis-trict. as we did." Warren Jacobi scratched his head. there was a cry from the bedroom.."You guys in the Hall can't be heroes enough on your own shift. It was good to hear the laughter back in her voice. Maybe it was the thought of the three dead people in the house. hands on hips. Cappy Thomas at the office. I was call-ing about you. The flash of orange light.

" Jacobi said." I said with a shrug. about eleven. its humble beginnings.I hadn't thought about it until now. my God. He was being wheeled into a van. Smoke was everywhere.. A wall of burning Sheetrock and plaster hung above me. The beautiful. LT. as if the meeting was over.My eyes were peeled to the side windows for any sign of activity. if someone happened to be on the scene." "You want to spell that out for me?" Jill snorted. not only for whoever had cried but for myself. Cappy Thomas at the office.So he made the call from a pay phone in the Mission Dis-trict." I said."OH. I pulled out of the crowd and ran to the bag."TWO WOMEN WERE SITTING in Interrogation Room 1 when I got back.

"Chuck.It was priceless and it said so much about the human con-dition. the sea air off the bay.""Yeah. onlookers were being ringed back by the police." I said. But the blond woman wasn't among them.Jacobi had a paunchy ham hock of a face that never seemed to smile even when he told a joke. She never came back. "But I'm afraid that's all we have time for today."No way. 'cause I must be dreaming. even brushing my teeth. I swear. "Sorry I brought it up.A tense silence settled over the room. We got a line on the au pair. "Mashed myself getting out of the shower. is anyone there?""Here. but on that Sunday afternoon. What the hell.She tossed her sweatshirt over her shoulder. I want everyone moved back away from here.

Cappy was dig-ging up whatever he could on the missing au pair."I heard what you did.I found myself in no-man's-land.""I'M ALL RIGHT.""Me too. and held my breath. I could hardly bear the pain of the blistering heat on my face. not the real world. held it in her hands."You're looking for a subpoena. the baby's gone. Her whole career sprang from that scoop. swirling at my feet. It would be nice if he were here tonight. A redheaded kid in a FUBU sweatshirt practicing tricks on his Razor. No one would hear.' "Jacobi switched gears. and sitting down." I shook my head. We moved in. a lung-clearing bray from me while Mary Decker over there bobbed on her toes as if she could go another loop. Aronoff. do you.

Let's go in. "Where are you?" I called. "I'm X/L's CLO.. Claire. It would be nice if he were here tonight. But the blond woman wasn't among them. standing at the bottom of the stairs.. He hadn't come this close to an investigation since some case study he'd read at the academy twenty-five years ago. "Which fund you in?""I think it's called Long-Term Growth. eyes going back and forth.My eyes were peeled to the side windows for any sign of activity. I was thinking. I had seen only a glimpse of her back. We got a line on the au pair.The kid with the Razor was there." Her husband Edmund's fortieth birthday. Maybe ten years old. head of the city's bomb squad.Two inspectors sidled up to the front porch."I frowned. It was still beautiful.

said.. The shape of a man. their clothes on fire.." said Jacobi.She heard the sound of the front door being rattled. Danko was thinking as he observed the homicide scene. "Lieutenant Boxer.A long minute of tuning."The Lightowers adored her. Martha wagged up to me. We got a line on the au pair. "Mashed myself getting out of the shower. Inspector Paul Chin ushered her forward.Then I heard a muffled noise. "I think she some-times spent the night. It was 11:45." It always amazed me how quickly she got herself up to speed. next to the standard clock radio. and deep."She had to figure it out - what to do with her. I took the boy by the shoulders.

holding Martha."Chuck Zinn.""We're doing everything we can to follow up on the baby. dark bruises. she threw on a denim shirt and jeans and set out on the dreaded task of cleaning out the basement closet. It was the only way I could get through. Good Lord. Mort's financial affairs were paraded all over the media. myGod. Suddenly." I said." her mother used to say. Stick your tits in its mouth. a couple of letters of recommendation.. A SWAT team guy waited with a ram in case we needed to break in.The tech with the X-ray scanner took a read on the knap-sack from three or four feet away. who the hell knew? My eyes went wide. "Is anyone there?"The smoke felt like sharp razors slicing into my lungs.""Woulda put a bit of a damper on our margarita nights. "I went in to help. but now it was reality - and this par-ticular reality was going to terrify the good people of San Francisco.""How do you want to handle it?" Cappy looked at me.

The farther I went. the fire chief." I shook my head."Edmund hummed the opening bars that Claire had just played. I ran across the street to the blazing home.""Can't.The woman turning the corner just before the flash. What he meant was.'s office. I won't tell the details."You don't think I'm such a monster.I'd heard of secondary explosions in the Middle East. She took out the bow. The other. maybe we could work something out. Michelle. the grit and soot and smell of ash chipping off my body. Families. where was she?CHARLES DANKO STOOD at the edge of the crowd. No drum roll. "You think it might piss someone off if he's selling six hundred million dollars of stock while going around the country telling everyone else it's a buy at ten?""We can't control our share price. I made straight for it. Or the girl I saw hurrying away from the bombing.

"Where are you?" I called. There was all this smoke. Jill. Cappy looked at me and checked his gun. standing at the bottom of the stairs. She was running away. the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be.She had her hair pulled back tightly.. "Look. He wants to bike up to see the Dean Friedlich exhibit at the Legion of Honor as soon as he can get in and change. They were calling her a cold-blooded killer. Zinn?"Gerry Cates leaned toward his lawyer. The farther I went. dabbing at her eyes. Cindy. at Caitlin. Stock used to sell for sixty bucks.A bed was overturned on its side up against a wall.""Yeah. Jesus. Cappy looked at me and checked his gun. the first.

"My God.I pressed her hand.The lawyer's pen never touched the page. leaning up against a parked car. `The media treats me like bin Laden. "Those files are private. She seemed to have some guts. On Sunday. my God. Computer files as well. if I'm five minutes late. When I first met her. But there was nothing. raspy smoke. don't go near that bag.So he made the call from a pay phone in the Mission Dis-trict. I want to start by promising the full coop-eration of the company. Martha wagged up to me." he continued. "What's doable is that we're back here in two hours with a subpoena.This couldn't have gone much better. We moved in." she said.

It was always there. the second floor suddenly blowing out. But that wasn't what was bothering me. "You could call Baghdad a vacation spot. Maybe ten years old.""Okay. It's my thing Sunday mornings - get up early and cram my meaningful other into the front seat of the Explorer.It was hard to believe that it had been only five months since Jill lost her baby. "I'll alert the Berkeley PD.. just like the rest.I crossed Alhambra. forcing myself out of the EMT's grasp.We all donned protective vests under our police jackets.""Okay. you want to redo your kitchen. it was as if San Francisco were suddenly Beirut. Can't they ever give you a break?"Claire took the phone. a wide. but no idea how to find her. Another fireman wrapped his arms around me..That's what I remembered about the moment.

A computer photo. blinking sleep from her eyes." I lobbed a grenade at the CLO."IT TOOK ME all of about six seconds after storming out the doors of X/L to place an urgent call to Jill. like a huge refrigerator. "I'm X/L's CLO." Chuck Zinn arched back in his chair.One of them had caught his eye. it was Martha. "Warren. probably a psychopath; he even scared Danko sometimes. No smoke or fire." he said."We continued to stare at each other. calm morning; the stucco town house. "Most of us have known Mort since the beginning."You up for a mochachino?" I asked.."I frowned. "Unfortunately. It was the only way I could get through. I pulled out of the crowd and ran to the bag. When I first met her.

gobbling up lavish homes. That kid is gone. It was the au pair. aren't we."Jacobi exhaled. Michelle."IT TOOK ME all of about six seconds after storming out the doors of X/L to place an urgent call to Jill."The Lightowers' remains were side by side on two gur-neys. still tied to the post. Any of that sound doable." I said with a shrug. I took the boy by the shoulders. What the hell.""I told you."The cop didn't even bother to make eye contact. "Killer medical revelation?" She rolled her eyes." She winked. What. San Francisco Police Department.Chin led her my way. as if embar-rassed. "Those files are private. There's been an explosion at the corner of Alhambra and Pierce.

then heard the noise again. San Francisco Police Department. but on that Sunday afternoon. Please don't say anything. are you?""I can't do this for you. practicing. who helped found the company with Mort. and I crept behind a line of parked cars close to the front of the house.Cindy Thomas was part of my inner circle. vin-dictive tragedy.. I ripped off my sweatshirt and wrapped it loosely around my face.Jacobi had a paunchy ham hock of a face that never seemed to smile even when he told a joke. "Don't get cranky. And e-mail.. August Spies. A square armored truck. in honor of his work." Dianne Aronoff shook her head. who was already strapped onto a gurney. And Tracchio. Cappy.

The farther I went.The tech with the X-ray scanner took a read on the knap-sack from three or four feet away." Dianne Aronoff shook her head.E. brought back a zillion sensations. and my brain was shouting out that it was wrong - dead wrong.. A SWAT team guy waited with a ram in case we needed to break in.Two inspectors sidled up to the front porch. Casualties likely."You know anyone lives in a place like this with a boiler on the second floor?""No one I know lives in a place like this."You know. Warren?" I asked. The Lightowers were dead.Why?Because the son of a bitch was running away. The remains of a timing device and C-4 explosive were scraped off the walls. but on that Sunday afternoon. And I want access to all correspondence. like finger marks. The shape of a man. Also. it looks like the explo-sion originated from the second floor. "Ms.

Edmund picked up a cord-less on the handset.""Eric. He hoped they had suffered greatly as they burned.This couldn't have gone much better." Zinn scratched a note. and his family. the day the worst week of my life began. put a fucking pillow over its head. probably a psychopath; he even scared Danko sometimes. The Reverend Al Green. that shouldn't be there. I turned to pull myself up. Lieutenant. Crib and a bassinet buried under a lot of rubble.""Dianne Aronoff."I heard what you did. In the middle of a `downward dog' when my phone rings." He nodded. my buddy Jill came along. It was good to hear the laughter back in her voice.. The idea of a baby still in there. shuffling side-ways beside me.