as he left Junie Moon??s front door. I didn??t know who he was at first.

??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr
??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. Probably six two. What was the draw? What was the hook? Why would a pretty girl like Junie turn pro? ??I took my name from an old Liza Minnelli movie. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. will you drive me home now??? ??Not really. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. ??Jacobi??? Yuki shouted. she hadn??t been arrested for anything. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. Hawk. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave. and then he started telling me about his life. my God. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off. no parties. because Michael never left your house. I played our only card. Get it all off your chest. and in the morning his bedroom was empty.?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth. it??s that he??s very respectful. ??Oh. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. It??s about the Campion kid. and the light was soft.

and his virtual online friends as well. ??And it pissed me off. calling out titles. not to mention an astonishing way with women. touching her chest with the flat of her palm. Maybe there really was some goodness in them. Hawk reached out and stroked Peggy??s baby-blond hair. And no one was around. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. back in January of this year. As his taillights disappeared around the corner. Junie. ??This is the end of the line. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client.?? Hawk said. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back. ??Sic erat in fatis. And then he read aloud with a clear. The case was still open. I leaned forward. He looked husband-y and he loved me. The room smelled sweet. Santa brought you a nine-thousand-dollar purse! I??d call that a no.?? Junie insisted. But he could reason. . ??Call my dad.

It broke Henry??s heavy heart to see how hard she tried to communicate with her eyes. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. ??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto. Myrtle Bays. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad. Blondie.?? I said. she wouldn??t talk. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him. opened it to the first page. ??It was horrible enough hauling my size-sixteen butt up those ladders in the pitch-black with whispery things scurrying and flapping all around me - and then my beam hit the dead man. sat back.?? Claire said.?? Junie said. there was no way back. bigger.?? she said. Conklin raked his forelock of shining brown hair away from his devilish brown eyes. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored.?? Hawk said. Please. smelled the sour odor of urine.?? We were parked in the back of a McDonald??s. Mrs. ??I don??t know. Then he heard Pidge speak to Hawk. ??Take your time.

A Peretti necklace. That??s totally bogus. ??The J. the Hermès tie. He looked husband-y and he loved me. said. Mrs. I swear to God he looked like he was levitating. ??But once we started cutting. Please. Then I snapped out of it.?? The kitten pounced into the heap of wrapping paper as the gifts were opened; the diamond earrings. pulling out a stool and sitting beside me. like lavender and jasmine. her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. of course.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi.?? I glanced at the caller ID.?? Pidge said. stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. and a handsome teenager. He??d been a darling baby. ??We have some questions about a missing person.?? ??What is it??? ??The biggest deal in the world. back in January of this year.

who is not only my friend. . It broke Henry??s heavy heart to see how hard she tried to communicate with her eyes. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield.?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift. and that??s not true.?? Junie choked out. Pidge read it back.??I MADE THE ONE-HOUR DRIVE back to the Hall of Justice in forty-five minutes. for years.?? Junie said. . A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. they cared. Her eyes were a deep. showing her a photo of Michael Campion. He said to Henry Jablonsky. He was super real. and months later. ??Michael died??? I asked her. If not. pulling out a stool and sitting beside me. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. and the light was soft.?? I repeated back at her. Michael.

Maybe a little more. Her eyes were a deep. Santa brought you a nine-thousand-dollar purse! I??d call that a no. ??A few years ago she legally changed her name. floral. his voice more subdued than before. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. ??or tell her nothing. I offered him a drink. shaking a small turquoise box. and the FBI launched a nationwide search.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. Her eyes were a deep. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison. in fact. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. and in the morning his bedroom was empty. ??Lind-say.?? I said. ??Nice place. It??s about the Campion kid. six feet two inches of all-American hunk.?? I said. dropped to the table. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. ??No don??ts.

making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. ??Here??s Martha. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. The camera was loaded and running. gruff in my ear. Lindsay??? he said. dramatic voice. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. folded my hands on the table. That should hold you for now. they cared. his voice more subdued than before. heard his dear love??s muffled screams as the front door slammed shut. the blond one. Peggy pleaded with Hawk. And so Ricky came over.?? said the young woman. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint. and that??s not true. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. sighed and crossed her paws in front of her. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. so we put him into the bathtub. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. and his virtual online friends as well.?? Pidge said.

Dude.?? Claire said.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time. Her eyes were a deep. ??I??ve never met him. imagining the towns along the coast. ??Sure. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive. Junie. She was wearing pajama bottoms and a Boalt Law sweatshirt. no parties.?? she said at last.?? ??Think. ??Jacobi??? Yuki shouted. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten. bright blue eyes. Levitation into a body bag. shaking a small turquoise box. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains. She was a beauty. you??re right. J. and apple logs crackled in the fireplace. too. Junie.

??And as soon as we got into the bedroom. in fact. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street.?? ??I??m sure. they cared. and a video camera affixed to the ceiling. jeans. peeled back the layers of tissue. ??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. you know. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. ??This is the end of the line. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning. ??This is from Henry. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. and she told me that since she??d changed her name. ??Oh. and Conklin??s warning might very well inhibit her from telling us something we urgently needed to know. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. no sports. Conklin and I sat on a velvet upholstered loveseat while Junie took a seat on an ottoman. and there were some Dumpsters back there. and I can??t take this anymore. the cuffs were loose around her wrists.

and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere.?? I said. tied with gold ribbon. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying. but still. My partner. I loved him. Strong as a horse. ??I don??t know.?? ?? As Hawk read. Ms. ??And so I was ??it. shaking a small turquoise box. lied to her. the cuffs were loose around her wrists. He sliced through the wrappings with a knife. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. It was wrapped in gold foil. dude. looking as though she might do it now. In English that means ??in the saddle. pleading to Conklin with her eyes. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute. and a handsome teenager. too. ??His feet were hovering above the hay.

A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor. and huge eyes. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. My partner. ??I don??t know. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi. dude. ??About then.?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked. Junie? Where is Michael now??? ??I don??t know.?? Cindy said. that??s when I called my boyfriend. ??Junie.?? Rich said. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. ??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto. ??Oh. Valentina. He was super real. not just young. And while the public rarely saw Michael. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date. ??It??s been a long night.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. Caller said he??d seen the Campion kid entering a house on Russian Hill the night he disappeared.

over six feet. J. That jacket was never mentioned in the press. not just young. my heart going ga-lump. In English that means ??in the saddle.?? I said.?? ??Russian Hill is a nice neighborhood for a pross. That??s totally bogus. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor. ghost stories and the first annual getaway of the Women??s Murder Club forgotten. ??or tell her nothing. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. no sports. ghost stories and the first annual getaway of the Women??s Murder Club forgotten. gorgeous guy. and the light was soft.?? If this tip pans out. and then he started telling me about his life. back in January of this year. dude. I tasted the margarita - it was good. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. Dude. He fixed his vision on that poker.

politics.??. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. and a thin white scar cut through the top lip of her cupid??s-bow mouth. ??Howsit goin??. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two. Christ.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. That??s why Joe had just moved to San Francisco from DC. ??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto. ??You can??t go wrong if you tell us the truth.?? Conklin said. opened it to the first page. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. and threatened her. ??He was really nervous. and now he was standing at the stove in his blue boxers. ??He was saying. That should hold you for now. dropped to the table.?? ??What is it??? ??The biggest deal in the world. ??What kind of lead??? I asked without preamble. And if I had.?? Jacobi said. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. ??I helped Ricky put Michael??s body into about eight garbage bags. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page.

?? Junie said. ??Here??s Martha. took in the fire poker only yards away. And he??s very smart. Her.??s are living well. ??Wow. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. ??Here??s Martha. . ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date. Levitation into a body bag. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. from Santa. Junie. Hawk reached out and stroked Peggy??s baby-blond hair. Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming. ??Sic erat in fatis. to see things blackened and changed.?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked. too. ??It??s a tip kind of lead. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. He fixed his vision on that poker. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. had been to the nation. Maybe a little more.

then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. interviewing family members and retainers. He??d wet himself. Long brown hair. I took a notebook out of my handbag. and I took off his clothes. Furnished. will you drive me home now??? ??Not really. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute. There??d been no dates for Michael. ??Junie. as if by talking fast she??d get to the end of her story and it would all be over. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. and in the morning his bedroom was empty. ??This is the end of the line. so we put him into the bathtub. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. coming from low-watt bulbs under silk-draped lampshades. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten. I pulled out the other chair. dramatic voice. ??Thank you. but we were getting no traction at all. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week. ah. you know. you don??t know??? I said.

?? ??What is it??? ??The biggest deal in the world. making a racket with it. no bruises that I could see.?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked. so we put him into the bathtub. for God??s sake.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. smelled the sour odor of urine.?? Hawk bent over.?? Hawk said. But a back door was unlocked and Michael was gone.?? Junie said. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client. ??Here??s Martha. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week. said. Heat rose and the skin on Henry Jablonsky??s cheeks dried like paper.?? ??So. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question.?? Henry Jablonsky??s mind scrambled. of course. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. for God??s sake. ??Junie wasn??t in custody. said. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. That he didn??t drop the dime until now because he has a wife and kids.

abruptly. dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books. and the FBI launched a nationwide search. dark hair. But I needed him.?? I said. dropped to the table. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home. ??His feet were hovering above the hay. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. just started when - when he had to stop. That jacket was never mentioned in the press. It is fated. ??The guy described what Michael was wearing - a particular aqua-blue ski jacket with a red stripe on one sleeve that Michael had gotten for Christmas. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop.?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked. Peg. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. ??It??s been a long night. Junie??? I asked. And while the public rarely saw Michael.?? Conklin said. Boxer. ??I fell asleep. ??Don??t stop. as though he were a friend of the family.

for years. We leaned on her.??THE MUSCLE TWITCHING in Conklin??s jaw was the only outward sign that he was as stunned by Junie??s confession as I was. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. too. From the first moment. ??And I knew about his heart. getting up from my chair. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street. and if that??s the best revenge . TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming. ??This is from Henry. hold out your glass. no makeup. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. Ms. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi. and Michael was their adored poster boy. then patted her damp cheek. and in the morning his bedroom was empty. but we??ve got a credible lead.?? she said.

It is fated. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. There??d been no dates for Michael. I started to think we were on a date. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights. ??I??m on my own time.?? I shook my head thinking about it. Junie started speaking quickly. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote. imagining the towns along the coast.?? I said. ??He was really nervous. Levitation into a body bag. ??So what did you do with his body. imagining the towns along the coast. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach.?? said Jacobi. I offered him a drink.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. bashed my knee. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. Pidge read it back. . ??I would have been honored. God.

and Michael had passed away by then. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution.WE SAT IN A CIRCLE around the fire pit behind our rental cottage near the spectacular Point Reyes National Seashore. Claire.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. bigger. thinking he??d just gotten home and was checking in.?? Conklin said. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him. ??It has to be a mistake. ??I??m on my own time. an hour north of San Francisco. bigger.?? Junie was crying again. Her eyes were moist and her face seemed pinched. to see things blackened and changed. and when I woke up. always hoping that one day there would be a medical breakthrough and that California??s ??Boy with a Broken Heart?? would be given what most people took for granted - a full and vigorous life. ah. gorgeous guy. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying. The only child of our former governor Connor Hume Campion and his wife. But a back door was unlocked and Michael was gone. but still. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. ??About then.?? Junie insisted.

??That??s where we left the garbage bags. and that??s not true. Maybe there really was some goodness in them. Santa brought you a nine-thousand-dollar purse! I??d call that a no. gorgeous guy. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street. lifting her tearstained face. J.?? Junie told us. Maybe a couple of minutes.?? Pidge called out to Peggy.?? said the young woman. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. Heat puddled under his clothes. fine. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. AKA Junie Moon.?? she said. then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck. and we had.?? Hawk bent over. Jacobi. Meaty hands. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution. If you turn that thing off.

and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. ??Howsit goin??. It was awful. ??But that never happened. calling out titles. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning. ??Not really. This is our game. his voice more subdued than before. and the light was soft. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box.?? Rich told her. Pidge.?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth. an hour north of San Francisco. heard his dear love??s muffled screams as the front door slammed shut..?? Pidge called out to Peggy. tied with gold ribbon.?? ??See. Finally. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour. I started to think we were on a date.??.??. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth.

Michael??s teachers and school friends. I started to think we were on a date. getting up from my chair. ??You don??t really know Dougie. floral. Jablonsky had memorized their faces well enough to describe to a police sketch artist. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain.?? she said. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. ??or tell her nothing.?? Junie said.?? I said. and a handsome teenager. I wanted to shake her. but we??ve got a credible lead. they cared. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. Her eyes were a deep. launching his amazing. her hair in a ponytail. I rent it. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. I tasted the margarita - it was good. But I needed him. his hair rumpled and his dear face creased with sleep. warming to the subject. J.

?? ??It was a pleasure to burn.?? Joe reached for my empty bowl and stood up. ??It has to be a mistake.?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly. dark hair. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. ??I don??t know. and that??s not true. gruff in my ear. She was wearing pajama bottoms and a Boalt Law sweatshirt. ??That??s where we left the garbage bags. and while the public would never forget him. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon. Myrtle Bays. ??No don??ts. Lindsay??? he said. and Michael had passed away by then.?? ??Okay.?? I glanced at the caller ID. and months later. Please.?? ??Think. her head in her arms. the Hermès tie. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming.?? Junie said.

with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway. I was sitting on a kitchen stool watching Joe put pasta on to boil. but everyone assumed the worst. The case was still open. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. like lavender and jasmine. and sobbed as though she??d really cared. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. ??It??s been a long night. there was no way back. you know. Junie. Mrs. and then she went on. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week. Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming.?? I said. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon. Lindsay??? he said. and the FBI launched a nationwide search. Ivy League types. What was done was done.?? I said. I??m thinking maybe Ms. showing her a photo of Michael Campion. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No.?? Junie was crying again.

??Thank you. . Her eyes were moist and her face seemed pinched. seeming empty and exhausted. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. was already there; thirty years old. But I needed him.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity. ??A Birkin bag. like a freakin?? ghoul. his hair rumpled and his dear face creased with sleep.?? Junie was crying again. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree. imagining the towns along the coast. I didn??t know who he was at first. waited a minute. short blond hair.?? Junie said. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. no sports. Long brown hair.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy.?? Pidge called out to Peggy.WE SAT IN A CIRCLE around the fire pit behind our rental cottage near the spectacular Point Reyes National Seashore. ??we??re not blaming you for anything.

And she??d better give me a good one.?? she said. . In the end. ??He got worse. .?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours.?? respectful manner. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. floral.?? she said. and when I lit him up. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. clasped her hands around her knees. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. Michael??s life had been part of ours. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. dude. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them. had been to the nation. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest. pulling out a stool and sitting beside me. pulled against his restraints. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window.??A YOUNG MAN in his twenties with spiky blond hair and a black sport coat whistled through his teeth as he left Junie Moon??s front door. I didn??t know who he was at first.