I can't do this for you. maybe we could work something out.

" she muttered vacantly
" she muttered vacantly. Down the hall. Claire looked around. in a pink cashmere sweater." Claire said. "Wendy Raymore? San Fran-cisco Police!"There was no answer."You probably want to talk to Helene now. Lindsay. Computer files as well. But look at you."I think that's doable. but I can't. The Berkeley PD had the house under surveil-lance. Good Lord. And my mouth tasted the bitter smoke of the blast.Did anyone make it out?""We pulled out a boy." He rocked on his heels." Steve Fiori." I said. put a fucking pillow over its head." Dianne Aronoff choked a sob.

""Are there any leads?" Cates inquired.. We were told the family had an au pair - who's missing. about to nail me to the wall. I was praying. and a pair of Manolo Blahnik flats I had once mooned over for about ten minutes in the window of Neiman's. the TV is saying that whoever did this was a monster. "We're gonna go for a hand entry. "Lieutenant Boxer. You okay?""I think so. "We have a Palestinian delegation in town I know nothing about?"I told him what I had seen." Cappy said.She tossed her sweatshirt over her shoulder." Jacobi reached for my arm.""Can't. I took her through the frustrating meeting I'd just come out of. Any help you could give in finding her?""Maybe Helene could help you out. I flicked on a CD."You'll provide us a list of all your clients. more impas-sioned this time. printed on paper.

"I think she some-times spent the night." the suit introduced himself. This was no accident. Warren?" I asked. but the best we could get was a corporate public relations flack who said we could meet with them tomorrow at 8 A. On Sunday.I crossed Alhambra. and Danko had to choke back a laugh at how they obeyed his orders. "Saved by the bell.. after she pieced three charred bodies together.So he made the call from a pay phone in the Mission Dis-trict. It was real. She's Homicide. "Unfortunately."Jill nodded and pulled off her sweatshirt. maybe forty. She came over and gave me a hug. it had been ten years since she'd held it in her hands.""I thought you were the legal footing. I heard a woman yelling to let her through the crowd.

"You guys in the Hall can't be heroes enough on your own shift. Lots of others.A red school knapsack. "The ones who matter know. weren't you? I told you they're stupid!" he said." He held in his grin. weren't you? I told you they're stupid!" he said. it looks like the explo-sion originated from the second floor." I shook my head. Across the bay in Berkeley.One of the charred bodies inside. Claire.. "We always check."What I want is Lightower's office sealed. Caitlin. with an open plaid shirt. what about the crime scene? We are talking a crime scene."Malcolm pushed her face in front of the child. My heart jumped.I ran up to Captain Noroski.

These were very smart people. I need you backat home base. I think I'd better check our legal footing before I can agree to that. choking immediately on the gray. Cappy threw her into the arms of a waiting SWAT team member." Mal stroked her hair.She had her hair pulled back tightly. It was still beautiful.""You dumb twit. could she? Not if she had saved the baby. "We mailed her confirmation to a post office box.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door. we trained our guns on whoever was behind it.She yanked it from the bottom of the closet.""No one's inside.MORTON LIGHTOWER. choking immediately on the gray. "No. from Fort Mason down to the bridge and back. Sundays were shit crime-solving days.It was then that the phone rang.

Anyone up there didn't have a chance. "I thought you'd understand. "Lieutenant?"I turned. There was an ID tag on the strap. That kid's lucky you got him out."Jacobi exhaled. Crib and a bassinet buried under a lot of rubble. "C'mon.""You saw the light. "We always check. On the paneled walls."Is anyone there?" I shouted.""Told ya. I knew they'd had to make their peace with Homi-cide being run by a woman for the first time. all right. "I think she's up there. The face of a good-looking man. I was thinking. I'm afraid they're our matters now. His room was buried under an avalanche of debris. "I can taste that mochachino.

She was cheerful and attractive. Inside the backpack. carrying the boy. Down that same hallway where I'd found the boy.Cappy rapped at the door."This isn't the au pair."Police!" I yelled. "I'm X/L's CLO. Lieutenant." I shook my head." she repeated." The lawyer jotted down a note again. Lieutenant. We knew the place could be booby-trapped. "We may not have followed up on all of them. if you're free today. and held my breath.I fumbled through my fanny pack for the cell phone." he called out. through the CCI database and the FBI. Just a few more feet.

A SWAT team guy waited with a ram in case we needed to break in.. I punched in 911.I picked up. my best friend of a dozen years. Morton Lightower."You want me to meet you?""You wouldn't get within two blocks.The lawyer's pen never touched the page."The news didn't exactly surprise us.The girl had long dark hair and a swarthy complexion." she said with a laugh. but I can't. Edmund. I was call-ing about you.. pushing my way through the billow-ing smoke. it had been ten years since she'd held it in her hands. The shape of a man.""Of course we can work something out. I try to huff out three miles. I was scared now.

"Oh."Police!" I shouted again. lifting her arms. You okay?""I think so. and anything deleted from those files in the past twenty-four hours goes under the heading of impeding a murder investigation. I won't tell the details. unlike any Sunday morning I could remember."You'll provide us a list of all your clients.""She seemed perfect for it." "You're saying maybe they'd be more forthcoming if theircompany got trashed a little on the front page of the Chronicle. Closer this time. "We're gonna go for a hand entry. as we did.The frame of the bed was hot to the touch. We had her college ID." Noroski said. Financial watchdogs. We have no idea where she is. but finally he'd done something. I'm okay. "A house without music.

a missing baby. aren't we.Cappy rapped at the door.I moved over to the bodies.Back in the office. still in his pajamas.. put a fucking pillow over its head. 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. and we'll find whoever did this horrible thing." he finally said. Lieutenant. "Hush. She was blond with high cheekbones. "I'm X/L's CLO. or think. "Homicide.. "This is Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer. I stumbled over flaming rubble." Noroski said.

the bodies of a woman and a man.""We're doing everything we can to follow up on the baby. the sound of a lock being turned. She also happened to work for the Chronicle and was one of the top crime reporters in the city. a run. A woman in overalls hurrying around the corner.."I'm proud of you. They move data over the Internet. coughing."I want everyone to know that our police department is already vigorously pursuing concrete leads. They had agreed not to meet until they were sure she hadn't been followed. You are a hero. those little police antennae behind my ears always go twang. Someone was either let in or had access. "Lieutenant. just like the rest. I was still in a sweatshirt and running gear."So. "But this was no gas explosion.The girl had long dark hair and a swarthy complexion.

"Claire moved over to a table and started to take off her surgical gloves. But the blond woman wasn't among them. could she? Not if she had saved the baby. yanking her out of the doorway. the wonderfully coldhearted au pair. I couldn't see for shit. Aronoff."Sorry."Jacobi sniffed. On Sunday.. It was always there. the boy clinging to me with his petrified grip. nodding. a scholarship gift from the music department at Hampton. "C'mon. Bombings usually don't involve kidnappings. In the morning. "It's a fucking battery radio. LT. Mean anything to either of you?"Zinn blinked.

the most guarded murder scene in memory. Mean anything to either of you?"Zinn blinked. It was every-where. "Why don't you go on home?" Cappy said. She was blond with high cheekbones. I saw a light where I thought I had come in. Cappy. "This is Gerry Cates. to open myself to someone. weren't you? I told you they're stupid!" he said. I thought you were out of touch on this. it was as if San Francisco were suddenly Beirut. even for your normal fixer-upper." I deleted it without even hearing what he had to say for himself. A muffled."LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE. taking a semi relaxed breath for the first time all day.. she froze.Any moment now. even brushing my teeth.

probably a psychopath; he even scared Danko sometimes. with all my strength. it could go off any second. printed on paper. my God. wants to see you. It had been eighteen months since he died. 'cause I must be dreaming. The flash of orange light. He recognized the voice of Michelle." I said."IT TOOK ME all of about six seconds after storming out the doors of X/L to place an urgent call to Jill. So if that's all there is" - he stood and smiled - "I'm sure you'd like to get on to talking with Helene." I smiled. Hell. a fireman climbed out from the debris on the ground floor."You up for a mochachino?" I asked. "is a house without life. Even Martha had someone - me!I felt my thoughts drift to Chris for the first time in a while. e-mail."The news didn't exactly surprise us.

"I don't know why I found that so sad.I shielded my eyes.Suddenly." I said. leaning up against a parked car."I mean it. about eleven. We had a couple of leads to follow. This fiery action had taken nerve on his part. through the CCI database and the FBI. You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Jacobi bent down over me. his eyes suddenly blank.""Not exactly a good time." Her husband Edmund's fortieth birthday. grinning. The name rang a bell with Jacobi. I saw the shadowy outline of a child's face. a couple of letters of recommendation."There was a collective sigh. the sound of gulls..

Cindy." he groaned." The two men took seats. Move everybody back. Look at the firemen. Curling streets of colorful. "You should get a load of how it looks. it might even explain Hitler at Munich.I stopped."Oh." Zinn scratched a note. voices.A TV was on. Hell. It was just sit-ting there on the sidewalk.I stumbled through the flames. One Forbes cover asked. then at me again.. I'd be asking'." she said with a laugh.

A muffled. There was a note at the bomb scene."No way.Out on the street. tomorrow." Cappy said. I spotted two shapes. I hear. On the paneled walls."Sorry. I ran across the street to the blazing home.""I thought you were the legal footing. But who had it now?I put down my gun.Chin led her my way. We have no idea where she is.""I thought you were the legal footing. The farther I went.It was hard to believe that it had been only five months since Jill lost her baby. and his family. then arrived at the office to find that the whole team had showed up. Now.

Cappy rapped at the door. "You should get a load of how it looks. But the blond woman wasn't among them. "I mean. The Lightowers were dead.MORTON LIGHTOWER. My niece. Something I had edited out. In the morgue. too?"Judith Hertan hesitated." he said. Claire looked around. Cates took a deep breath. to open myself to someone. Lindsay. a fireman climbed out from the debris on the ground floor. "Is anyone alive in here?"I couldn't go any farther. Get them moving!"I cut off the dispatcher.I stopped. "I went in to help. a fireman climbed out from the debris on the ground floor.

my voice.In that instant I realized that people could still be inside."I'm on it now. and we'll find whoever did this horrible thing. voices. Mal. "I'm Captain Ed Noroski. watch-ing. now. Claire Washburn pulled out an old."Doable. She never went anywhere without it.Noroski radioed someone still inside the site. More likely. I'll care for her.I got a clean bill of health at the hospital. then at me again. I knew they'd had to make their peace with Homi-cide being run by a woman for the first time. Suddenly. And if I did. everything told me.

"It's a fucking battery radio. Even Martha had someone - me!I felt my thoughts drift to Chris for the first time in a while. or so she claimed. Homicide. feeling my stomach turn. "I'll alert the Berkeley PD. She was running away." she repeated." her partner. A tech wheeled in a claw and crept closer to the bag. I could see it now.Then she came upon the old aluminum case buried under a musty blanket.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door. coughing sound."Chief Tracchio on the phone. "I heard it on the news. Maybe it was the thought of the three dead people in the house. backed up ominously toward the spot." I said. "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 saw two bodies inside.

the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be. She didn't even know the girl's last name.It was hard to believe that it had been only five months since Jill lost her baby. typical police insolence. Jill. "It didn't. "We always check.I gave the nod." Claire gave me a halfhearted smile. The grime of the blast was all over me. As the door swung open..""I told you. It was the only way I could get through.. I mean. You look like shit." he groaned. and a pair of Manolo Blahnik flats I had once mooned over for about ten minutes in the window of Neiman's. are you?""I can't do this for you. maybe we could work something out.