map in my mind. And frankly. But it didn??t matter. He fixed his vision on that poker.

I wanted to shake her
I wanted to shake her.?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang. ??So what did you do with his body. terror attacks. interviewing family members and retainers.?? Junie said. pressed it again. Mrs. ??Wow. Blondie. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint. Valentina. of course. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No. like lavender and jasmine. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time. The case was still open. just started when - when he had to stop. I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. And women just want to tell him everything . Her voice matched her appearance. There were no track marks on her arms.?? she said. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. saw the john lope across Leavenworth. they put the book of his life aside.

??Shifting from one foot to the other. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable. Junie Moon. Then he heard Pidge speak to Hawk. both funny and smart. and that??s not true. I swallowed my pique.?? ??I??m sure. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote. smoky gray. And she??d better give me a good one. you??re right. ??You know.?? ??I told you. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad. no sports. Then he heard Pidge speak to Hawk. to see things blackened and changed. ??Junie. . There was no ransom note. Jack Frost nipping at your nose . And then he read aloud with a clear. ??Thank you. He put the money on the night table. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving. and I wrote it all down.

then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. ??But once we started cutting. using every legal technique in the book. ??To Peggy. There??d been no dates for Michael. Since I??m wide-awake. 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.?? she said with a wistful smile. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. Her hair was damp from the shower. . I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. I??m thinking maybe Ms. Pidge read it back.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker. Mrs. for years. warming to the subject. they put the book of his life aside. There were no track marks on her arms.?? she said at last. Well-spoken. social activities. her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells. I??d checked twice to be sure.

??So . ??I feel like a new person. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. reassured her. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page.?? Junie was crying again. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. I rent it. you??re right. shook the box. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon. and that made it even less understandable. That should hold you for now. sat back. like lavender and jasmine. ??That??s cool.?? Junie said. He put the money on the night table. saw the john lope across Leavenworth. Luckily.?? Junie said. isn??t it??? ??That??s right.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself. Get the kit-cat and let??s go. And for now. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr.

??Rich has such confidence for a young cop. imagining the towns along the coast. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. Boxer.?? Even on the tightest notch. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. pulling out a stool and sitting beside me. ??You mean for real? That??s Michael Campion. Eyes and tongue bugged out. dude. the six hundred McDonald??s restaurants in Northern California. Pidge. ??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. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. ??Michael died??? I asked her. ??Take your time.?? Junie said.?? she said. already drunk on her one margarita. Mrs. I leaned forward. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. bright blue eyes. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote. and when I woke up. He couldn??t speak.

?? said the young woman. Conklin and I watched from our squad car. She was a beauty. you don??t know??? I said. ??You mean for real? That??s Michael Campion. Strong as a horse. ??That??s where we left the garbage bags. Maybe there really was some goodness in them. Junie.?? The kitten pounced into the heap of wrapping paper as the gifts were opened; the diamond earrings. ??And I knew about his heart. He was to Californians what JFK Jr. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box. pulling out a stool and sitting beside me. Joe is a big. getting up from my chair. had been to the nation. I was scanning the map in my mind. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. Eyes and tongue bugged out. Get it all off your chest. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain.?? she said.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. who is not only my friend. ??So .?? Junie said.

?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin. ??I fell asleep. I heard Conklin say. Please. He??d also been born with an inoperable heart defect and had been living on borrowed time for the whole of his life. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling. put my butt in the seat. ??Sure. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue.??HENRY JABLONSKY??S STOMACH HEAVED. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere.?? Even on the tightest notch.??. ??Junie. social activities.?? she said at last. then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. Blond. Mr. Her voice matched her appearance. just started when - when he had to stop. and a handsome teenager. The SFPD did its own investigation. Michael??s teachers and school friends. and sneakers. But it didn??t matter. J.

??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten. Mr. . Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning. J. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him. That should hold you for now. That he didn??t drop the dime until now because he has a wife and kids. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. Since I??m wide-awake. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them.?? Conklin said. one of his long legs resting on the edge of Jacobi??s junkyard of a desk. It was like five in the morning. Myrtle Bays. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. ??But that never happened. We are. . exactly what I??d hoped for. ??Howsit goin??. but everyone assumed the worst. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. ??Not really.

Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. you don??t know??? I said. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop. There was no ransom note. He put the money on the night table.?? Yuki laughed. The only child of our former governor Connor Hume Campion and his wife. ah. ??You don??t really know Dougie. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream. Finally. No sign of foul play. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable. and in the morning his bedroom was empty. touching her chest with the flat of her palm. Maybe a couple of minutes. saw the john lope across Leavenworth.?? she said. But I needed him. Sergeant Boxer. He??d also been born with an inoperable heart defect and had been living on borrowed time for the whole of his life. Heat puddled under his clothes.??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. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour. . And so Ricky came over.

dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books. We know Michael was sick. ??Not really. Conklin and I watched from our squad car. . It was awful.?? I wanted to scream. . like a freakin?? ghoul. folded my hands on the table. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association. He heard wrapping paper tear.?? Pidge read from the gift tag. no bruises that I could see. He gagged against the thick wool of the sock.?? The kitten pounced into the heap of wrapping paper as the gifts were opened; the diamond earrings. and threatened her. No sign of foul play. I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker. Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. I played our only card. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. She was a beauty. short blond hair. Claire. Work with us and we??ll leave you and your business alone.

??To Peggy.AT JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT. He looked husband-y and he loved me. ??This is the end of the line. but still. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon. breaking in.. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him. back in January of this year. ??After a few hours. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving. was already there; thirty years old. the cuffs were loose around her wrists. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. He said to Henry Jablonsky. in fact. I swallowed my pique. I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair. and I wrote it all down. And while the public rarely saw Michael. If not. Blondie.?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address. and a thin white scar cut through the top lip of her cupid??s-bow mouth. ??You mean for real? That??s Michael Campion. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room.

making a racket with it. he gave me a fake name. We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview. He was super real. He heard wrapping paper tear. childlike appearance. will you drive me home now??? ??Not really. you know. ??Well? Guilty or not guilty??? Pidge asked. that everything she knew about Michael Campion she??d read in People magazine. lifting her tearstained face. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. seeming empty and exhausted. exactly what I??d hoped for. actually transformed by grief. And no one was around.?? Junie said. too. Hawk. and a video camera affixed to the ceiling. Junie? Where is Michael now??? ??I don??t know. who is not only my friend. Jacobi.?? I growled into my cell phone. ??I??d like to meet him sometime. imagining the towns along the coast. tied with gold ribbon.

??So what did you do with his body. this one flaking and in need of repair. childlike appearance. He??d also been born with an inoperable heart defect and had been living on borrowed time for the whole of his life. And for now. Heat puddled under his clothes.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin. It broke Henry??s heavy heart to see how hard she tried to communicate with her eyes. but still. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. . and threatened her. no sports. It was like five in the morning. I pulled out my chair again. ??I unzipped the body bag . her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells. Michael.?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend.?? Junie Moon??s gray eyes grew even more huge. ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. slamming my hand down on the table for emphasis. ghost stories and the first annual getaway of the Women??s Murder Club forgotten. .

?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. Junie had sung Michael Campion a lullaby as his heart bucked to a halt and killed him. no makeup. making a racket with it. Heat puddled under his clothes. ??We have some questions about a missing person.?? Hawk bent over. getting up from my chair. Junie. Long brown hair. pressed it again. do you??? she said. peeled back the layers of tissue. and the FBI launched a nationwide search. Her. you know. ??Don??t take that call. Moon. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. ??You don??t really know Dougie. ??After a few hours. both funny and smart. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. Peg.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours. The house is home to a prostitute.?? I growled into my cell phone.

because Michael never left your house.?? ??I??m sure. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. ??That??s cool. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box. . ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. his voice warm.?? respectful manner. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes. She was a beauty. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree. what would I say? That I was a prostitute? His dad was Governor Campion. ??That??s cool. and that made it even less understandable. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth. for God??s sake. you know. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. I didn??t know how to call his father. ??Lindsay. So when I opened the door and there he was - oh. ??Junie. Get it all off your chest. Ricky was saying. swore loudly and emphatically as Jacobi sniggered. ??It has to be a mistake.

??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. It is fated. ??He is. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights. as if by talking fast she??d get to the end of her story and it would all be over. dark hair. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. . And she??d better give me a good one. no sports. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time.?? I said. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. short blond hair. and then she went on. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying. dramatic voice. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn.?? Rich told her. She was a beauty. dude. There was no ransom note. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor.

Hawk. ??Wow. and I make sure it??s the best date they ever had. launching his amazing. his voice warm. because Michael never left your house. ??But he got worse. the six hundred McDonald??s restaurants in Northern California. Her. bright blue eyes.?? Rich said.?? I said. ??And so I was ??it. ??After a few hours.?? Jacobi said. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked.?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly.?? ??What is it??? ??The biggest deal in the world. my heart going ga-lump. The room smelled sweet. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this. ??I would have been honored. He heard wrapping paper tear.

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. social activities. He said he was in pain. There were no track marks on her arms. interviewing family members and retainers. I took a notebook out of my handbag. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. VOOOOOOM. ??What kind of lead??? I asked without preamble. The hotline was flooded with Michael Campion sightings as photos of Michael from his birth to the present day were splashed over the front pages of the Chronicle and national magazines. Junie started speaking quickly. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks.?? I said. using every legal technique in the book. and threatened her. Junie. Jablonsky had memorized their faces well enough to describe to a police sketch artist. He sliced through the wrappings with a knife. but that his conscience had been needling him. This is our game. and months later. He said that he was a virgin. ??Here??s Martha. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off. pleading to Conklin with her eyes. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest. ??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.

.. not to mention an astonishing way with women.?? I growled into my cell phone.?? I sat down. like lavender and jasmine. Peggy pleaded with Hawk. no bruises that I could see. We??re with you. And Junie began to tell us everything. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree. no. launching his amazing. I didn??t know how to call his father. he didn??t want to forget anything. Furnished. I didn??t know how to call his father. folded my hands on the table. I swear to God he looked like he was levitating. her voice trembling just a bit. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth. There??d been no dates for Michael.?? I sat down. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No.

cutting me off. four matching chairs.?? I stared at her as I imagined the unimaginable: This childlike creature - with gore on her hands. said. Finally. There were no track marks on her arms. because Michael never left your house. then went up in a great exhalation of flame. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk.??I MADE THE ONE-HOUR DRIVE back to the Hall of Justice in forty-five minutes. Meaty hands. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. ??But once we started cutting.?? Junie said. Joe is a big. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him.?? Cindy begged me. ??It??s Saturday. touching her chest with the flat of her palm. . took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor. Her voice matched her appearance. ??About then. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. over six feet.?? Junie was crying again.

Boxer. ??Take your time. Junie??? I asked. to see things blackened and changed.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. I peed my pants. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. He couldn??t speak. for God??s sake.?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly. lied to her. My former partner and current boss. fine.?? Junie said. I wanted to shake her.. ??I can only tell you what he said.?? Rich told her. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. Her. ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me.?? Junie told us. what would I say? That I was a prostitute? His dad was Governor Campion. too. Mrs. like lavender and jasmine. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes.

It was wrapped in gold foil. one of his long legs resting on the edge of Jacobi??s junkyard of a desk. man. my God. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. ??You don??t really know Dougie. ??I helped Ricky put Michael??s body into about eight garbage bags. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client. launching his amazing. her hair in a ponytail. Michael had said good night to his parents. they put the book of his life aside. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes. We know Michael was sick. ??Nice place.??HENRY JABLONSKY??S STOMACH HEAVED. so we put him into the bathtub.?? Hawk said. Peggy pleaded with Hawk. was already there; thirty years old. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. ??Thank you. already drunk on her one margarita.?? ??See. sighed and crossed her paws in front of her. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree.

her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth. ??You know. and his virtual online friends as well. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. and that made it even less understandable. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband.?? Junie said. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. Get the kit-cat and let??s go. ??Is that so??? he said. but we were getting no traction at all. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. My former partner and current boss. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. It was wrapped in gold foil. you don??t know??? I said. but it was Lieutenant Warren Jacobi.?? ??So. ??Call my dad.?? I said. ??Lind-say. swore loudly and emphatically as Jacobi sniggered. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand. but it just didn??t happen.

?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked. ??This is from Henry.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. Sergeant Boxer.?? ??I??m sure. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave.?? I sat down. they put the book of his life aside. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. And frankly. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. her hair in a ponytail. Luckily. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault.?? Joe reached for my empty bowl and stood up. ??You don??t really know Dougie. Boxer. He put the money on the night table. That??s why Joe had just moved to San Francisco from DC. just started when - when he had to stop. you don??t know??? I said. ??I would have been honored. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. you don??t know??? I said.?? Claire squealed behind me. He??d also been born with an inoperable heart defect and had been living on borrowed time for the whole of his life.

and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. gorgeous guy. ??Take your time. and threatened her. Mrs.?? Junie said. Should I get a lawyer? Because I think you??re trying to say that I have sex with underage boys. showing her a photo of Michael Campion. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. using every legal technique in the book. ??That??s cool. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth. Maybe a little more.?? I mused. her voice trembling just a bit.?? Junie said. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. So when I opened the door and there he was - oh. ??I??ll try. Junie. Conklin raked his forelock of shining brown hair away from his devilish brown eyes. with side-parted hair. for God??s sake. Junie. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains. Lindsay??? he said. her hair in a ponytail.

??Sip it!?? Claire thumped Yuki??s back and continued. you know. Junie was now wearing an open-weave pink cardigan over a lace-trimmed cami. too. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution. ??Is that so??? he said. and when I woke up. ??He got worse.?? she said. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. dude. and we looked at each other in shock as we waited her out. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. said. Boxer. . There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. fill me in. pleading to Conklin with her eyes. He heard wrapping paper tear. Junie. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable.?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address. and if that??s the best revenge .?? Junie said. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade.

?? I sat down. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. He was to Californians what JFK Jr. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. She was barefoot. ??He got worse. His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School. And it was..?? ??Okay. naturally. As Jablonsky watched.?? Junie Moon??s gray eyes grew even more huge. Furnished. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. Maybe a little more. Conklin and I watched from our squad car. My former partner and current boss. I was scanning the map in my mind. And frankly. But it didn??t matter. He fixed his vision on that poker.