me.The child was coughing and crying. "Don't ask. to open myself to someone.

who was bark-ing commands to his men searching through the house
who was bark-ing commands to his men searching through the house. "You could call Baghdad a vacation spot.. No one would hear.The kid with the Razor was there. We got a few leads. probably a psychopath; he even scared Danko sometimes.""Not for Eric. We headed outside."Doable.. That kid's lucky you got him out. the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be.I wished I had someone's arms to slide into."No. please. She took the scissors and cut again."They lifted the backpack into the protective truck as Niko knelt in front of it. Stick your tits in its mouth. Before she realized she would never be a Yo-Yo Ma and headed to med school." I said.

I was sure the bag was hot - or at least a leave-behind. I'll care for her. I hear. the first. and we'll find whoever did this horrible thing. Zinn.Cindy Thomas was part of my inner circle. A nicely dressed receptionist led Jacobi and me to a conference room inside. You're Lieutenant Boxer?""I'm Lieutenant Boxer."I don't get any reading.. I had saved his life. they're bought and paid for. It was Freddie Rodriguez." Just this little voice in my heart. "but a killer medical revelation wouldn't hurt. "Who?""Caitlin. "Lieutenant?"I turned. Oh."No way. "Lieutenant.

The girl had long dark hair and a swarthy complexion. Jill's voice: "Lindsay. a couple of letters of recommendation." I said again. The Internet honcho.The Marina has always been one of my favorite neighbor-hoods. "is a house without life. she threw on a denim shirt and jeans and set out on the dreaded task of cleaning out the basement closet... I hollered a last time.That's what I remembered about the moment. Just put Malcolm on. It led you out?" Claire smiled. "Here. "I went in to help. Detectives.. This had been a dream of his. the department's press liaison. My God.

""X/L.""I saw two bodies inside. San Francisco's chief medical officer." Mal stroked her hair. a division captain's crest on his helmet."There's no charge. And my mouth tasted the bitter smoke of the blast.I stumbled over debris. The Berkeley PD had the house under surveil-lance.I took a thick Bell Western Yellow Pages off a shelf and tossed it with a loud thump on Cappy's desk. chewing on their grin like two oversize teenagers. "Every cop in the city will be looking for this kid."I don't know how you do it. Her niece wasn't in there. then she set down the phone." I said. but I wasn't taking any chances. Closer this time. pried it away from the wall. Jacobi'd become like a protective uncle with me. start with N.

telling me it was time. The whole world was look-ing for her."Oh." Jacobi reached for my arm.""I'M ALL RIGHT. tried to listen above the rumble of the fire. It was smothered in thick dust.""This one signs my checks. whom the Berkeley cops had seen going in."Let me tell you what's doable." I heard Jill giggle. The redheaded kid spin-ning his Razor.In that instant I realized that people could still be inside. I want everyone moved back away from here. but no idea how to find her."We carefully screen all of our girls.""Most people think I am some asshole who's always trying to nail them to the wall." Cates replied." I smiled and wiped a tear from the corner of my eye.. I pulled out of the crowd and ran to the bag.

"there goes the after-noon." I fastened on his phony. CAN ANYONE IN SILICON VALLEY STOP THIS MAN?"Just what does this company do?" I asked Jacobi.A fireman made his way to me." her partner added. We got a few leads. it's a kid's bed-room. I ran across the street to the blazing home. But the blond woman wasn't among them. too. Cappy looked at me and checked his gun..My eyes were peeled to the side windows for any sign of activity. though.I grabbed Jacobi. I stumbled down the hallway. "Those files are private.I picked up. It was the au pair."Something you want to add to that. I took the boy by the shoulders.

shaking my head. unlike any Sunday morning I could remember.' "Jacobi switched gears. aren't we. "It's a fucking battery radio.I stared at the small laminated photo of Wendy Raymore's face.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door.. tried to listen above the rumble of the fire."LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE. "Chuck.The Marina has always been one of my favorite neighbor-hoods. "The Creed of Greed guy. LT. Edmund picked up a cord-less on the handset. Martha wagged up to me. "I went in to help. We moved in. Mother of God. Do you have any idea who could've targeted your brother?""No accident. now it's something like sixty cents.

raspy smoke.Any moment now."Suddenly the layout of the burning building came back to me. "What's doable is that we're back here in two hours with a subpoena.. they're bought and paid for." Dianne Aronoff shook her head. Mal. Clearly dead. trying to catch my breath. the department's press liaison. Otis."High-speed switches or something. Now that she'd proved what she was made of."Yeah.Suddenly I realized just how exhausted I was."Lindsay. watching her. "We always check. It had been eighteen months since he died..

. I couldn't see for shit.""Yeah. Jesus Christ. Linds. He watched her and wondered if she would become his adversary. They said no one had left. Even at Christmas the morgue is a lonely place. as if the meeting was over.Then I heard a muffled noise. Steve's flying in from Chicago. dabbing at her eyes.My eyes were peeled to the side windows for any sign of activity. praying I wasn't doing him harm." he called out.. but a black girl carrying a Cal-Berkeley bag had gone in thirty minutes before. I just heard. Wendy was gone forever.. These were very smart people.

It had been eighteen months since he died. I didn't know if I was telling the truth. to open myself to someone. "I'm Lieutenant Boxer. my God. "That took a lot of guts.""Of course we can work something out.""No one's holding anything back. an X-ray scanner. Two patrol cars had the street blocked off." Niko said.Nothing happened. tomorrow. "Homicide.""Of course we can work something out. We got you covered. hands on hips." Jacobi said."In the next minutes. To my left. Claire smiled at the memory.

but I didn't know for sure. Tracchio was a glorified bean counter. He directed him down the front hall. at the same time he was dumping his own stock and laying off half his staff.We started with the usual questions: Had Lightower received any threats? Were they aware of anyone who'd want to do him harm?"No. you have to be strong. "It's the office."Hey. or can I wear my tennis shorts and Nikes?"I brushed past him." she said. She looked stunned. Thescene was eerily quiet.Over and over I ran the reel. anyway.Then I pushed my way into the burning house."My grandmother. though.She yanked it from the bottom of the closet.. Casualties likely. I almost threw up.

" he was crying. It couldn't be better.'s office." Fratelli: "Listen. They were also friends.. On the paneled walls."LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE. "We mailed her confirmation to a post office box." she said. unlike any Sunday morning I could remember. my lungs. Blond. I opened my fanny pack and showed him my badge. or it had been stolen. I lifted the strap and read. As I went through my door."IT TOOK ME all of about six seconds after storming out the doors of X/L to place an urgent call to Jill. Find that baby."Jacobi and I looked at each other. from Fort Mason down to the bridge and back.

grinning. He hoped they had suffered greatly as they burned." Michelle said again." I said to the guys. The whole world was look-ing for her. sucking in mouth-fuls of precious air."Jacobi exhaled. I squeezed it gently."I'm on it now." I said. Jesus. or so she claimed. A SWAT team guy waited with a ram in case we needed to break in."Claire moved over to a table and started to take off her surgical gloves."Suddenly. He stared." "You want to spell that out for me?" Jill snorted. "Ha. M. Mayor Fiske and Police Commissioner Tracchio were live at the bomb scene. They said no one had left.

A nicely dressed receptionist led Jacobi and me to a conference room inside. I saw it blow. But that wasn't what was bothering me. it's Cindy."I think she said she lived off-campus. Let's go in.Nothing happened."Where's the baby?" Cappy shouted." he said." He held in his grin. I couldn't see for shit. the local police."Use everything.I heard it again. hearing the jays back for the first time that season. There's been an explosion at the corner of Alhambra and Pierce. Just sitting there. gobbling up lavish homes. "We'll handle it from here.""I told you. a hand clasped over her mouth.

but on that Sunday afternoon."When she saw our blank faces. yanking her out of the doorway.Nothing happened. She said good-bye to the au pair she had been for the past five months. even for your normal fixer-upper. installing a $50.""Yeah. She looked stunned. We did it. "I heard it on the news. nodding."My twenty-seven years on the job gives me the premoni-tion we're not talking busted boiler here. This could be her. badging his way over to me. My heart jumped. now it's something like sixty cents. sooty. "And might I add. Some-thing in her arms. in a pink cashmere sweater.

"She had woken up early that morning. "We're gonna go for a hand entry.There it was again. but the area had to be cleared. War-ren had the "front nine."You up for a mochachino?" I asked." what we call the Sunday morning shift when the weather gets warm."Have I ever told you" - I lifted my head and smiled - "you have a way of putting everything in perspective.Finally. "Mashed myself getting out of the shower."IT TOOK ME all of about six seconds after storming out the doors of X/L to place an urgent call to Jill.. please. But who had it now?I put down my gun."Use everything. All of a sudden a beep sounded on my cell phone." I smiled. "So.."No way."Twang.

It was priceless and it said so much about the human con-dition." He nodded. If Caitlin wasn't there. We were told the family had an au pair - who's missing. I was pretty sure. the old strings stretching back into their accustomed notes."Have I ever told you" - I lifted my head and smiled - "you have a way of putting everything in perspective.."Oh. dabbing at her eyes. they were blown up. offering a card to Jacobi."And we'll need access to his private computers.""How do you want to handle it?" Cappy looked at me. Two years ago I had -""If you moguls have a moment."You guys in the Hall can't be heroes enough on your own shift. Casualties likely. I heard footsteps approaching from inside. The Berkeley PD had the house under surveil-lance. "Not the upper floors." "You want to spell that out for me?" Jill snorted.

" There could've been a nursery down there. `The media treats me like bin Laden."I took Cappy and Jacobi outside the room.The frame of the bed was hot to the touch." she gasped."You want me to meet you?""You wouldn't get within two blocks. you checked them. put a fucking pillow over its head."You don't think I'm such a monster. We have three dead."He heard Malcolm's cheerless voice. so if all this tender concern is being wasted. made sure she was in good standing. I squeezed it gently. Someone I could've saved.A fireman made his way to me." said Jacobi." She kissed his face about a hundred times. next to the standard clock radio.""LIEUTENANT."The Lightowers' remains were side by side on two gur-neys.

But the realization that a bomb had gone off in our city." I lobbed a grenade at the CLO. "Word on the street is. That kid is gone."My grandmother. And my mouth tasted the bitter smoke of the blast. There was an ID tag on the strap.Back in the office. "The ones who matter know.""I told you. She'd had it just last night.In that instant I realized that people could still be inside.Then I spotted Warren Jacobi. Just seeing it brought back a swell of memories: hours and hours of learning the scales."So."No. She's Homicide. "Somehow it's hard for me to think of Steve as a puppy."TWO WOMEN WERE SITTING in Interrogation Room 1 when I got back. Poor woman probably didn't even know herself. the grit and soot and smell of ash chipping off my body.

"You were expect-ing cops. "Think I own a few shares in that piece of shit they call my retirement fund. I made straight for it. even before the results of the examination of the blast scene came back. but I can't.A melody popped into her head."Then the town house with the terra-cotta roof exploded into flames."I don't even know what made me notice it. "Chief just got it confirmed from the Bomb Squad. I turned to pull myself up. Sounded a little off. "Is anyone alive in here?"I couldn't go any farther. I opened my fanny pack and showed him my badge.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."My grandmother. They owned a small placement service for nannies and au pairs. We got a line on the au pair. "Only. "Mommy.Michelle lowered her head into the sink and dumped a bottle of L'Or?al Red Sunset dye all over her. it might even explain Hitler at Munich.

weren't you? I told you they're stupid!" he said. They had agreed not to meet until they were sure she hadn't been followed.."Nope.. Buried under the rubble. so be it.""Of course we can work something out. my God. Crib and a bassinet buried under a lot of rubble. then I did. yanking her out of the doorway. there was a cry from the bedroom. Homicide. Some sort of twisted kidnapping?""If it is. nodding." he continued.I turned and headed for the light and cool that I knew were behind me.The child was coughing and crying. "Don't ask. to open myself to someone.