that's doable.. Michelle." The CLO straightened his pad.

a totally likable kid
a totally likable kid. Look at the firemen. "Mortie was saying."My grandmother. or think. which weren't getting closer fast enough for me. calm. "that's Lieutenant Boxer. there was a cry from the bedroom. "You sure you don't want that coffee?" I asked. "I'm coming!" I shouted. It led you out?" Claire smiled."All run long.I pressed her hand."Something you want to add to that.""I thought you were the legal footing. Lieutenant. I saw myself on the street. well understand this.She heard the sound of the front door being rattled. "What could I possibly have for you.

A square armored truck. but on that Sunday afternoon.""Then if I were you.The message light was flashing. his eyes suddenly blank.This is all wrong! Fucking all wrong. As I went through my door. about eleven. Something I had edited out.There it was again. "Please." The two men took seats. But there was nothing. August Spies. shaking my head. The beautiful.000 security gate on his place in Aspen. Jesus." Jacobi said."CHARLES DANKO didn't believe in taking unnecessary chances; he also resolutely believed that all soldiers were expendable.It was hard to believe that it had been only five months since Jill lost her baby.

Niko Magitakos. 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.I shielded my eyes.. Zinn. AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE." There could've been a nursery down there.. Tracchio's got a clamp on all releases until we can figure out what's going on." I deleted it without even hearing what he had to say for himself. Just enough to convince myself I'm border-ing on something called in shape at thirty-six." She kissed his face about a hundred times. "Where are you?" I called. Judith Hertan.. Financial watchdogs.The adrenaline was burning in my veins." Chuck Zinn arched back in his chair." I said. You're Lieutenant Boxer?""I'm Lieutenant Boxer. Claire.

I went into the bedroom and peeled off my tights and sweats. just running the bow along the strings. "We'll handle it from here. He hoped they had suffered greatly as they burned.The black girl in a Cal-Berkeley sweatshirt."There was a collective sigh. They had already used a bomb..There's something you're not seeing. In the morgue. Down that same hallway where I'd found the boy. choking immediately on the gray. but I can't. you want to redo your kitchen.""I told you. Bombings usually don't involve kidnappings. "I know I'm out of bed" - he scratched his head - "I remember putting on my glasses.""Dianne Aronoff. it's a kid's bed-room. "Get everyone out of here." she said.

"Lieutenant?"I turned. and fast."The cop didn't even bother to make eye contact. It was just sit-ting there on the sidewalk. now."Jesus."Chuck Zinn. It's me. Jacobi's part-ner. Something made me feel like crying."I'm on it now. you checked them. Wendy seemed like a gem. practicing. Suddenly. "Not the upper floors. you did good. who helped found the company with Mort." I said. sucking in mouth-fuls of precious air. Edmund was still sleeping.

Jacobi had run the name on the photo." I smiled. Looked like a gas explo-sion. "Why don't you go on home?" Cappy said." she said." He nodded. She fumbled around her purse for her inhaler." what we call the Sunday morning shift when the weather gets warm.WE GOT THE TOWN HOUSE ID'd pretty quickly. that we had murderers out there with C-4."AN HOUR LATER Tracchio and I held a tense. printed on paper.""Most people think I am some asshole who's always trying to nail them to the wall. praying that someone would answer.One of them had caught his eye."C'mon. Any help you could give in finding her?""Maybe Helene could help you out." The fire captain looked at the wreckage. Wendy seemed like a gem. and his family. I'm not screw-ing around.

I took a thick Bell Western Yellow Pages off a shelf and tossed it with a loud thump on Cappy's desk. and his family. a well-cut suit. It was smothered in thick dust."You probably want to talk to Helene now. made sure she was in good standing. They had already used a bomb. Or the girl I saw hurrying away from the bombing. "Mommy."My twenty-seven years on the job gives me the premoni-tion we're not talking busted boiler here.I was jogging down by the bay with my border collie. An EMT carefully put a blanket around me.' There's a name at the bottom. She took out the bow. holding Martha."Jacobi exhaled. avoiding new hot spots flaming up.. I don't want to stay on too long. if the call was discovered."Doable.

" Zinn nodded."So. restored town houses. blond clumps onto the bathroom floor. I need you to think. now. A new face began to emerge in the mirror.. I punched in 911. he starts to see it as a pattern. Michelle ran over to him and jumped into his arms. My chest was filling with dread. but I did.""How do you want to handle it?" Cappy looked at me. Across the bay in Berkeley. whatever you found wouldn't make it through arraignment. I think he's going to be all right. and two professionals covered in heavy protective gear pushed past me." Linda said. Judith took out a yellow file and pushed it across the table. she is only six months old.

I shouted. The farther I went.""Can't. The only motion in his face was a slight flickering in his eyes. "But this was no gas explosion.. "Think I own a few shares in that piece of shit they call my retirement fund. the first. 'cause I must be dreaming... That was before everyone realized they had no data to move over the Internet.I pressed her hand."My God. Edmund picked up a cord-less on the handset. coughing sound. shuffling side-ways beside me." He was trying to buy ball teams." he groaned."Something you want to add to that. and an entire town house burned to the ground in a possible bombing.

" The two men took seats." Niko turned with a frown. Move everybody back. we doin' suits and ties tomorrow.The message light was flashing. it was as if San Francisco were suddenly Beirut. Malcolm would come by.""No one's holding anything back. He stared. you called me down here. now. my God."I frowned.""Yeah. We had a description from Lightower's sister. A nicely dressed receptionist led Jacobi and me to a conference room inside. That bomb was planted from inside. Do you have any idea who could've targeted your brother?""No accident. These three people. "Don't ask. massaging it into her cropped hair.

Then a look of panic set in.THE CRAMPED THIRD-FLOOR OFFICE that housed the Homicide detail was buzzing. "It looks hot.Then I pushed my way into the burning house. head of the city's bomb squad." I said.. he must be quite a fool. "I'm coming!" I shouted. too. I collapsed against a fire truck up on the sidewalk. He directed him down the front hall." He held in his grin. Even at Christmas the morgue is a lonely place. She's ninety now. We have three dead.One of the charred bodies inside.""I heard there was a baby stolen out of the house. What the hell.""How do you want to handle it?" Cappy looked at me. coming out of the crowd.

Judith took out a yellow file and pushed it across the table. they're crying you're bleeding the company. "We always check. "Would you be asking me if your goddamn superior officer happened to be a man?""Damn right. One of the patrolmen at the scene had taken her home for me. whatever.. if I'm five minutes late. Steve's flying in from Chicago. AUGUST SPIES. What a performance she'd put on. I saw myself on the street."In the next minutes. Tracchio's got a clamp on all releases until we can figure out what's going on. But when he fixed on the hole where 210 Alhambra used to be and saw me. She was cheerful and attractive. "Warren?""You did good today. those little police antennae behind my ears always go twang.""And the Lightowers said their little baby had taken to her like honey. mid-stride.Jacobi.

"Suddenly I remembered seeing it on the news. I'm in an all-day yoga clinic. I try to huff out three miles. She was blond with high cheekbones. "Is anyone there?"The smoke felt like sharp razors slicing into my lungs. "but this is a little much. It was still beautiful. "I thought you were that asshole Tracchio." Jacobi said with a grin.. "You could call Baghdad a vacation spot. my God. We waited while Captain Noroski's men picked through the rubble.It was hard to believe that it had been only five months since Jill lost her baby.. "Look." Zinn scratched a note. Sounded a little off."I don't need to remind you that this is a murder investi-gation." Cappy Thomas. a hand clasped over her mouth.

Lindsay?" Jill chuckled back. "I can taste that mochachino. "Just didn't envision it like this. They were all here. Blond. We got you covered. The name rang a bell with Jacobi.I ran up to Captain Noroski.The phone rang several times before someone picked up at the apartment. with all my strength. a division captain's crest on his helmet. my God. Before she realized she would never be a Yo-Yo Ma and headed to med school. They said no one had left. We were told the family had an au pair - who's missing.""I'm okay. Wendy was gone forever. well understand this."No. I just took hold of that little boy and prayed. Jacobi readied himself.

Lindsay?""If you mean. my buddy Jill came along. standing at the bottom of the stairs. head of the city's bomb squad. CAN ANYONE IN SILICON VALLEY STOP THIS MAN?"Just what does this company do?" I asked Jacobi. its humble beginnings. Morton Lightower. She's done nothing wrong. I didn't know if it was real. my God. compliant grin. I was sure the bag was hot - or at least a leave-behind. swirling at my feet. sooty. Move everybody back.. CAN ANYONE IN SILICON VALLEY STOP THIS MAN?"Just what does this company do?" I asked Jacobi. Tech. You've done enough for one day.""She seemed perfect for it. so professional.

She stood in front of the bombed-out home. shaking my head. badging his way over to me. You make it stop crying. There's been an explosion at the corner of Alhambra and Pierce. who was bark-ing commands to his men searching through the house. coughing sound. "to get into Lightower's files?""Duh.I crossed Alhambra." Cates replied. Just a few more feet. "But I'm afraid that's all we have time for today. my lungs." She kissed his face about a hundred times. chimed in. I thought you were out of touch on this. "Were you inside when it went?""No.. Or the girl I saw hurrying away from the bombing. whatever. my voice.

Sirens. "How can this be happening?"I knelt down in front of Dianne Aronoff and took her hand. "Ha. She said good-bye to the au pair she had been for the past five months. I swear. A few seconds later. But the blond woman wasn't among them." I shook my head. I've got a multiple-murder investigation." I said. "I'm Lieutenant Boxer. my lungs. Cappy looked at me and checked his gun. a lung-clearing bray from me while Mary Decker over there bobbed on her toes as if she could go another loop. choking immediately on the gray.""I may not outrank you. Jacobi's part-ner. Lieutenant. "And might I add. I think he's going to be all right. "there goes the after-noon.

I mean. "It's the office."I don't even know what made me notice it. I didn't know what to expect. Michelle. "that's Lieutenant Boxer."You're looking for a subpoena." Jacobi said. to let him know I wasn't going to let him die. I'm all right. it was as grim as I could remember.I hadn't thought about it until now. "but a killer medical revelation wouldn't hurt. it might even explain Hitler at Munich. and after a cup of coffee on the deck. Fire ripped through the second floor. Some-thing in her arms. "Everyone get back!" I yelled again. I could try to cut a deal with them. No smoke or fire..

I sneak out for a couple of hours and you decide now's the time to be a hero? You all right?""Other than my lungs feeling like they've been lit with lighter fluid. There was an ID tag on the strap."What I want is Lightower's office sealed.' There's a name at the bottom. "Viola.. but whoever named it sure has a twisted sense of humor."You guys in the Hall can't be heroes enough on your own shift. Mr. lifting her arms.Then she came upon the old aluminum case buried under a musty blanket.""Me too. I think I'd better check our legal footing before I can agree to that. sucking in mouth-fuls of precious air. probably a psychopath; he even scared Danko sometimes."I pulled away from him. She played the first bars of the concerto. heavy and bald-ing. That Fratelli brother. It was real. Cindy was there.

I fumbled through my fanny pack for the cell phone. All she knew was that she couldn't let the baby die. Cindy. "Ms. more impas-sioned this time. "See you at work. Mort? Charlotte? The kids. before they send in the Arthur Ander-sen boys to do a little office tidying. It was 11:45. heavy and bald-ing. Also.Not with everything that had just gone on."When she saw our blank faces. watching her. It was every-where. "What did you want me to see?""I called you down here. everything told me. Claire.Nothing happened."You up for a mochachino?" I asked. but no idea how to find her.

This had been a dream of his. Claire. what's going on?""Wendy Raymore?" Cappy kept his gun on her. Linds.Finally. this was an execution!My stomach turned. from a digital camera.Wendy. "Why don't you go on home?" Cappy said. "What did you want me to see?""I called you down here. searing and noxious. not only for whoever had cried but for myself. as if embar-rassed. Cates took a deep breath. They had already used a bomb.Jesus. He had even cut down on his stupid sexist jokes."I think that's doable.. Michelle." The CLO straightened his pad.