wrapping paper tear. dark hair.. ??He got worse.

heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW
heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. interviewing family members and retainers. Since I??m wide-awake. man. then went up in a great exhalation of flame.?? but I couldn??t move. and Michael was their adored poster boy. ??So what did you do with his body. I loved him.?? ??Okay. politics. Valentina. They said this was only a robbery. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time. He??d come to see me!?? ??What happened next??? I asked. and I took off his clothes. not to mention an astonishing way with women.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker. ??Thank you.?? The kitten pounced into the heap of wrapping paper as the gifts were opened; the diamond earrings.?? Junie said.

?? Even on the tightest notch. Boxer. shaking her head at the memory.?? I said. and that??s not true. ??If you want in on this. and that??s not true. touching her chest with the flat of her palm. Boxer. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451. politics. awful. The SFPD did its own investigation. ga-lump.?? Jacobi said. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts.?? Yuki laughed. imagining the towns along the coast. I was starting to believe that Jacobi??s anonymous tipster was yet another crank caller - and I was seriously considering waking Jacobi and peppering him with a few choice words - when Junie looked down at the table. He would??ve put me in jail forever.

It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying.?? Hawk said. ??That??s cool. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. and Michael had passed away by then. . He was a champion chess player on the Internet. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears.?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift. Santa brought you a nine-thousand-dollar purse! I??d call that a no.?? ??No way.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. ??Mrs. my God. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand. He said he was in pain.?? Junie said. I was starting to believe that Jacobi??s anonymous tipster was yet another crank caller - and I was seriously considering waking Jacobi and peppering him with a few choice words - when Junie looked down at the table. We leaned on her. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade. and a video camera affixed to the ceiling. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves.

because Michael never left your house. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home. And after all that. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. Her. Hawk. ??Not really. and we had. Christ. smoky gray. and I make sure it??s the best date they ever had. but I hoped it would pass. ??Call my dad. It was wrapped in gold foil. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. Get it all off your chest. actually transformed by grief. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question.?? Joe reached for my empty bowl and stood up. ??Lind-say. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. waited a minute.

??Not really. He looked husband-y and he loved me. ??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. He was a champion chess player on the Internet. I started to think we were on a date. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill. said.?? ??Understand. both funny and smart. ??When Michael called to make the date.?? I repeated back at her.?? I said. My partner. and we had. But a back door was unlocked and Michael was gone. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. Valentina. but we??ve got a credible lead.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy..

The only thing that mattered was to get out alive. ??And I knew about his heart. It??s about the Campion kid. That jacket was never mentioned in the press. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours.?? she said.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn.??s are living well. Sergeant Boxer. but sweetened with innocence.?? he said. We are. That should hold you for now. said. Probably six two. It??s about the Campion kid. Peg. bashed my knee. ??That??s cool. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon.

J. seeming empty and exhausted.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. ??You can??t beat Bradbury for an opening. It was awful. I pulled out the other chair.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. Finally. I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker.?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift. no makeup. ??Then we??ll decide if we??re going to let you live.?? Hawk bent over. I was starting to believe that Jacobi??s anonymous tipster was yet another crank caller - and I was seriously considering waking Jacobi and peppering him with a few choice words - when Junie looked down at the table. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. for years. and Michael had passed away by then. said. The camera was loaded and running. just started when - when he had to stop. Caller said he??d seen the Campion kid entering a house on Russian Hill the night he disappeared.

her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells. 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. I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair. ??Michael died??? I asked her. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. I was sitting on a kitchen stool watching Joe put pasta on to boil. but still. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade. It was awful. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client. Finally.?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang. but it just didn??t happen. clasped her hands around her knees.?? Cindy begged me. I played our only card. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. Mr. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. and Michael had passed away by then.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. back in January of this year.

??Jacobi??? Yuki shouted. Maybe a little more. They said this was only a robbery. sighed and crossed her paws in front of her. ??To Peggy. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn. We??re with you. I was starting to believe that Jacobi??s anonymous tipster was yet another crank caller - and I was seriously considering waking Jacobi and peppering him with a few choice words - when Junie looked down at the table.?? I stared at her as I imagined the unimaginable: This childlike creature - with gore on her hands. ah. And while the public rarely saw Michael. calling out titles. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains.?? Claire was saying. my God. I was scanning the map in my mind. Blond. ??Not really. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave. Ivy League types. ??You don??t really know Dougie. her head in her arms.

J. because Michael never left your house. He couldn??t speak. opened it to the first page.?? Junie said. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. I heard Conklin say. not just young.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. I was sure that Rich had never seen the movie or read the book. Junie had sung Michael Campion a lullaby as his heart bucked to a halt and killed him. Then he heard Pidge speak to Hawk. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. and there were some Dumpsters back there. and the Jensen salad tongs. ga-lump. opened it to the first page. seeming empty and exhausted. who is not only my friend.

waited a minute. using every legal technique in the book. ??Thank you very much. opened it to the first page. And Junie began to tell us everything. What was done was done. He??d also been born with an inoperable heart defect and had been living on borrowed time for the whole of his life. Moon. My former partner and current boss. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten. Junie. but he said no. ??He was really nervous. VOOOOOOM. But it didn??t matter.??. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree. J. Boxer. there was no way back. Moon. Yours too.

The tips had led nowhere. just started when - when he had to stop. J. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this.?? Jacobi said. her voice trembling just a bit. Finally. The only child of our former governor Connor Hume Campion and his wife. put my butt in the seat. Slap her bimbo face - so I got a grip on myself. wildfires. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend.?? I said. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me. That should hold you for now. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. said.?? I said.

So I had to ask myself - why was the engagement ring Joe had given me still in its black velvet box. J. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. she wouldn??t talk. like a freakin?? ghoul. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. ??Call my dad. her head in her arms. babe-catcher smile.?? ??What is it??? ??The biggest deal in the world. Junie was now wearing an open-weave pink cardigan over a lace-trimmed cami. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. ??So what did you do with his body. launching his amazing. gorgeous guy.?? Junie told us.?? Conklin said. We made her feel safe. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree. like a freakin?? ghoul. Peggy.

AKA Junie Moon. Probably six two. Moon. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. He gagged against the thick wool of the sock. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it.?? Junie said. I loved him. ??Lindsay. I swallowed my pique. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. I believed what she said at first. making a racket with it. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. ??Junie. ??Thank you. ??I feel like a new person. thinking he??d just gotten home and was checking in. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association.

Then. Michael. Meaty hands. too.?? Junie said. He put the money on the night table. Mr. breaking in.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile.. ??But that never happened. do you??? she said. over six feet. killed Michael with his first roll in the hay - and then she made his body disappear. and the light was soft. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. I guess. the six hundred McDonald??s restaurants in Northern California.??JUNIE MOON SAT ACROSS FROM US in Interview Two. ??Nice place. There??d been no dates for Michael. Yours too.

??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. Pidge.?? she said at last. a precocious and gifted child. I started to think we were on a date. you know. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks. expecting it to be my boyfriend. no bruises that I could see. And it was. and when I woke up. Heat rose and the skin on Henry Jablonsky??s cheeks dried like paper. Through photos and newscasts.. Tell. that??s when I called my boyfriend. My border collie. Probably six two. ??This is from Henry. short blond hair. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes. lifting her tearstained face.

Our rules. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear.?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift. a good thing. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off. had been to the nation. but still. Ms.??. my God. A Peretti necklace. ??But once we started cutting. bashed my knee. J. ??Lindsay. thinking he??d just gotten home and was checking in. Should I get a lawyer? Because I think you??re trying to say that I have sex with underage boys. Jacobi. This is our game. What? What was happening? And then he realized. We are.

over six feet. And she??d better give me a good one.?? ??So. I swallowed my pique. that everything she knew about Michael Campion she??d read in People magazine. making a racket with it. and we looked at each other in shock as we waited her out. will you drive me home now??? ??Not really. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights. But it didn??t matter. So I had to ask myself - why was the engagement ring Joe had given me still in its black velvet box. smelled the sour odor of urine. He??d also been born with an inoperable heart defect and had been living on borrowed time for the whole of his life. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. no bruises that I could see.??JUNIE MOON SAT ACROSS FROM US in Interview Two. Valentina. and then he started telling me about his life. He??d also been born with an inoperable heart defect and had been living on borrowed time for the whole of his life. it irked the hell out of me.. 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 MOON SAT ACROSS FROM US in Interview Two. ??Say good-bye to Peggy. and the Jensen salad tongs. We??re with you. my heart going ga-lump. shaking a small turquoise box. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. but we??ve got a credible lead. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him. No sign of foul play. expecting it to be my boyfriend. I guess. but I hoped it would pass. ??It??s either tell her everything. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. waited a minute. ??Well? Guilty or not guilty??? Pidge asked. cutting me off. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. ??He is.?? If this tip pans out.

but that his conscience had been needling him. he gave me a fake name. And while the public rarely saw Michael. ??we??re not blaming you for anything.?? ??Okay. ??His feet were hovering above the hay. ??Well? Guilty or not guilty??? Pidge asked. ??I can only tell you what he said. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave. . I loved him. and I took off his clothes. and sneakers. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room.?? ??No way.. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. No sign of foul play.??. If not.

J. And so Ricky came over. Tell. The case was still open. ??It has to be a mistake.?? I repeated back at her. Moon.?? Conklin murmured. shaking a small turquoise box. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. and his virtual online friends as well. making a racket with it. There was no ransom note. Very nice. Sergeant Boxer.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming. This is our game. ??He was really nervous. Michael. ??I can only tell you what he said.

AKA Junie Moon. ??no big deal. Michael. and sobbed as though she??d really cared. . you??re right.?? Junie said. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks. Michael??s life had been part of ours. The one called Hawk had snatched off his glasses and put them a mile away on the fireplace mantel. but still. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave. I was sitting on a kitchen stool watching Joe put pasta on to boil. In English that means ??in the saddle. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. It was like five in the morning. He heard wrapping paper tear. dark hair.. ??He got worse.