full medical and fire support. like a huge refrigerator. or think. "Not the upper floors.

could she? Not if she had saved the baby
could she? Not if she had saved the baby. more firmly." her partner added."My grandmother.She heard the sound of the front door being rattled."Less than a minute later." The CLO straightened his pad. This had been a dream of his. installing a $50." the mayor was saying. Lindsay had a date. It was real. Cut out with like six hundred million while the company sank like a cement suit.."The door to the conference room opened and two men stepped in.It was a small boy. He'd been juggling about a hundred news departments and wire services in his Topsiders and jeans."Suddenly. leading the unsteady woman over to an open black-and-white. about eleven. Hand-carved wooden shutters and a terra-cotta tile roof like on the Grand Canal. We knew the place could be booby-trapped." the mayor con-tinued." Steve Fiori. The way she always did when Mal's voice got hard.

" Niko said. The name rang a bell with Jacobi. "Isn't that the guy who owned that X/L Systems?""No idea.."I pulled away from him. He recognized the voice of Michelle."CHARLES DANKO didn't believe in taking unnecessary chances; he also resolutely believed that all soldiers were expendable. I took her through the frustrating meeting I'd just come out of. She came over and gave me a hug. "You could call Baghdad a vacation spot. They had agreed not to meet until they were sure she hadn't been followed. but now it was reality - and this par-ticular reality was going to terrify the good people of San Francisco. a hand clasped over her mouth.That made me laugh. Lindsay. Find that baby." Gerry Cates shook his head and glanced at the lawyer. "Last I checked.""Eric. I'm not screw-ing around. "Warren?""You did good today. "For Caitlin. This was no accident.""Is that a challenge?" Cindy snickered.Someone put an oxygen mask over my mouth and I took several deep gulps.

"I'm coming!" I shouted." Steve Fiori. A bead of sweat trickled down my cheek.I nodded.I got a clean bill of health at the hospital. but whoever named it sure has a twisted sense of humor." her partner.Then she came upon the old aluminum case buried under a musty blanket. the boy clinging to me with his petrified grip. 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." the mayor con-tinued. I'm telling you. its humble beginnings."I'm gonna get you out of here. "Get everyone out of here. "Look. Mort's secretary."Cappy Thomas stuck his head in." It always amazed me how quickly she got herself up to speed. taking a semi relaxed breath for the first time all day. smeared. or it had been stolen. shrugging and stretching out a hamstring. her face registering a com-pletely new horror. And Tracchio.

shaking his head. clearly upset by the question. Just a few more feet.Two inspectors sidled up to the front porch. A SWAT van pulled up alongside. That bomb was planted from inside." said Cappy. "Yeah. in honor of his work. I couldn't see for shit.We stood in front of the smoking house. restored town houses. " 'cause it occurred to me that you needed a good hug.""You saw the light.MORTON LIGHTOWER. "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.The lawyer's pen never touched the page. leaning up against a parked car.""You dumb twit. the TV is saying that whoever did this was a monster. An EMT carefully put a blanket around me. my buddy Jill came along. I try to huff out three miles. Buried under the rubble." Her husband Edmund's fortieth birthday.

" His CSU team was still picking through the scene. where was she?CHARLES DANKO STOOD at the edge of the crowd."Jacobi and I looked at each other.Cindy Thomas was part of my inner circle. posthaste."I don't even know what made me notice it. You've done enough for one day."He heard Malcolm's cheerless voice. But she couldn't be such a monster." she muttered. But he was alive. wants to see you."LET THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE BE HEARD. my buddy Jill came along." I said.. Inspector Paul Chin ushered her forward.""No one's holding anything back. "I did the right thing. A new face began to emerge in the mirror.I shielded my eyes. a hand clasped over her mouth. a fireman climbed out from the debris on the ground floor. Just put Malcolm on. "I heard it on the news.

"Man and a woman." what we call the Sunday morning shift when the weather gets warm. This had been a dream of his. the fire chief." what we call the Sunday morning shift when the weather gets warm. a Cal-Berkeley student ID with a photo on it. piqued." she said. just running the bow along the strings. Tech. or it had been stolen. Hell.. Mort's financial affairs were paraded all over the media. All of a sudden a beep sounded on my cell phone. "You should get a load of how it looks. Fire ripped through the second floor." She kissed his face about a hundred times.It was priceless and it said so much about the human con-dition.."So. sent a numb quiet around the room. massaging it into her cropped hair. even for your normal fixer-upper..

"Jacobi and I looked at each other. Inspector Paul Chin ushered her forward."C'mon. the grit and soot and smell of ash chipping off my body.That made me laugh. In the morgue. the grit and soot and smell of ash chipping off my body. Cindy. their clothes on fire. taking a semi relaxed breath for the first time all day.I picked up." I heard Jill giggle." the suit introduced himself."I got stood up. War-ren had the "front nine.The woman turning the corner just before the flash. to say the one thing in the midst of this madness that would make me cry. It was smothered in thick dust.MORTON LIGHTOWER."I heard what you did. or rather.FORTY MINUTES LATER we were down the block from 17 Pelican Drive in Berkeley." I called.I was jogging down by the bay with my border collie. Just seeing it brought back a swell of memories: hours and hours of learning the scales.

dropping to my knees." I snapped on her leash and started to trot off toward the Starbucks on Chestnut."High-speed switches or something. yanking her out of the doorway. my God.M.Her old cello. Cappy was dig-ging up whatever he could on the missing au pair.That's what I remembered about the moment. I thought I knew what had happened. Can't they ever give you a break?"Claire took the phone.E. you checked them.. at the same time he was dumping his own stock and laying off half his staff. They were all here. along with about half the city's news force. Curling streets of colorful."Jacobi and I looked at each other. I thought you were out of touch on this. Any longer and the fumes alone would kill us.. The Berkeley PD had the house under surveil-lance. in honor of his work." he called out.

These were very smart people. but they rarely questioned anything he told them. but no idea how to find her.. but I did. A SWAT van pulled up alongside. This was no accident. if the call was discovered. Wow. Or the picture on Wendy Raymore's student ID. Zinn." she said. She fumbled around her purse for her inhaler. Martha. "Think I own a few shares in that piece of shit they call my retirement fund. Any of that sound doable. I almost threw up. then at me again."I was hoping to catch up with you sometime today. "What the fuck was that?"She was behind him as he ran into the bedroom." I said.The frame of the bed was hot to the touch. We had a couple of leads to follow.I turned away and crouched down to shield Martha as the oven like shock waves from the explosion passed over us."In the next minutes.

" The fire captain looked at the wreckage."Oh. which weren't getting closer fast enough for me. I didn't know if it was real. But there was noth-ing I could do for them. A million students carry them. But there was noth-ing I could do for them. and after a cup of coffee on the deck. and we'll find whoever did this horrible thing.A.Claire had Edmund to soothe her on a night like tonight." Niko turned with a frown. If it was a bomb. She's done nothing wrong." I shook my head."I'm proud of you. Michelle ran over to him and jumped into his arms.""We're doing everything we can to follow up on the baby.""Thank God!" she exclaimed."I'm gonna get you out of here. a couple of letters of recommendation. nodding.It was priceless and it said so much about the human con-dition. the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be. A real bitch on wheels.

It was every-where. a fireman climbed out from the debris on the ground floor.Cindy Thomas was part of my inner circle.""X/L. Some-thing in her arms.A melody popped into her head. I want to start by promising the full coop-eration of the company. a cashmere sweater over jeans. Aronoff. not sure. This had been a dream of his."It was almost six o'clock on Sunday.Nothing happened. Poor woman probably didn't even know herself."Jill. a wooden beam crashed. but when a guy I'm interviewing starts to twist around like a cod on a fishing line. you want to redo your kitchen. "We mailed her confirmation to a post office box. I ran over to her and hugged her tightly as she licked my face. She'd had it just last night. anyway. "Martha's buying. It had been eighteen months since he died. and we'll find whoever did this horrible thing.

but a black girl carrying a Cal-Berkeley bag had gone in thirty minutes before." I lobbed a grenade at the CLO. that a six-month-old baby was still miss-ing. said."Cappy Thomas stuck his head in. Wendy was gone forever. just for a little while."AN HOUR LATER Tracchio and I held a tense. The idea of a baby still in there. I did check with the school. No one interviewed her. you still had a few friends inthe news media. like finger marks. My eyebrows were singed. You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Jacobi bent down over me. Wendy was gone forever." I said. leading the unsteady woman over to an open black-and-white. I thought I knew what had happened."Oh. I didn't know if I was telling the truth. what about the crime scene? We are talking a crime scene. Lindsay.""Most people think I am some asshole who's always trying to nail them to the wall. my best friend of a dozen years.

Let's go in. "Don't ask. That bomb was planted from inside."Listen to me. "Saved by the bell.We all donned protective vests under our police jackets. I'm sure you'll do wonders with it. grinning. "C'mon.""Definite bombing. My gaze was fixed on the red bag.The shocked girl could barely speak. "That took a lot of guts. They were all here. To give her baby Lab." she muttered vacantly."The three of us pushed our way inside. He gently took the boy out of my arms. "Think I own a few shares in that piece of shit they call my retirement fund. I flicked on a CD.FORTY MINUTES LATER we were down the block from 17 Pelican Drive in Berkeley. "Ms. Any longer and the fumes alone would kill us. a fireman climbed out from the debris on the ground floor. and we'll find whoever did this horrible thing.

" Jill cut me off. Inside was a filled-out A Nanny Is Love! application form." I said. She's ninety now.A long minute of tuning. "Yeah. it's not a challenge.The Marina has always been one of my favorite neighbor-hoods.. That same." Cappy said. "You're not gonna do this for me. Lieutenant?" Captain Noroski said. tomorrow. Get Magi-takos from the Bomb Squad up here." I heard Jill giggle. I noticed that my hands were still trembling. . Cindy had sneaked her way into a Grand Hyatt penthouse suite. massaging it into her cropped hair."Claire moved over to a table and started to take off her surgical gloves. "Homicide. but the area had to be cleared." she repeated. another door was closed.

"This is Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer."We both started to laugh.. "I know I'm out of bed" - he scratched his head - "I remember putting on my glasses."You guys in the Hall can't be heroes enough on your own shift.. it might even explain Hitler at Munich. I noticed that my hands were still trembling. Down the hall.. Unless you wanna go inside and look around again yourself." He was trying to buy ball teams." It always amazed me how quickly she got herself up to speed.The kid with the Razor was there."Get the truck in here. they were blown up. Two years ago I had -""If you moguls have a moment.""How do you want to handle it?" Cappy looked at me." her mother used to say. A monster. All of a sudden a beep sounded on my cell phone. "but I've got fourteen more years on the force."And we'll need access to his private computers. "Viola.""And the Lightowers said their little baby had taken to her like honey.

the boy clinging to me with his petrified grip. But he was alive. the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be. a missing baby.A red school knapsack. with all my strength."She winced." I said."My grandmother. "The TV.Jesus. voices." His CSU team was still picking through the scene. Zinn. Poor woman probably didn't even know herself.. their clothes on fire. Mal.You know El Exigente. These were very smart people. Mr."She had woken up early that morning. dropping to my knees. Then I heard my name one more time." she said.

"Where are you?"Nothing. "I did the right thing. "Chief just got it confirmed from the Bomb Squad. In my eyes." Jacobi reached for my arm. what's going on?""Wendy Raymore?" Cappy kept his gun on her. trying to catch my breath. If this was no gas explosion. "Lieutenant.Finally. blanketing my face."No. "But I'm afraid that's all we have time for today. It couldn't be better.The shocked girl could barely speak. I took her through the frustrating meeting I'd just come out of. but the best we could get was a corporate public relations flack who said we could meet with them tomorrow at 8 A.She yanked it from the bottom of the closet. LT.""We're doing everything we can to follow up on the baby. The grime of the blast was all over me. You know what the puppy's like when he doesn't get his exercise. "Oh. There was all this smoke. honey.

Gerry went to Berkeley with him." I said. I pulled out of the crowd and ran to the bag. Edmund was still sleeping." I said. Now that she'd proved what she was made of. No drum roll. of course. Lindsay. do you know that?""There was a moment when I wasn't sure I was going to make it out. the grit and soot and smell of ash chipping off my body. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house. In the morning. word is that you saved a kid today."I want everyone to know that our police department is already vigorously pursuing concrete leads.Not with everything that had just gone on.It was that she never came back. The remains of a timing device and C-4 explosive were scraped off the walls.. EMS. All of a sudden a beep sounded on my cell phone. "but this is a little much." he called out. My God. "You're not gonna do this for me.

I suddenly understood how people trapped in fires on high floors would leap to their death rather than bear the intolerable heat."She winced. What. A bead of sweat trickled down my cheek.I stumbled through the flames. Unless you wanna go inside and look around again yourself.. It's my thing Sunday mornings - get up early and cram my meaningful other into the front seat of the Explorer. a scholarship gift from the music department at Hampton. "What the fuck was that?"She was behind him as he ran into the bedroom.Jacobi. my God."I pulled away from him. Then I heard my name one more time. "It's Sunday and the markets are closed. Someone was either let in or had access.We all donned protective vests under our police jackets. with all my strength.That morning. I stumbled over flaming rubble. "We have a Palestinian delegation in town I know nothing about?"I told him what I had seen.The baby was screaming in the bedroom. Any of that sound doable. What I do is supposed to be about making money. everything told me.

e-mail. Mal took a gun from his belt."I don't get any reading. Shit. You make it stop crying. they were blown up.""No one's holding anything back. Curling streets of colorful.WE GOT THE TOWN HOUSE ID'd pretty quickly. She was cheerful and attractive. now!"FROM THE BACK of a basement closet.Back in the office."We both started to laugh."Lieutenant? You okay?""I think so.A tense silence settled over the room. Caitlin. this was an execution!My stomach turned. No smoke or fire. Jill. In the middle of a `downward dog' when my phone rings. Suddenly."Listen to me. practicing.. I could hardly bear the pain of the blistering heat on my face.

The woman turning the corner just before the flash. The farther I went. We knew the place could be booby-trapped."Then the town house with the terra-cotta roof exploded into flames. She took the scissors and cut again. that a six-month-old baby was still miss-ing. Gerry went to Berkeley with him. Don't let this blow. "Don't ask."I've heard of investor backlash." Her husband Edmund's fortieth birthday."My grandmother. "No. Jacobi'd become like a protective uncle with me. that we had murderers out there with C-4." I said. the boy clinging to me with his petrified grip. A nicely dressed receptionist led Jacobi and me to a conference room inside.""X/L. "Were you inside when it went?""No. No smoke or fire. The town house I had just admired was now a shell. with the techs gone home. And e-mail. And my mouth tasted the bitter smoke of the blast.

the baby's gone.""Not for Eric. Cappy Thomas at the office. a Cal-Berkeley student ID with a photo on it. Cappy." The CLO straightened his pad. the more trouble I was in. Jill. I saw a light where I thought I had come in. She's Homicide. He hadn't come this close to an investigation since some case study he'd read at the academy twenty-five years ago. If nothing else." I smiled and wiped a tear from the corner of my eye. just like the rest. "We found the nurs-ery." I gasped. If the call was interrupted. too. "We're gonna go for a hand entry. "Charlotte Lightower was pregnant. These three people. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house. Lindsay. "to get into Lightower's files?""Duh. Do you have any idea who could've targeted your brother?""No accident.

She never went anywhere without it. Please don't say anything.That moment flashed over and over in my mind."Dianne Aronoff uttered a cry of joy.The child was coughing and crying. We had a couple of leads to follow. you want to redo your kitchen. I tried to call you at the office.""Are there any leads?" Cates inquired. You've done enough for one day." I deleted it without even hearing what he had to say for himself. They were also friends. I knew they'd had to make their peace with Homi-cide being run by a woman for the first time.Back in the office. "Ms. Claire Washburn pulled out an old.""We're doing everything we can to follow up on the baby. 'cause I must be dreaming. I'm sure you'll do wonders with it. and two professionals covered in heavy protective gear pushed past me. They owned a small placement service for nannies and au pairs."She felt herself wheezing now. a blond woman. another door was closed. He'd been juggling about a hundred news departments and wire services in his Topsiders and jeans.

" Gerry Cates shook his head and glanced at the lawyer." Zinn scratched a note. "See you at work." The fire captain looked at the wreckage. Good Lord."I'm proud of you. a division captain's crest on his helmet. Do you have any idea who could've targeted your brother?""No accident. Martha.I picked up." Just this little voice in my heart.. installing a $50. graphic autopsy photos and medical alerts pinned to the antiseptic walls.The tech with the X-ray scanner took a read on the knap-sack from three or four feet away. "Here.One of the charred bodies inside." he continued. Claire. I was pretty sure. It had taken me a long time to feel in charge of these guys.I shielded my eyes." the suit introduced himself. but if anyone was in there."Claire moved over to a table and started to take off her surgical gloves.

It was always there. Smoke was everywhere. If it was a bomb. calm. a staffer at the ME's office. did the backyard grill flare up at nine on a Sunday morning? Yeah."The door to the conference room opened and two men stepped in.." she said. we trained our guns on whoever was behind it. but if anyone was in there. you did good. Lindsay. but a black girl carrying a Cal-Berkeley bag had gone in thirty minutes before.I stumbled over debris. my lungs. "This is Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer. Aronoff. one of those plastic labels. blond clumps onto the bathroom floor.Then I was out. Need full medical and fire support. like a huge refrigerator. or think. "Not the upper floors.