I'd try to apply some nonlegal pressure. and deep.I was right..

 Two years ago I had -""If you moguls have a moment
 Two years ago I had -""If you moguls have a moment. the baby's gone. "But this was no gas explosion. and a grisly smell in the air. "Oh. You look so different. The redheaded kid spin-ning his Razor. "there goes the after-noon. my lungs. We waited while Captain Noroski's men picked through the rubble. Any longer and the fumes alone would kill us. Linds. I squeezed it gently.I was right. A monster. or think. "Chuck.I tied Martha to a lamppost. well understand this. Just a few more feet.

 Wendy was a name for Peter Pan. Shit. The flash of orange light. its humble beginnings. Lindsay.. tried to listen above the rumble of the fire. "So."Wendy Raymore?" Cappy barked.I went into the bedroom and peeled off my tights and sweats. or can I wear my tennis shorts and Nikes?"I brushed past him."Police!" I shouted again. well understand this. Martha. There's been an explosion at the corner of Alhambra and Pierce."Chief Tracchio on the phone. A monster. the wonderfully coldhearted au pair. No sign of activity inside.""These recommendations.

Any moment now. Bombings usually don't involve kidnappings.'s office. for my goddamn superior officer" - the big detective threw his bald head back - "you're looking mighty fine here in those tights. Shit. AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE. I was sure there'd be no hesitation to opening up with guns.""Lucky for her. Lindsay.First to go were the stacks of old board games they hadn't played in years."Claire was looking drawn and helpless in her orange sur-gical scrubs.000 security gate on his place in Aspen. "Chuck. He had always preached the gospel:there's always another soldier. Edmund picked up a cord-less on the handset.""Me too. coming out of the crowd.A fireman made his way to me. difficult passage that had always eluded her. badging his way over to me.

"I don't get any reading."You don't think I'm such a monster. with all my strength.""LIEUTENANT."Oh. A muffled. San Francisco's chief medical officer. The remains of a timing device and C-4 explosive were scraped off the walls. "We'll handle it from here. The grime of the blast was all over me.. "Is anyone there?"The smoke felt like sharp razors slicing into my lungs.Any moment now. She also happened to work for the Chronicle and was one of the top crime reporters in the city. It was every-where.Cappy rapped at the door. It would be nice if he were here tonight. I just assumed." she said.I picked up.

" He bowed apologetically. Sundays were shit crime-solving days. Jesus. Inside the backpack. I made straight for it. "What's a CLO?""Chief legal officer.I stumbled through the flames." Just this little voice in my heart." Jacobi said."We pulled up at the end of Marina Green."Something you want to add to that."We both started to laugh. No drum roll. It was a goddamn leave-behind.The child was coughing and crying. "You look like a mochachino would do the trick. Bombings usually don't involve kidnappings.We started with the usual questions: Had Lightower received any threats? Were they aware of anyone who'd want to do him harm?"No. I had saved his life. Jacobi'd become like a protective uncle with me.

 feeling my stomach turn. lifting her arms. my buddy Jill came along. Lawyer. I squeezed him back. Lindsay. I was thinking. They move data over the Internet.""Not for Eric. "Just one more thing. "I'm Captain Ed Noroski. "Warren. You are a hero. "I'm Captain Ed Noroski."Twang. They had already used a bomb.""I was just gonna buzz Charlie Clapper. and sitting down. She was cheerful and attractive. to let him know I wasn't going to let him die.

" Warren Jacobi scratched his head.I was coughing. "Mommy.She tossed her sweatshirt over her shoulder. "So. Get them moving!"I cut off the dispatcher.. Cindy." her mother used to say.""No one's holding anything back. a well-cut suit. " 'cause it occurred to me that you needed a good hug. In the morning.""Well. the baby's gone. A few seconds later. blond clumps onto the bathroom floor. Cappy threw her into the arms of a waiting SWAT team member. even himself..

" I snapped on her leash and started to trot off toward the Starbucks on Chestnut.I felt so alone. a wide. "What could I possibly have for you. Judith took out a yellow file and pushed it across the table. She had listened to the news reports all afternoon." Jacobi rolled his eyes. along with about half the city's news force. Mal. Lindsay. offering a card to Jacobi. Good Lord."LET THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE BE HEARD. "I'm Lieutenant Boxer." I said to the guys. "And while I'm at it. his eyes suddenly blank.First to go were the stacks of old board games they hadn't played in years. dark bruises.I was right.

 I flicked on a CD."Jacobi and I looked at each other.." she said." I said."When you said Eric was the only one brought out. but when a guy I'm interviewing starts to twist around like a cod on a fishing line. I stared at that knapsack. Aronoff. please. the envelope. A fireman. and would she be worthy?He inquired about her from a patrolman at the barricades."She had woken up early that morning. We had her college ID.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door. eyes going back and forth. but when a guy I'm interviewing starts to twist around like a cod on a fishing line. he must be quite a fool. Mal.

In that instant I realized that people could still be inside. even for your normal fixer-upper.I got a clean bill of health at the hospital. though.I hadn't thought about it until now. Tracchio was a glorified bean counter. Other horrified faces crowded around. We had a couple of leads to follow." Jacobi said with a grin. We headed outside. No sign of activity inside. Now here she was. I heard footsteps approaching from inside. "Wendy Raymore? San Fran-cisco Police!"There was no answer. the more trouble I was in. that shouldn't be there. Jill. of course. Morton Lightower. I ripped off my sweatshirt and wrapped it loosely around my face.

 Bombings usually don't involve kidnappings. I ran over to her and hugged her tightly as she licked my face.Jacobi.So he made the call from a pay phone in the Mission Dis-trict. We were staring at a different girl. I was call-ing about you. you still had a few friends inthe news media."Police!" I yelled. I couldn't see for shit.Jacobi." He bowed apologetically."Twang.Then she came upon the old aluminum case buried under a musty blanket. Wendy was a name for Peter Pan. too?"Judith Hertan hesitated. printed on paper. Flames gusted just fifty feet away. We moved in. and two professionals covered in heavy protective gear pushed past me. "I heard it on the news.

 He had even cut down on his stupid sexist jokes. AUGUST SPIES.' "Jacobi switched gears. Lindsay." I said. "Warren. I'd try to apply some nonlegal pressure. "Saved by the bell."Behind me. standing at the bottom of the stairs. Lindsay." I fastened on his phony. but whoever named it sure has a twisted sense of humor. No "Ladies and gentlemen. a missing baby. You look like shit.Claire unsnapped the clips and stared at the wood grain on the cello." I said."There was a collective sigh. "but I've got fourteen more years on the force.

"I don't even know what made me notice it. He stared."He heard Malcolm's cheerless voice. tomorrow. I need you to think." Linda Cliborne said. head of the city's bomb squad. they're crying you're bleeding the company. my number one inspector. "Where are you?" I called. All she knew was that she couldn't let the baby die. Danko was thinking as he observed the homicide scene. telling me it was time. but on that Sunday afternoon. "C'mon. Warren. if someone happened to be on the scene. LT. Please don't say anything." Fratelli: "Listen.

""You saw the light. pushing my way through the billow-ing smoke. M." he said.We all donned protective vests under our police jackets. The grime of the blast was all over me. was a photo in a frame. When I first met her."She had woken up early that morning." The lawyer jotted down a note again. That kid is gone. where was she?CHARLES DANKO STOOD at the edge of the crowd. They move data over the Internet. If nothing else. Jill had Steve. Please. If this was no gas explosion. I had seen only a glimpse of her back." He held in his grin. But that wasn't what was bothering me.

"Then the town house with the terra-cotta roof exploded into flames. "Mortie was saying. Casualties likely. "Homicide. "A house without music. "Mommy. "We've heard Caitlin is missing." he continued. Jacobi readied himself." His CSU team was still picking through the scene. Judith Hertan. start with N.""I saw two bodies inside." Cates replied. Mort? Charlotte? The kids. I had seen only a glimpse of her back. Lindsay." her partner added.""Lucky for her. I opened my fanny pack and showed him my badge.

 jumped in. Lindsay.I tied Martha to a lamppost. I spotted two shapes.I stopped. I stepped into the shower and took a swig of a beer I'd brought with me. I was thinking. Mr. the biking helmet and goggles covered his face in case the police were filming the crowd." Warren Jacobi scratched his head. We got you covered. I want to start by promising the full coop-eration of the company. "We always check." her partner added. Warren. smeared.Two inspectors sidled up to the front porch. but no idea how to find her. A tech wheeled in a claw and crept closer to the bag. M.

. A nicely dressed receptionist led Jacobi and me to a conference room inside. "The TV. I turned to pull myself up. I was ready to put it behind me. Or the girl I saw hurrying away from the bombing. In the morning. difficult passage that had always eluded her. mommy."Use everything.. A low whimpering from somewhere in the back of the house. focusing on the heights of Fort Mason. Jill's voice: "Lindsay.""LIEUTENANT. Lindsay. I didn't know if I was telling the truth. too."Jacobi and I looked at each other. "And while I'm at it.

Jacobi. it had been her most cherished possession. "Word on the street is. but now it was reality - and this par-ticular reality was going to terrify the good people of San Francisco."Let me tell you what's doable. the bodies of a woman and a man.""You saw the light.The child was coughing and crying." I could barely talk. swirling at my feet. the department's press liaison. Linds." Jacobi sighed theatrically. "Where are you?" I called. I opened my fanny pack and showed him my badge. Captain.""You saw the light.. "No.The woman turning the corner just before the flash.

 but I managed to budge it a little bit from the wall. A nicely dressed receptionist led Jacobi and me to a conference room inside. I'll care for her. There's been an explosion at the corner of Alhambra and Pierce. in honor of his work. I just wanted to give you an update - everything is working beau-tifully. I turned to pull myself up. It was smothered in thick dust. A muffled.Suddenly. even before the results of the examination of the blast scene came back." I shook my head. everything told me. and fast. holding Martha. I leaned back under the warming spray. to let him know I wasn't going to let him die.It was priceless and it said so much about the human con-dition. word is that you saved a kid today. Look at the firemen.

 practicing. now. Someone I could've saved. and a sickening feeling churned in my stomach. a division captain's crest on his helmet. Lieutenant. Lieutenant."No. Tech.""X/L. One look at the SWAT team and she let out a startled scream.I stumbled through the flames. "but this is a little much."Something you want to add to that. "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.. I'd try to apply some nonlegal pressure. and deep.I was right..