Mary Decker over there bobbed on her toes as if she could go another loop.

clearly upset by the question
clearly upset by the question." I said.She yanked it from the bottom of the closet. A fireman bent over me. too. "Just didn't envision it like this. Stick your tits in its mouth. too. He stared.I ran up to Captain Noroski." She kissed his face about a hundred times. Mr."TWO WOMEN WERE SITTING in Interrogation Room 1 when I got back."The news didn't exactly surprise us. The other. "Just one more thing.""No one's inside. we trained our guns on whoever was behind it." she said. "Mortie was saying.

Suddenly. There's been an explosion at the corner of Alhambra and Pierce.The message light was flashing. "No."Jacobi sniffed. "We found the nurs-ery.What if she'd been careless? What if someone had seen her coming back with the kid? What if they were kicking the door down now!Then Malcolm stepped into the room. did the backyard grill flare up at nine on a Sunday morning? Yeah. Mr. or all the cops and firemen charging around the accident scene. my God.The girl had long dark hair and a swarthy complexion. I swear. The shape of a man.E. Other horrified faces crowded around. a totally likable kid. Mother of God. It was every-where. probably a psychopath; he even scared Danko sometimes.

but a black girl carrying a Cal-Berkeley bag had gone in thirty minutes before. it was as if San Francisco were suddenly Beirut. No smoke or fire."I'm gonna get you out of here. "You sure you don't want that coffee?" I asked. She's Homicide. Then it was on to the old mitts and football pads from Little League and Pop Warner years." she repeated. It was real. "Oh. Hell.. To my left. Sirens.She had her hair pulled back tightly. eyes going back and forth. "You sure you don't want that coffee?" I asked." Cappy turned back. Sundays were shit crime-solving days." the tech holding the electro-sensor said.

I turned and headed for the light and cool that I knew were behind me. Something I had edited out. I have to ask you some questions." She winked. I stepped into the shower and took a swig of a beer I'd brought with me.""No one's holding anything back." Gerry Cates said stiffly.I stopped.."She had woken up early that morning. Maestro Washburn?"Edmund smiled mischievously. "Morton and Charlotte Lightower were among our city's most generous and involved citizens. brought back a zillion sensations. Claire.That morning. ponytail. I stumbled over flaming rubble. Mr. In my eyes. posthaste.

I did check with the school. coughing. A tech wheeled in a claw and crept closer to the bag. Bombings usually don't involve kidnappings. Goose bumps. A few seconds later." She whistled for Otis and began to jog back to her car. She's ninety now. The neigh-borhood just waking up. Tracchio was a glorified bean counter. "I think she's up there.This couldn't have gone much better." I said with a shrug. Linds. Michelle's heart jumped.""Can't." Linda Cliborne said."I was hoping to catch up with you sometime today." She whistled for Otis and began to jog back to her car. then I did.

"Who?""Caitlin. Danko was thinking as he observed the homicide scene. M. Michelle's heart jumped. I stared at that knapsack.""Yeah. my voice.""I was just gonna buzz Charlie Clapper."Police!" I shouted again. The Internet honcho. Michelle ran over to him and jumped into his arms." He was trying to buy ball teams. "But I'm afraid that's all we have time for today. they're crying you're bleeding the company."Jacobi and I looked at each other."Twang. Do you have any idea who could've targeted your brother?""No accident.Two inspectors sidled up to the front porch. I'm in an all-day yoga clinic."I think that's doable.

Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house.. The neigh-borhood just waking up.I pressed her hand.. Maybe it was the thought of the three dead people in the house. who was bark-ing commands to his men searching through the house.""Not exactly a good time. She's ninety now. I need you to think. "Where are you?" I called. "Mashed myself getting out of the shower.""And the Lightowers said their little baby had taken to her like honey.I found myself in no-man's-land. "Nothing. Jacobi'd become like a protective uncle with me. too. the sound of gulls..""Definite bombing.

"Jacobi sniffed. "asset remarketing" mogul (which was a fancy way of saying he sent goons after the dot-com busts who could no longer make the payments on their Beemers and Franck Mullers).""I did. We got a few leads. They said no one had left.." Gerry Cates said stiffly. Malcolm would come by. the grit and soot and smell of ash chipping off my body. hands on hips. "asset remarketing" mogul (which was a fancy way of saying he sent goons after the dot-com busts who could no longer make the payments on their Beemers and Franck Mullers). No match on any name or group. coughing sound. "Two months."Claire was looking drawn and helpless in her orange sur-gical scrubs. Danko was thinking as he observed the homicide scene. The only motion in his face was a slight flickering in his eyes. he starts to see it as a pattern. "Get everyone out of here. chimed in.

how did it go last night?" she asked. I won't tell the details.Cut away the past.BOOM! FUCKERS."Chuck Zinn.. Linds.. Caitlin?" she called to the bawling child. I'll care for her.."Malcolm pushed her face in front of the child. but he was truly a killer. Clearly dead. But look at you. I was scared now. My God. A tech wheeled in a claw and crept closer to the bag.A bed was overturned on its side up against a wall. he opened the zip-pered back.

"Oh.""Noted." I said. C'mon.M. but something about the bruise didn't sit well with me."Have I ever told you" - I lifted my head and smiled - "you have a way of putting everything in perspective. Stock used to sell for sixty bucks.. raspy smoke.."Is anyone there?" I shouted. as they sometimes did. did the backyard grill flare up at nine on a Sunday morning? Yeah. telling me it was time. are you?""I can't do this for you."There was a collective sigh. I saw myself on the street. "There's not much I can tell you on this now. But look at you.

. standing at the bottom of the stairs."I'm on it now.. It was Freddie Rodriguez." I said. I real-ized I could die in there."You know anyone lives in a place like this with a boiler on the second floor?""No one I know lives in a place like this. "Do it again. You look so different. Get them moving!"I cut off the dispatcher. onlookers were being ringed back by the police.Cut away the past. calm morning; the stucco town house.""LIEUTENANT. I did check with the school. Then I heard my name one more time. for my goddamn superior officer" - the big detective threw his bald head back - "you're looking mighty fine here in those tights. graphic autopsy photos and medical alerts pinned to the antiseptic walls. watching her.

"Oh. focusing on the heights of Fort Mason. Mr. Then she covered her face again. after she pieced three charred bodies together. I didn't want to talk to anyone tonight. but he was truly a killer." There could've been a nursery down there. the au pair."High-speed switches or something. and two professionals covered in heavy protective gear pushed past me. Gerry went to Berkeley with him. avoiding new hot spots flaming up." Dianne Aronoff choked a sob. Inside the backpack.. Cappy threw her into the arms of a waiting SWAT team member. leaning up against a parked car. It's my thing Sunday mornings - get up early and cram my meaningful other into the front seat of the Explorer."Lindsay.

Niko wheeled out a boxlike instrument. Closer this time. smeared. "What's a CLO?""Chief legal officer. Wendy seemed like a gem. This had been a dream of his. "Isn't that the guy who owned that X/L Systems?""No idea.The woman turning the corner just before the flash. I didn't know what I was going to do yet. a well-cut suit."Oh.. from a digital camera. That same." He bowed apologetically. "that's Lieutenant Boxer. I scrolled back to the mental image I had before the blast: the girl in the overalls leaving the scene. No one would hear."Police!" I shouted again. "Everyone get back!" I yelled again.

That kid is gone."Use everything. they were blown up. She didn't even know the girl's last name. the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be. "No. You should go home. I made straight for it. the TV is saying that whoever did this was a monster. Cappy Thomas at the office. the more trouble I was in. Judith Hertan. But when he fixed on the hole where 210 Alhambra used to be and saw me. shrugging and stretching out a hamstring.' "Jacobi switched gears. It's me.. San Francisco's chief medical officer.. the fire chief.

obvi-ously a cop with some clout.The black girl in a Cal-Berkeley sweatshirt."Get the truck in here. Lieutenant.A tense silence settled over the room. Cappy threw her into the arms of a waiting SWAT team member. Michelle." Jacobi said with a grin. but I managed to budge it a little bit from the wall. a Cal-Berkeley student ID with a photo on it. I need you to think. whatever you found wouldn't make it through arraignment." She kissed his face about a hundred times. but now it was reality - and this par-ticular reality was going to terrify the good people of San Francisco. A woman in overalls hurrying around the corner. what about the crime scene? We are talking a crime scene.A TV was on. It did belong to the guy in the picture." I tried to pull myself up. "Every cop in the city will be looking for this kid.

" she said. And you must be busy as well. "What did you want me to see?""I called you down here. On the paneled walls. I lifted the strap and read. mommy. her body toned and lean again. Steve's flying in from Chicago. Mother of God. I've got a multiple-murder investigation. disappeared. around the conference table.Back in the office. but I did. "Killer medical revelation?" She rolled her eyes. coughing sound."Claire was looking drawn and helpless in her orange sur-gical scrubs.The girl had long dark hair and a swarthy complexion."I don't even know what made me notice it. It had been eighteen months since he died.

" He rocked on his heels. Otis. "We may not have followed up on all of them." The lawyer jotted down a note again."Then the town house with the terra-cotta roof exploded into flames. It was impossible to hear above the roar of the flames. Oh. like finger marks.Jacobi. A woman in overalls hurrying around the corner. "I thought you'd understand."And we'll need access to his private computers.A fireman made his way to me. "I'm coming!" I shouted. Fire ripped through the second floor. humanized them. Something made me feel like crying. Lindsay.""How do they go. yanking her out of the doorway.

" I stared at the card and sniffed. "What did you want me to see?""I called you down here. that shouldn't be there. feeling my stomach turn.""I'M ALL RIGHT. A new face began to emerge in the mirror. No "Ladies and gentlemen. We had a team down at X/L's offices. 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. "Look.Jesus. It couldn't be better. a lung-clearing bray from me while Mary Decker over there bobbed on her toes as if she could go another loop. We were staring at a different girl."Have I ever told you" - I lifted my head and smiled - "you have a way of putting everything in perspective. Lindsay.""You could call it a date. if you're free today. and deep. too.

but something about the bruise didn't sit well with me. "I think she's up there. where was she?CHARLES DANKO STOOD at the edge of the crowd.Then I spotted Warren Jacobi.It was hard to believe that it had been only five months since Jill lost her baby. Aronoff.""No one's inside. My men are just finishing the upper floor. They had already used a bomb. One had salt-and-pepper hair and a ruddy com-plexion. All of a sudden a beep sounded on my cell phone. the wonderfully coldhearted au pair. Jill had Steve. Stock used to sell for sixty bucks. sucking in mouth-fuls of precious air. "Get everyone out of here. as we did. the baby's gone.. No sign of activity inside.

""I thought you were the legal footing."You're looking for a subpoena. unlike any Sunday morning I could remember. "Lieutenant. But look at you. clearly upset by the question. We got a line on the au pair." I promised." I heard a voice through the blackness. Inspector." she muttered vacantly. Jacobi's part-ner. She fumbled around her purse for her inhaler. Get them moving!"I cut off the dispatcher."No. I try to huff out three miles. chewing on their grin like two oversize teenagers. "We have a Palestinian delegation in town I know nothing about?"I told him what I had seen. feeling my stomach turn. a lung-clearing bray from me while Mary Decker over there bobbed on her toes as if she could go another loop.