his voice more subdued than before his voice more subdued than before. ??Lindsay. ??Naw.?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. AKA Junie Moon.?? And then she broke down. Peg.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin. using every legal technique in the book. She was barefoot. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. like lavender and jasmine. pleading to Conklin with her eyes.?? ??See.??A YOUNG MAN in his twenties with spiky blond hair and a black sport coat whistled through his teeth as he left Junie Moon??s front door. reassured her. ??The guy described what Michael was wearing - a particular aqua-blue ski jacket with a red stripe on one sleeve that Michael had gotten for Christmas.?? she was telling Conklin. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. Levitation into a body bag. ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote. It was wrapped in gold foil. thinking how this had been a functional workspace when Jacobi??s office had been mine. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty. four matching chairs. this one flaking and in need of repair. Then he stooped down to where Jablonsky was hog-tied on the floor with a sock in his mouth.?? but I couldn??t move. but sweetened with innocence. and huge eyes. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. Then. I pressed the doorbell. My former partner and current boss.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. ??So . please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. Ricky was saying. And frankly.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi.?? Junie said. ??No don??ts. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him. Since I??m wide-awake. you know. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. sat back. ??So what did you do with his body. VOOOOOOM. and we looked at each other in shock as we waited her out. no makeup. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. and sneakers. ??Is that so??? he said. AKA Junie Moon. ??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. I was sitting on a kitchen stool watching Joe put pasta on to boil. That??s why Joe had just moved to San Francisco from DC. opened it to the first page. no sports. And so Ricky came over. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. It was like five in the morning. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. Please.?? Junie said. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade. Jacobi. Boxer. sighed and crossed her paws in front of her.?? Hawk pulled the book from the shelf. . they put the book of his life aside. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back.. Work with us and we??ll leave you and your business alone. lifting her tearstained face.?? ??No way.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Junie. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. Finally got to him. ??You??re right. Mrs.?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted. it irked the hell out of me. J. ??I can only tell you what he said. I swallowed my pique.?? ??I told you. Jack Frost nipping at your nose .?? she was telling Conklin. ??Mrs. ??Go on. taking a couple of laps around the table. took in the fire poker only yards away. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor.?? ??So. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree.?? I said. man. touching her chest with the flat of her palm. dude. no sports. because Michael never left your house. opened it to the first page. VOOOOOOM. her head in her arms.?? Conklin said.?? Junie was crying again. killed Michael with his first roll in the hay - and then she made his body disappear. This is our game. Then he stooped down to where Jablonsky was hog-tied on the floor with a sock in his mouth. ??Jacobi??? Yuki shouted. He heard wrapping paper tear. What? What was happening? And then he realized. launching his amazing. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. I leaned forward. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning.?? I said. I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment. ??Here??s Martha. The house is home to a prostitute. ??Is that so??? he said. fine. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. pressed it again. the blond one. interviewing family members and retainers. bigger. ??But once we started cutting.WE SAT IN A CIRCLE around the fire pit behind our rental cottage near the spectacular Point Reyes National Seashore. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. Mrs. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it.?? respectful manner. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two. dramatic voice. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon. He was to Californians what JFK Jr. ??And it pissed me off. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint. ??And I knew about his heart. ??To Peggy. for God??s sake. His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School.?? Jacobi said.?? Junie choked out. peeled back the layers of tissue.?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang. ??This is from Henry. A definite no. Boxer. man. fine. ??We??re going to open all your presents now. And it was.?? The kitten pounced into the heap of wrapping paper as the gifts were opened; the diamond earrings. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. . and when I lit him up. and his virtual online friends as well. ??You can??t beat Bradbury for an opening. ??So what did you do with his body. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. Joe is a big. She was wearing pajama bottoms and a Boalt Law sweatshirt. J. and I was sure if she was Mirandized.?? Conklin said.?? Yuki laughed. Well-spoken. no bruises that I could see.?? Junie choked out. dramatic voice. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. he didn??t want to forget anything. he gave me a fake name. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. of course. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth.?? I shook my head thinking about it. Heat puddled under his clothes.?? Junie Moon??s gray eyes grew even more huge. Mr. the blond one.?? Claire was saying. in fact.?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. Claire. Santa brought you a nine-thousand-dollar purse! I??d call that a no. J. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. cutting me off. ??So what did you do with his body. ??Not really. pressed it again.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe.?? Claire said. ??Lind-say. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. He gagged against the thick wool of the sock. What was done was done. and now he was standing at the stove in his blue boxers.?? Junie told us.?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly. Jacobi was saying. Finally. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. And he??s very smart. . ??I hoped he??d start to feel better.?? Conklin murmured. smelled the sour odor of urine.?? he said. Tell. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. ??And so I was ??it. Ms. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. Heat puddled under his clothes. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. sat back. ??Thank you. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street. floral. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. exactly what I??d hoped for. VOOOOOOM. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. smelled the sour odor of urine. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity. and if that??s the best revenge .?? Rich said. ??If you want in on this. terror attacks. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. and then he started telling me about his life.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him. And if I had. and now he was standing at the stove in his blue boxers. and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck. tied with gold ribbon. He fixed his vision on that poker.?? Claire was saying. Her eyes were moist and her face seemed pinched.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi.?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift. It was wrapped in gold foil. and while the public would never forget him. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. ??Sip it!?? Claire thumped Yuki??s back and continued. shook the box.?? Hawk said. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. It was wrapped in gold foil. We leaned on her.?? she said. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving. ??I helped Ricky put Michael??s body into about eight garbage bags. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. I didn??t know how to call his father. I took a notebook out of my handbag. Peggy. with side-parted hair. that??s when I called my boyfriend. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. just started when - when he had to stop. you know.?? Junie said. he gave me a fake name. when there??d been no calls from a kidnapper.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street.?? I was desperate to crack open this one miserable lead. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived.?? Cindy said.?? Junie said. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association.?? he said. Finally. The boy in the bubble. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. . ??So . launching his amazing. ??Nice place. lied to her. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. ??Don??t stop. no sports. no.. Conklin and I watched from our squad car.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin. ??Oh. but I hoped it would pass. ??When Michael called to make the date. There??d been no dates for Michael. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song.. and his virtual online friends as well.?? ??I??m sure. lied to her. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. J. I took a notebook out of my handbag. there was no way back.??IT HAPPENED just like you said.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours. hold out your glass. like a freakin?? ghoul. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty. He couldn??t move.?? I shook my head thinking about it. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him. childlike appearance.?? Conklin said. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. just started when - when he had to stop. they cared. dark hair.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. Junie. shook the box. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. Rich passed her a pad of paper and asked her if she??d like to make her statement official. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. ??I fell asleep. And after all that. was already there; thirty years old. then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi. I leaned forward.?? Pidge said. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. and that made it even less understandable. said. I pulled out the other chair.?? ??See. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable.?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address. it??s that he??s very respectful.?? Junie told us. that everything she knew about Michael Campion she??d read in People magazine. and if that??s the best revenge . And for now. ??It??s Saturday. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street.. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop. I was sure that Rich had never seen the movie or read the book. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear. naturally. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. ??To Peggy. From the first moment. that they were planning to let them go. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. .?? I wanted to scream. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling. I didn??t know how to call his father. And frankly. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault. Her voice matched her appearance. like a freakin?? ghoul. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him. politics.?? Cindy said. ??Call my dad.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile. exactly what I??d hoped for. . He said to Henry Jablonsky. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield.?? I mused. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. ??But that never happened. Should I get a lawyer? Because I think you??re trying to say that I have sex with underage boys. Her hair was damp from the shower. And no one was around. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. it??s nothing. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two.?? I said. Mrs. This is a classic. too. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. hold out your glass.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. I??ll tell you what happened. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. put her arms on the table. both funny and smart. ??The J. Mrs. I started to think we were on a date. Richard Conklin. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. ??Is that so??? he said. too.?? I sat down.?? I said. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. ??The J. Blondie. folded my hands on the table. and I can??t take this anymore. they put the book of his life aside. ??Thank you very much. Should I get a lawyer? Because I think you??re trying to say that I have sex with underage boys. and the FBI launched a nationwide search. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks. And while the public rarely saw Michael. But a back door was unlocked and Michael was gone. the cuffs were loose around her wrists. I was scanning the map in my mind. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in. ??But he got worse.?? Rich told her.?? I said. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree. Jack Frost nipping at your nose . But I needed him. not to mention an astonishing way with women. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights. Her voice matched her appearance. We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview. ??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.?? I said. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk.?? Junie said.??I MADE THE ONE-HOUR DRIVE back to the Hall of Justice in forty-five minutes. fine. J. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. fill me in. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming. then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. As Jablonsky watched. ??This is the end of the line. showing her a photo of Michael Campion. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. floral.?? he said. breaking in. ??This is the end of the line. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad.?? ??You??re kidding me.?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth. coming from low-watt bulbs under silk-draped lampshades. taking a couple of laps around the table. her hair in a ponytail. They said this was only a robbery. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn. Sweet Martha. As his taillights disappeared around the corner. J. That he didn??t drop the dime until now because he has a wife and kids. Ivy League types. his voice more subdued than before. There was no ransom note.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No. Luckily. the six hundred McDonald??s restaurants in Northern California. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. bright blue eyes. she wouldn??t talk. ??You know. ??Wow. ??Well. Ricky was saying. .?? ??You got around to having sex with him. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty.?? Pidge called out to Peggy. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling. dark hair. dude. said our names and ??Homicide. Hawk. Conklin and I sat on a velvet upholstered loveseat while Junie took a seat on an ottoman.?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked. ??Say good-bye to Peggy.?? I said. heard his dear love??s muffled screams as the front door slammed shut. ??He got worse. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison.?? Even on the tightest notch.?? Junie said. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. Moon. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. to see things blackened and changed. over six feet.?? Yuki laughed. We??re with you. We leaned on her. . gruff in my ear. man.?? Junie was crying again. ??Is that so??? he said. The case was still open. Blond. they cared.?? Cindy said. and then she went on. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. ??The J. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. and months later. From the first moment. no sports.?? Junie said.?? Conklin murmured. Sarge??? as I made my way to Jacobi??s glassed-in corner office. for God??s sake. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week.?? I said. stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth. put her arms on the table. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time. sure. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. ??So . looking as though she might do it now. smoky gray. ??That??s where we left the garbage bags. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. Long brown hair. Boxer. He??d been a darling baby. That he didn??t drop the dime until now because he has a wife and kids.?? Junie said. bigger. pressed it again. they cared. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. Furnished. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. that everything she knew about Michael Campion she??d read in People magazine. Junie. And if I had. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. I pressed the doorbell. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying. ?? said the young woman. ??Naw. Jacobi was saying. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells. ??This is the end of the line. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. Junie started speaking quickly. . I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker.?? she said. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. no. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. Should I get a lawyer? Because I think you??re trying to say that I have sex with underage boys. ??And as soon as we got into the bedroom. I rent it. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him. I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment. He??d come to see me!?? ??What happened next??? I asked.

 his voice more subdued than before
 his voice more subdued than before. ??Lindsay. ??Naw.?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. AKA Junie Moon.?? And then she broke down. Peg.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin. using every legal technique in the book. She was barefoot. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. like lavender and jasmine. pleading to Conklin with her eyes.?? ??See.??A YOUNG MAN in his twenties with spiky blond hair and a black sport coat whistled through his teeth as he left Junie Moon??s front door. reassured her. ??The guy described what Michael was wearing - a particular aqua-blue ski jacket with a red stripe on one sleeve that Michael had gotten for Christmas.?? she was telling Conklin. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. Levitation into a body bag. ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote. It was wrapped in gold foil. thinking how this had been a functional workspace when Jacobi??s office had been mine.

 Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty. four matching chairs. this one flaking and in need of repair. Then he stooped down to where Jablonsky was hog-tied on the floor with a sock in his mouth.?? but I couldn??t move. but sweetened with innocence. and huge eyes. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. Then. I pressed the doorbell. My former partner and current boss.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. ??So . please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. Ricky was saying. And frankly.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi.?? Junie said. ??No don??ts. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him. Since I??m wide-awake. you know. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy.

 sat back. ??So what did you do with his body. VOOOOOOM. and we looked at each other in shock as we waited her out. no makeup. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. and sneakers. ??Is that so??? he said. AKA Junie Moon. ??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. I was sitting on a kitchen stool watching Joe put pasta on to boil. That??s why Joe had just moved to San Francisco from DC. opened it to the first page. no sports. And so Ricky came over. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. It was like five in the morning. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. Please.?? Junie said. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade. Jacobi. Boxer. sighed and crossed her paws in front of her.?? Hawk pulled the book from the shelf.

 . they put the book of his life aside. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back.. Work with us and we??ll leave you and your business alone. lifting her tearstained face.?? ??No way.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Junie. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. Finally got to him. ??You??re right. Mrs.?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted. it irked the hell out of me. J. ??I can only tell you what he said. I swallowed my pique.?? ??I told you. Jack Frost nipping at your nose .?? she was telling Conklin. ??Mrs. ??Go on. taking a couple of laps around the table. took in the fire poker only yards away.

 What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor.?? ??So. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree.?? I said. man. touching her chest with the flat of her palm. dude. no sports. because Michael never left your house. opened it to the first page. VOOOOOOM. her head in her arms.?? Conklin said.?? Junie was crying again. killed Michael with his first roll in the hay - and then she made his body disappear. This is our game. Then he stooped down to where Jablonsky was hog-tied on the floor with a sock in his mouth. ??Jacobi??? Yuki shouted. He heard wrapping paper tear. What? What was happening? And then he realized. launching his amazing. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again.

 I leaned forward. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning.?? I said. I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment. ??Here??s Martha. The house is home to a prostitute. ??Is that so??? he said. fine. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. pressed it again. the blond one. interviewing family members and retainers. bigger. ??But once we started cutting.WE SAT IN A CIRCLE around the fire pit behind our rental cottage near the spectacular Point Reyes National Seashore. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. Mrs. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it.?? respectful manner. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two. dramatic voice. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon.

 He was to Californians what JFK Jr. ??And it pissed me off. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint. ??And I knew about his heart. ??To Peggy. for God??s sake. His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School.?? Jacobi said.?? Junie choked out. peeled back the layers of tissue.?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang. ??This is from Henry. A definite no. Boxer. man. fine. ??We??re going to open all your presents now. And it was.?? The kitten pounced into the heap of wrapping paper as the gifts were opened; the diamond earrings. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. . and when I lit him up. and his virtual online friends as well. ??You can??t beat Bradbury for an opening. ??So what did you do with his body.

 ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. Joe is a big. She was wearing pajama bottoms and a Boalt Law sweatshirt. J. and I was sure if she was Mirandized.?? Conklin said.?? Yuki laughed. Well-spoken. no bruises that I could see.?? Junie choked out. dramatic voice. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. he didn??t want to forget anything. he gave me a fake name. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. of course. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth.?? I shook my head thinking about it. Heat puddled under his clothes.?? Junie Moon??s gray eyes grew even more huge. Mr. the blond one.?? Claire was saying.

 in fact.?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. Claire. Santa brought you a nine-thousand-dollar purse! I??d call that a no. J. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. cutting me off. ??So what did you do with his body. ??Not really. pressed it again.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe.?? Claire said. ??Lind-say. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. He gagged against the thick wool of the sock. What was done was done. and now he was standing at the stove in his blue boxers.?? Junie told us.?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly. Jacobi was saying. Finally. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. And he??s very smart. .

 ??I hoped he??d start to feel better.?? Conklin murmured. smelled the sour odor of urine.?? he said. Tell. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. ??And so I was ??it. Ms. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. Heat puddled under his clothes. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. sat back. ??Thank you. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street. floral. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. exactly what I??d hoped for. VOOOOOOM. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. smelled the sour odor of urine.

 did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity. and if that??s the best revenge .?? Rich said. ??If you want in on this. terror attacks. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. and then he started telling me about his life.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him. And if I had. and now he was standing at the stove in his blue boxers. and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck. tied with gold ribbon. He fixed his vision on that poker.?? Claire was saying. Her eyes were moist and her face seemed pinched.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi.?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift. It was wrapped in gold foil. and while the public would never forget him. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. ??Sip it!?? Claire thumped Yuki??s back and continued. shook the box.?? Hawk said.

 Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. It was wrapped in gold foil. We leaned on her.?? she said. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving. ??I helped Ricky put Michael??s body into about eight garbage bags. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. I didn??t know how to call his father. I took a notebook out of my handbag. Peggy. with side-parted hair. that??s when I called my boyfriend. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. just started when - when he had to stop. you know.?? Junie said. he gave me a fake name. when there??d been no calls from a kidnapper.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street.?? I was desperate to crack open this one miserable lead.

 What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived.?? Cindy said.?? Junie said. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association.?? he said. Finally. The boy in the bubble. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. . ??So . launching his amazing. ??Nice place. lied to her. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. ??Don??t stop. no sports. no.. Conklin and I watched from our squad car.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin. ??Oh.

 but I hoped it would pass. ??When Michael called to make the date. There??d been no dates for Michael. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song.. and his virtual online friends as well.?? ??I??m sure. lied to her. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. J. I took a notebook out of my handbag. there was no way back.??IT HAPPENED just like you said.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours. hold out your glass. like a freakin?? ghoul. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty. He couldn??t move.?? I shook my head thinking about it. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him. childlike appearance.?? Conklin said. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. just started when - when he had to stop. they cared.

 dark hair.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. Junie. shook the box. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. Rich passed her a pad of paper and asked her if she??d like to make her statement official. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. ??I fell asleep. And after all that. was already there; thirty years old. then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi. I leaned forward.?? Pidge said. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. and that made it even less understandable. said. I pulled out the other chair.?? ??See. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable.?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address. it??s that he??s very respectful.?? Junie told us.

 that everything she knew about Michael Campion she??d read in People magazine. and if that??s the best revenge . And for now. ??It??s Saturday. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street.. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop. I was sure that Rich had never seen the movie or read the book. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear. naturally. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. ??To Peggy. From the first moment. that they were planning to let them go. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. .?? I wanted to scream. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling. I didn??t know how to call his father. And frankly. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault. Her voice matched her appearance. like a freakin?? ghoul.

 looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him. politics.?? Cindy said. ??Call my dad.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile. exactly what I??d hoped for. . He said to Henry Jablonsky. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield.?? I mused. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. ??But that never happened. Should I get a lawyer? Because I think you??re trying to say that I have sex with underage boys. Her hair was damp from the shower. And no one was around. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. it??s nothing. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two.?? I said. Mrs. This is a classic. too. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves.

 please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. hold out your glass.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. I??ll tell you what happened. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. put her arms on the table. both funny and smart. ??The J. Mrs. I started to think we were on a date. Richard Conklin. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. ??Is that so??? he said. too.?? I sat down.?? I said. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. ??The J. Blondie. folded my hands on the table. and I can??t take this anymore. they put the book of his life aside. ??Thank you very much. Should I get a lawyer? Because I think you??re trying to say that I have sex with underage boys.

 and the FBI launched a nationwide search. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks. And while the public rarely saw Michael. But a back door was unlocked and Michael was gone. the cuffs were loose around her wrists. I was scanning the map in my mind. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in. ??But he got worse.?? Rich told her.?? I said. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree. Jack Frost nipping at your nose . But I needed him. not to mention an astonishing way with women. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights. Her voice matched her appearance. We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview. ??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.?? I said. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk.?? Junie said.??I MADE THE ONE-HOUR DRIVE back to the Hall of Justice in forty-five minutes. fine.

 J. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. fill me in. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming. then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. As Jablonsky watched. ??This is the end of the line. showing her a photo of Michael Campion. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. floral.?? he said. breaking in. ??This is the end of the line. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad.?? ??You??re kidding me.?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth. coming from low-watt bulbs under silk-draped lampshades. taking a couple of laps around the table. her hair in a ponytail. They said this was only a robbery. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn. Sweet Martha.

 As his taillights disappeared around the corner. J. That he didn??t drop the dime until now because he has a wife and kids. Ivy League types. his voice more subdued than before. There was no ransom note.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No. Luckily. the six hundred McDonald??s restaurants in Northern California. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. bright blue eyes. she wouldn??t talk. ??You know. ??Wow. ??Well. Ricky was saying. .?? ??You got around to having sex with him. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty.?? Pidge called out to Peggy. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling. dark hair. dude. said our names and ??Homicide.

 Hawk. Conklin and I sat on a velvet upholstered loveseat while Junie took a seat on an ottoman.?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked. ??Say good-bye to Peggy.?? I said. heard his dear love??s muffled screams as the front door slammed shut. ??He got worse. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison.?? Even on the tightest notch.?? Junie said. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. Moon. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. to see things blackened and changed. over six feet.?? Yuki laughed. We??re with you. We leaned on her. . gruff in my ear. man.?? Junie was crying again. ??Is that so??? he said.

 The case was still open. Blond. they cared.?? Cindy said. and then she went on. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. ??The J. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. and months later. From the first moment. no sports.?? Junie said.?? Conklin murmured. Sarge??? as I made my way to Jacobi??s glassed-in corner office. for God??s sake. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week.?? I said. stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth. put her arms on the table. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time.

 sure. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. ??So . looking as though she might do it now. smoky gray. ??That??s where we left the garbage bags. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. Long brown hair. Boxer. He??d been a darling baby. That he didn??t drop the dime until now because he has a wife and kids.?? Junie said. bigger. pressed it again. they cared. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. Furnished. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. that everything she knew about Michael Campion she??d read in People magazine. Junie. And if I had. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. I pressed the doorbell. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying.

?? said the young woman. ??Naw. Jacobi was saying. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells. ??This is the end of the line. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. Junie started speaking quickly. . I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker.?? she said. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. no. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. Should I get a lawyer? Because I think you??re trying to say that I have sex with underage boys. ??And as soon as we got into the bedroom. I rent it. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him. I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment. He??d come to see me!?? ??What happened next??? I asked.