my buddy Jill came along.

 "Ms
 "Ms.The Marina has always been one of my favorite neighbor-hoods.Someone put an oxygen mask over my mouth and I took several deep gulps." she said. I could try to cut a deal with them. I think I'd better check our legal footing before I can agree to that. calm. but the feel came back to her. "I went in to help. horrified. "Possible explosive device."The cop didn't even bother to make eye contact." she gasped."You probably want to talk to Helene now. What I do is supposed to be about making money. I ripped off my sweatshirt and wrapped it loosely around my face."Then the town house with the terra-cotta roof exploded into flames. the wonderfully coldhearted au pair. Just sitting there. If Caitlin wasn't there. Just enough to convince myself I'm border-ing on something called in shape at thirty-six. so be it.

 The town house I had just admired was now a shell. or think. No one inside. what's going on?""Wendy Raymore?" Cappy kept his gun on her. "For Caitlin. I was ready to put it behind me. and two professionals covered in heavy protective gear pushed past me. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house. I thought you were out of touch on this. The Berkeley PD had the house under surveil-lance. We headed outside." She winked.. "The Creed of Greed guy." I said."They lifted the backpack into the protective truck as Niko knelt in front of it. I just heard." she said." she said. my God. next to the standard clock radio. Any of that sound doable.

 head of the city's bomb squad. "Lieutenant. A muffled.I took a thick Bell Western Yellow Pages off a shelf and tossed it with a loud thump on Cappy's desk. so be it."No way. I think he's going to be all right. one of those plastic labels. A bead of sweat trickled down my cheek."I'm on it now. coughing. around the conference table.""Lucky for her."Wendy Raymore?" Cappy barked. Cindy had sneaked her way into a Grand Hyatt penthouse suite. They were also friends. dabbing at her eyes.Jacobi.A.A MAMMOTH LOGO in the shape of an interlocking X and L stood atop the brick-and-glass building on a promontory jutting into the bay. August Spies..

 The Lightowers were dead. "You're not gonna do this for me.. Everything had to start over now. Then I heard my name one more time. "Oh.Jesus. to warm her-self up for a bike sprint up Mount Tamalpais or whatever Jill would do for real exercise later in the day."Something you want to add to that. I think I'd better check our legal footing before I can agree to that. at Caitlin.""There was an au pair. The second floor was gone.So he made the call from a pay phone in the Mission Dis-trict."He heard Malcolm's cheerless voice." I heard Jill giggle."Oh. and I crept behind a line of parked cars close to the front of the house.He looked at the house. Malcolm. You should go home. Anyone up there didn't have a chance.

 avoiding new hot spots flaming up. Cappy.Why?Because the son of a bitch was running away."I DON'T KNOW what took hold of me. That kid is gone.Two inspectors sidled up to the front porch. put a fucking pillow over its head.I stumbled through the flames. Procedure told me to wait. Blond. and I crept behind a line of parked cars close to the front of the house. badging his way over to me.""I'm okay. Lindsay. Inside the backpack. August Spies. who the hell knew? My eyes went wide. No one would hear. and after a cup of coffee on the deck. I didn't know what I was going to do yet. that's probably the third body we found.""Are there any leads?" Cates inquired.

 The second floor was gone. "Martha's buying. and held my breath. My gaze was fixed on the red bag. She'd had it just last night. even brushing my teeth.""Told ya. She was running away. along with about half the city's news force.The frame of the bed was hot to the touch. Don't let this blow."I'm proud of you."I want everyone to know that our police department is already vigorously pursuing concrete leads. My heart jumped."IT WAS ONLY a ten-minute drive out to Potrero. and two professionals covered in heavy protective gear pushed past me. Computer files as well.I started toward the knapsack. said. The farther I went. but I can't." I said.

 Everything had to start over now. "Where are you?"Nothing. Cindy. Goose bumps. Lieutenant. shuffling side-ways beside me. I turned to pull myself up.""And the Lightowers said their little baby had taken to her like honey." I said.That's what I remembered about the moment. These three people. I guess you could quote me on that. not the real world." Jacobi said. The grime of the blast was all over me. it might even explain Hitler at Munich. held it in her hands.." she said.. maybe forty. You okay?""I think so.

""Is that a challenge?" Cindy snickered. "Lieutenant. Down the hall." she said. Look. massaging it into her cropped hair. "Unfortunately.""Most people think I am some asshole who's always trying to nail them to the wall. through the CCI database and the FBI. The farther I went. But when he fixed on the hole where 210 Alhambra used to be and saw me. their clothes on fire. Lieutenant."Chuck Zinn. "You were expect-ing cops. That bomb was planted from inside." Cates replied. "Look. but I didn't know for sure. I ran over to her and hugged her tightly as she licked my face."TWO WOMEN WERE SITTING in Interrogation Room 1 when I got back. you are a dumb bunny.

 their clothes on fire. "there goes the after-noon. The face of a good-looking man. You look so different. Lindsay." she said. sucking in mouth-fuls of precious air.""Most people think I am some asshole who's always trying to nail them to the wall." She kissed his face about a hundred times. "I mean. it could go off any second. She was cheerful and attractive.""I heard there was a baby stolen out of the house. "Not the upper floors. There was an ID tag on the strap. we doin' suits and ties tomorrow.""I'm okay. "Chief just got it confirmed from the Bomb Squad." he was crying. still in his pajamas. she pointed to a staircase. Thescene was eerily quiet.

 Cindy. Just sitting there.A MAMMOTH LOGO in the shape of an interlocking X and L stood atop the brick-and-glass building on a promontory jutting into the bay. She never came back.. or think. I spotted two shapes." I tried to pull myself up. What was left of it. She played the first bars of the concerto. "The Creed of Greed guy. a cashmere sweater over jeans. Lieutenant..A long minute of tuning. I just assumed. I didn't know what I was going to do yet. piqued. My eyebrows were singed. if you're free today. I pulled out of the crowd and ran to the bag. "Oh.

 No smoke or fire." Jacobi rolled his eyes. "What could I possibly have for you. the first. sucking in mouth-fuls of precious air. No drum roll. So if that's all there is" - he stood and smiled - "I'm sure you'd like to get on to talking with Helene. You look so different. I'm afraid they're our matters now. typical police insolence.A TV was on. She came over and gave me a hug. her body toned and lean again."Please." "Duh. and deep."You probably want to talk to Helene now."I don't know why I found that so sad. He hadn't come this close to an investigation since some case study he'd read at the academy twenty-five years ago.Cindy Thomas was part of my inner circle."Claire moved over to a table and started to take off her surgical gloves. "Get everyone out of here.

I stared at the small laminated photo of Wendy Raymore's face. and held my breath.""I may not outrank you. It was good to hear the laughter back in her voice. Someone was either let in or had access." he said. He could barely speak. I was call-ing about you. even before the results of the examination of the blast scene came back.The child was coughing and crying. My eyebrows were singed. Sirens. Inside the backpack. Detectives.""I did. she pointed to a staircase." she gasped." The fire captain looked at the wreckage.She yanked it from the bottom of the closet. The remains of a timing device and C-4 explosive were scraped off the walls. Claire looked around. The whole world was look-ing for her.

 they're bought and paid for.. But she couldn't be such a monster. the most guarded murder scene in memory. A real bitch on wheels. with the techs gone home. We have three dead. You know what the puppy's like when he doesn't get his exercise. how did it go last night?" she asked. What the hell. I need you backat home base. just running the bow along the strings. well.""Noted. But the realization that a bomb had gone off in our city. "See you at work." she repeated..Jacobi had a paunchy ham hock of a face that never seemed to smile even when he told a joke."He heard Malcolm's cheerless voice.I picked up."You're looking for a subpoena.

 Lindsay.A red school knapsack. Linds. I collapsed against a fire truck up on the sidewalk. Wish I could talk about them. "but this is a little much. my best friend of a dozen years. "You should get a load of how it looks." Jacobi said. as we did.. though. My God. it had been her most cherished possession. He directed him down the front hall. before they send in the Arthur Ander-sen boys to do a little office tidying."I think she said she lived off-campus. Now I saw the entrance." She kissed his face about a hundred times.."I pulled away from him." she said with a laugh.

 choking immediately on the gray.It was a small boy. pushing her onto the bed. It was always there. I'm sure you'll do wonders with it. Lindsay. This boy was brilliant. it might even explain Hitler at Munich. I shouted. "Wendy Raymore? San Fran-cisco Police!"There was no answer. if the call was discovered.""Any evidence there's anything in Lightower's computer to back that up?""Call me suspicious. Niko Magitakos.' There's a name at the bottom. Lindsay."Cappy Thomas stuck his head in. Anyone up there didn't have a chance.""Of course we can work something out. She was running away. I thought you were out of touch on this. I could try to cut a deal with them. she froze.

 Some-thing in her arms.Her old cello. Just a few more feet. humanized them."We continued to stare at each other. but they rarely questioned anything he told them. Detectives. I spotted a hallway where I thought the sounds came from. We had a couple of leads to follow. Steve's flying in from Chicago. It was still beautiful.. and a sickening feeling churned in my stomach. A tech wheeled in a claw and crept closer to the bag. that's probably the third body we found. next to the standard clock radio.THE CRAMPED THIRD-FLOOR OFFICE that housed the Homicide detail was buzzing. Or the girl I saw hurrying away from the bombing." He held in his grin."IT WAS A CLEAR.""Not for Eric.Then I spotted Warren Jacobi.

 "Only."Listen to me. "You should get a load of how it looks. Michelle ran over to him and jumped into his arms. That was before everyone realized they had no data to move over the Internet." he said. I was still in a sweatshirt and running gear. Lindsay. very emo-tional news briefing on the steps of the Hall."The door to the conference room opened and two men stepped in.""Thank God!" she exclaimed."So. Lindsay?""If you mean. we trained our guns on whoever was behind it. There was all this smoke." I snapped on her leash and started to trot off toward the Starbucks on Chestnut.A MAMMOTH LOGO in the shape of an interlocking X and L stood atop the brick-and-glass building on a promontory jutting into the bay.""I'm not calling about the crime scene. They owned a small placement service for nannies and au pairs. I was thinking. My God. Lots of others.

One of them had caught his eye. around the conference table. who was already strapped onto a gurney. Caitlin?" she called to the bawling child."She winced. "they have a new way of handling the potential ransom payers.Suddenly I realized just how exhausted I was. "Isn't that the guy who owned that X/L Systems?""No idea. She was cheerful and attractive. Wendy seemed like a gem." She kissed his face about a hundred times."Oh. that's Inspector Murphy. Lieutenant. I'm in an all-day yoga clinic. Can't they ever give you a break?"Claire took the phone. tried to listen above the rumble of the fire. It was just sit-ting there on the sidewalk."I think she said she lived off-campus. she threw on a denim shirt and jeans and set out on the dreaded task of cleaning out the basement closet. shouting into his handheld. clearly upset by the question.

 the first. It was always there. Even at Christmas the morgue is a lonely place. Lieutenant.""Dianne Aronoff. an X-ray scanner. Lindsay. the biking helmet and goggles covered his face in case the police were filming the crowd. in a pink cashmere sweater. "Which fund you in?""I think it's called Long-Term Growth. "Would you be asking me if your goddamn superior officer happened to be a man?""Damn right. I could try to cut a deal with them." she muttered vacantly. leveling guns around the room.Cappy kicked open the door.That moment flashed over and over in my mind. Lindsay. Lindsay.." I said.The child was coughing and crying. It would be nice if he were here tonight.

It was that she never came back.It was then that the phone rang. "Lieutenant?"I turned. I'm not screw-ing around. "But this was no gas explosion. There was a note at the bomb scene.My eyes were peeled to the side windows for any sign of activity. "No." her partner. Also."Michelle put the phone down. Cates took a deep breath. or can I wear my tennis shorts and Nikes?"I brushed past him. smeared.That made me laugh. "This is Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer. It was a goddamn leave-behind. ponytail. August Spies. "We've heard Caitlin is missing. didn't I?" Michelle asked. Lindsay.

 One of the patrolmen at the scene had taken her home for me. Look at the firemen." I said. I thought you were out of touch on this. lifting her arms. Jesus. then arrived at the office to find that the whole team had showed up. A tech wheeled in a claw and crept closer to the bag."Let me tell you what's doable. voices. Otis."Open up! San Francisco Police!" Cappy rapped heavily on the door. Please. we trained our guns on whoever was behind it. "to get into Lightower's files?""Duh."Claire was looking drawn and helpless in her orange sur-gical scrubs.""This one signs my checks." I heard Jill giggle. The beautiful. familiar case she hadn't seen in years. I won't tell the details. we trained our guns on whoever was behind it.

. calm.The girl had long dark hair and a swarthy complexion." Jacobi rolled his eyes. then at me again.I grabbed Jacobi. Jacobi'd become like a protective uncle with me. too.It was hard to believe that it had been only five months since Jill lost her baby. "You sure you don't want that coffee?" I asked. swirling at my feet. It couldn't be better. I scrolled back to the mental image I had before the blast: the girl in the overalls leaving the scene. and it hurt just to peek out from the protective cloth. It was smothered in thick dust. nodding. I was praying. The name rang a bell with Jacobi. He could barely speak. explained to me. Just seeing it brought back a swell of memories: hours and hours of learning the scales. my buddy Jill came along.