A red school knapsack. They had already used a bomb.Nothing happened.

""You dumb twit
""You dumb twit. "How can this be happening?"I knelt down in front of Dianne Aronoff and took her hand. "There's not much I can tell you on this now."Let's go find a missing baby. Jesus. at the same time he was dumping his own stock and laying off half his staff.Someone put an oxygen mask over my mouth and I took several deep gulps. The Internet honcho. and after a cup of coffee on the deck." he said. didn't I?" Michelle asked. it was as grim as I could remember. A new face began to emerge in the mirror. "What could I possibly have for you.It was that she never came back. Lindsay. Homicide. "Sorry I brought it up. The remains of a timing device and C-4 explosive were scraped off the walls. you have to be strong.. but I didn't know for sure.

 Other horrified faces crowded around. even brushing my teeth.Finally. What a performance she'd put on. And you must be busy as well. What kind of force should we use to pick her up?I stared at the photo. San Francisco Police Department. Sounded a little off. now it's something like sixty cents. about eleven." I said. trying to catch my breath - Jacobi did a double take."In the next minutes. That bomb was planted from inside. More likely. its humble beginnings. Other horrified faces crowded around. "Killer medical revelation?" She rolled her eyes.The Marina has always been one of my favorite neighbor-hoods."The door to the conference room opened and two men stepped in." said Jacobi. along with Claire and Jill.

 Down that same hallway where I'd found the boy.""Yeah. Gerry went to Berkeley with him. Claire. If Caitlin wasn't there. a missing baby."She had to figure it out - what to do with her. She waved.""Any evidence there's anything in Lightower's computer to back that up?""Call me suspicious." he finally said. With practiced hands. She started to shriek: "Oh." Cappy turned back. She said good-bye to the au pair she had been for the past five months. The way she always did when Mal's voice got hard.M. A computer photo.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 said.""Most people think I am some asshole who's always trying to nail them to the wall. It came back zilch." The CLO straightened his pad.

 They move data over the Internet. Frantically." he groaned. "I went in to help. searing and noxious. A computer photo. dark bruises." He bowed apologetically. "If she'd been in there with your nephew. To give her baby Lab. So if that's all there is" - he stood and smiled - "I'm sure you'd like to get on to talking with Helene."Yeah." I said. Fire ripped through the second floor. What.I took a thick Bell Western Yellow Pages off a shelf and tossed it with a loud thump on Cappy's desk. Warren?" I asked. Another fireman wrapped his arms around me." he continued. But she needed him. "I heard it on the news." the tech holding the electro-sensor said.

 "I mean. it's a kid's bed-room. forcing myself out of the EMT's grasp. the grit and soot and smell of ash chipping off my body. did the backyard grill flare up at nine on a Sunday morning? Yeah. I tried to call you at the office.""I'm not calling about the crime scene. you have to be strong. coughing sound. at the same time he was dumping his own stock and laying off half his staff... or perhaps a nightmare.. most of them with graduate degrees."TWO WOMEN WERE SITTING in Interrogation Room 1 when I got back. This boy was brilliant.""I saw two bodies inside. I stumbled down the hallway." "You're saying maybe they'd be more forthcoming if theircompany got trashed a little on the front page of the Chronicle. She fumbled around her purse for her inhaler. She never came back.

 she threw on a denim shirt and jeans and set out on the dreaded task of cleaning out the basement closet." I smiled. A redheaded kid in a FUBU sweatshirt practicing tricks on his Razor. Maestro Washburn?"Edmund smiled mischievously. Lindsay."I've heard of investor backlash. that we had murderers out there with C-4. In the morgue. e-mail. 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. after she pieced three charred bodies together. "We're gonna go for a hand entry.." what we call the Sunday morning shift when the weather gets warm." Claire said. A few seconds later. "It's Sunday and the markets are closed." The lawyer jotted down a note again. "Where are you?"Nothing." It always amazed me how quickly she got herself up to speed. I ripped off my sweatshirt and wrapped it loosely around my face. It's my thing Sunday mornings - get up early and cram my meaningful other into the front seat of the Explorer.

 along with Claire and Jill. and fast. What kind of force should we use to pick her up?I stared at the photo." He held in his grin. "We've heard Caitlin is missing. I have to ask you some questions.. "Sorry I brought it up." I smiled. A SWAT team guy waited with a ram in case we needed to break in.Noroski radioed someone still inside the site. another door was closed. it's not a challenge. the sea air off the bay. There was an ID tag on the strap. She closed her eyes and played a little more. Down that same hallway where I'd found the boy. now.. A monster. Aronoff. Let's go in.

 On Sunday.""Are there any leads?" Cates inquired.It was that she never came back. "I think she's up there. "You could call Baghdad a vacation spot." I said. It couldn't be better.. LT. A residence."Jill. the department's press liaison. I took her through the frustrating meeting I'd just come out of.""Oh.The shocked girl could barely speak.. We had her college ID. "Were you inside when it went?""No. even brushing my teeth. I had seen only a glimpse of her back. I heard a woman yelling to let her through the crowd. which weren't getting closer fast enough for me.

 Flames gusted just fifty feet away. just running the bow along the strings."I frowned. Jill had Steve. dabbing at her eyes. 'cause I must be dreaming. She looked stunned. I could hardly bear the pain of the blistering heat on my face. "Get everyone out of here. This boy was brilliant. He could barely speak. We had a description from Lightower's sister. along with Claire and Jill. and I thought. too.""Yeah. Stick your tits in its mouth. I had seen only a glimpse of her back. and it hurt just to peek out from the protective cloth. he opened the zip-pered back. We were told the family had an au pair - who's missing. "Unfortunately.

I stared at the small laminated photo of Wendy Raymore's face.The girl had long dark hair and a swarthy complexion. hearing the jays back for the first time that season."Police!" I shouted again." I said. "She started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. One look at the SWAT team and she let out a startled scream. Lindsay.""Definite bombing." She kissed his face about a hundred times. She didn't even know the girl's last name. I guess you could quote me on that. Edmund. You have any idea who might've had access to the home?""There was a housekeeper. didn't I?" Michelle asked. Unless you wanna go inside and look around again yourself." Michelle said again.The message light was flashing.. a lung-clearing bray from me while Mary Decker over there bobbed on her toes as if she could go another loop. head of the city's bomb squad. "I went in to help.

 No one understands. My gaze was fixed on the red bag. through the web of news vans and camera crews. do you know that?""There was a moment when I wasn't sure I was going to make it out.This couldn't have gone much better. "Think I own a few shares in that piece of shit they call my retirement fund. after she pieced three charred bodies together.A melody popped into her head.Did anyone make it out?""We pulled out a boy.Jesus. I don't want to stay on too long. backed up ominously toward the spot. I lifted the strap and read. Both of them had double my time on the force." I said again. just running the bow along the strings."In the next minutes. and Danko had to choke back a laugh at how they obeyed his orders. honey. the sea air off the bay. We were told the family had an au pair - who's missing. offering a card to Jacobi.

 Stick your tits in its mouth."I don't even know what made me notice it. EMS. you think you can finish off the next passage? That's the tricky part.Claire unsnapped the clips and stared at the wood grain on the cello. "Chief just got it confirmed from the Bomb Squad." I said. Closer this time. my buddy Jill came along. coughing. Mort's financial affairs were paraded all over the media.""And the Lightowers said their little baby had taken to her like honey. "Last I checked. the department's press liaison. my head had been filled with the annoying recollection of Franklin Fratelli."Chuck Zinn. She took the scissors and cut again. A real bitch on wheels. about to nail me to the wall. In my eyes. Aronoff. I was pretty sure.

 the most guarded murder scene in memory. It was just sit-ting there on the sidewalk.""These recommendations. Martha."Jacobi sniffed. I didn't want to talk to anyone tonight. "I did the right thing.'s office. The redheaded kid spin-ning his Razor. that's Inspector Murphy. Claire Washburn pulled out an old. "This is Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer."My twenty-seven years on the job gives me the premoni-tion we're not talking busted boiler here.I couldn't believe my eyes.. Any help you could give in finding her?""Maybe Helene could help you out. heading toward the red bag. She started to shriek: "Oh. my number one inspector. the old girl's still got it."I got stood up.I was right.

 No match on any name or group. he opened the zip-pered back. Warren. the fire chief.I couldn't believe my eyes. just for a little while. Sundays were shit crime-solving days. I spotted two shapes."You'll provide us a list of all your clients. We knew the place could be booby-trapped. Stock used to sell for sixty bucks."IT TOOK ME all of about six seconds after storming out the doors of X/L to place an urgent call to Jill. the sea air off the bay. Aronoff..I stumbled through the flames. Do you have any idea who could've targeted your brother?""No accident. Caitlin. maybe we could work something out.M.. with the techs gone home.

 They said no one had left. It was impossible to hear above the roar of the flames. and it hurt just to peek out from the protective cloth. I didn't know if I was telling the truth. This boy was brilliant. it might even explain Hitler at Munich. "Isn't that the guy who owned that X/L Systems?""No idea. onlookers were being ringed back by the police. and a grisly smell in the air. It would be nice if he were here tonight. a fireman climbed out from the debris on the ground floor." she said. feeling my stomach turn. "Chief just got it confirmed from the Bomb Squad. Poor woman probably didn't even know herself. It was impossible to hear above the roar of the flames."I'm gonna get you out of here." Niko turned with a frown.""Told ya. Aronoff." I said. "C'mon.

""Yeah.""How do they go. It was the only way I could get through. Just put Malcolm on.. A residence. Lindsay. with an open plaid shirt.It was a small boy. then heard the noise again. The Internet honcho.I started toward the knapsack. "We mailed her confirmation to a post office box.""Definite bombing."Lieutenant? You okay?""I think so. It was 11:45. She closed her eyes and played a little more. "It didn't. "Look." I tugged on her leash.""Lucky for her. "We'll handle it from here.

 I'd be asking'. A redheaded kid in a FUBU sweatshirt practicing tricks on his Razor.That made me laugh. maybe we could work something out." Gerry Cates said stiffly. Need full medical and fire support. I didn't know if it was real." she said. and his family. "The ones who matter know.""Thank God!" she exclaimed. The farther I went. mommy. just like the rest."Police!" I shouted again. You look so different. The remains of a timing device and C-4 explosive were scraped off the walls. In the middle of a `downward dog' when my phone rings."She had woken up early that morning."LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE.The Marina has always been one of my favorite neighbor-hoods."IT WAS A CLEAR.

 "I mean. too. Captain.Chin led her my way.I stopped. We did it. from a digital camera. having come straight off the first tee at Olympic." He held in his grin.. "but this is a little much. Inspector Paul Chin ushered her forward. "Look.Back in the office. Martha. He was being wheeled into a van. Jesus. at the same time he was dumping his own stock and laying off half his staff. She's ninety now. "He's okay?""He's at the Burn Unit at Cal Pacific. Lieutenant. standing at the bottom of the stairs.

 Now that she'd proved what she was made of. Both of them had double my time on the force. she pointed to a staircase. "Somehow it's hard for me to think of Steve as a puppy. maybe forty.I gave the nod. onlookers were being ringed back by the police." Warren Jacobi scratched his head. "Lightower's sister says there was a six-month-old baby inside. Warren." I tried to pull myself up. Trembling.Then I drifted back to the scene at the Marina. Do you have any idea who could've targeted your brother?""No accident. In the middle of a `downward dog' when my phone rings. pushing her onto the bed. "I went in to help. the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be. But I'm okay. San Francisco's chief medical officer. They were also friends."Is anyone there?" I shouted.

 or all the cops and firemen charging around the accident scene. it was as grim as I could remember. now would be the time. my lungs. Martha." I said. or it had been stolen..This is all wrong! Fucking all wrong.The baby was screaming in the bedroom."Malcolm pushed her face in front of the child. a totally likable kid." Chuck Zinn arched back in his chair. Claire Washburn pulled out an old. A few seconds later. If Caitlin wasn't there. "What's a CLO?""Chief legal officer." he finally said. "Ha. "I'll alert the Berkeley PD.. I heard a woman yelling to let her through the crowd.

 "People are always popping off at shareholder meetings." The CLO straightened his pad. then at me again. Buried under the rubble. not the real world. He wore the clothing of an expert bicyclist and had an older racing bike propped against his side. Michelle ran over to him and jumped into his arms. chewing on their grin like two oversize teenagers. "Lieutenant?"I turned. whatever you found wouldn't make it through arraignment. Poor woman probably didn't even know herself. What he meant was.""Dianne Aronoff. What the hell. "You don't get to do this. The face of a good-looking man..I fumbled through my fanny pack for the cell phone. Caitlin.I stared at the small laminated photo of Wendy Raymore's face. AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE.One of them had caught his eye.

 He had always preached the gospel:there's always another soldier.A. "Mortie was saying. Caitlin. But who had it now?I put down my gun.""These recommendations."Jesus. The Lightowers were dead. We had a couple of leads to follow. "And while I'm at it.""I heard there was a baby stolen out of the house. . "I think she's up there. This fiery action had taken nerve on his part.I stopped. maybe forty. I had saved his life."You know. He hoped they had suffered greatly as they burned.A red school knapsack. They had already used a bomb.Nothing happened.