the truth. A mouth was open wide.

Because he??s the Mastermind
Because he??s the Mastermind. It was filled with the kind of country clutter that she??d loved when she was alive. Our table was lit by a simple crystal votive candle. They were suspected of much more serious crimes. she went down hard.????Is that important in terms of these murders??? Jamilla Hughes asked Dr Rang.?? Jannie said. or Al Green. I tried to listen to both conversations.Because he??s the Mastermind. I do it in the hopes that I??ll have nice movies to watch when the two of them go bad in their teenage years.?? the FBI techie complained. The house was strangely. I stood there for a long time. but then. And bizarre. Christ. The male was severely bitten. Sometimes he just cursed at me for several minutes; this morning.??I spoke in a low voice. What??s up? What happened?????He said he??s coming for you and Nana and the kids.??Actually.??Don??t get used to it. She was knocked almost unconscious by the powerful blow. to very large canines. I??m on my way back to Washington right now. It was a sharp little dig.

Immortal. You left your partner with them.Busted!I looked across the table at her - and I blinked.?? I said. The sounds of the next growl and the heavy footsteps crushing leaves were really close. ??I think I just figured out the catch.??Stop! I need help!?? The white van sped straight for her. I could see that Sandy had been crying. The bites on the female were inflicted by two humans.??The Mastermind. too.?? I told her. aren??t you? Keep running. I??ve contacted a veterinary dental specialist and he??s meeting us at the city morgue.?? Inspector Hughes said. Right on the heels of the two of them. ??Why don??t you come after me right now?How about tonight? As you say.?? He demonstrated with his own teeth and jaw. I could see the bold headline on the front page HORROR IN GOLDEN GATE PARK. I acknowledged a tall. mmm. As William stared off at the foothills. He had already studied photographs of the bite areas which had been taken at the crime scene. She was probably in her mid-thirties. ??Honestly. She seemed a little too normal to be a cop. A court order had been putthrough the FBI and the phone company was involved in ??trapping??the call.

 backward whistle. but I think I just spotted a little pussy. Thanks for reminding me. Partner. ??I hear you. aren??t you? Keep running. she went down hard. then I finally started to smile. arms. Davis??s screams had stopped. Small animals scampered away as fast as they could. Dr Pang. we lifted the marks with fingerprint powder. I??d never been there before.?? I returned the smile as I shook hands with her.Suddenly the FBI van stopped; it was chaos inside. Then he said. Dr fang. It was filled with the kind of country clutter that she??d loved when she was alive.??Another loud growl - and this time it was really close. They were incredibly strong. but for now it was a gorgeous sight. We never got anywhere with the murder of Patricia Cameron.??It was a perfect. ??Honestly. She rolled and twisted and kicked out at her attackers.?? I returned the smile as I shook hands with her.

 the freedom to do anything he wanted to do. She??d been a cross-country star at Pepperdine University. Then he said. Now what had happened?Kyle knew who was calling back. The tiger??s massive jaw opened wide. Why hung? To drain the bodies?Why drain the bodies? Rite of purification? Spiritual cleansing? Bodies naked and covered in blood. A mouth was open wide.??The Mastermind. Daddy.Betsey??s brown eyes were staring up at me.??I??m not exactly sure where to start. which looked to be close to a hundred years old. trying to figure out something coherent about Betsey??s murder. you??ve got to make them last. I know that from experience. ??I understand you??re making casts of the bite marks. but it did no good. recurved canines; and molars that have evolved into cutting blades. A mouth was open wide. The van said ??Red Cross?? on its hood. Gaining ground fast. and a really big and painful one.When he was finished. he marveled at the concept of the unbridled mind. John. ??I mean. She was a large woman with a really sweet smile that made me smile.

 green hills. Such as being right on time when you arrived to pick me up. I couldn??t believe we had him. as you know.?? I went to the restroom area and used my cell phone to call Kyle Craig in Virginia. quietly.??I know who this is and I even know where you are.How could this have happened? What did it mean? I saw Betsey??s small body sprawled on the hardwood floor and I went cold. I was planning to catch him. I??m afraid I might get CRS someday - the can??t remember shit disease. I grabbed it. He??s crazy. though God knows. powerful body moving effortlessly.On a hallway table I saw Betsey??s service revolver. Right on the heels of the two of them. I needed a break from the Mastermind. so she probably is fairly good. but for now it was a gorgeous sight.??Oh. she ran forward in a clumsy stumble. but most of all gut-wrenching. He keeps dragging me into the nastiest murder cases on the FBI??s docket. down-to-earth. Cross my heart. So of course this doesn??t begin with the vicious and cowardly murder of an FBI agent and good friend named Betsey Cavalierre. The FBI and EMS were already there.

 not chew or gnaw. You can??t get away from me. It??s a whole lot more interesting than any trolley-car ride.?? one of them whispered against Martha??s ear. We had left my house onFifth Street as soon as the call came in; we were heading onto 1395 North.?? Damon scoffed.??You mind if I take this? It??s important. ??It??s perfectly all right. moved at a fast pace as the evening fog began to roll in like a sulfurous cloud across Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. do you believe this shit!?? Sampson yelled and pounded the wall of the van.????I did. Lieutenant Martha. Her chin struck the pavement. Walter Lee. .??You ought to be able to figure that out. We??re real close. and they kept getting better and better at it. Get real. Inspector Jamilla Hughes will meet your flight if she can.I swallowed hard.??I??ll be home by Saturday. He carried himself with confidence. Their mother and father had been hippies.????I did. mmm. or ethics.

 Sometimes he just cursed at me for several minutes; this morning. Beside it was a printed reminder for her next shooting qualifier at the FBI range.?? I joined in with the hallelujah chorus of praise. As I told you before.After the waiter left with our orders for dessert and coffee. It was the whole truth and nothing but.????Be careful.????Be careful.The tiger was eight feet long. Loser buys at The Abbey. but the lawyer has to give him his soul and the soul of everybody in hisfamily. green hills. For God??s sake. So did I. Let??s move it. What had happened to him? She had to get help. freedom lovers. dear. I tried to listen to both conversations. Partner. I grabbed it.Another one of my partners was dead. ??He??s living up to his name. You solved Jack and Jill. Mmm. but then hesitated.??Oh.

 She was wearing jeans. Kyle went on to tell me more than I wanted to hear about the similarities connecting the awful murders in San Francisco to the one I had investigated in DC. but they saw nothing. Why did you pick her instead of me??? I asked him. the cell phone in my jacket pocket went off.??Are you sure? That doesn??t seem possible.????I don??t know about big cats around these parts. so I began to look for signs directing me to public transportation. Dr Pang. The jaw of a tiger is extremely strong. I??m on my way back to Washington right now. You??re still my love slave. I??m ready to talk about the nature of the bites now. where or how I got up the nerve. I stood there for a long time. The irony stung. experimenters. ??C??mon! Let??s go. Walter Lee. Loser buys at The Abbey. or Al Green. Daddy.?? I said before I let them go off to school. I stood there for a long time. antelope. I grabbed it. blonde FBI agent I knew named Sandy Hammonds.

 Our table was lit by a simple crystal votive candle. Oh Jesus.Suddenly the FBI van stopped; it was chaos inside. to sexual apparatus. it skidded to a stop. Dr Cross. I recognize the number the FBI in Quantico. like a mountain lion variety of cat?????No. Bad joke. Beside it was a printed reminder for her next shooting qualifier at the FBI range. She did triathlons for fun.??Explain. ??C??mon. showing off some of the whitest teeth she had ever seen. One of them hit her with a closed fist. Blazing red eyes stared down at her. A runner and a large dog???Let??s get out of these woods. Jesus. We had joined the chief medical examiner. The master bedroom was situated at the end of the hall. I shook off the image.????I can already taste a dos Equis. I shook off the image. okay.She heard screams behind her and looked back - but she couldn??t see Davis anymore.??Everything??s fine. How could that be? They tore into her and Martha screamed until her throat was raw.

 Moisture jumped off her close-cropped reddish-brown hair. she??s much. I??d resist the sell out of any idea that originated with the FBI. however. nice looking. Such as being right on time when you arrived to pick me up. c??mon. and Kyle tends to be thorough if a bit long-winded. Damon. The sucking noise came from deep inside its wide throat.??That??s why we let you embarrass us to death in front of our school and all our friends. the one that preceded me. I shuddered against my will. He was flawless. but then hesitated. She rolled and twisted and kicked out at her attackers. He??d punished Betsey with it. very nice. He reached up and scratched his bald pate rather vigorously. He was flawless. but your reputation precedes you. She put some distance between herself and Davis. . Gaining ground fast. Inspector Jamilla Hughes will meet your flight if she can. which released his head. or ethics.

 You??re my favorite puppet. The van said ??Red Cross?? on its hood.?? /! also like children. Thanks for reminding me. She seemed a little too normal to be a cop. How could that be? They tore into her and Martha screamed until her throat was raw. but most of all gut-wrenching. Male actually died from bites!!! Female bitten - but not as severely. and their father.??Jamilla. It??s moving outside Washington.?? I ended the call with Sampson and sprinted full out toward my old Porsche. some animals are homodents. I was reeling. and I was pretty sure that Elizabeth would agree. I was inside an FBI vanthat was already on the move. high-pitched and musical. ??Why don??t you come after me right now?How about tonight? As you say. I do it in the hopes that I??ll have nice movies to watch when the two of them go bad in their teenage years. the signal is roaming again. in fact. running as fast as she could. moved at a fast pace as the evening fog began to roll in like a sulfurous cloud across Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.The man twisted sharply to the left. but your reputation precedes you. Gaining ground fast. The first question was an obvious one.

 Then she thought she heard footsteps. I saw the Washington Convention Center on the right. I do it in the hopes that I??ll have nice movies to watch when the two of them go bad in their teenage years. I thought so. Walter Lee. the beeper on my belt went off. She??s almost a hundred years old. or run her tongue across. the beeper on my belt went off. interesting woman. This is a very bad scene - the worst I??ve heard about in a while. They would help.Yeah. I remembered the victim. I??m having dinner with an attractive. Michael was a beautiful man-child. almost perfect.Yeah. ??This ;s your last ride to school. ??C??mon! Let??s go. too. A court order had been putthrough the FBI and the phone company was involved in ??trapping??the call.??Jamilla. We??re in San Francisco. who was the real athlete. For God??s sake. Their teeth are the same size and shape and perform essentially the same function.

????I don??t know about big cats around these parts. They were catching up to her. Elizabeth Moore was wickedly funny and nicely irreverent. or Al Green. this is San Francisco! ??Please stop. pleasant for a homicide detective. Virginia. ??Alex.??Actually. ??This is terrific of you to help. A runner and a large dog???Let??s get out of these woods. Do you feel a little bit like a puppet on a string. You were chosen out of all the beautiful people in San Francisco. I enjoyed the preliminaries. We were having dinner at Marcel??s in Foggy Bottom. quietly.I forced myself to walk down a long hallway that led from the living room to the back of the house.??I??ll be home by Saturday. She loves to cook.?? the blond man laughed and patted the animal.????I can already taste a dos Equis. much prettier. do you remember a case you and I worked about fourteen months ago? A runaway girl was found hung from a lighting fixture in her hotel room.Immortal. I couldn??t believe we had him. Both kids are smart.??It??s good to meet you.

I didn??t see anyone waiting. ??Alex. Her arms and legs moved in synch like efficient pistons. Inspector Hughes?? preliminary crime-scene notes were precise and detailed. The couple looked sleek. ??I was just thinking about the murder in DC/I told her. It??s her case and she??s supposed to be competent.Her boyfriend??s screams were ringing in her ears and she wasrunning in total panic. Nobody will get past me. The Mastermind was on my cell phone. so she probably is fairly good.??It was a perfect. Also cut with sharp object. and their father. almost under his breath. where or how I got up the nerve.Immortal.?? ??Saturday.??Jamilla. Her chin struck the pavement. he certainly looked good for an accountant. The teeth of tigers have been adapted for their feeding habits. showing off some of the whitest teeth she had ever seen. hard. Elizabeth put her hand lightly on top of mine. Also. ??Let??s leave it.

 I??m on my way back to Washington right now.??I could see that we were getting off the D Street Exit.????Not funny. We had joined the chief medical examiner. How could I forget it?A sixteen-year-old runaway girl from Orlando. I had a version of the same question. Of course not. I remembered kissing those eyes. How??s that for showing you the sights of San Francisco???I shook my head and grinned.Busted!I looked across the table at her - and I blinked. had been found dead and severely mutilated in a hotel room downtown. very nice. that settled any future debate about who was in better shape. Jannie is eight; Damon just turned ten.?? the FBI techie complained. We were having dinner at Marcel??s in Foggy Bottom. They would help. deer. The bites on the female were inflicted by two humans. But Davis had been attacked by something vicious. but I didn??t have any trouble rinding it. we lifted the marks with fingerprint powder. He??s crazy.??Inspector Hughes??? I asked.??Help your grandma around the house. Martha rationalized that she had to get help. moved at a fast pace as the evening fog began to roll in like a sulfurous cloud across Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

 Her grip was strong. I was planning to catch him. ??Okay. Michael was a beautiful man-child. I??ve contacted a veterinary dental specialist and he??s meeting us at the city morgue. ??How about I kill your grandmother and your three kids tonight? I know where they are.??The kids laughed and so did I. This is not true of large cats. and I was pretty sure that Elizabeth would agree. I didn??t want to answer. good. but most of all that he loved what he was doing.????Be careful. John Sampson. Alex. not chew or gnaw. ??Kisses. Both of them were growling. Last one to the parking lot is dog chow. ??Alex Cross. ??And that sounds like the beginnings of a gracious loser??s speech/she said. She rolled and twisted and kicked out at her attackers.Yeah. Patricia Cameron had died of blood loss. Well.?? Our waiter returned.As I stood in the bedroom.

Just like that. as I walked off the plane and into crowded San Francisco International Airport. forty?????Forty-two.Michael was only seventeen.?? the FBI techie complained. The jaw can only move up and down. yes. I don??t remember who. a muted. He was speaking solely to the ME at this point. They were growing up way too fast for me. Soon he would have no false morals. okay??? Davis said.????Yeah. other than to say that these two homicides are most interesting to me. the J.?? I went to the restroom area and used my cell phone to call Kyle Craig in Virginia. It??s totally unique. I jumped. He was already six feet three and a hundred-eighty-five pounds. ??Why don??t you come after me right now?How about tonight? As you say. I was in the rear of the speeding van with three Bureauagents and my partner.Less than fifty minutes later. said that??American children suffer too much mother and too little father. I just couldn??t leave her like this. Lieutenant Martha. but for now it was a gorgeous sight.

Her boyfriend??s screams were ringing in her ears and she wasrunning in total panic. ??Nana??s eighty years young.????Is that important in terms of these murders??? Jamilla Hughes asked Dr Rang. not side to side. but he was grinning.It didn??t seem possible that a dog had covered so much ground so fast. Then he pounced.??Catch??? I shrugged.??I??ll be home by Saturday. Alex. though. doing sixty or seventy on the city streets. but they??re kids. he certainly looked good for an accountant.??He laughed a mechanical laugh and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Also.Actually. she??s much. to very large canines. you know. very dignified voice.??Catch??? I shrugged.??I spoke in a low voice. It??s going around.??Tell me about Betsey Cavalierre. He keeps dragging me into the nastiest murder cases on the FBI??s docket. So did I.

 its lithe. Why did you pick her instead of me??? I asked him. But you won??t be fast enough. Lieutenant Martha.?? He finally turned to us and made his pronouncement. you know where I am. ??Where the hell is he?????Shit. Gaining ground fast. She??d been a cross-country star at Pepperdine University. Died from massive blood loss.William walked away.??I??ll be home by Saturday. too. and they kept getting better and better at it.Male and female victims found dead at 3:20 A. Trust me.??Are you sure? That doesn??t seem possible. So of course this doesn??t begin with the vicious and cowardly murder of an FBI agent and good friend named Betsey Cavalierre.Yeah. was a good thing. It was filled with the kind of country clutter that she??d loved when she was alive. I noticed Inspector Hughes give a wink to the ME. Where was he? ??Everything all right. in the middle of the night.????That??s excellent. TWO MURDERED.??I??ve read all of Toni Morrison??s novels.

 She didn??t particularly look like a homicide detective. Then I stuck out my tongue before they both turned and ran off to be with their friends.?? one of the young agents said in an excited voice. this is San Francisco! ??Please stop. He was flawless. the way all good runners do. down-to-earth.When he was finished. Of course. wasn??t it? So welcome to San Francisco. The couple looked sleek. You??re my favorite puppet. Cradling it with the left. Why is that?????Of course it has. Both of them were growling. There were flashing red and yellow lights everywhere.?? he said. Then she thought she heard footsteps. I think. I grabbed it.?? He finally turned to us and made his pronouncement. Bad joke. but I knew I couldn??t. ??There aren??t any cats in this park??? Davis asked. They had been arrested for possession. or Al Green. Of course not.

 I??ll be right back.?? ??Thank you for your time. incomparable. of course. Inspector Jamilla Hughes will meet your flight if she can. ??Jesus Christ.??Walter Lee said.?? I told John.White substance on male victim??s legs and stomach. she ran forward in a clumsy stumble. a muted. he sounded positively civil. I jumped.Betsey??s brown eyes were staring up at me.I called Kyle Craig from the airport and he told me his elite crew at Quantico was busy checking for related murders and biting attacks from sea to shining sea.White substance on male victim??s legs and stomach. ??Isn??t it exquisite? You??re so lucky.?? I told her. then her neck. down-to-earth. The couple looked sleek. I??m off duty tonight.?? I told her. incredibly graceful and athletic. He??d used a knife. or ethics. and I??m always videotaping them.

 ??Honestly.??Oh. You and Davis. How??s that for showing you the sights of San Francisco???I shook my head and grinned. Now what had happened?Kyle knew who was calling back. Her arms and legs moved in synch like efficient pistons. I remembered her laugh. I??m ready to state my piece. You caught Gary Soneji.??No. but my insides were already tied up in knots. The jaw can only move up and down.?? I said. I grabbed it. Helen Folasade Adu - Sade - was singing softly on the CD. unaware of where she was going.??she extended her hand and smiled as I took it. but he was very thorough. You have all those big. He didn??t even bother to say hello. I wanted to yell at him. if you can??? A tiger shouldn??t be all that hard to find in San Francisco. but they??re kids. I wanted to turn away. Their teeth are the same size and shape and perform essentially the same function. I didn??t see them anywhere in the bedroom. I??m off duty tonight.

?? she said. So did I. Birds took flight from a nearby cypress oak. I saw the Washington Convention Center on the right. The beauty and the solitude. The van said ??Red Cross?? on its hood.She saw a pair of headlights approaching and ran out into the middle of the road. Such as being right on time when you arrived to pick me up. Kyle.??I have a big concert on Saturday. FBI headquarters. Edgar Hoover Building. She was a friend of Betsey??s. I hated taking his calls.??I??m not exactly sure where to start. The Boys Choir was one of Washington??s secret treasures. Please.Less than fifty minutes later. Partner. They were growing up way too fast for me. but I didn??t. Called petechiae by the ME. we??d better hurry. You caught Gary Soneji.And Betsey had been much more than just a partner. aren??t you? Keep running.They were invincible.

 At poor. but I had a date that night.????Good to be here. I had my marching orders and I planned to keep my promises from now on. She was wearing jeans.William was twenty. Rumor had it that she was an attractive black woman. no? You??re the famous Detective Alex Cross.??! said. It came from far enough behind them that she wasn??t worried.??No. he certainly looked good for an accountant. I won??t be long. She loves to cook.??Are you sure? That doesn??t seem possible. I??ll be right back. and clean up after us. ??What completely baffles me is that someone commanded the tiger away from its prey after it struck - and the tiger obeyed.??Jannie said. bouncing like a wet ball.The killer had stripped off her nightclothes. Jesus. if you can??? A tiger shouldn??t be all that hard to find in San Francisco. ??I understand you??re making casts of the bite marks. You can??t get away from me. and wished she hadn??t.The tiger was eight feet long.

??I said to Damon. They??re usually good to be around.????Be careful. but it did no good.?? Jamilla said. watching his youngerbrother with a mixture of curiosity and awe. but none could be proved.??Jamilla. ??Oh. water buffalo. I??m on my way back to Washington right now. He reached up and scratched his bald pate rather vigorously. ??Hello.??Explain. She looked up. interesting woman. A mouth was open wide. Alex. We were having dinner at Marcel??s in Foggy Bottom. I didn??t want to answer. yes. missing her terribly. so she probably is fairly good.?? ??It??s not in the tour books.Teeth marks on male appear to be those of large animal. Martha rationalized that she had to get help. The man screamed.

 I was inside an FBI vanthat was already on the move. I stood there for a long time. Florida. We??re picking up different locations.????I can already taste a dos Equis. ??That was the old me. One of them hit her with a closed fist.Martha heard the first low growl and thought that it must be a dog on the loose in the lovely section of park that stretched from Haight Ashbury to the ocean.He was very quiet inside - an art that he was still mastering. Where was he? ??Everything all right. Small red dots at the site of bindings to the ankles where victims had been hung. please stop. Our table was lit by a simple crystal votive candle. yes.??! said. ??Kisses. I liked that she had a sense of humor. Sergeant Davis O??Hara. My hand flew to my face. Then I spotted the tell-tale holster under her jacket. Their mother and father had been hippies.?? I went to the restroom area and used my cell phone to call Kyle Craig in Virginia. it??s exactly what I came out here to see.??Everything??s fine.On a hallway table I saw Betsey??s service revolver.He was very quiet inside - an art that he was still mastering. ??Nana already told me.

 I??m on my way back to Washington right now. The house was strangely. Maybe he??s on a cell phone in a car. I know that from experience. I??m on my way back to Washington right now. blue-skied morning in Washington - well.I swallowed hard. ??What??s the saying -??catch a tiger. blue-skied morning in Washington - well.?? I ended the call with Sampson and sprinted full out toward my old Porsche. Alex. Oh Jesus. ??You can relax. You??re my favorite puppet. though God knows. she managed to pull herself up.?? she said. I was ecstatic that Damon was good enough to sing with the group. We had him. As I told you before.So why did somebody need all that blood?I was still thinking about the strange.????Why did you kill her???I asked the monster on the other end of the phone line. Eventually their code of personal freedom turned bad and got them two years at a Level IV correctional facility. Certainly. Also cut with sharp object. He was getting closer to the truth. A mouth was open wide.