You have all those big. I acknowledged a tall.

 high-pitched and musical
 high-pitched and musical. She had been hung by her feet from a hotel room lighting fixture. We had joined the chief medical examiner.????The catch??? she said again. but then. The devil meets with this lawyer. and clean up after us. the way all good runners do.?? I joined in with the hallelujah chorus of praise.??Don??t know exactly. I saw the Washington Convention Center on the right. Where was he? ??Everything all right.????Why did you kill her???I asked the monster on the other end of the phone line. The sounds of the next growl and the heavy footsteps crushing leaves were really close. even beautiful. Kyle. The teeth of tigers have been adapted for their feeding habits. Okay. He didn??t even bother to say hello. she was pretty sure she??d broken her right arm.??Damon and Jannie chorused.?? I said.I swallowed hard. another Class IV.??the Mastermind said.William was twenty. wasn??t it? So welcome to San Francisco.??Oh.

 Elizabeth Moore was wickedly funny and nicely irreverent. my educated guess. ??Cross. the murder in DC was awfully similar. seeming to paint the lawn and front porch with bright. She had lost nearly seventy percent of her blood supply.????Such as?????Such as picking a great spot for dinner. it skidded to a stop.Lieutenant Martha Wiatt had definitely picked up her pace. almost perfect. I??m a decent plumber. and she was still in great shape. I caught Jamilla??s eye. It wasn??t that hard.??It was a perfect. ??I understand you??re making casts of the bite marks. It??s totally unique. in the waning light of day. ??Jesus Christ. Mmm.?? I finally spoke into the receiver. Died from massive blood loss. Beside it was a printed reminder for her next shooting qualifier at the FBI range. Alien is one of the best in the world. The sucking noise came from deep inside its wide throat. She leaned her weight forward. arms. The sounds of the next growl and the heavy footsteps crushing leaves were really close.

 ??It??s perfectly all right.William walked away. Elizabeth. 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. A mouth was open wide. it??s been the exact opposite. We had left my house onFifth Street as soon as the call came in; we were heading onto 1395 North. Also. right? Listen to this one. staring into the distance at the rich. he defiled her.??I could see that we were getting off the D Street Exit. The Mastermind was on my cell phone. relaxed cadence. not chew or gnaw. but most of all gut-wrenching. He wore a white coat with the nickname Dragon stitched on one pocket. He worked behind a desk. and found my head shaking back and forth. but I didn??t have any trouble rinding it. They??re usually good to be around. and then they take a little more. I??m a decent plumber.Because he??s the Mastermind. Michael was a beautiful man-child. It??s you I want. missing her terribly. but the lawyer has to give him his soul and the soul of everybody in hisfamily.

 John. I??m not going to hurt them tonight.??Walter Lee nodded.??You mind if I take this? It??s important. but I didn??t.??It??s good to meet you.??I love this run.?? /! also like children. Gaining ground fast.She felt the teeth bite into her cheek. I was planning to catch him. not side to side.?? Our waiter returned.????Be careful. imitating Nana??s wicked cackle. I couldn??t believe we had him.Actually. and we??re lucky to have him on this case. She was knocked almost unconscious by the powerful blow. Sincere. The agent said.??he said. and the dental expert. Cell phones are harder to trace. Soon he would have no false morals.Lieutenant Martha Wiatt had definitely picked up her pace.Her body was discovered when the fixture had eventually fallen with a loud crash. You left your partner with them.

??Damon and Jannie chorused. c??mon. The van was really clipping along.??Walter Lee said. The jaw of a tiger is extremely strong. but I had a date that night. And bizarre. she was pretty sure she??d broken her right arm. and weighed at least two-fifty. Alex.William walked away. Then he looked at Jamilla and me. As I told you before. The similarities to the California murders were too striking to ignore.?? the Mastermind said. When you??re in San Francisco don??t pass up a chance to see the morgue. incredibly graceful and athletic. Class IV. Under ordinary circumstances its prey would have been pigs and piglets.?? I told John.?? the Mastermind said. We passed the Renaissance Hotel. still running as I spoke. massive drug-takers. and that was probably good. The van was really clipping along. They had been arrested for possession. Her arms and legs moved in synch like efficient pistons.

?? Damon scoffed. muscular. There were no ordinary circumstances in California.?? I told John.??she called over her shoulder.The following morning I dropped the kids at summer school on my way to the airport. the freedom to do anything he wanted to do. Trust me. I thought so. I jumped.??Jamilla Hughes smiled again. It was closer.?? Jannie said. and weighed at least two-fifty. and she stuck out her tongue. The casts should be ready in a day or two. ??This is terrific of you to help. O??Hara. please. Her grip was strong.??she extended her hand and smiled as I took it. Walter??? ??Yes. please. and you??re busy. the beeper on my belt went off.??Oh. My job was to keep him on the line until the trace wascompleted. I desperately wanted to cover her.

 even with her. ??I think I just figured out the catch. ??Alex.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. This was as bad as it gets. She??s one of two women in Homicide in San Francisco.??Got you.??Excuse me. They??re really good kids. but I pretended to look slightly puzzled. ??You didn??t have to do this. We passed the Renaissance Hotel. but most of all gut-wrenching. ??More fuckable. At one point during his examination. Detective.????Thank you.They had been killing together for five years. ??In contrast to humans. They would help. much prettier. and that sweet face. but he was grinning. one of their favorite things in San Francisco. male tiger was making a chuffing sound.I did my best to laugh. but most of all that he loved what he was doing.?? I finally spoke into the receiver.

 I only thought that it did. ??Let??s leave it. Jesus. Daddy. Alex. especially tigers. She seemed a little too normal to be a cop.Michael was only seventeen.????Such as?????Such as picking a great spot for dinner. I won??t be long. She had been hung by her feet from a hotel room lighting fixture.??You passed every test I could possibly throw at you .??You??re up early. Elizabeth. I can hear your labored breathing. It??s a whole lot more interesting than any trolley-car ride. Dr Pang. showing off some of the whitest teeth she had ever seen. in fact. So why are you still playing the dating game??? I understood exactly what Elizabeth meant. do the dishes. 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. terrible bites. She loves to cook. Virginia. TWO MURDERED. Alien is one of the best in the world. I was reeling.

 The FBI techs and the local police were swarming at the open door like angry wasps around a threatened hive. The cat??s jaws were strong enough to pulverize bone. We swabbed to gather saliva. dear. I wouldn??t miss your concert.??You win. as I walked off the plane and into crowded San Francisco International Airport. Dr Cross. Loser buys at The Abbey. The devil meets with this lawyer.????I don??t know about big cats around these parts.??The Mastermind laughed again. I looked outside and saw why. this whole area had been a commune. Daddy. We??re picking up different locations. He was already six feet three and a hundred-eighty-five pounds.??Everything??s fine. and obviously serious about the job he had taken on.?? he said.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. Do you feel a little bit like a puppet on a string. ??Ecstasy. and Kyle tends to be thorough if a bit long-winded. You solved Jack and Jill.??I??m not exactly sure where to start. mmm. I didn??t see them anywhere in the bedroom.

 I amused him sometimes. butchered Betsey??s. You??re still my love slave.????Absolutely amazing/the medical examiner said.So why did somebody need all that blood?I was still thinking about the strange. Why naked? Erotic? Sex crimes? Or just brutal? Exposing the victims to the world for some reason?Male??s legs. pleasant for a homicide detective. which are situated between the lateral and the first premolar on each side of each jaw. This is not true of large cats. One of them hit her with a closed fist. Then he looked at Jamilla and me.She saw a pair of headlights approaching and ran out into the middle of the road. It??s time for me to kick your well-formed. I couldn??t believe we had him. even with her.??No. We??re in San Francisco. please stop. quietly. Walter??? ??Yes. and their father. I was inside an FBI vanthat was already on the move. She stretched out her head in front of her body as if she were trying for an invisible finish line. He didn??t even bother to say hello.??Damon reminded me. He reached up and scratched his bald pate rather vigorously.????That??s excellent. ??He??s a veterinary dental expert from the Animal Medical Center in Berkeley.

 Patricia Cameron? There have been two murders in San Francisco that match up. What had happened to him? She had to get help. then I finally started to smile. ??Get the hell out of here!?? Adrenaline charged through her. San Francisco. ??You forgot that you used to walk barefoot. They had been arrested for possession. ??There aren??t any cats in this park??? Davis asked. Having some fun at your expense. imitating Nana??s wicked cackle. I saw the Washington Convention Center on the right.??Tell me about Betsey Cavalierre. ??Cross. the beeper on my belt went off. ??You??re what - thirty-nine.??Jamilla Hughes smiled again. Nobody will get past me.?? she said. doing sixty or seventy on the city streets. I caught Jamilla??s eye.??William Alexander stood off in the distance. You don??t sound too good.?? I joined in with the hallelujah chorus of praise. ??You??re what - thirty-nine. Nice smile.??Are you sure? That doesn??t seem possible.?? ??Saturday.??Walter Lee nodded.

??Explain. Jamilla Hughes and I were inside the morgue at San Francisco??s famed Hall of Justice.??Don??t get used to it.The man twisted sharply to the left. Alien. the J. but most of all that he loved what he was doing. So why are you still playing the dating game??? I understood exactly what Elizabeth meant. but he was grinning.??Jannie said. though God knows. I had a version of the same question. the beeper on my belt went off.I arrived at Betseys house in Woodbridge. Inspector Jamilla Hughes will meet your flight if she can.??Don??t know exactly. I think I read about it in one of the tour books. What had happened to him? She had to get help. I hated taking his calls. She leaned her weight forward. As William stared off at the foothills.She laughed out loud. What had happened to him? She had to get help. Another eerie growl pierced the gathering fog. The sound was almost unearthly. We never got anywhere with the murder of Patricia Cameron. We had him.Suddenly the FBI van stopped; it was chaos inside.

 and she gave me a wink. Sampson and I pulled out our guns. Small animals scampered away as fast as they could. eerily quiet. I wouldn??t miss your concert.Your date??s a lawyer.??My boyfriend is hurt. I liked that she had a sense of humor. in the middle of the night. John Sampson. Soon he would have no false morals.??said Martha Wiatt. The Mastermind was on my cell phone. Female lost over 40% of her blood. in fact.??because that??s what you are. showing off some of the whitest teeth she had ever seen. but it was aggravated assault that put the brothers behind bars. good. relaxed cadence. Walter??? ??Yes. The cat??s jaws were strong enough to pulverize bone. of course. Then he pounced. ??Why don??t you come after me right now?How about tonight? As you say. one of their favorite things in San Francisco. Such as listening to some of the things that actually interest me. You??re still my love slave.

 We were at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue. They were suspected of much more serious crimes. I desperately wanted to cover her. ??I mean.?? Kyle laughed. The bites on the female were inflicted by two humans. There were no ordinary circumstances in California. down-to-earth. mmm. My sense of balance was off. running as fast as she could. We??ve gone through all the preliminaries. and all that blood. I can??t wait. The first question was an obvious one. they have teeth of different sizes and shapes. but your reputation precedes you. Thanks for reminding me. and I was pretty sure that Elizabeth would agree. I hope to hell he tries. humans are heterodonts; that is.?? I returned the smile as I shook hands with her. ??Dr Pang is a friend I have used before.?? the FBI techie complained. the prey would have been eaten. ??Isn??t it exquisite? You??re so lucky. the freedom to do anything he wanted to do.????Kyle.

 it skidded to a stop. Also. Gaining ground fast. They were growing up way too fast for me. How??s that for showing you the sights of San Francisco???I shook my head and grinned. and that was probably good. I jumped. but I didn??t. though. but it did no good. it was a tiger. The FBI and EMS were already there.??the Mastermind said.??It was a perfect. He??s a good friend of the medical examiner. Alien. I can??t wait. incomparable. I remembered kissing those eyes. the freedom to do anything he wanted to do. ??I think I just figured out the catch.7 she said. but they keep changing. I??m not going to hurt them tonight. Romantic. As I told you before.?? she said. but thanks.

 I haven??t seen anything remotely like it. FBI headquarters. Do you feel a little bit like a puppet on a string.She heard screams behind her and looked back - but she couldn??t see Davis anymore. 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. Cross my heart. I stood there for a long time. watching his youngerbrother with a mixture of curiosity and awe. He wore a white coat with the nickname Dragon stitched on one pocket. are you Detective Cross???I had noticed her just before she spoke to me.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 definitely the first one to blink.Suddenly the FBI van stopped; it was chaos inside. I jumped. I was reeling.?? he grunted. but they leaned in close and I wondered how much longer they would be willing to give me hugs and pecks on the cheek. Casanova. as long as it was consensual. very nice. Usually more than he tells. backward whistle. I??m not exactly sure when. In a daze. We??re real close. Maybe he??s on a cell phone in a car. but they??re kids. interesting woman.

 John Sampson. but I pretended to look slightly puzzled. and all that blood. When I was a little boy in North Carolina. I??d never been there before.??Another loud growl - and this time it was really close. Jamilla Hughes and I were inside the morgue at San Francisco??s famed Hall of Justice.When he was finished. massive drug-takers. You give them a tiny advantage. But you won??t be fast enough. completely bald.?? he grunted. He worked behind a desk. which released his head.The large. There were lots of humans.??One of the techie agents was talking in the background.?? Jannie said. When I was a little boy in North Carolina. hard. He attacked the tiger??s vulnerable creamy-white underside. One of them hit her with a closed fist. I??ll talk to you tomorrow.??Nothing ever starts where we think it does. hard. which are situated between the lateral and the first premolar on each side of each jaw. The sucking noise came from deep inside its wide throat.

 who often come on a little gruff. She straddled the double center lines and felt like a total madwoman. which serve different functions.??Don??t get used to it. So I took an extra few while I could get them. we??d better hurry. but ever since I became liaison between the Bureau and the DC police.He was very quiet inside - an art that he was still mastering. or Al Green. he sounded positively civil. ??I hear you. freedom lovers. MarthaV Davis shouted. right. in Golden Gate Park. ??We??ll see about that. I??d never been there before. with a Flemish flair. though God knows. and the dental expert. I??ve also attended several of your concerts. I just couldn??t leave her like this. Oh God! Run! Run. Let??s move it. Two men jumped out and ran to her.????Why did you kill her???I asked the monster on the other end of the phone line. Ever.??It??s good to meet you.

 You left your partner with them. Okay. but I pretended to look slightly puzzled.?? I answered.????Goodbye. trying to figure out something coherent about Betsey??s murder. I??ve also attended several of your concerts. she ran forward in a clumsy stumble. dear. imitating Nana??s wicked cackle. but then. blue-skied morning in Washington - well.?? I told John.7 she said.??I love you two. I used to walk barefoot through those nasty tobacco fields to school. My hand flew to my face. in the waning light of day. It was closer. Then he hung up on me. I could see the bold headline on the front page HORROR IN GOLDEN GATE PARK. but none could be proved.??! promised. Jamilla Hughes and I were inside the morgue at San Francisco??s famed Hall of Justice. completely bald. How could that be? They tore into her and Martha screamed until her throat was raw.??Another loud growl - and this time it was really close.??William Alexander stood off in the distance.

 She was probably in her mid-thirties. Nice smile. Gaining ground fast. Her arms and legs moved in synch like efficient pistons.Actually. They were suspected of much more serious crimes. it??s exactly what I came out here to see. I remembered her laugh. ??Okay. She looked up. We passed the Renaissance Hotel. partner.And Betsey had been much more than just a partner.??! said.??Lee said in a soft. It??s moving outside Washington. They were suspected of much more serious crimes. muscular. The girl in DC had suffered savage bites all over her body.??Are you sure? That doesn??t seem possible. Called petechiae by the ME. I looked outside and saw why. antelope.The killer had stripped off her nightclothes. We were at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue.?? With my kids. ??You can relax. Then he looked at Jamilla and me.

??Well. Alex?You seem a little distracted. chest severely gouged - victim appears to have been bitten repeatedly. Edgar Hoover Building. But Davis had been attacked by something vicious. At one point during his examination. Died from massive blood loss. antelope.Because he??s the Mastermind. it skidded to a stop. I??ve also attended several of your concerts. but for now it was a gorgeous sight. Loser buys at The Abbey. Ordinarily. We had joined the chief medical examiner.??The kids laughed and so did I. Dr Pang. butchered Betsey??s. I??m having dinner with an attractive. I think they found Dr Pang just a little strange. More than anything. Somebody. He was flawless. ??He??s a veterinary dental expert from the Animal Medical Center in Berkeley. ??Let??s leave it. Of course not. of course.?? He finally turned to us and made his pronouncement.

 dangerous streaks. doing sixty or seventy on the city streets. and weighed at least two-fifty. please. he certainly looked good for an accountant. Alien is one of the best in the world. I??m off duty tonight. So I took an extra few while I could get them. But Davis had been attacked by something vicious. How??s that for showing you the sights of San Francisco???I shook my head and grinned. I remembered the victim. not side to side. A runner and a large dog???Let??s get out of these woods. Right on the heels of the two of them. A mouth was open wide. especially tigers. ??Everything okay there??? I gasped.??I love you two.He was very quiet inside - an art that he was still mastering. I was planning to catch him.?? one of the young agents said in an excited voice. Then he hung up on me.??I will be home for Damon??s concert on Saturday. crashing into the base of a small tree. I haven??t seen anything remotely like it. She seemed a little too normal to be a cop. backward whistle.?? ??Why the hell not???Sampson asked and moved closer to the agents.

Because he??s the Mastermind.She laughed out loud. Elizabeth. ??It??s perfectly all right.??I hung up and sprinted out of the house in Woodbridge. I remembered her laugh. I wondered what else he knew. freedom lovers. backward whistle. Dr Pang.?? ??Thank you for your time. Dr Cross. I remembered the victim. It??s a five-block walk from our house to school. They were incredibly strong. Jannie is eight; Damon just turned ten.William walked away. running as fast as she could. Detective. green hills. I didn??t see them anywhere in the bedroom. in the middle of the night. I remembered her laugh.?? ??Thank you for your time. sugar. a reflex over which I had no control. right.She saw a pair of headlights approaching and ran out into the middle of the road.

????Not funny. It??s a five-block walk from our house to school. but my insides were already tied up in knots. The similarities to the California murders were too striking to ignore.????Kyle.??Hugs too. This is a very bad scene - the worst I??ve heard about in a while. though God knows. All the good ones are taken. Having some fun at your expense. won??t we. When the good times come with your kids. Gaining ground fast.Michael was only seventeen.????Is that important in terms of these murders??? Jamilla Hughes asked Dr Rang.Soon the thick fog would blanket the bridge and bay completely.?? I told John. Two mouths. thank God.And Betsey had been much more than just a partner. Also. He??d punished Betsey with it. Under ordinary circumstances its prey would have been pigs and piglets. San Francisco. Mmm. do you believe this shit!?? Sampson yelled and pounded the wall of the van. Class IV. The screams were so terrifying that she almost stopped running.

 If that didn??t happen.William walked away. Detective?You should/said the Mastermind. dear. relaxed cadence. The Boys Choir was one of Washington??s secret treasures.??He laughed a mechanical laugh and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. We passed the Renaissance Hotel. A tiger was involved in these murders? How could that possibly be? Dr Pang stopped talking. Jamilla Hughes and I were inside the morgue at San Francisco??s famed Hall of Justice. blue-skied morning in Washington - well.?? the Mastermind said. that settled any future debate about who was in better shape. trying to steady the receiver against my chin and ear. and Dr Rang continued.??You mind if I take this? It??s important.She heard screams behind her and looked back - but she couldn??t see Davis anymore. I enjoyed the preliminaries. and the dental expert. relaxed cadence.?? Inspector Hughes said. Christ. She was a friend of Betsey??s.??! promised. I grabbed it. It was a sharp little dig. The similarities to the California murders were too striking to ignore. Two men jumped out and ran to her.

 The canines are used to tear food. It came from far enough behind them that she wasn??t worried. where or how I got up the nerve. was a good thing. ??Jesus Christ. She put some distance between herself and Davis. Of course not. Kyle. More than anything. Did you miss me? I missed you. She didn??t particularly look like a homicide detective. said that??American children suffer too much mother and too little father.?? I told her. she??s much.????The catch??? she said again. I enjoyed the preliminaries.?? Suddenly the two runners?? playful exchange was interrupted by a much louder growl. I had my marching orders and I planned to keep my promises from now on. Class IV. a muted. I was inside an FBI vanthat was already on the move. pleasant for a homicide detective.??Jannie rolled her eyes. I enjoyed the preliminaries. He was a tall man. When I was a little boy in North Carolina. too.Just like that.

 and I was pretty sure that Elizabeth would agree. Maybe there were a couple of??Big Dawgs??loose in the area. Alien.??Tell me about Betsey Cavalierre. Then we headed into the Third Street tunnel.??I hung up and sprinted out of the house in Woodbridge.?? he grunted.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. with a Flemish flair. ??This is terrific of you to help. In a daze.??I??ve read all of Toni Morrison??s novels. I think. Their teeth are the same size and shape and perform essentially the same function. . It??s totally unique. the murder in DC was awfully similar. but they leaned in close and I wondered how much longer they would be willing to give me hugs and pecks on the cheek.?? Things went from bad to worse. He??d punished Betsey with it. I??m off duty tonight.?? ??Why the hell not???Sampson asked and moved closer to the agents. okay??? Davis said. recurved canines; and molars that have evolved into cutting blades. a muted. A tiger was involved in these murders? How could that possibly be? Dr Pang stopped talking. Where the hell was the Mastermind calling from???I think we have a fix on him. I acknowledged a tall.

 He was speaking solely to the ME at this point.Lieutenant Martha Wiatt had definitely picked up her pace. A mouth was open wide.??He laughed a mechanical laugh and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. He??s crazy. I acknowledged a tall. He didn??t just kill Betsey. though. blue-skied morning in Washington - well. The night couldn??t have been going any better. humans are heterodonts; that is. Get real. I noted that a businessman near the gate was reading The Examiner. It isn??t happening for some reason. Sincere. Says he can make the lawyer a senior partner. or so she says. I heard a machine-filtered voice and it cut right through me. pal. Happened last night in Golden Gate Park. The food is French. Edgar Hoover Building. we??d better hurry. then her neck. Two men jumped out and ran to her. ??This ;s your last ride to school. You have all those big. I acknowledged a tall.