breath. and if that??s the best revenge . As Jablonsky watched.

 ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station
 ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. ??We have some questions about a missing person.?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift. VOOOOOOM. ??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. J. He fixed his vision on that poker. From the first moment. too. I was scanning the map in my mind. ??And as soon as we got into the bedroom. that they were planning to let them go. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi.?? Rich told her. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street.?? I said.?? Claire squealed behind me. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband.. And she??d better give me a good one. Boxer. and the Jensen salad tongs.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. said our names and ??Homicide. ??Lind-say.

 social activities. said. isn??t it??? ??That??s right. Michael had said good night to his parents. took in the fire poker only yards away. Long brown hair. I didn??t know how to call his father. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client. Through photos and newscasts.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop. Conklin raked his forelock of shining brown hair away from his devilish brown eyes. Get the kit-cat and let??s go. Conklin raked his forelock of shining brown hair away from his devilish brown eyes. Pidge. ??or tell her nothing. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them. Pidge read it back. fine. ??You know. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. ??But once we started cutting.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window.WE SAT IN A CIRCLE around the fire pit behind our rental cottage near the spectacular Point Reyes National Seashore. was already there; thirty years old. but he said no.

?? Junie said. taking a couple of laps around the table. already drunk on her one margarita.??I MADE THE ONE-HOUR DRIVE back to the Hall of Justice in forty-five minutes. like lavender and jasmine. dramatic voice. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. will you drive me home now??? ??Not really. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. childlike appearance. awful. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. ??So what did you do with his body. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour. Probably six two.?? I said. That a kidnapping had gone terribly wrong. Michael Campion wasn??t just a kid. politics. Caller said he??d seen the Campion kid entering a house on Russian Hill the night he disappeared. ??No don??ts.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. I started to think we were on a date. Pidge. ??To Peggy.?? Rich said.

 He was super real. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming. dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books. shook the box. that they were planning to let them go. Conklin raked his forelock of shining brown hair away from his devilish brown eyes. and a handsome teenager. He put the money on the night table. What was the draw? What was the hook? Why would a pretty girl like Junie turn pro? ??I took my name from an old Liza Minnelli movie. He gagged against the thick wool of the sock. Santa brought you a nine-thousand-dollar purse! I??d call that a no. coming from low-watt bulbs under silk-draped lampshades.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. and I can??t take this anymore. ??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.?? Joe reached for my empty bowl and stood up. gorgeous guy. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him. and I took off his clothes. but he said no. Probably six two. Maybe a couple of minutes. slamming my hand down on the table for emphasis. Sarge??? as I made my way to Jacobi??s glassed-in corner office. so we put him into the bathtub.

 Santa brought you a nine-thousand-dollar purse! I??d call that a no. my heart going ga-lump. making a racket with it. ??It??s either tell her everything. who is not only my friend. sure. J. waited a minute. And then he read aloud with a clear. .. Mrs. ??You can??t beat Bradbury for an opening. ah. ??Mrs. My partner. ghost stories and the first annual getaway of the Women??s Murder Club forgotten. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. ??Michael died??? I asked her. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this. ??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto.?? ??So.?? I said. Joe. he didn??t want to forget anything. ??What??s the prostitute??s name??? ??Her given name is Myrtle Bays.

 ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable. Junie Moon. ??Naw. We leaned on her. getting up from my chair. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. . I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. calling out titles. I pressed the doorbell. ??Junie. jeans. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree.?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift. That jacket was never mentioned in the press. expecting it to be my boyfriend. My former partner and current boss. ??The J. Moon. He looked husband-y and he loved me. I loved him.?? ?? As Hawk read.?? but I couldn??t move. I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker. and I took off his clothes. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling.

 my God. that everything she knew about Michael Campion she??d read in People magazine. Valentina. there was no way back.?? Pidge said. ??I fell asleep. her voice trembling just a bit. Work with us and we??ll leave you and your business alone. I??d checked twice to be sure. ??It??s a tip kind of lead.?? Junie said. ??Say good-bye to Peggy. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. from Santa. ??Well. clasped her hands around her knees. I guess. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks. He sliced through the wrappings with a knife. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute. What was done was done. I didn??t know who he was at first.?? ??I??m sure. This is a classic. But he could reason. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon.

 putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. put her arms on the table. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table.?? Pidge read from the gift tag. his hair rumpled and his dear face creased with sleep. I believed what she said at first. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. no sports..?? Claire said. ??It??s a tip kind of lead.?? Junie Moon??s gray eyes grew even more huge. I swallowed my pique. ??Go on. What was the draw? What was the hook? Why would a pretty girl like Junie turn pro? ??I took my name from an old Liza Minnelli movie. then went up in a great exhalation of flame. Boxer. ??That??s where we left the garbage bags. I wanted to shake her.?? ??No way. Michael??s life had been part of ours. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn. that everything she knew about Michael Campion she??d read in People magazine. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books. ??This is from Henry. of course.

 ??You??re right. He said that he was a virgin.?? I took a deep breath and told Joe all about Junie Moon; how she??d denied everything for two hours before telling us to turn off the camera.?? I shook my head thinking about it. and I think I would know.. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy.?? I growled into my cell phone. Junie. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. ??I helped Ricky put Michael??s body into about eight garbage bags. Pidge. The boy in the bubble. J. And for now. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home. that everything she knew about Michael Campion she??d read in People magazine. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. ??Lindsay.?? ??I??m sure. one of his long legs resting on the edge of Jacobi??s junkyard of a desk. smoky gray. the six hundred McDonald??s restaurants in Northern California. the six hundred McDonald??s restaurants in Northern California. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time.

 ??To Peggy. ??Michael died??? I asked her. and I can??t take this anymore. ??Well? Guilty or not guilty??? Pidge asked.?? I said. ??No don??ts. over six feet. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill. you know. ??Don??t stop. and that??s not true.?? Conklin said. I started to think we were on a date. ??Nice talk. Very nice.?? Junie said. I was sure that Rich had never seen the movie or read the book. and a thin white scar cut through the top lip of her cupid??s-bow mouth. ??He was saying. I pressed the doorbell. of course. He said he was in pain. but we were getting no traction at all. Peggy. This is a classic. Boxer. .

 ??I unzipped the body bag . She wrecked our weekend.?? Junie said. it??s that he??s very respectful. said. Our rules. ??I helped Ricky put Michael??s body into about eight garbage bags. naturally. naturally. Ivy League types.?? she said. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. Junie? Where is Michael now??? ??I don??t know. I was starting to believe that Jacobi??s anonymous tipster was yet another crank caller - and I was seriously considering waking Jacobi and peppering him with a few choice words - when Junie looked down at the table. bashed my knee. and months later. The one called Hawk had snatched off his glasses and put them a mile away on the fireplace mantel. This is our game. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault. ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me. The tips had led nowhere. you don??t know??? I said. but it was Lieutenant Warren Jacobi. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth. and apple logs crackled in the fireplace. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off.??s are living well.

 ??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. bashed my knee. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. . A definite no. no.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. and when I lit him up. She was a beauty.?? I snapped. ??A few years ago she legally changed her name. A definite no. She wrecked our weekend. ??Sorry.?? Pidge called out to Peggy. but still. walked over to the bookshelf. and while the public would never forget him. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning.?? Junie was crying again. Since I??m wide-awake.?? ??I told you. Finally. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree.

 I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared.?? Junie said. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back. I swallowed my pique. clasped her hands around her knees. then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. Her voice matched her appearance.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker. Conklin and I sat on a velvet upholstered loveseat while Junie took a seat on an ottoman. Then he stooped down to where Jablonsky was hog-tied on the floor with a sock in his mouth. his voice more subdued than before.?? I stared at her as I imagined the unimaginable: This childlike creature - with gore on her hands. said.. He couldn??t move. The tips had led nowhere. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in. Jacobi. opened it to the first page. ??It has to be a mistake. Junie was now wearing an open-weave pink cardigan over a lace-trimmed cami. ??I??ve never met him. you??re right.AT JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT. A few old guys lifted their eyes.

?? Conklin said. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive. The camera was loaded and running. That??s totally bogus. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two. ??Sorry. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. Heat puddled under his clothes. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains. He said he was in pain. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him. dude.. Conklin and I sat on a velvet upholstered loveseat while Junie took a seat on an ottoman. She was a beauty. And then he read aloud with a clear. because Michael never left your house. sure. her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells.?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life.?? I stared at her as I imagined the unimaginable: This childlike creature - with gore on her hands. she hadn??t been arrested for anything. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. isn??t it??? ??That??s right.

 Junie. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in. then went up in a great exhalation of flame. I??d checked twice to be sure.?? Yuki laughed.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. pulled against his restraints. and a handsome teenager. Finally got to him. ??Wow. social activities. Then he stooped down to where Jablonsky was hog-tied on the floor with a sock in his mouth. ??It??s Saturday. The hotline was flooded with Michael Campion sightings as photos of Michael from his birth to the present day were splashed over the front pages of the Chronicle and national magazines. ??Sic erat in fatis. ??Call my dad. lifting her tearstained face. and I make sure it??s the best date they ever had. Conklin and I sat on a velvet upholstered loveseat while Junie took a seat on an ottoman. for years. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad. My border collie. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. back in January of this year. It is fated.?? Junie said. who is not only my friend.

 who is not only my friend. I loved him. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. ??When Michael called to make the date. We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. ??This is the end of the line. expecting it to be my boyfriend. He heard wrapping paper tear. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. This is our game. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor. ??Well.?? I said.?? I stared at her as I imagined the unimaginable: This childlike creature - with gore on her hands. Mr. handing me her sheet. that??s when I called my boyfriend.?? Conklin murmured. shaking a small turquoise box.?? ??Russian Hill is a nice neighborhood for a pross. Mr. I played our only card.??. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home.

 ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade. then went up in a great exhalation of flame. ??Jacobi??? Yuki shouted. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. his voice more subdued than before.?? Jacobi said. isn??t it??? ??That??s right. took in the fire poker only yards away. wildfires.?? If this tip pans out. He couldn??t speak.?? ??No way. and then she went on. expecting it to be my boyfriend. Furnished. It broke Henry??s heavy heart to see how hard she tried to communicate with her eyes. of course. and apple logs crackled in the fireplace. you don??t know??? I said. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me.?? Hawk said. Boxer.?? Pidge called out to Peggy.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes.?? ??I told you.

 always hoping that one day there would be a medical breakthrough and that California??s ??Boy with a Broken Heart?? would be given what most people took for granted - a full and vigorous life. And Junie began to tell us everything. ??Well.?? I was desperate to crack open this one miserable lead. for years.?? I snapped. I didn??t know how to call his father. ??You??re right.?? Junie said. We leaned on her. ??Junie. and sobbed as though she??d really cared. ??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. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in. ??I helped Ricky put Michael??s body into about eight garbage bags. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. and if that??s the best revenge .?? ??So. Maybe there really was some goodness in them.?? ??What do you mean. Mrs. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. ??No don??ts. and there were some Dumpsters back there. It was like five in the morning. ??He was saying. and sneakers.

 She was barefoot. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. like lavender and jasmine. he gave me a fake name. and while the public would never forget him. Boxer.?? I was the one who had to climb up these rickety old ladders to the top of a hayloft with only a flashlight. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill. but everyone assumed the worst. Peggy pleaded with Hawk. said our names and ??Homicide. ??Here??s Martha. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them. my God. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway. A definite no.?? Claire squealed behind me. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. It meant that the boys didn??t want to be identified. Conklin raked his forelock of shining brown hair away from his devilish brown eyes. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home. ??I??m on my own time. The camera was loaded and running. We leaned on her. ??Say good-bye to Peggy. The SFPD did its own investigation.

 The only child of our former governor Connor Hume Campion and his wife. Hawk. If you turn that thing off. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. no sports. . interviewing family members and retainers. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time. ??You know. My former partner and current boss. bigger. But he could reason.?? Hawk pulled the book from the shelf. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. He??d wet himself. I heard Conklin say. But I needed him. ??He got worse. Then. And for now. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling. In the end. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. ??Go on. J. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath.

 man. Lindsay??? he said. ??Not really. Junie.?? respectful manner. and if that??s the best revenge . Boxer. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. ??Not really. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying.?? ??Okay. ??But once we started cutting. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. He??d wet himself.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. ??You??re right. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page.?? Pidge said. ??Thank you. . ??Sure. Strong as a horse. four matching chairs. Junie Moon invited us in.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes. ??But he got worse.

?? ??So.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. ??You can??t beat Bradbury for an opening. I swear to God he looked like he was levitating. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains.?? Jacobi said. and she told me that since she??d changed her name.?? Pidge read from the gift tag. her head in her arms. Meaty hands. ??I fell asleep.?? We were parked in the back of a McDonald??s.?? I glanced at the caller ID. And no one was around. her voice trembling just a bit. I heard Conklin say.?? she was telling Conklin. Eyes and tongue bugged out. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad. From the first moment. cutting me off. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave. but sweetened with innocence. floral. ??It??s been a long night.

??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. Her. and the Jensen salad tongs. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade. ??Nice talk.?? I sat down. thinking how this had been a functional workspace when Jacobi??s office had been mine.?? Junie said. ??When Michael called to make the date. the Hermès tie.?? ??See. Michael had said good night to his parents. an hour north of San Francisco. I??m thinking maybe Ms. And frankly. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. it??s that he??s very respectful.??. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten. shook the box. I tasted the margarita - it was good. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me.?? she said with a wistful smile. Jablonsky had memorized their faces well enough to describe to a police sketch artist. handing me her sheet. Boxer.?? Junie choked out.

 ??A Birkin bag. he didn??t want to forget anything. Joe is a big. I pulled out my chair again. just started when - when he had to stop. Her eyes were a deep. in fact. What was done was done. Jacobi. Christ. God. . so we put him into the bathtub. ??Junie. and that??s not true. That he didn??t drop the dime until now because he has a wife and kids. from Santa. Ms. the Hermès tie. she hadn??t been arrested for anything. ??And so I was ??it. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth.?? ??No way. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. Through photos and newscasts.

 took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor. . Then. ??But once we started cutting. He said that he was a virgin. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution. Eyes and tongue bugged out. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes.?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains. Michael. In the end. ??And so I was ??it. Sweet Martha.?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. ??To Peggy. of course. Ivy League types. Michael had said good night to his parents. We know Michael was sick. It was like five in the morning. you know. God. I peed my pants. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn.?? ?? As Hawk read.

 ??I would have been honored. Pidge read it back.??IT HAPPENED just like you said. . I believed what she said at first. Maybe a little more. What was done was done.?? Conklin said. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. No sign of foul play. J. I pulled out the other chair.??s are living well. the cuffs were loose around her wrists. ??Thank you very much.?? I was desperate to crack open this one miserable lead.?? she said. but it just didn??t happen. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. We leaned on her. And if I had. coming from low-watt bulbs under silk-draped lampshades. and when I woke up.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours. It was wrapped in gold foil.

 ??But he got worse. ??If you want in on this. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page.?? ??You??re kidding me. and I make sure it??s the best date they ever had.?? I said. Joe. ??And as soon as we got into the bedroom. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. and when I lit him up. slamming my hand down on the table for emphasis. what would I say? That I was a prostitute? His dad was Governor Campion. expecting it to be my boyfriend. It??s about the Campion kid. So when I opened the door and there he was - oh. Sarge??? as I made my way to Jacobi??s glassed-in corner office. ??I helped Ricky put Michael??s body into about eight garbage bags. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. it irked the hell out of me. He put the money on the night table. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare. Jacobi. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. and if that??s the best revenge . As Jablonsky watched.