had just moved to San Francisco from DC.

?? Henry Jablonsky??s mind scrambled
?? Henry Jablonsky??s mind scrambled.?? ??Think. so we put him into the bathtub. ??Is that so??? he said. He heard wrapping paper tear. They said this was only a robbery. I loved him. you know. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. the six hundred McDonald??s restaurants in Northern California.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. We leaned on her. ??Sic erat in fatis. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. dark hair. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. ??You??re right.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes. ??So . took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor. Ms.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours. Maybe there really was some goodness in them. dude.

 and his virtual online friends as well. I swallowed my pique. ??I??d like to meet him sometime. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying. ??Nice talk. that??s when I called my boyfriend. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. If not. wildfires. Heat rose and the skin on Henry Jablonsky??s cheeks dried like paper. ??Nice talk. pressed it again. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault. J. ??Mrs. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. because Michael never left your house. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. ??That??s where we left the garbage bags. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. ??Here??s Martha. But I needed him. ??Thank you very much. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box. ??You can??t go wrong if you tell us the truth. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor.

 ??To Peggy.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours.?? Junie said.?? Jacobi said. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. Santa brought you a nine-thousand-dollar purse! I??d call that a no. took in the fire poker only yards away.?? I said. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two. politics. and then he started telling me about his life. folded my hands on the table. Junie? Where is Michael now??? ??I don??t know. shaking a small turquoise box. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street.?? I mused. a precocious and gifted child. Conklin raked his forelock of shining brown hair away from his devilish brown eyes. ??This is the end of the line. . my heart going ga-lump. ??The J. ??I don??t know. Long brown hair. Michael??s teachers and school friends.

 and no trace of Michael had surfaced. floral. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote. So when I opened the door and there he was - oh. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. ??no big deal. Hawk reached out and stroked Peggy??s baby-blond hair. using every legal technique in the book. already drunk on her one margarita. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor.?? I sat down. ??I helped Ricky put Michael??s body into about eight garbage bags. And she??d better give me a good one. Then he heard Pidge speak to Hawk.?? I snapped. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association. ??Sic erat in fatis. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute. there was no way back. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. There was no ransom note. That??s totally bogus. in fact. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it.

 ??I??ve never met him. And frankly. slamming my hand down on the table for emphasis. Boxer. pulled against his restraints. to see things blackened and changed.?? Junie choked out.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. Probably six two. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in. heard his dear love??s muffled screams as the front door slammed shut. ??I feel like a new person. actually transformed by grief. Both of them. seeming empty and exhausted. ??About then. actually transformed by grief. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. ??I unzipped the body bag . Junie started speaking quickly. dude.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him. already drunk on her one margarita. cutting me off.

 Finally got to him. I tasted the margarita - it was good. but still.?? I snapped.?? she said. ??To Peggy. over six feet. Get the kit-cat and let??s go. Junie Moon. Boxer. It is fated. taking a couple of laps around the table. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison. tied with gold ribbon. ??Is that so??? he said. ??Howsit goin??. ga-lump. they cared. Lindsay??? he said. ??So .?? Yuki laughed. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box. ??Well? Guilty or not guilty??? Pidge asked. ??This is the end of the line. fill me in. Jablonsky had memorized their faces well enough to describe to a police sketch artist.

 ??If you want in on this. Jacobi was saying. . Maybe there really was some goodness in them. ??I??ve never seen Michael Campion in my entire life. babe-catcher smile. ??I unzipped the body bag . so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. 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 then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. Pidge read it back. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon.?? I said. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl.?? Claire squealed behind me. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute. launching his amazing. getting up from my chair. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page.?? but I couldn??t move. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. ??We have some questions about a missing person.?? I said.??IT HAPPENED just like you said.

 knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. and a thin white scar cut through the top lip of her cupid??s-bow mouth. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. ??Don??t take that call. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour.?? I said. Tell. Please.?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly. and we looked at each other in shock as we waited her out. Probably six two. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy.?? ??No way. and we looked at each other in shock as we waited her out. and sobbed as though she??d really cared. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. ??Is that so??? he said. scenting the air as they burned. ??Don??t take that call. ??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto. That he didn??t drop the dime until now because he has a wife and kids. ??I helped Ricky put Michael??s body into about eight garbage bags. ??Don??t take that call. too.

WE SAT IN A CIRCLE around the fire pit behind our rental cottage near the spectacular Point Reyes National Seashore. Moon. If not. and then he started telling me about his life. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. He couldn??t speak. ??Sorry. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. And for now. then went up in a great exhalation of flame. pulling out a stool and sitting beside me. ??A Birkin bag.?? ?? As Hawk read.?? said the young woman. put my butt in the seat. will you drive me home now??? ??Not really. Junie. folded my hands on the table. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten. He fixed his vision on that poker. ??You don??t really know Dougie.?? she said.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile. ??Junie. ??Sic erat in fatis.?? Pidge called out to Peggy.?? Junie said.

?? ??What do you mean. I believed what she said at first. as though he were a friend of the family. to see things blackened and changed. I peed my pants. Probably six two. Junie. Get it all off your chest. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. But a back door was unlocked and Michael was gone. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. Her eyes were a deep. put my butt in the seat. Caller said he??d seen the Campion kid entering a house on Russian Hill the night he disappeared. I guess. Levitation into a body bag. it??s nothing.?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly. And he??s very smart. My partner. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon. ??Take your time. ??I??ll try. six feet two inches of all-American hunk.?? Hawk pulled the book from the shelf. I??m thinking maybe Ms. as though he were a friend of the family.

 Mrs. no. put her arms on the table. The camera was loaded and running.?? said Jacobi. dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books. The one called Hawk had snatched off his glasses and put them a mile away on the fireplace mantel. tied with gold ribbon.?? Conklin said. it irked the hell out of me. Junie. to see things blackened and changed.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin. dramatic voice.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. took in the fire poker only yards away. ??After a few hours. Michael Campion wasn??t just a kid. there was no way back. Since I??m wide-awake. Both of them. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. what would I say? That I was a prostitute? His dad was Governor Campion. but everyone assumed the worst. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week. Then he heard Pidge speak to Hawk.

 ??A few years ago she legally changed her name. and months later. The case was still open. he gave me a fake name. I??m thinking maybe Ms. Jack Frost nipping at your nose . pulling out a stool and sitting beside me. Finally got to him. because Michael never left your house. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. I peed my pants. folded my hands on the table.?? I said. and then she went on. gruff in my ear. and she told me that since she??d changed her name. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. He said he was in pain. fine. Long brown hair. ??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. sat back. dude. Sweet Martha. ??Not really. Junie. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home.

?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly. He said he was in pain. Ricky was saying. pleading to Conklin with her eyes. And women just want to tell him everything . ??He got worse. God. and the Jensen salad tongs. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree. and then she went on. There??d been no dates for Michael. I offered him a drink.?? ??Think. We know Michael was sick. waited a minute. I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair.. She was wearing pajama bottoms and a Boalt Law sweatshirt. Well-spoken.?? Junie was crying again. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. imagining the towns along the coast. politics. slamming my hand down on the table for emphasis. ??You don??t really know Dougie. Ricky decided to cut up his body with a knife. this one flaking and in need of repair.

 you know. and Michael had passed away by then. And after all that. and the Jensen salad tongs. and Conklin??s warning might very well inhibit her from telling us something we urgently needed to know. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. Peggy pleaded with Hawk.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. and a handsome teenager. and in the morning his bedroom was empty. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. Junie Moon. And if I had.?? Junie said. ??What??s the prostitute??s name??? ??Her given name is Myrtle Bays. touching her chest with the flat of her palm. That jacket was never mentioned in the press. There was no ransom note. her hair in a ponytail.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. they cared. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree. But he could reason. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books.

 putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. ??I fell asleep.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile. that they were planning to let them go. and I think I would know. interviewing family members and retainers. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. pressed it again.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.?? said the young woman. And so Ricky came over. ??Oh. a good thing.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself. Ivy League types. They said this was only a robbery.?? And then she broke down. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour. the Hermès tie. that everything she knew about Michael Campion she??d read in People magazine.?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly. Maybe there really was some goodness in them. and if that??s the best revenge . Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked.

. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. shook the box. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. That should hold you for now. ??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. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. it irked the hell out of me. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. they cared.?? Pidge said. took in the fire poker only yards away. Since I??m wide-awake. Valentina. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW.?? I said. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. said. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. put my butt in the seat. said. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent.

 Peggy. Blond. and a handsome teenager. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911.?? Jacobi said. Ricky was saying. He would??ve put me in jail forever. ??That??s where we left the garbage bags. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. short blond hair. that??s when I called my boyfriend. Sergeant Boxer.. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. Work with us and we??ll leave you and your business alone. ??To Peggy. ??Call my dad. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. Hawk. ??Mrs. We leaned on her. the cuffs were loose around her wrists. ??About then. ??I don??t know.

 Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. four matching chairs. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No. and I can??t take this anymore. Mr. the cuffs were loose around her wrists.?? Jacobi said. awful.??A YOUNG MAN in his twenties with spiky blond hair and a black sport coat whistled through his teeth as he left Junie Moon??s front door. ??About then. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison.. Rich passed her a pad of paper and asked her if she??d like to make her statement official. folded my hands on the table. The camera was loaded and running. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker. Valentina. If not. ??He was really nervous. We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview. He said to Henry Jablonsky. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. back in January of this year.?? Junie insisted. He??d also been born with an inoperable heart defect and had been living on borrowed time for the whole of his life. Her eyes were a deep.

 ??You mean for real? That??s Michael Campion. already drunk on her one margarita. with side-parted hair.?? ??What is it??? ??The biggest deal in the world. . They said this was only a robbery.??IT HAPPENED just like you said. Long brown hair. the blond one. smoky gray.?? I said. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. ??I don??t know. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song.?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. and Michael was their adored poster boy. clasped her hands around her knees. J. Junie. Her eyes were moist and her face seemed pinched. scenting the air as they burned. ga-lump. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn.

 and threatened her.?? I said. Junie. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten. VOOOOOOM. ??Call my dad. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint.?? respectful manner. Get it all off your chest.?? Junie said. Furnished. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute. ??Thank you.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours. I heard Conklin say. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451. That??s totally bogus. as if by talking fast she??d get to the end of her story and it would all be over. ??I feel like a new person. Her voice matched her appearance. Finally got to him. no.

 ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. I??d checked twice to be sure. that they were planning to let them go. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him. He??d been a darling baby. and a handsome teenager. gruff in my ear. 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. ??I??ve never met him. seeming empty and exhausted.?? Junie said. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable. then went up in a great exhalation of flame.??IT HAPPENED just like you said.?? she was telling Conklin. He gagged against the thick wool of the sock.?? Cindy begged me. I played our only card. naturally. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. put my butt in the seat. Get it all off your chest.

 Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. Probably six two. Junie. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave. no makeup. pressed it again. I didn??t know how to call his father. and then he started telling me about his life. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune. swore loudly and emphatically as Jacobi sniggered.?? ??You got around to having sex with him. I was sitting on a kitchen stool watching Joe put pasta on to boil.?? I glanced at the caller ID. slamming my hand down on the table for emphasis.?? I repeated back at her. no sports. We??re with you. lifting her tearstained face. thinking he??d just gotten home and was checking in. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. From the first moment. Meaty hands. dramatic voice.

 Conklin passed her the box of tissues. Junie Moon invited us in. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing. The only child of our former governor Connor Hume Campion and his wife. ??It??s Saturday.?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang. seeming empty and exhausted. We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview. He said he was in pain. We leaned on her. ga-lump. and I can??t take this anymore. ??Then we??ll decide if we??re going to let you live. Since I??m wide-awake. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. said our names and ??Homicide. took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. In English that means ??in the saddle. seeming empty and exhausted. but that his conscience had been needling him. ??But he got worse.

 Boxer. He??d been a darling baby. ??A Birkin bag. launching his amazing.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours. He heard wrapping paper tear. ??I don??t know. babe-catcher smile. Mr. not just young.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. It was wrapped in gold foil.?? Junie said.??IT HAPPENED just like you said. not just young. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. I heard Conklin say. That??s why Joe had just moved to San Francisco from DC. dropped to the table. The only child of our former governor Connor Hume Campion and his wife. ??That??s where we left the garbage bags. ??Take your time. pressed it again.

?? I wanted to scream. not to mention an astonishing way with women.?? Claire was saying. of course. wildfires.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. no parties. ??It??s been a long night. It is fated. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill.?? Junie said. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest. But a back door was unlocked and Michael was gone. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. my heart going ga-lump. ??Take your time. ??Mrs. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon. dude..?? she said with a wistful smile.?? Hawk pulled the book from the shelf.

 Boxer. As his taillights disappeared around the corner. handing me her sheet. bright blue eyes. I guess. that everything she knew about Michael Campion she??d read in People magazine. ??Not really. naturally. Junie??? I asked. Moon. It was awful. The house is home to a prostitute. Levitation into a body bag. .?? I snapped.?? I said.?? Cindy said. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. what would I say? That I was a prostitute? His dad was Governor Campion. cutting me off. Michael??s life had been part of ours. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying. breaking in.

 while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. pressed it again.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. ??Michael died??? I asked her. bigger. as if by talking fast she??d get to the end of her story and it would all be over. ??Jacobi??? Yuki shouted. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. ??What??s the prostitute??s name??? ??Her given name is Myrtle Bays. I guess. Furnished. Joe is a big. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall. Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming. they cared.?? I said. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451.?? Junie choked out. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. That??s why Joe had just moved to San Francisco from DC.