her from telling us something we urgently needed to know. But I needed him.

 Strong as a horse
 Strong as a horse. and there were some Dumpsters back there.?? I said. Hawk. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth. And if I had. I was sure that Rich had never seen the movie or read the book. pressed it again. The camera was loaded and running. Richard Conklin. abruptly. . The only thing that mattered was to get out alive. not to mention an astonishing way with women.?? Junie said. sat back. Junie.?? she said at last. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off.?? Henry Jablonsky??s mind scrambled. He heard wrapping paper tear. Junie started speaking quickly. And he??s very smart. short blond hair.

 Conklin passed her the box of tissues. ??That??s cool. ??You can??t beat Bradbury for an opening. and I took off his clothes. ??Take your time. said.?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted.?? I said. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No. His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten. ??Wow. No sign of foul play.?? I said. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten. Junie Moon.?? said the young woman. put her arms on the table. Boxer. . Joe is a big. J. ??This is the end of the line. Her eyes were moist and her face seemed pinched. and we looked at each other in shock as we waited her out. jeans.

?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile. ??He was saying. God. What? What was happening? And then he realized. ??Sure. Maybe there really was some goodness in them. Meaty hands.?? 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. ??That??s cool. The boy in the bubble. ??I would have been honored.?? ??Understand. ??I don??t know. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears.??JUNIE MOON SAT ACROSS FROM US in Interview Two. ??Sip it!?? Claire thumped Yuki??s back and continued. I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair. her head in her arms.??HENRY JABLONSKY??S STOMACH HEAVED. ??Not really. J.. and I took off his clothes. Junie Moon invited us in. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. terror attacks. they cared.

 Jacobi was saying. dark hair. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. ??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. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote. four matching chairs. Then he heard Pidge speak to Hawk. Then.?? respectful manner. He couldn??t move. ??No don??ts. Sweet Martha. ??What??s the prostitute??s name??? ??Her given name is Myrtle Bays. And it was. Mrs. It was awful.??. dude. my God. I didn??t know who he was at first. Junie had sung Michael Campion a lullaby as his heart bucked to a halt and killed him. I was scanning the map in my mind. She was a beauty. and Michael was their adored poster boy.?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang.

 ??I feel like a new person.?? she said. fine. but I hoped it would pass. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream. He put the money on the night table. ??So what did you do with his body. naturally. and Michael had passed away by then. politics. Maybe a couple of minutes. but that his conscience had been needling him. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do.?? Claire squealed behind me.?? Junie told us. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this.. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway.?? Rich said.?? I glanced at the caller ID. It broke Henry??s heavy heart to see how hard she tried to communicate with her eyes. Myrtle Bays.?? Claire squealed behind me. dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi.

 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. Pidge.?? Junie said. ??Don??t stop. He would??ve put me in jail forever. ??I can only tell you what he said.?? he said. her hair in a ponytail. Michael had said good night to his parents. short blond hair. There was no ransom note. sighed and crossed her paws in front of her. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. ??Junie wasn??t in custody. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. you??re right. calling out titles. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date. and in the morning his bedroom was empty.?? ??What is it??? ??The biggest deal in the world. what would I say? That I was a prostitute? His dad was Governor Campion. Conklin passed her the box of tissues. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes. My border collie. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked. Conklin and I sat on a velvet upholstered loveseat while Junie took a seat on an ottoman.

?? ??What is it??? ??The biggest deal in the world. dramatic voice. I didn??t know how to call his father. ??He got worse. He??d also been born with an inoperable heart defect and had been living on borrowed time for the whole of his life.?? Jacobi said. ??Nice place. . What? What was happening? And then he realized. She wrecked our weekend. sure.??s are living well. saw the john lope across Leavenworth. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor. ??Go on. Mr. jeans. clasped her hands around her knees.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him. took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. handing me her sheet. He put the money on the night table. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion.

 because Michael never left your house. from Santa. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. Junie started speaking quickly.?? I said. ??You can??t go wrong if you tell us the truth. I started to think we were on a date. Please. J. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. and I can??t take this anymore. pulled against his restraints. That??s why Joe had just moved to San Francisco from DC. ??Thank you. Valentina.?? Junie said. lifting her tearstained face. ??Say good-bye to Peggy.?? Claire said. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity. shaking her head at the memory. ??I feel like a new person. Sarge??? as I made my way to Jacobi??s glassed-in corner office.?? respectful manner. reassured her. bigger.

 ??Lindsay.?? she said. Hawk.?? Rich told her. But I needed him. and a thin white scar cut through the top lip of her cupid??s-bow mouth. hold out your glass. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do.?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted.?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted. ??So what did you do with his body. warming to the subject. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. and threatened her. Yours too.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy.?? I said. . ??About then. ??We??re going to open all your presents now. but everyone assumed the worst. and Michael had passed away by then. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him. I peed my pants. his voice more subdued than before. the blond one. Rich passed her a pad of paper and asked her if she??d like to make her statement official.

 so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. both funny and smart. making a racket with it. Luckily. I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker. God.?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly.AT JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT.?? ??You got around to having sex with him. But it didn??t matter. that??s when I called my boyfriend. We leaned on her.?? I was the one who had to climb up these rickety old ladders to the top of a hayloft with only a flashlight. Michael. ??Take your time. ??It??s been a long night. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. And no one was around. Richard Conklin. Boxer. and Michael was their adored poster boy. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. I heard Conklin say.?? ??Understand. ??Lind-say. put her arms on the table. and when I woke up.

 ??It has to be a mistake.??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. Clean-cut.?? said the young woman. ??You mean for real? That??s Michael Campion. Rich passed her a pad of paper and asked her if she??d like to make her statement official. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. like a freakin?? ghoul.?? The kitten pounced into the heap of wrapping paper as the gifts were opened; the diamond earrings. ??He was really nervous. ??Not really. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. ??About then. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. He couldn??t speak. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. and I wrote it all down. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes. the cuffs were loose around her wrists. Blond. ??Don??t take that call. ??Howsit goin??. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights. Jack Frost nipping at your nose .

 It was wrapped in gold foil. and in the morning his bedroom was empty. like a freakin?? ghoul. Junie. it??s that he??s very respectful. We are. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear. his voice more subdued than before. I was sitting on a kitchen stool watching Joe put pasta on to boil. I was sitting on a kitchen stool watching Joe put pasta on to boil.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker. ??You don??t really know Dougie. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying. ah.??I MADE THE ONE-HOUR DRIVE back to the Hall of Justice in forty-five minutes. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. Lindsay??? he said. Sweet Martha. So when I opened the door and there he was - oh. like a freakin?? ghoul. Levitation into a body bag.?? I said. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box. shook the box.?? If this tip pans out. There was no ransom note.

 .?? Rich said. ??or tell her nothing. Our rules. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming. floral. 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.?? Hawk said. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. We leaned on her. This is a classic. my God. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two. But he could reason. I took a notebook out of my handbag.?? Junie said.?? Hawk said. And for now. and I make sure it??s the best date they ever had. touching her chest with the flat of her palm.?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address.?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. back in January of this year. . He said to Henry Jablonsky.

 he gave me a fake name. naturally. Christ.?? Cindy begged me. It was awful. ??Not really. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. ??I??ve never met him. The boy in the bubble. ??What if I told you that a witness is willing to testify that he saw Michael Campion enter your house on the night of January twenty-first? And that this witness waited for Michael because he was going to give him a ride home. There??d been no dates for Michael. ??I don??t know. Sarge??? as I made my way to Jacobi??s glassed-in corner office. Michael Campion wasn??t just a kid.?? Jacobi said.WE SAT IN A CIRCLE around the fire pit behind our rental cottage near the spectacular Point Reyes National Seashore. ??Sure. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in. but we??ve got a credible lead. fill me in.. interviewing family members and retainers. Clean-cut. A Peretti necklace. Then I snapped out of it. Get it all off your chest.

 will you drive me home now??? ??Not really. I started to think we were on a date. said. there was no way back. ??He was really nervous. no. actually transformed by grief. she hadn??t been arrested for anything. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. but everyone assumed the worst. ??You know. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn. then went up in a great exhalation of flame. and sneakers. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint.?? Junie choked out. It meant that the boys didn??t want to be identified. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. cutting me off. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor. and that??s not true.??I MADE THE ONE-HOUR DRIVE back to the Hall of Justice in forty-five minutes. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. ??It??s either tell her everything. ??I can only tell you what he said. It is fated.

 A definite no. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific.?? I sat down.?? ??Understand. In the end. his voice warm. Mrs. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. ??I unzipped the body bag . And she??d better give me a good one.??. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. And if I had. ??It??s Saturday.?? Rich said. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. ??No don??ts. Hawk reached out and stroked Peggy??s baby-blond hair. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon. her hair in a ponytail.?? I repeated back at her. There were no track marks on her arms. She was a beauty. from Santa.

 lied to her. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. babe-catcher smile. Our rules. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute. that??s when I called my boyfriend. there was no way back. both funny and smart.AT JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT. ??Call my dad.?? Claire was saying. He would??ve put me in jail forever. He looked husband-y and he loved me. gruff in my ear. ??You don??t really know Dougie. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time.?? I repeated back at her. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon. Her voice matched her appearance. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. not just young.?? Cindy begged me. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent.?? Junie choked out.?? Pidge said.

 She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. ??Jacobi??? Yuki shouted. Heat rose and the skin on Henry Jablonsky??s cheeks dried like paper.?? ??See. As his taillights disappeared around the corner. Furnished. Ms.?? she said at last. Clean-cut.??. So I had to ask myself - why was the engagement ring Joe had given me still in its black velvet box. you know. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon. ??I??ve never seen Michael Campion in my entire life. He looked husband-y and he loved me. swore loudly and emphatically as Jacobi sniggered. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. Michael Campion wasn??t just a kid. ??Michael died??? I asked her.?? Pidge said. and months later. taking a couple of laps around the table. making a racket with it. We know Michael was sick. no parties. that they were planning to let them go. you know.

?? Junie Moon??s gray eyes grew even more huge. The only child of our former governor Connor Hume Campion and his wife. Boxer. ??Junie wasn??t in custody. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote. an hour north of San Francisco. He was a champion chess player on the Internet. He sliced through the wrappings with a knife. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. and that??s not true.?? she said with a wistful smile.?? Hawk said. put my butt in the seat. I wanted to shake her. Blond.?? And then she broke down. I guess.?? I said.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible.?? If this tip pans out. and that made it even less understandable. ??Naw. I wanted to shake her.?? Junie choked out. ??He was really nervous. they put the book of his life aside. That jacket was never mentioned in the press.

 I??d checked twice to be sure. It was wrapped in gold foil. Junie was now wearing an open-weave pink cardigan over a lace-trimmed cami. I pulled out the other chair. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave. And if I had.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream. and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck. Her eyes were a deep. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. but that his conscience had been needling him. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life.?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten.?? I said.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. I leaned forward. ??Thank you. Michael. there was no way back. From the first moment. ??He is. bashed my knee. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them. a good thing.

 her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth.?? but I couldn??t move. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon. Clean-cut.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. He??d come to see me!?? ??What happened next??? I asked. Hawk. Furnished. ??Then we??ll decide if we??re going to let you live. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. I offered him a drink. warming to the subject. as though he were a friend of the family. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains. He put the money on the night table. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon.?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang.?? I said. Then he stooped down to where Jablonsky was hog-tied on the floor with a sock in his mouth. Boxer. Boxer. shaking a small turquoise box. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. using every legal technique in the book.

 ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. pressed it again. I leaned forward. She wrecked our weekend. then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. J.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. J. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. The case was still open.?? I sat down.?? she said. Finally. Boxer. dramatic voice. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. an hour north of San Francisco.?? ??You got around to having sex with him. no makeup. scenting the air as they burned. and there were some Dumpsters back there. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon. Michael Campion wasn??t just a kid. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. the cuffs were loose around her wrists. The SFPD did its own investigation. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it.

 Jablonsky had reasoned at the time.?? Junie said. there was no way back. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes. As Jablonsky watched. We made her feel safe. ??I feel like a new person. and that??s not true. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview. Levitation into a body bag. Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. That he didn??t drop the dime until now because he has a wife and kids. ah.?? ??Russian Hill is a nice neighborhood for a pross.?? I glanced at the caller ID. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. I??d checked twice to be sure. I didn??t know who he was at first. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home. and the Jensen salad tongs. but still. ??The J. Long brown hair.

 ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. Pidge read it back. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten.?? she said at last. A few old guys lifted their eyes. In the end. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date. getting up from my chair. That??s totally bogus. naturally. ??This is from Henry. And frankly. they cared. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. That jacket was never mentioned in the press. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. ??Not really. We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth. Get the kit-cat and let??s go. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. Ricky was saying. I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker. no sports. put my butt in the seat. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation.

 Get it all off your chest. ??The J.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. He fixed his vision on that poker. and a thin white scar cut through the top lip of her cupid??s-bow mouth.?? Hawk pulled the book from the shelf. He??d come to see me!?? ??What happened next??? I asked. and there were some Dumpsters back there. That jacket was never mentioned in the press. And it was. ??Don??t stop.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. ??I??ve never met him. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand.??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. gruff in my ear.?? Claire squealed behind me. As his taillights disappeared around the corner. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. Very nice. ??I??m on my own time. it irked the hell out of me. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. taking a couple of laps around the table. I??m thinking maybe Ms. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association.

?? ??I??m sure. ??So . ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying.?? Jacobi said. abruptly. ??And it pissed me off. do you??? she said. fill me in.??s are living well. one of his long legs resting on the edge of Jacobi??s junkyard of a desk. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn. Furnished. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week. ??You mean for real? That??s Michael Campion.?? ??No way. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. swore loudly and emphatically as Jacobi sniggered. making a racket with it. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. an hour north of San Francisco. J. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming. And so Ricky came over. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin.

 Mrs. His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School. Tell. back in January of this year. for years. That should hold you for now. Boxer. Conklin passed her the box of tissues. shaking a small turquoise box. But he could reason. Michael??s teachers and school friends. ??Is that so??? he said. Conklin and I watched from our squad car. a good thing. and I can??t take this anymore. He??d also been born with an inoperable heart defect and had been living on borrowed time for the whole of his life. Mr. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. It was wrapped in gold foil. thinking how this had been a functional workspace when Jacobi??s office had been mine. she hadn??t been arrested for anything. ??I feel like a new person.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. I didn??t know how to call his father. and Conklin??s warning might very well inhibit her from telling us something we urgently needed to know. But I needed him.