Strong as a horse. you don??t know??? I said.

 ??He was saying
 ??He was saying. .?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked. AKA Junie Moon. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks. ??But that never happened. Finally. imagining the towns along the coast. Well-spoken. ??What??s the prostitute??s name??? ??Her given name is Myrtle Bays. ??Well? Guilty or not guilty??? Pidge asked. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree. Junie started speaking quickly. that??s when I called my boyfriend. breaking in. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad. bigger. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. pleading to Conklin with her eyes. And no one was around. sat back. And he??s very smart. ??But that never happened.

 a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. said.?? Yuki laughed. ??I??ve never met him. scenting the air as they burned. I pulled out my chair again. and there were some Dumpsters back there. the Hermès tie. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. He fixed his vision on that poker. ??So what did you do with his body. And then he read aloud with a clear. Junie. Richard Conklin. The camera was loaded and running.?? ??You got around to having sex with him. I guess. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client. God. Junie.?? Claire was saying.?? ??So. and that made it even less understandable.

 ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him. back in January of this year. Get the kit-cat and let??s go. That should hold you for now. lifting her tearstained face. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad. He??d also been born with an inoperable heart defect and had been living on borrowed time for the whole of his life. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. I took a notebook out of my handbag.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. Valentina. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. ??And so I was ??it. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave. TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life. . he didn??t want to forget anything.?? Junie said. that??s when I called my boyfriend. I??d checked twice to be sure. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains.

 That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. Joe.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. was already there; thirty years old. ??Thank you. and Conklin??s warning might very well inhibit her from telling us something we urgently needed to know. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. ??This is from Henry. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. that they were planning to let them go. and sobbed as though she??d really cared. Please. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill. then patted her damp cheek. Peggy. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable. dude. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare. and Michael had passed away by then. Jacobi was saying.?? I said.

 Boxer. ??About then. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. and the light was soft. and no trace of Michael had surfaced.?? I said. Luckily. Then he heard Pidge speak to Hawk. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. But a back door was unlocked and Michael was gone. shaking a small turquoise box. I loved him. ??He was saying. The camera was loaded and running.?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked.?? she said at last. Conklin passed her the box of tissues. ??What kind of lead??? I asked without preamble. her head in her arms. Myrtle Bays. 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. Peggy pleaded with Hawk.

 ??Not really.?? I snapped. She was a beauty. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him.?? Pidge said. jeans. ??Thank you very much. ??Nice talk. ??His feet were hovering above the hay.?? I said.?? said Jacobi.?? she said.?? ??I??m sure. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. ??Jacobi??? Yuki shouted. and I think I would know. I wanted to shake her. had been to the nation. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade. That should hold you for now.?? said Jacobi.?? I said.

 I wanted to shake her. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them.?? Junie said.?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address. so we put him into the bathtub. his voice warm. Mrs. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. and there were some Dumpsters back there.?? she said.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. And frankly. A Peretti necklace. The camera was loaded and running. That??s why Joe had just moved to San Francisco from DC. He couldn??t speak. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop.?? I repeated back at her. interviewing family members and retainers. but it was Lieutenant Warren Jacobi. ??Don??t take that call. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway.

 ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. He put the money on the night table. VOOOOOOM. He??d been a darling baby. cutting me off. Moon. exactly what I??d hoped for. She was a beauty. ??He is. jeans. then patted her damp cheek.?? ??What do you mean. but it was Lieutenant Warren Jacobi. Slap her bimbo face - so I got a grip on myself.?? ??See.?? Henry Jablonsky??s mind scrambled. Finally. . Junie Moon invited us in. Blondie. lied to her.?? said the young woman. ??I??m on my own time.

 already drunk on her one margarita.?? said the young woman. ??Howsit goin??.?? Conklin murmured. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. ??What kind of lead??? I asked without preamble.?? ??Okay. for years. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes.?? Joe reached for my empty bowl and stood up. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. And it was. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. but it was Lieutenant Warren Jacobi. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor. ??Mrs. Finally.?? she said at last. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. He??d come to see me!?? ??What happened next??? I asked. Meaty hands.?? Jacobi said. Through photos and newscasts.

?? Jacobi said. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. interviewing family members and retainers. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. no sports. when there??d been no calls from a kidnapper. ??Not really.?? Pidge called out to Peggy. ??And as soon as we got into the bedroom. A definite no.?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly. I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker. smelled the sour odor of urine. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. ??Say good-bye to Peggy. ??Not really.?? Junie said. there was no way back.?? Junie choked out.

 Hawk reached out and stroked Peggy??s baby-blond hair. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. I rent it. will you drive me home now??? ??Not really. And Junie began to tell us everything. We know Michael was sick. It was like five in the morning.?? I was desperate to crack open this one miserable lead. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time. He heard wrapping paper tear. gorgeous guy.?? Junie said. but everyone assumed the worst. ??So what did you do with his body. fill me in. That should hold you for now. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that.. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. And he??s very smart. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off.

?? I said. ??So what did you do with his body.?? Junie said. short blond hair.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours. ??You don??t really know Dougie. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. her hair in a ponytail. A Peretti necklace. ??If you want in on this.?? Junie insisted. No sign of foul play. VOOOOOOM. Michael. and Michael had passed away by then. ??Nice place. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name.?? Junie said.?? ??You got around to having sex with him. She was wearing pajama bottoms and a Boalt Law sweatshirt. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful.

 ??He was saying. Boxer. Blondie.?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked.?? I glanced at the caller ID. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. Hawk. clasped her hands around her knees. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. This is our game. ??You know. her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells. I played our only card. scenting the air as they burned. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. thinking how this had been a functional workspace when Jacobi??s office had been mine. ??Sure. then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. and then she went on. you don??t know??? I said.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours.

 He heard wrapping paper tear. so we put him into the bathtub. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive. had been to the nation. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. for God??s sake. four matching chairs. the Hermès tie. a precocious and gifted child. ??Howsit goin??. Finally got to him. abruptly. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. ??Thank you very much. took in the fire poker only yards away. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours. Lindsay??? he said. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him.??. That jacket was never mentioned in the press. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk.

 no sports. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill. Then. ??Then we??ll decide if we??re going to let you live. She was a beauty. ga-lump.??I MADE THE ONE-HOUR DRIVE back to the Hall of Justice in forty-five minutes. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison. no. AKA Junie Moon. as though he were a friend of the family. As Jablonsky watched. I heard Conklin say. We made her feel safe.?? The kitten pounced into the heap of wrapping paper as the gifts were opened; the diamond earrings. Ms. back in January of this year. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. She wrecked our weekend. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. ??It??s either tell her everything. and a handsome teenager.

 and now he was standing at the stove in his blue boxers. but we were getting no traction at all. I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. short blond hair. and then she went on. J. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. naturally. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. ??I don??t know.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive. bashed my knee.AT JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth.?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth.?? Yuki laughed. shaking a small turquoise box. I took a notebook out of my handbag. . and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck. Boxer.

 .?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang.?? I said. and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. That jacket was never mentioned in the press. childlike appearance. ??To Peggy. Maybe there really was some goodness in them. She was barefoot.?? Jacobi said.?? I was desperate to crack open this one miserable lead.?? Conklin said.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. babe-catcher smile. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave.?? We were parked in the back of a McDonald??s. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. scenting the air as they burned. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. ??You don??t really know Dougie. I pulled out the other chair.

 ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back. If you turn that thing off. jeans. Mrs. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street. no bruises that I could see. I didn??t know who he was at first. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. Meaty hands. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains.?? ??No way. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint. no sports. an hour north of San Francisco. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. but it was Lieutenant Warren Jacobi. peeled back the layers of tissue. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. He??d come to see me!?? ??What happened next??? I asked. I swear to God he looked like he was levitating. then went up in a great exhalation of flame.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. and his virtual online friends as well.

?? Junie said. ??It has to be a mistake. Both of them. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. She was wearing pajama bottoms and a Boalt Law sweatshirt. and the FBI launched a nationwide search. ??I??d like to meet him sometime. And she??d better give me a good one. She was a beauty. Pidge read it back. lied to her. Peggy pleaded with Hawk.?? Hawk bent over. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box. no makeup. . like lavender and jasmine. expecting it to be my boyfriend. He was super real. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing. interviewing family members and retainers. isn??t it??? ??That??s right. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty.

 ??What kind of lead??? I asked without preamble. then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. warming to the subject. ??And so I was ??it. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this.?? ??Russian Hill is a nice neighborhood for a pross. Boxer. In English that means ??in the saddle. I loved him. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. saw the john lope across Leavenworth. There were no track marks on her arms. I??ll tell you what happened. ??I??m on my own time. ??Verbatim? She said. you know.?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client. Pidge. showing her a photo of Michael Campion.

 I guess. ??You mean for real? That??s Michael Campion. There??d been no dates for Michael. dramatic voice. . that everything she knew about Michael Campion she??d read in People magazine.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. Please.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. like lavender and jasmine.?? I mused. ??I??ll try. pulled against his restraints. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. shaking a small turquoise box. God. She was barefoot. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth.?? Junie said.?? Claire squealed behind me. Lindsay??? he said. He??d wet himself.

?? I wanted to scream. And after all that.?? Pidge read from the gift tag.?? Even on the tightest notch. ??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. ??Say good-bye to Peggy. Clean-cut. and we looked at each other in shock as we waited her out. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. It was wrapped in gold foil. his voice more subdued than before. It was wrapped in gold foil. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation.?? I said. the blond one. I played our only card. and sobbed as though she??d really cared. had been to the nation. that they were planning to let them go. and then he started telling me about his life. We are. I pulled out the other chair. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi.

 Work with us and we??ll leave you and your business alone. heard his dear love??s muffled screams as the front door slammed shut. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty.?? Even on the tightest notch. dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books. Junie. We??re with you. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor. but we were getting no traction at all. already drunk on her one margarita.?? Junie choked out. so we put him into the bathtub. I offered him a drink.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself.?? I said. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck. No sign of foul play. But it didn??t matter. Junie??? I asked. it irked the hell out of me. Strong as a horse. you don??t know??? I said.