there was nothing.." I said.."I frowned."When she saw our blank faces..

 Lindsay
 Lindsay. shrugging and stretching out a hamstring. just running the bow along the strings. "The Creed of Greed guy." Claire gave me a halfhearted smile. She stood in front of the bombed-out home."She had to figure it out - what to do with her.""Jill.""How do they go."I was hoping to catch up with you sometime today. A single pass. Trembling. jumped in. Jacobi'd become like a protective uncle with me. it's a kid's bed-room. you are a dumb bunny.. Niko wheeled out a boxlike instrument..Cindy Thomas was part of my inner circle. I was pretty sure. I'd try to apply some nonlegal pressure. "You were expect-ing cops.

 The house was a shabby blue Vic-torian on a street of similar row houses several blocks from the campus." I deleted it without even hearing what he had to say for himself. Lindsay.""You saw the light. " 'cause it occurred to me that you needed a good hug." His CSU team was still picking through the scene. "Look." said Cappy. Claire. I was sure the bag was hot - or at least a leave-behind." Claire gave me a halfhearted smile.Claire had Edmund to soothe her on a night like tonight. With practiced hands.One of the charred bodies inside." she muttered. It came back zilch. Thescene was eerily quiet. As the door swung open.. You look like shit. articles and magazine covers featuring Morton Lightower's glowing face ran the length of the room. LT. not wanting to move.

""No one's inside. not only for whoever had cried but for myself. But when he fixed on the hole where 210 Alhambra used to be and saw me.""I saw two bodies inside. Just sitting there. what about the crime scene? We are talking a crime scene. "If anyone's holding something back.. But look at you. That kid's lucky you got him out." Gerry Cates said stiffly. They move data over the Internet. hearing the jays back for the first time that season."Edmund hummed the opening bars that Claire had just played.So he made the call from a pay phone in the Mission Dis-trict. We knew the place could be booby-trapped.." Warren Jacobi scratched his head. That same. or rather. She took the scissors and cut again. There was an ID tag on the strap." "Duh.

 but the feel came back to her. Blond. " 'cause it occurred to me that you needed a good hug.She had her hair pulled back tightly. "Morton and Charlotte Lightower were among our city's most generous and involved citizens. Danko was thinking as he observed the homicide scene. if you're free today. Cappy threw her into the arms of a waiting SWAT team member. A nicely dressed receptionist led Jacobi and me to a conference room inside. at Caitlin."Hey. Lindsay."Jesus. Jacobi's part-ner. Inside the backpack. "Look. I swear.""I'M ALL RIGHT.""You could call it a date. my voice.""I saw two bodies inside. I was thinking. a missing baby.

 You've done enough for one day."High-speed switches or something." Steve Fiori. It was the au pair.""Thank God!" she exclaimed.. it was as if San Francisco were suddenly Beirut. Steve's flying in from Chicago. a cashmere sweater over jeans. I ran over to her and hugged her tightly as she licked my face. We had her college ID. She had listened to the news reports all afternoon. Frantically.. "And while I'm at it. LT. There was a note at the bomb scene. who was bark-ing commands to his men searching through the house. grinning. like finger marks. I need you backat home base.A fireman made his way to me..

 the most guarded murder scene in memory. Martha wagged up to me. I flicked on a CD. we're horrified around here. read the inscription." I smiled. His room was buried under an avalanche of debris."There was a collective sigh. obvi-ously a cop with some clout. "He's okay?""He's at the Burn Unit at Cal Pacific. "Chuck. I thought you were out of touch on this. It had been eighteen months since he died."When she saw our blank faces." Jacobi sighed theatrically.That moment flashed over and over in my mind. we did it."You know anyone lives in a place like this with a boiler on the second floor?""No one I know lives in a place like this. Down the hall. or think. I almost threw up. Steve's flying in from Chicago. I couldn't wait.

 Claire. pushing my way through the billow-ing smoke. Jill. And you must be busy as well. If the call was interrupted.""These recommendations. so be it." I said. blond clumps onto the bathroom floor. Sirens. held it in her hands. "I'm coming!" I shouted. But the realization that a bomb had gone off in our city. where I live in a two-bedroom walk-up. "The ones who matter know. clearly upset by the question. their clothes on fire."Yeah. Niko Magitakos.. we trained our guns on whoever was behind it. but the best we could get was a corporate public relations flack who said we could meet with them tomorrow at 8 A. You look like shit.

 After the blast.. even before the results of the examination of the blast scene came back. August Spies."I want everyone to know that our police department is already vigorously pursuing concrete leads. "If she'd been in there with your nephew. Just a few more feet.Not with everything that had just gone on. of course."No. but now it was reality - and this par-ticular reality was going to terrify the good people of San Francisco." someone called from across the room. "We may not have followed up on all of them. you have to be strong. We have three dead. Lawyer." I called. then arrived at the office to find that the whole team had showed up. now. "It's the office.. voices."We carefully screen all of our girls.

 even himself.. who the hell knew? My eyes went wide. unlike any Sunday morning I could remember. The remains of a timing device and C-4 explosive were scraped off the walls."You know anyone lives in a place like this with a boiler on the second floor?""No one I know lives in a place like this. a totally likable kid. dark bruises."She felt herself wheezing now. We had a description from Lightower's sister. they're crying you're bleeding the company." Linda Cliborne said."There's no charge. You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Jacobi bent down over me. before they send in the Arthur Ander-sen boys to do a little office tidying. about to nail me to the wall. My gaze was fixed on the red bag. I just did what I thought was right.I shielded my eyes. Just put Malcolm on." she said. Just sitting there." Jill cut me off.

."The cop didn't even bother to make eye contact. avoiding new hot spots flaming up. whatever you found wouldn't make it through arraignment. watching her.The girl's face was white with terror. "We always check. There's been an explosion at the corner of Alhambra and Pierce. Get Magi-takos from the Bomb Squad up here. humanized them. don't go near that bag. She looked nothing like the description Dianne Aronoff had given us. It's me." said Cappy. Other horrified faces crowded around. I'm all right."IT WAS A CLEAR. One Forbes cover asked. My heart jumped. "Were you inside when it went?""No."In the next minutes." she said. But there was nothing.

 Or the picture on Wendy Raymore's student ID. They move data over the Internet.I stopped. Another adult in a back room on the first floor. "Everyone get back!" I yelled again.It was that she never came back. carrying the boy.." Jacobi said.""Thank God!" she exclaimed.. who the hell knew? My eyes went wide.""LIEUTENANT." "Duh. Zinn. what about the crime scene? We are talking a crime scene. leading the unsteady woman over to an open black-and-white. "Mortie was saying.. "You look like a mochachino would do the trick. but whoever named it sure has a twisted sense of humor. they were blown up. I stumbled down the hallway.

." I said. Casualties likely. No one else had been found in the house.""Eric. pushing my way through the billow-ing smoke. anyway. I didn't know what I was going to do yet. Do you have any idea who could've targeted your brother?""No accident. Even Martha had someone - me!I felt my thoughts drift to Chris for the first time in a while. he starts to see it as a pattern.. Warren?" I asked. On the paneled walls. Before she realized she would never be a Yo-Yo Ma and headed to med school. then arrived at the office to find that the whole team had showed up."There was a collective sigh. Linds. I saw myself on the street. Tracchio was a glorified bean counter. A SWAT van pulled up alongside.I stopped. "See you at work.

. She looked stunned. He hoped they had suffered greatly as they burned.. She played the first bars of the concerto. put a fucking pillow over its head. do you know that?""There was a moment when I wasn't sure I was going to make it out. It's me. Then it was on to the old mitts and football pads from Little League and Pop Warner years.' There's a name at the bottom. Jesus Christ. You've done enough for one day. Cappy looked at me and checked his gun."My grandmother. If nothing else. She took out the bow. she froze."What I want is Lightower's office sealed. trying to catch my breath. "So.""Is that a dare. swirling at my feet." I tried to pull myself up.

 "Who?""Caitlin. "Sorry I brought it up.Over and over I ran the reel.""Jill." The CLO straightened his pad. lifting her arms. Goose bumps. In the morgue. a totally likable kid. my God. "You could call Baghdad a vacation spot. She said good-bye to the au pair she had been for the past five months."I've heard of investor backlash. clearly upset by the question. If it was a bomb that had gone off in the house. I'll care for her."This isn't the au pair.I was coughing. "Seems a bit run-down. her face registering a com-pletely new horror. Mean anything to either of you?"Zinn blinked. Something made me feel like crying."And we'll need access to his private computers.

. Now that she'd proved what she was made of."Nope. And if I did. as we did. One look at the SWAT team and she let out a startled scream. The remains of a timing device and C-4 explosive were scraped off the walls. But the realization that a bomb had gone off in our city. those little police antennae behind my ears always go twang. "You're not gonna do this for me. "that's Lieutenant Boxer. Some sort of twisted kidnapping?""If it is. Unless you wanna go inside and look around again yourself. Move everybody back. at the same time he was dumping his own stock and laying off half his staff. I'm telling you..Cindy Thomas was part of my inner circle. that shouldn't be there. "I know I'm out of bed" - he scratched his head - "I remember putting on my glasses. "Ms. These were very smart people. choking immediately on the gray.

 but no idea how to find her.Wendy." Zinn scratched a note. Lindsay. I think he's going to be all right. I spotted two shapes. "that's Lieutenant Boxer.This is all wrong! Fucking all wrong.The kid with the Razor was there. Her whole career sprang from that scoop. We moved in. a wooden beam crashed. "is a house without life. Jill.."IT WAS A CLEAR. too?"Judith Hertan hesitated. I nodded."Listen to me.I turned and headed for the light and cool that I knew were behind me. "Killer medical revelation?" She rolled her eyes. the more trouble I was in." said Cappy.

. and an entire town house burned to the ground in a possible bombing."We pulled up at the end of Marina Green. Sirens. his eyes suddenly blank. not the real world. Stick your tits in its mouth." I said again.. nodding. but now it was reality - and this par-ticular reality was going to terrify the good people of San Francisco. honey. It's me. The beautiful." I said with a shrug."She felt herself wheezing now.All of a sudden I became aware of barking.Suddenly I realized just how exhausted I was.I started to panic again. or so she claimed. "What did you want me to see?""I called you down here. most of them with graduate degrees. A nicely dressed receptionist led Jacobi and me to a conference room inside.

 I try to huff out three miles. It was the only way I could get through. read the inscription."So." I heard a voice through the blackness."Less than a minute later."Dianne Aronoff uttered a cry of joy. a run.I GULPED AIR and headed deeper into the collapsing house. Mr." he was crying.""Thank God!" she exclaimed." he said. ponytail. there was a cry from the bedroom. I did check with the school. mid-stride. I think he's going to be all right. You okay?""I think so.Jacobi had a paunchy ham hock of a face that never seemed to smile even when he told a joke. word is that you saved a kid today."Twang." Her husband Edmund's fortieth birthday.

 Maybe ten years old. Jesus. Michelle. I didn't know if I was telling the truth." Jacobi said with a grin. "Everyone get back!" I yelled again.The man with the claw lifted the backpack to transport it to the truck. 'cause I must be dreaming. Martha. this was an execution!My stomach turned. Wendy seemed like a gem. not only for whoever had cried but for myself."And we'll need access to his private computers.. "Possible explosive device. To my left. "to get into Lightower's files?""Duh. Cindy was there. Any of that sound doable. No smoke or fire. start with N. Don't let this blow.Then I drifted back to the scene at the Marina.

 It was good to see the old Jill trying to peek through. Two years ago I had -""If you moguls have a moment. "If she'd been in there with your nephew. Thescene was eerily quiet. I heard a woman yelling to let her through the crowd. even before the results of the examination of the blast scene came back. to warm her-self up for a bike sprint up Mount Tamalpais or whatever Jill would do for real exercise later in the day. Now I saw the entrance. my God.In that instant I realized that people could still be inside. It was smothered in thick dust. I was pretty sure. We had a team down at X/L's offices. It couldn't be better." I said."Is anyone there?" I shouted. Hell. They were also friends. so be it. Even Martha had someone - me!I felt my thoughts drift to Chris for the first time in a while."She winced. "Viola. to open myself to someone.

 "If she'd been in there with your nephew.""No one's holding anything back. Lindsay. "We may not have followed up on all of them. everything told me. the baby's gone."We pulled up at the end of Marina Green. Just sitting there."Get the truck in here. Now I saw the entrance.The child was coughing and crying. "So. He had even cut down on his stupid sexist jokes." He rocked on his heels. A muffled. "Warren. familiar case she hadn't seen in years. They had already used a bomb. holding Martha." Jill cut me off. Claire listened." I lobbed a grenade at the CLO. "We've heard Caitlin is missing.

"Jacobi sniffed.." I said."I took Cappy and Jacobi outside the room. not the real world. "It didn't.That morning.""I'M ALL RIGHT. blond clumps onto the bathroom floor. and I thought. well. To give her baby Lab. Lieutenant. ponytail. Sirens."And we'll need access to his private computers. now!"FROM THE BACK of a basement closet. made sure she was in good standing. "Unfortunately. "What's doable is that we're back here in two hours with a subpoena. but I didn't know for sure. It couldn't be better. She looked nothing like the description Dianne Aronoff had given us.

" He rocked on his heels. Martha.My eyes were peeled to the side windows for any sign of activity. through the CCI database and the FBI. you have to be strong.You know El Exigente.""Any evidence there's anything in Lightower's computer to back that up?""Call me suspicious.."Use everything. a blond woman. We had her college ID. there was no time." Dianne Aronoff choked a sob." she said with a laugh. Caitlin?" she called to the bawling child. the wonderfully coldhearted au pair. But there was nothing.." I said.."I frowned."When she saw our blank faces..