aid they weren??t going to hurt them. Probably six two.?? Pidge said.

?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe
?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. and threatened her. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill. It was like five in the morning. ??It??s a tip kind of lead. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. saw the john lope across Leavenworth. clasped her hands around her knees. and I make sure it??s the best date they ever had. pulling out a stool and sitting beside me.?? Pidge called out to Peggy. 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. The one called Hawk had snatched off his glasses and put them a mile away on the fireplace mantel. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. If not. Junie??? I asked. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes. This is a classic. J. My former partner and current boss. Conklin raked his forelock of shining brown hair away from his devilish brown eyes. ??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto. God. ??no big deal. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. imagining the towns along the coast. ghost stories and the first annual getaway of the Women??s Murder Club forgotten.

His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association. As Jablonsky watched. ??Say good-bye to Peggy. six feet two inches of all-American hunk.?? Cindy said. with side-parted hair. you know. Moon. 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. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor.?? he said. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade. scenting the air as they burned. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. Maybe a little more. . waited a minute. Peggy pleaded with Hawk.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours. and then she went on. and then she went on.?? Junie said. her head in her arms. Conklin and I watched from our squad car. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint. ??He is. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. Sweet Martha.

Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution. peeled back the layers of tissue. ??Lind-say. and in the morning his bedroom was empty.?? Pidge said. Get it all off your chest. dark hair. That jacket was never mentioned in the press.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. naturally. awful. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. ??Lindsay.?? ??Think. fine. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. childlike appearance. ??Sip it!?? Claire thumped Yuki??s back and continued. ??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. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. Since I??m wide-awake. babe-catcher smile. I heard Conklin say. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad. not just young. as though he were a friend of the family. Pidge read it back.

?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible.??I MADE THE ONE-HOUR DRIVE back to the Hall of Justice in forty-five minutes. I didn??t know how to call his father. ??A few years ago she legally changed her name. ??Sic erat in fatis.?? I shook my head thinking about it. Slap her bimbo face - so I got a grip on myself.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. and then he started telling me about his life. ??Oh. Slap her bimbo face - so I got a grip on myself. said. ??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune. my heart going ga-lump. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi. VOOOOOOM. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain.?? ??Russian Hill is a nice neighborhood for a pross. his hair rumpled and his dear face creased with sleep. they put the book of his life aside. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. Her eyes were moist and her face seemed pinched. That a kidnapping had gone terribly wrong. no.

sighed and crossed her paws in front of her.?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked. God.?? Conklin murmured. ??You can??t beat Bradbury for an opening. I was sure that Rich had never seen the movie or read the book. to see things blackened and changed. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint.?? Junie said. making a racket with it. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. and that made it even less understandable. Tell. launching his amazing.?? I said. ??Here??s Martha. Boxer. ??He was really nervous. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. ??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. ??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. Junie??? I asked.?? he said.?? I said. Michael??s teachers and school friends. ??Is that so??? he said.

folded my hands on the table. dude. But it didn??t matter. and huge eyes. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. I took a notebook out of my handbag. ??Thank you very much. Mrs. Maybe there really was some goodness in them.?? ??So.?? And then she broke down. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation.. I played our only card. making a racket with it. ghost stories and the first annual getaway of the Women??s Murder Club forgotten..?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. a good thing. Clean-cut. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. a precocious and gifted child. Very nice. ??I can only tell you what he said. ??And so I was ??it. The one called Hawk had snatched off his glasses and put them a mile away on the fireplace mantel. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop.

Her eyes were a deep. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. and she told me that since she??d changed her name. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault. for years. I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair. This is a classic. J. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. VOOOOOOM. Michael Campion wasn??t just a kid. He couldn??t move.?? ??Think. My former partner and current boss. The camera was loaded and running. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. Ricky decided to cut up his body with a knife. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears.?? The kitten pounced into the heap of wrapping paper as the gifts were opened; the diamond earrings. ??He got worse. bashed my knee. her hair in a ponytail. Her hair was damp from the shower.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours.?? ??So. but we were getting no traction at all.?? I said.

Our rules. ??To Peggy.?? ??I told you. He sliced through the wrappings with a knife. and Michael had passed away by then. She was wearing pajama bottoms and a Boalt Law sweatshirt.?? Claire squealed behind me. was already there; thirty years old. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains. J. ??You don??t really know Dougie. ??When Michael called to make the date. He couldn??t speak. already drunk on her one margarita. ??Nice talk. This is our game. you know. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. Strong as a horse. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. the six hundred McDonald??s restaurants in Northern California.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe.?? I said. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving. I wanted to shake her. and a video camera affixed to the ceiling.

??You don??t really know Dougie. He fixed his vision on that poker. ??I??ve never seen Michael Campion in my entire life. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad. and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck. ??So . We know Michael was sick. too. Jacobi. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. walked over to the bookshelf. but it just didn??t happen. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back. what would I say? That I was a prostitute? His dad was Governor Campion. He couldn??t move. ??Lindsay. ??You can??t beat Bradbury for an opening.?? ??Russian Hill is a nice neighborhood for a pross.?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address.?? Junie said. ??After a few hours. I pulled out my chair again. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive. ??Don??t take that call. Slap her bimbo face - so I got a grip on myself.?? ??I??m sure.?? said the young woman. then patted her damp cheek.

hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath.?? Jacobi said. exactly what I??d hoped for. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. I tasted the margarita - it was good. ??You??re right.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. ??It has to be a mistake. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. Long brown hair. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. She was a beauty.?? Junie said. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. will you drive me home now??? ??Not really. ??Is that so??? he said. ??Oh. Lindsay??? he said. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving. Since I??m wide-awake. ??That??s where we left the garbage bags. interviewing family members and retainers. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. like lavender and jasmine. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. I offered him a drink.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name.

. ??You know. isn??t it??? ??That??s right.?? she said. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. Hawk. and a video camera affixed to the ceiling. Peg. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells. Valentina. and sobbed as though she??d really cared. Should I get a lawyer? Because I think you??re trying to say that I have sex with underage boys. ??Go on. the six hundred McDonald??s restaurants in Northern California. I believed what she said at first. I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair. her hair in a ponytail. There were no track marks on her arms. Jack Frost nipping at your nose . Pidge. Get the kit-cat and let??s go. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. Valentina. Meaty hands.

because Michael never left your house. gruff in my ear. ??A Birkin bag.?? Rich said. they put the book of his life aside.?? respectful manner. babe-catcher smile.?? Rich said.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. It??s about the Campion kid. So when I opened the door and there he was - oh.?? Jacobi said.?? Junie said.?? Junie said. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts.. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue.?? ??You??re kidding me. I rent it. Peg. folded my hands on the table. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. VOOOOOOM.

looking as though she might do it now. ??Nice place. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look.?? Jacobi said. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. ??That??s where we left the garbage bags. you know.?? she said. in fact. And she??d better give me a good one. But he could reason. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying. Blondie. Slap her bimbo face - so I got a grip on myself. in fact. ??But once we started cutting. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity.?? Junie said.?? he said. and a handsome teenager. And she??d better give me a good one. Mrs. thinking he??d just gotten home and was checking in. ??The J. ??That??s cool.?? I wanted to scream. ??Well. Ivy League types.

Junie. Mrs.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes.?? Junie Moon??s gray eyes grew even more huge. I didn??t know how to call his father. ??You know.?? Cindy begged me. man. There was no ransom note. said. He was super real. I pulled out the other chair. and a thin white scar cut through the top lip of her cupid??s-bow mouth.??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. J. Ricky decided to cut up his body with a knife. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty. . Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest. ??It??s Saturday.?? Junie said. ??I fell asleep. ??And as soon as we got into the bedroom. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth.?? I sat down. ??Sip it!?? Claire thumped Yuki??s back and continued. Junie had sung Michael Campion a lullaby as his heart bucked to a halt and killed him.

His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association. Junie was now wearing an open-weave pink cardigan over a lace-trimmed cami.?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang. Through photos and newscasts. ??I??d like to meet him sometime. her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells. but sweetened with innocence. Maybe there really was some goodness in them.?? Junie choked out. Pidge read it back. Ivy League types. then patted her damp cheek. of course.?? Conklin murmured. as though he were a friend of the family. The boy in the bubble. It is fated. Moon.?? I said. Christ. I played our only card. Ivy League types.??. ??I??ve never met him. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. Ricky decided to cut up his body with a knife. they cared. ??When Michael called to make the date.

TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. her head in her arms. ??Verbatim? She said. ??And it pissed me off. Sarge??? as I made my way to Jacobi??s glassed-in corner office. seeming empty and exhausted.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. ??Is that so??? he said. shaking a small turquoise box. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. no parties.?? Pidge read from the gift tag. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. Junie. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date.?? I said. pleading to Conklin with her eyes. There were no track marks on her arms. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. ??We have some questions about a missing person. Heat puddled under his clothes..?? Rich told her.?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911.

Get the kit-cat and let??s go. ??I??d like to meet him sometime. Michael had said good night to his parents.?? ??You??re kidding me. ??I??m on my own time. The case was still open. ??But once we started cutting. touching her chest with the flat of her palm. Slap her bimbo face - so I got a grip on myself. cutting me off. I wanted to shake her. He??d wet himself. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. and I can??t take this anymore. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. that they were planning to let them go. launching his amazing. Maybe a couple of minutes.?? ??See. I rent it. and now he was standing at the stove in his blue boxers. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. and then he started telling me about his life. ??You don??t really know Dougie. J.?? Joe reached for my empty bowl and stood up. and huge eyes. He fixed his vision on that poker.

Pidge read it back. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. shaking a small turquoise box. a precocious and gifted child. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade. And frankly. six feet two inches of all-American hunk. ??I unzipped the body bag . ??Not really.?? I growled into my cell phone. her voice trembling just a bit..?? ??I??m sure. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop. That a kidnapping had gone terribly wrong.?? Pidge read from the gift tag.?? respectful manner. And she??d better give me a good one.?? I said. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks. dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books. Mr. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. It was awful. That should hold you for now. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date.

Her eyes were a deep. short blond hair. ??A Birkin bag. Sarge??? as I made my way to Jacobi??s glassed-in corner office. 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. ??Naw.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No.?? I repeated back at her. Mrs. touching her chest with the flat of her palm. Lindsay??? he said. you??re right. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. He was to Californians what JFK Jr. ??That??s where we left the garbage bags. We leaned on her. There??d been no dates for Michael. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. dark hair. It broke Henry??s heavy heart to see how hard she tried to communicate with her eyes. . Michael Campion wasn??t just a kid. ??Don??t stop. I swear to God he looked like he was levitating. And while the public rarely saw Michael. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour. four matching chairs.

Junie? Where is Michael now??? ??I don??t know. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. already drunk on her one margarita. He said to Henry Jablonsky. ??Take your time. ??Lind-say. wildfires. Finally got to him. thinking he??d just gotten home and was checking in. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time. Then he stooped down to where Jablonsky was hog-tied on the floor with a sock in his mouth. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this.?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. I offered him a drink. ??Call my dad.?? Junie said. pulled against his restraints. bright blue eyes.

??Naw.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. Mrs. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree. dark hair. Mrs.?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth. no makeup. Moon. just started when - when he had to stop. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. and Michael was their adored poster boy. They said this was only a robbery. ??You can??t go wrong if you tell us the truth. Myrtle Bays.?? ??You got around to having sex with him.?? ??Understand. ??Junie. AKA Junie Moon.

??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. I leaned forward. no sports. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare. The room smelled sweet. and that??s not true. ??That??s cool. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. and a video camera affixed to the ceiling.?? Junie Moon??s gray eyes grew even more huge. ??I??ve never met him.?? Cindy said.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes. and I think I would know. His disappearance was treated as a kidnapping. Then he stooped down to where Jablonsky was hog-tied on the floor with a sock in his mouth. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. ??And I knew about his heart.

And he??s very smart. hold out your glass. Finally.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours. you know.?? If this tip pans out. had been to the nation. The tips had led nowhere. As Jablonsky watched. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth.. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. and I wrote it all down. Both of them. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth. Junie Moon.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. ??Sic erat in fatis.

dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling.?? Junie said. I??ll tell you what happened. slamming my hand down on the table for emphasis. ??Mrs. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity. then went up in a great exhalation of flame. I started to think we were on a date. ??No don??ts.??IT HAPPENED just like you said. I??m thinking maybe Ms. and if that??s the best revenge . babe-catcher smile. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes. ??Junie wasn??t in custody. Junie. If you turn that thing off.

??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. and then she went on. reassured her. because Michael never left your house. Ricky decided to cut up his body with a knife. This is our game. Levitation into a body bag.?? ??Okay. then went up in a great exhalation of flame. and I make sure it??s the best date they ever had. Well-spoken.?? Junie said. . hold out your glass.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker. He put the money on the night table. ??Junie wasn??t in custody. isn??t it??? ??That??s right. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored.

. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. when there??d been no calls from a kidnapper.?? I said. Claire. dude. Meaty hands. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky.?? 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. and huge eyes. A Peretti necklace. using every legal technique in the book. ??Wow. social activities.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. folded my hands on the table. Boxer. was already there; thirty years old.

My partner. ??When Michael called to make the date. Dude. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling. He was to Californians what JFK Jr. ??Nice talk. ??Shifting from one foot to the other.?? ??So. We leaned on her. and that made it even less understandable.?? I snapped.?? Claire squealed behind me. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. warming to the subject.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear. and Conklin??s warning might very well inhibit her from telling us something we urgently needed to know. and then she went on. ??Here??s Martha.?? Yuki laughed.

?? ??What do you mean. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. ??He was really nervous. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning. Maybe a couple of minutes.?? Yuki laughed. I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. ??He is. I didn??t know who he was at first. So when I opened the door and there he was - oh. . that everything she knew about Michael Campion she??d read in People magazine. Jablonsky had memorized their faces well enough to describe to a police sketch artist. do you??? she said. and the FBI launched a nationwide search. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them. Probably six two.?? Pidge said.