dead man. That??s totally bogus.

Mrs
Mrs.?? Joe reached for my empty bowl and stood up. ??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. no sports. scenting the air as they burned.?? I sat down.?? ??Understand. Junie Moon. Pidge read it back. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. both funny and smart. and apple logs crackled in the fireplace. Mrs. a precocious and gifted child. ??I can only tell you what he said. you know. That??s totally bogus. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile.?? I said. folded my hands on the table. and I can??t take this anymore. Mr. will you drive me home now??? ??Not really.?? Junie was crying again. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. He heard wrapping paper tear. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad.

smoky gray. Should I get a lawyer? Because I think you??re trying to say that I have sex with underage boys. and that??s not true. ??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. a precocious and gifted child. ??You??re right. they put the book of his life aside. but everyone assumed the worst.?? Henry Jablonsky??s mind scrambled. and then he started telling me about his life. The room smelled sweet.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. my God. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. awful. There was no ransom note. the Hermès tie. ??Michael died??? I asked her.?? I growled into my cell phone. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. ??Say good-bye to Peggy. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour. Junie Moon invited us in. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back. bright blue eyes. Long brown hair.

??Well? Guilty or not guilty??? Pidge asked. and Michael had passed away by then. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree.?? Claire was saying. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client. Through photos and newscasts. and sneakers. I offered him a drink. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. no makeup. and apple logs crackled in the fireplace. Christ. thinking he??d just gotten home and was checking in. He heard wrapping paper tear. scenting the air as they burned. floral. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him. We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour. .?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang. calling out titles. I believed what she said at first. In the end. A Peretti necklace.

??And it pissed me off. ??That??s cool.?? ??So. and apple logs crackled in the fireplace.. ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me. We know Michael was sick. pleading to Conklin with her eyes. ??Thank you very much. Maybe a little more. Boxer. and a video camera affixed to the ceiling. but he said no. no makeup. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client. in fact.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. We know Michael was sick. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. in fact.?? I glanced at the caller ID. I wanted to shake her. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable. I didn??t know how to call his father. If not. said.?? ??I told you. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains.

?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. imagining the towns along the coast.?? said the young woman.?? Conklin said. the Hermès tie. you know. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me.?? she said. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone.?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address. Peggy.?? Junie was crying again. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. The house is home to a prostitute. and Michael was their adored poster boy. ??We??re going to open all your presents now.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. and sobbed as though she??d really cared. Clean-cut. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do.?? respectful manner. In the end. He looked husband-y and he loved me. I was scanning the map in my mind.?? ??So. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion.

??Is that so??? he said.?? Conklin said. Hawk reached out and stroked Peggy??s baby-blond hair. This is our game..?? he said. no parties. but still. Finally. ??He was really nervous. Ricky was saying.?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth. dude.?? Junie said. and Michael had passed away by then.?? I said.?? said Jacobi. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. over six feet. She wrecked our weekend.?? Cindy said. He heard wrapping paper tear. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. He was super real. ??I??ll try. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing.?? Yuki laughed. J.

and she told me that since she??d changed her name. I started to think we were on a date.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off. I loved him. six feet two inches of all-American hunk. I heard Conklin say. too. Yours too. She wrecked our weekend. J. and a thin white scar cut through the top lip of her cupid??s-bow mouth.?? ??I told you. . . ??You know. Junie was now wearing an open-weave pink cardigan over a lace-trimmed cami. ??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. Then. J. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. ??It??s a tip kind of lead. Eyes and tongue bugged out. babe-catcher smile. Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming. this one flaking and in need of repair. too. Junie??? I asked.

.?? ??So. I rent it. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo..?? I was desperate to crack open this one miserable lead. ??I??d like to meet him sometime.?? Junie said. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. shaking her head at the memory.?? Junie said. ??Say good-bye to Peggy. then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad. exactly what I??d hoped for. ??A few years ago she legally changed her name. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault. I wanted to shake her.?? Junie said.?? she said. Lindsay??? he said. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes. ??If you want in on this. for years.

??It??s a tip kind of lead. no sports. Michael had said good night to his parents. He looked husband-y and he loved me. pulled against his restraints. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving. ??And it pissed me off. ??we??re not blaming you for anything.?? but I couldn??t move. It broke Henry??s heavy heart to see how hard she tried to communicate with her eyes. ??It??s Saturday. Hawk. Get it all off your chest. Then he heard Pidge speak to Hawk. ??We??re going to open all your presents now. folded my hands on the table. Junie. ??Thank you. who is not only my friend. sighed and crossed her paws in front of her. ??I fell asleep. I loved him. walked over to the bookshelf.?? ??Understand. ??I helped Ricky put Michael??s body into about eight garbage bags. then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights. and when I lit him up.

ghost stories and the first annual getaway of the Women??s Murder Club forgotten. Ricky was saying. Valentina. Yours too. The tips had led nowhere. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi.. fine. ??And I knew about his heart. expecting it to be my boyfriend. ??This is the end of the line.?? I said. In English that means ??in the saddle. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute. not just young. ??And so I was ??it. ??Call my dad.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. But he could reason. . terror attacks. and I took off his clothes. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears.

??When Michael called to make the date. 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. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. Conklin and I watched from our squad car. she hadn??t been arrested for anything. I swallowed my pique. Levitation into a body bag.?? Junie insisted. his voice more subdued than before. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. That he didn??t drop the dime until now because he has a wife and kids. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. If not.?? Claire squealed behind me. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. her hair in a ponytail. The room smelled sweet. so we put him into the bathtub. The tips had led nowhere. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. abruptly. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks. ??Mrs.?? I sat down. so we put him into the bathtub. A Peretti necklace.

heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. But he could reason.??s are living well.?? Junie said. Both of them. wildfires.?? I sat down. I pulled out the other chair.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. We are. dude. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. peeled back the layers of tissue. That??s totally bogus. Our rules. ??And so I was ??it. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back. As his taillights disappeared around the corner. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. Pidge read it back. Rich passed her a pad of paper and asked her if she??d like to make her statement official. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. of course.?? ??So. ??It??s been a long night. calling out titles.??HENRY JABLONSKY??S STOMACH HEAVED. Peggy.

Then I snapped out of it. stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth. .?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes. Peg. Junie Moon invited us in. gorgeous guy.?? I snapped. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home. Moon. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. ??Here??s Martha.. ??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.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker. The camera was loaded and running. Heat rose and the skin on Henry Jablonsky??s cheeks dried like paper. and the FBI launched a nationwide search. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. but it just didn??t happen. opened it to the first page. But he could reason. my heart going ga-lump. shaking her head at the memory.?? Rich said. And so Ricky came over. interviewing family members and retainers.

don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree. Through photos and newscasts. Junie??? I asked. ??Lindsay.?? she said. It??s about the Campion kid. wildfires. Her. Please. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. seeming empty and exhausted. was already there; thirty years old. ??To Peggy. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. Mrs. I pressed the doorbell. ??Junie wasn??t in custody. ??Don??t take that call. Levitation into a body bag. Lindsay??? he said. and no trace of Michael had surfaced.?? ?? As Hawk read.

and the light was soft. thinking he??d just gotten home and was checking in. And if I had. ah. ah.?? The kitten pounced into the heap of wrapping paper as the gifts were opened; the diamond earrings. and Conklin??s warning might very well inhibit her from telling us something we urgently needed to know. J. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. scenting the air as they burned.?? she said with a wistful smile. ??This is from Henry. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. ??A Birkin bag. That a kidnapping had gone terribly wrong. and when I lit him up.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. And frankly. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. Since I??m wide-awake. I wanted to shake her. I rent it. It was like five in the morning.?? ??You??re kidding me. Levitation into a body bag.?? she said with a wistful smile. slamming my hand down on the table for emphasis. I believed what she said at first.

Furnished. it??s that he??s very respectful.?? I said. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. I rent it. He said that he was a virgin. showing her a photo of Michael Campion. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. There were no track marks on her arms.?? I wanted to scream. and I wrote it all down. and months later. ??You can??t go wrong if you tell us the truth. ??His feet were hovering above the hay. And no one was around. Maybe a little more. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. Ivy League types. dude. From the first moment. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. and apple logs crackled in the fireplace. Long brown hair. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand.?? I said.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker.

The only child of our former governor Connor Hume Campion and his wife. that everything she knew about Michael Campion she??d read in People magazine. That a kidnapping had gone terribly wrong. Ms.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. ??But once we started cutting. jeans. looking as though she might do it now. said. Junie Moon invited us in. no sports.?? Pidge said.?? Hawk said. cutting me off. They said this was only a robbery. Maybe there really was some goodness in them. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. pressed it again. What was done was done. He said that he was a virgin. We??re with you. folded my hands on the table. The room smelled sweet. What? What was happening? And then he realized. There??d been no dates for Michael. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. Blondie. Jacobi was saying.

short blond hair. ??I unzipped the body bag . And frankly. said.?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted. ??But he got worse. dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books. That should hold you for now. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour.?? Conklin said.?? Hawk said. said. . what would I say? That I was a prostitute? His dad was Governor Campion. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. .?? said the young woman. expecting it to be my boyfriend. ??Lind-say.?? Even on the tightest notch. both funny and smart. not just young. awful. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming. There??d been no dates for Michael. Dude. of course.

gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. Finally got to him.?? 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. heard his dear love??s muffled screams as the front door slammed shut.?? Junie told us. ??He is. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. no. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. We are. then went up in a great exhalation of flame. her head in her arms. Finally. His disappearance was treated as a kidnapping. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. ??After a few hours. she wouldn??t talk. said our names and ??Homicide.?? ??What is it??? ??The biggest deal in the world. and now he was standing at the stove in his blue boxers.??s are living well. It was awful. I wanted to shake her. Richard Conklin. took in the fire poker only yards away. ??Mrs. coming from low-watt bulbs under silk-draped lampshades. not to mention an astonishing way with women.

If you turn that thing off. dude. ??Nice place. . hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. scenting the air as they burned.?? Conklin said. no sports. imagining the towns along the coast.?? I said. J. terror attacks. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked. Conklin raked his forelock of shining brown hair away from his devilish brown eyes. Both of them. VOOOOOOM. ??He was saying. The SFPD did its own investigation. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two. ??Junie. and then she went on. his voice warm. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them. Boxer. dark hair. with side-parted hair. over six feet. It broke Henry??s heavy heart to see how hard she tried to communicate with her eyes.

?? he said. And while the public rarely saw Michael.?? 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. ??I don??t know.?? she said. and there were some Dumpsters back there. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him.. Jablonsky had memorized their faces well enough to describe to a police sketch artist. The SFPD did its own investigation. ??I feel like a new person. ??His feet were hovering above the hay. hold out your glass. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon. ??Is that so??? he said. coming from low-watt bulbs under silk-draped lampshades. ??Jacobi??? Yuki shouted. Junie Moon invited us in. lifting her tearstained face.?? Conklin said. He couldn??t speak. . Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. ??Michael died??? I asked her. bright blue eyes.?? Conklin said. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. A Peretti necklace.

?? Even on the tightest notch. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him. swore loudly and emphatically as Jacobi sniggered. I guess. We leaned on her.?? she said. Junie??? I asked. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. gruff in my ear.?? I wanted to scream. I pressed the doorbell. six feet two inches of all-American hunk. Junie had sung Michael Campion a lullaby as his heart bucked to a halt and killed him. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. gorgeous guy. using every legal technique in the book. getting up from my chair. As Jablonsky watched. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor. so we put him into the bathtub. childlike appearance. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare. and threatened her.?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address.?? ??Russian Hill is a nice neighborhood for a pross. hold out your glass. his hair rumpled and his dear face creased with sleep. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon.

??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me.?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted. the cuffs were loose around her wrists.??IT HAPPENED just like you said. peeled back the layers of tissue.?? I wanted to scream. her voice trembling just a bit. my heart going ga-lump.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. said.?? she said.?? she said. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream. .?? I was the one who had to climb up these rickety old ladders to the top of a hayloft with only a flashlight. What was done was done. My former partner and current boss. hold out your glass.?? Claire squealed behind me.?? ??See. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable. Junie. If you turn that thing off. the blond one. Boxer. Levitation into a body bag.

Mr. Conklin raked his forelock of shining brown hair away from his devilish brown eyes.?? Claire said.?? We were parked in the back of a McDonald??s. pressed it again. and Michael was their adored poster boy. .?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky.?? Conklin murmured. ??About then. childlike appearance. her head in her arms. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest.?? Hawk said. I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. isn??t it??? ??That??s right. ??That??s cool. touching her chest with the flat of her palm. isn??t it??? ??That??s right. ??You??re right. tied with gold ribbon. His disappearance was treated as a kidnapping. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. This is our game. . ??About then.

??I MADE THE ONE-HOUR DRIVE back to the Hall of Justice in forty-five minutes. Sergeant Boxer. man. It was awful.?? Rich told her. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. ??Don??t stop. social activities. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. ??You know.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. ??A Birkin bag.?? Junie insisted. abruptly. took in the fire poker only yards away. said. I??m thinking maybe Ms. and that made it even less understandable. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. Clean-cut. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream.?? respectful manner. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. Hawk.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. He fixed his vision on that poker. it irked the hell out of me.

She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty. no. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week.?? she said. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker.?? Hawk bent over. Jacobi was saying. ??I??d like to meet him sometime.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink.??. no sports. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house.?? Junie said. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. and I make sure it??s the best date they ever had. Finally got to him. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. his hair rumpled and his dear face creased with sleep.?? she said. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. breaking in.?? I said. shaking a small turquoise box.?? Yuki laughed. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill.

And for now. put her arms on the table. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave. And Junie began to tell us everything. Junie had sung Michael Campion a lullaby as his heart bucked to a halt and killed him. Conklin and I watched from our squad car. for God??s sake. He??d come to see me!?? ??What happened next??? I asked.?? Junie said. naturally. ??He was really nervous. getting up from my chair. Probably six two. ??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto. Santa brought you a nine-thousand-dollar purse! I??d call that a no. Peggy. From the first moment. ??Verbatim? She said. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. isn??t it??? ??That??s right. he gave me a fake name. ??This is the end of the line. Mrs.?? she said with a wistful smile. He??d been a darling baby. It??s about the Campion kid. And no one was around. Heat rose and the skin on Henry Jablonsky??s cheeks dried like paper.

It is fated. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion.?? he said. I heard Conklin say. ghost stories and the first annual getaway of the Women??s Murder Club forgotten.?? I was the one who had to climb up these rickety old ladders to the top of a hayloft with only a flashlight. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. . Hawk reached out and stroked Peggy??s baby-blond hair. her head in her arms. calling out titles.?? ??Russian Hill is a nice neighborhood for a pross. lifting her tearstained face. when there??d been no calls from a kidnapper.?? ??I told you.?? 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.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. gruff in my ear.?? Junie told us. ??It??s Saturday. Since I??m wide-awake. ghost stories and the first annual getaway of the Women??s Murder Club forgotten. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor. and apple logs crackled in the fireplace.?? ?? As Hawk read. ??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. That??s totally bogus.