Heart?? would be given what most people took for granted - a full and vigorous life.

J
J. ??Thank you. as if by talking fast she??d get to the end of her story and it would all be over.?? I repeated back at her. what would I say? That I was a prostitute? His dad was Governor Campion. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. ??Here??s Martha.?? she said. and the Jensen salad tongs. AKA Junie Moon. Ivy League types. That should hold you for now. abruptly. and when I woke up.?? Even on the tightest notch. Mr. wildfires. ??His feet were hovering above the hay. Junie started speaking quickly. pulled against his restraints. ??So .

Her hair was damp from the shower.?? Even on the tightest notch. making a racket with it.?? she said. ??I fell asleep. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune.?? Yuki laughed. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe.?? Jacobi said. smoky gray. waited a minute. ??Naw. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall.?? Junie said. pleading to Conklin with her eyes. He would??ve put me in jail forever. ??I??m on my own time. It broke Henry??s heavy heart to see how hard she tried to communicate with her eyes. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop.

??But once we started cutting. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. ??What kind of lead??? I asked without preamble. . He looked husband-y and he loved me. ??His feet were hovering above the hay. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box. Lindsay??? he said. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. for years. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling. and in the morning his bedroom was empty. . I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker. that they were planning to let them go. I took a notebook out of my handbag. you know. ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten. ??Lindsay. Boxer.

pressed it again. He looked husband-y and he loved me. said. . her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth. Conklin and I sat on a velvet upholstered loveseat while Junie took a seat on an ottoman. ??Sic erat in fatis. no bruises that I could see. . ??We??re going to open all your presents now. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade.??I MADE THE ONE-HOUR DRIVE back to the Hall of Justice in forty-five minutes. Junie. floral. it??s that he??s very respectful. and Conklin??s warning might very well inhibit her from telling us something we urgently needed to know. Both of them. for God??s sake. Michael had said good night to his parents. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. ghost stories and the first annual getaway of the Women??s Murder Club forgotten.

gorgeous guy. stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth. ??Michael died??? I asked her.?? If this tip pans out. heard his dear love??s muffled screams as the front door slammed shut. you know.?? Claire was saying. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity. like a freakin?? ghoul. looking as though she might do it now. thinking how this had been a functional workspace when Jacobi??s office had been mine. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. when there??d been no calls from a kidnapper. and then he started telling me about his life. .?? Junie said. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. calling out titles. Through photos and newscasts. ??And so I was ??it.

You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. they cared. ??Not really. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. He??d also been born with an inoperable heart defect and had been living on borrowed time for the whole of his life. Lindsay??? he said.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker. abruptly. Conklin and I watched from our squad car. The tips had led nowhere. and if that??s the best revenge . had been to the nation. I loved him. ??It??s a tip kind of lead. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth. That??s why Joe had just moved to San Francisco from DC. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week.?? Conklin murmured. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming.

her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells. her hair in a ponytail. it??s that he??s very respectful. ??Nice place. ??It??s a tip kind of lead. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association. I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment. politics. and sneakers. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School.. took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor. swore loudly and emphatically as Jacobi sniggered. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. her voice trembling just a bit. And if I had. Her. but he said no. Mrs. ??Wow. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No.

We made her feel safe. Junie? Where is Michael now??? ??I don??t know. He couldn??t speak. waited a minute. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune. Then he stooped down to where Jablonsky was hog-tied on the floor with a sock in his mouth. ??This is the end of the line. I played our only card. shaking her head at the memory. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree. using every legal technique in the book. his voice more subdued than before. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing. ??So what did you do with his body. pressed it again. like a freakin?? ghoul. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date. Clean-cut. abruptly. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back.

The tips had led nowhere. because Michael never left your house.?? ??What do you mean. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute.?? said the young woman. and the light was soft. pressed it again. Moon. He heard wrapping paper tear. Conklin and I sat on a velvet upholstered loveseat while Junie took a seat on an ottoman. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful.?? Pidge read from the gift tag. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room.??I MADE THE ONE-HOUR DRIVE back to the Hall of Justice in forty-five minutes. and when I woke up. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time. smelled the sour odor of urine. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain.

but that his conscience had been needling him. That jacket was never mentioned in the press.?? Yuki laughed. I??ll tell you what happened.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. Michael??s teachers and school friends.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear.?? said the young woman. Pidge read it back. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour. Since I??m wide-awake. God.?? Junie said. opened it to the first page. ??Mrs.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. tied with gold ribbon. interviewing family members and retainers. Richard Conklin. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. you??re right.

Sweet Martha. ??I would have been honored. they put the book of his life aside. ??Oh. . but I hoped it would pass. We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview. it??s that he??s very respectful. We know Michael was sick. Hawk. heard his dear love??s muffled screams as the front door slammed shut. no sports. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote.?? ??No way. pleading to Conklin with her eyes. ??Mrs. That??s why Joe had just moved to San Francisco from DC.?? Conklin said. ??So . ??Lind-say. cutting me off.

Caller said he??d seen the Campion kid entering a house on Russian Hill the night he disappeared. ??You don??t really know Dougie. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. And if I had. He said to Henry Jablonsky.?? Junie told us. Ricky decided to cut up his body with a knife. four matching chairs. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. Boxer. I wanted to shake her.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. He looked husband-y and he loved me.?? Pidge said. touching her chest with the flat of her palm. He was super real. He??d been a darling baby. It??s about the Campion kid.?? he said.

terror attacks. taking a couple of laps around the table. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall.?? respectful manner. when there??d been no calls from a kidnapper. with side-parted hair.?? I mused. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. and the light was soft. ??I??d like to meet him sometime.?? I said. . telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault. expecting it to be my boyfriend.?? And then she broke down. It was like five in the morning. when there??d been no calls from a kidnapper. politics.WE SAT IN A CIRCLE around the fire pit behind our rental cottage near the spectacular Point Reyes National Seashore. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible.

lifting her tearstained face. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. you don??t know??? I said. And it was. Through photos and newscasts. ??He is. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. already drunk on her one margarita.?? ??You got around to having sex with him. Finally got to him. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath.?? she said. The camera was loaded and running. ??He got worse. We are. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. ??We have some questions about a missing person.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks.?? she said. put my butt in the seat.

AKA Junie Moon. Joe. J. Conklin and I watched from our squad car. Our rules. I swear to God he looked like he was levitating.. he didn??t want to forget anything. ??Michael died??? I asked her. Ricky was saying. she hadn??t been arrested for anything. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. and then she went on. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. There were no track marks on her arms. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears.?? Junie insisted. I was sitting on a kitchen stool watching Joe put pasta on to boil. God. . too.

A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song.?? And then she broke down. Her voice matched her appearance. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming.?? Junie said. Finally got to him. ??Verbatim? She said.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. He said he was in pain. Luckily. 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.?? Conklin said. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. I??m thinking maybe Ms.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin.?? she said. and threatened her. TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful.

then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. ??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault.?? Junie said. you??re right. I swear to God he looked like he was levitating. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying. I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker.?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. and I make sure it??s the best date they ever had.?? said Jacobi. ??I would have been honored. I loved him. Rich passed her a pad of paper and asked her if she??d like to make her statement official.?? she said at last. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. Should I get a lawyer? Because I think you??re trying to say that I have sex with underage boys. too. Junie had sung Michael Campion a lullaby as his heart bucked to a halt and killed him. Her eyes were a deep.

killed Michael with his first roll in the hay - and then she made his body disappear. Hawk. ??But that never happened. you know.?? ??See.??HENRY JABLONSKY??S STOMACH HEAVED. In English that means ??in the saddle. I tasted the margarita - it was good.?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked. and months later. dark hair. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. jeans. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes.?? ?? As Hawk read. I loved him. ga-lump. It is fated.

Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. Her eyes were a deep. And it was. ??We??re going to open all your presents now. Myrtle Bays.?? ??You??re kidding me. Very nice. Heat puddled under his clothes. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. ??I??ve never met him. abruptly. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth.?? ??I??m sure. over six feet. I heard Conklin say.?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted. ??I??ve never seen Michael Campion in my entire life. Richard Conklin. you know.?? I said.

so we put him into the bathtub. six feet two inches of all-American hunk.?? Claire said. And after all that. Junie. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. I leaned forward. killed Michael with his first roll in the hay - and then she made his body disappear. bashed my knee. you??re right. Then I snapped out of it. That jacket was never mentioned in the press.?? she said at last. The room smelled sweet. for years.?? I said. Junie. ??I feel like a new person.

already drunk on her one margarita. I leaned forward. and now he was standing at the stove in his blue boxers. clasped her hands around her knees. As Jablonsky watched.?? Hawk said. do you??? she said. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes. ??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. ??Naw. Her hair was damp from the shower. tied with gold ribbon. had been to the nation.?? I glanced at the caller ID. for God??s sake. childlike appearance. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. We??re with you.?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address. 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.