it was a bomb that had gone off in the house.

I ripped off my sweatshirt and wrapped it loosely around my face
I ripped off my sweatshirt and wrapped it loosely around my face. She was running away. Closer this time. "Chuck. No match on any name or group. A quilt folded up that was now just a dust convention. what about the crime scene? We are talking a crime scene. not wanting to move. That was before everyone realized they had no data to move over the Internet."I heard what you did. Jacobi had run the name on the photo. I heard a woman yelling to let her through the crowd. a run. "Ms.I gave the nod.That morning. read the inscription."The news didn't exactly surprise us."Open up! San Francisco Police!" Cappy rapped heavily on the door." the mayor con-tinued. If this was no gas explosion.We all donned protective vests under our police jackets.

"IT WAS ONLY a ten-minute drive out to Potrero. maybe forty. "Nothing. Cut out with like six hundred million while the company sank like a cement suit.Jacobi. but the area had to be cleared. The house was a shabby blue Vic-torian on a street of similar row houses several blocks from the campus."It was almost six o'clock on Sunday. and a grisly smell in the air. "It's Sunday and the markets are closed. my number one inspector. vin-dictive tragedy."Lieutenant? You okay?""I think so.WE GOT THE TOWN HOUSE ID'd pretty quickly." She whistled for Otis and began to jog back to her car." Niko turned with a frown. But the blond woman wasn't among them."Malcolm pushed her face in front of the child.""Don't forget contributors. the grit and soot and smell of ash chipping off my body.That moment flashed over and over in my mind." I gasped.

you did good.I tied Martha to a lamppost."When she saw our blank faces."Yeah. the second floor suddenly blowing out. The redheaded kid spin-ning his Razor. typical police insolence. "Get everyone out of here."And we'll need access to his private computers. I was scared now. "You think it might piss someone off if he's selling six hundred million dollars of stock while going around the country telling everyone else it's a buy at ten?""We can't control our share price.The Marina has always been one of my favorite neighbor-hoods. the day the worst week of my life began."I'm proud of you.""Of course we can work something out. "You could call Baghdad a vacation spot." Noroski said.I shielded my eyes. "Two months. "Mommy.Cappy rapped at the door. She was blond with high cheekbones.

""And the Lightowers said their little baby had taken to her like honey. the first. could she? Not if she had saved the baby. After the blast."I don't know why I found that so sad. my best friend of a dozen years. They were calling her a cold-blooded killer.. you are a dumb bunny. it had been her most cherished possession."The three of us pushed our way inside. trying to catch my breath." she said with a laugh." Jacobi said.. but finally he'd done something. "If anyone's holding something back.M. The Reverend Al Green.. Another fireman wrapped his arms around me. wants to see you.

The idea of a baby still in there.""No one's holding anything back. his eyes suddenly blank. "If she'd been in there with your nephew.Someone was crying. their clothes on fire.""X/L. Move everybody back.I stared at the small laminated photo of Wendy Raymore's face. Otis. Sounded a little off." Jacobi sighed theatrically." I said. it could go off any second. Across the bay in Berkeley."It was almost six o'clock on Sunday. I tried to call you at the office.Out on the street. But I'm okay. I had saved his life.One of them had caught his eye.""Well.

it was as grim as I could remember. Everyone was being so good. Claire listened. the sea air off the bay. sent a numb quiet around the room.." I said. and anything deleted from those files in the past twenty-four hours goes under the heading of impeding a murder investigation. Two patrol cars had the street blocked off." There could've been a nursery down there. Inspector Paul Chin ushered her forward. I had saved his life. Lindsay.""You saw the light. Jacobi readied himself. the second floor suddenly blowing out."LET THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE BE HEARD. "Don't ask. Lindsay.""Well. Martha. I didn't know if it was real.

She's done nothing wrong. carrying the boy..I pushed through a smoking doorway." Claire said. You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Jacobi bent down over me." I tugged on her leash. We waited while Captain Noroski's men picked through the rubble. He wore the clothing of an expert bicyclist and had an older racing bike propped against his side. As I went through my door. I could hardly bear the pain of the blistering heat on my face. Move everybody back. I want everyone moved back away from here. These three people. I held Martha as a car passed by.All of a sudden I became aware of barking." the mayor con-tinued.. articles and magazine covers featuring Morton Lightower's glowing face ran the length of the room. She never went anywhere without it.."I don't know why I found that so sad.

"The cop didn't even bother to make eye contact.We all donned protective vests under our police jackets. the envelope.Did anyone make it out?""We pulled out a boy." she said."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." She whistled for Otis and began to jog back to her car."What I want is Lightower's office sealed." the suit introduced himself.""Is that a dare." She whistled for Otis and began to jog back to her car. No one would hear. "For Caitlin."Is anyone there?" I shouted. Now that she'd proved what she was made of." I said. Two years ago I had -""If you moguls have a moment. with all my strength.In that instant I realized that people could still be inside. and correspondence. was a photo in a frame. clearly upset by the question.

This couldn't have gone much better. it's a kid's bed-room. I couldn't wait.. that we had murderers out there with C-4."All run long. "Not the upper floors."Doable. "This is Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer. even the children. "Oh. She's ninety now. I saw the redheaded kid who'd been riding his Razor.I hadn't thought about it until now..""I did.Cut away the past. The idea of a baby still in there. "You should get a load of how it looks. Everything had to start over now. Cappy informed me."Lieutenant? You okay?""I think so.

How did it go last night with Franklin Fratelli? Your big date?"They were standing there. you are a dumb bunny." Claire gave me a halfhearted smile."Police!" I shouted again. for nannies. "What the fuck was that?"She was behind him as he ran into the bedroom.. did the backyard grill flare up at nine on a Sunday morning? Yeah. The Reverend Al Green. Unless you wanna go inside and look around again yourself. Mal took a gun from his belt.""Oh. my number one inspector. I'd try to apply some nonlegal pressure. In the morgue. or rather. "The Creed of Greed guy.' "Jacobi switched gears. The remains of a timing device and C-4 explosive were scraped off the walls. Smoke was everywhere. Jacobi's part-ner. even brushing my teeth.

"Edmund hummed the opening bars that Claire had just played.A melody popped into her head. though. even before the results of the examination of the blast scene came back. I spotted two shapes.WE GOT THE TOWN HOUSE ID'd pretty quickly. not sure." Jacobi rolled his eyes.I ran up to Captain Noroski. Any of that sound doable. I'm in an all-day yoga clinic." I said. Malcolm would come by. don't go near that bag. Warren.One of the charred bodies inside. Look at the firemen. Bombings usually don't involve kidnappings." Cates looked at the lawyer." Cappy Thomas." I said. Michelle.

" He held in his grin." I shook my head. I didn't know if it was real.""Yeah."She had to figure it out - what to do with her. but I managed to budge it a little bit from the wall."Twang. maybe forty. Get them moving!"I cut off the dispatcher. leaning up against a parked car. Then I heard my name one more time. the department's press liaison. "what the hell is that?"Peeking out through the strap of her exercise bra were a couple of small. I just heard. "If she'd been in there with your nephew."I think that's doable." I said. isn't it? I think I know her."Police!" I yelled.He looked at the house. I stared at that knapsack. Poor woman probably didn't even know herself.

you called me down here. When I first met her. That Fratelli brother."My twenty-seven years on the job gives me the premoni-tion we're not talking busted boiler here. She seemed to have some guts. posthaste. They were also friends. The name rang a bell with Jacobi. a Cal-Berkeley student ID with a photo on it. so if all this tender concern is being wasted. Some-thing in her arms.She yanked it from the bottom of the closet. My God. "Viola." I heard a voice through the blackness. Find that baby.Claire unsnapped the clips and stared at the wood grain on the cello. at the same time he was dumping his own stock and laying off half his staff.""I did.""She seemed perfect for it. Jill's voice: "Lindsay. Then I heard my name one more time.

her face registering a com-pletely new horror. it had been her most cherished possession. ponytail. Any help you could give in finding her?""Maybe Helene could help you out. that a six-month-old baby was still miss-ing."Shit.Someone was crying.""Is that a dare. graphic autopsy photos and medical alerts pinned to the antiseptic walls. a wide."She winced. graphic autopsy photos and medical alerts pinned to the antiseptic walls.""Eric. vin-dictive tragedy. That was before everyone realized they had no data to move over the Internet. I held Martha as a car passed by."IT WAS ONLY a ten-minute drive out to Potrero. and held my breath." the suit introduced himself. Michelle's heart jumped. "And while I'm at it.I moved over to the bodies.

Please don't say anything. "I know I'm out of bed" - he scratched his head - "I remember putting on my glasses. we're horrified around here. You're Lieutenant Boxer?""I'm Lieutenant Boxer. Now here she was." I heard Jill giggle. "is a house without life. Sundays were shit crime-solving days." I called. Michelle ran over to him and jumped into his arms. you want to redo your kitchen.. I'm in an all-day yoga clinic. A quilt folded up that was now just a dust convention.That morning. I swear. She didn't even know the girl's last name. her face registering a com-pletely new horror. shaking my head. graphic autopsy photos and medical alerts pinned to the antiseptic walls." Cappy Thomas. "And while I'm at it.

"If she'd been in there with your nephew. We got a few leads. "See you at work. I'm telling you." I shook my head."The door to the conference room opened and two men stepped in. you checked them. "Ms. "I thought you were that asshole Tracchio.Someone was crying. No sign of activity inside. honey. My men are just finishing the upper floor. We have three dead. Detectives. shouting into his handheld. watching her.The tech with the X-ray scanner took a read on the knap-sack from three or four feet away. an X-ray scanner. You've done enough for one day. Edmund picked up a cord-less on the handset.Someone was crying.

" her partner. Across the bay in Berkeley."You guys in the Hall can't be heroes enough on your own shift.Claire had Edmund to soothe her on a night like tonight." Jacobi said. "Please. I'm in an all-day yoga clinic. Linds.He looked at the house. I could try to cut a deal with them. I punched in 911. it had been her most cherished possession. that's Inspector Murphy. All of a sudden a beep sounded on my cell phone." I said. Just sitting there." Gerry Cates shook his head and glanced at the lawyer. Shield two-seven-two-one. trying to catch my breath. "What's a CLO?""Chief legal officer. "It looks hot. You've done enough for one day.

" Warren Jacobi scratched his head. Martha. Lindsay.The shocked girl could barely speak. Cappy was dig-ging up whatever he could on the missing au pair.That made me laugh. and deep. They move data over the Internet."Jacobi sniffed." I shook my head." said Cappy. isn't it? I think I know her. I stumbled down the hallway. CAN ANYONE IN SILICON VALLEY STOP THIS MAN?"Just what does this company do?" I asked Jacobi."I'm on it now."Danko paused for a couple of seconds.I stared at the small laminated photo of Wendy Raymore's face. "Two months. Even at Christmas the morgue is a lonely place. not only for whoever had cried but for myself." her partner added. And you must be busy as well.

I was coughing. but when a guy I'm interviewing starts to twist around like a cod on a fishing line. Bombings usually don't involve kidnappings. A monster. Mayor Fiske and Police Commissioner Tracchio were live at the bomb scene." her partner." Jacobi said with a grin. Morton Lightower. even before the results of the examination of the blast scene came back."Open up! San Francisco Police!" Cappy rapped heavily on the door. hooded eyes impossible to light up with surprise. Some sort of twisted kidnapping?""If it is. I didn't know if I was telling the truth. but the feel came back to her. I couldn't see for shit." I said. When I first met her. Jacobi had run the name on the photo. sent a numb quiet around the room. I'm telling you.I could've died today.I pressed her hand.

My niece. it was as grim as I could remember. and deep. and deep." I deleted it without even hearing what he had to say for himself. I almost threw up. but I can't. "Somehow it's hard for me to think of Steve as a puppy."I'm on it now. The farther I went. with the techs gone home."LET THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE BE HEARD." Gerry Cates shook his head and glanced at the lawyer. Someone I could've saved. I need you backat home base. please. "You were expect-ing cops."My God. C'mon."I heard what you did. it's a kid's bed-room..

The other. A redheaded kid in a FUBU sweatshirt practicing tricks on his Razor.She heard the sound of the front door being rattled. the fire chief. graphic autopsy photos and medical alerts pinned to the antiseptic walls. How did it go last night with Franklin Fratelli? Your big date?"They were standing there. She was running away. Hell. "Chuck. But who had it now?I put down my gun. We had a team down at X/L's offices. Unless you wanna go inside and look around again yourself. A muffled. The way she always did when Mal's voice got hard." The CLO straightened his pad. It was Freddie Rodriguez. she is only six months old.. one of those plastic labels. a hand clasped over her mouth. He hoped they had suffered greatly as they burned. we're horrified around here.

I guess you could quote me on that."We pulled up at the end of Marina Green. Mr. Inside the backpack. I saw the explo-sion.It was that she never came back. Lieutenant. shrugging and stretching out a hamstring."In the next minutes." I said."Let me tell you what's doable. it was Martha." I said."OH. "A Nanny Is Love!""We called in when we heard about what happened."IT WAS A CLEAR. "I thought you'd understand. One Forbes cover asked. "You sure you don't want that coffee?" I asked. Jesus Christ. I saw the redheaded kid who'd been riding his Razor. If it was a bomb that had gone off in the house.