see?""I called you down here. It was always there.

A melody popped into her head
A melody popped into her head.I stumbled over debris." Jacobi rolled his eyes. Ms. "Is anyone there?"The smoke felt like sharp razors slicing into my lungs. Do you have any idea who could've targeted your brother?""No accident. I ran over to her and hugged her tightly as she licked my face. "How can this be happening?"I knelt down in front of Dianne Aronoff and took her hand."Claire moved over to a table and started to take off her surgical gloves. Lindsay.""Not for Eric. to open myself to someone."Open up! San Francisco Police!" Cappy rapped heavily on the door. I hollered a last time. "You sure you don't want that coffee?" I asked. he starts to see it as a pattern. It's me. I took her through the frustrating meeting I'd just come out of. "For Caitlin. She fumbled around her purse for her inhaler." Dianne Aronoff choked a sob. Cindy had sneaked her way into a Grand Hyatt penthouse suite. "And might I add. a blond woman. Edmund. "Somehow it's hard for me to think of Steve as a puppy. Lindsay.

Lieutenant. yanking her out of the doorway. having come straight off the first tee at Olympic. "This is a horrible.Then I heard a muffled noise. from a digital camera." I said. "is a house without life. probably a psychopath; he even scared Danko sometimes. I knew they'd had to make their peace with Homi-cide being run by a woman for the first time. Edmund. printed on paper." Jacobi said. that's probably the third body we found. I didn't know what I was going to do yet. graphic autopsy photos and medical alerts pinned to the antiseptic walls. Wish I could talk about them." I smiled. She's Homicide."Twang. I took the boy by the shoulders.I gave the nod. "Most of us have known Mort since the beginning." I said. "How can this be happening?"I knelt down in front of Dianne Aronoff and took her hand. Just a few more feet."Suddenly the layout of the burning building came back to me.

And I want access to all correspondence. The shape of a man." he said."Less than a minute later. the local police. Just enough to convince myself I'm border-ing on something called in shape at thirty-six. The Internet honcho.Not with everything that had just gone on. It led you out?" Claire smiled. The house was a shabby blue Vic-torian on a street of similar row houses several blocks from the campus."I don't get any reading. the most guarded murder scene in memory. or rather. "It's the office. I spotted two shapes. You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Jacobi bent down over me. Before she realized she would never be a Yo-Yo Ma and headed to med school. nodding. No drum roll.. I leaned back under the warming spray. "they have a new way of handling the potential ransom payers. As I went through my door."Michelle put the phone down. calm. In the middle of a `downward dog' when my phone rings. The farther I went.

"Lieutenant? You okay?""I think so. everything told me."Use everything. I'm afraid they're our matters now. at the same time he was dumping his own stock and laying off half his staff. but on that Sunday afternoon."Suddenly I remembered seeing it on the news."I mean it." he continued. trying to catch my breath. my buddy Jill came along. But it can't be. dabbing at her eyes. I just did what I thought was right. A monster. ."Is anyone there?" I shouted. the day the worst week of my life began.""Woulda put a bit of a damper on our margarita nights. "I think she's up there. Just enough to convince myself I'm border-ing on something called in shape at thirty-six. Aronoff.. even before the results of the examination of the blast scene came back. "Hush."Jesus. These three people.

They had agreed not to meet until they were sure she hadn't been followed. Everyone was being so good. I just took hold of that little boy and prayed. Then she covered her face again. I turned to pull myself up. even brushing my teeth. Poor woman probably didn't even know herself.""Woulda put a bit of a damper on our margarita nights. but I can't. even for your normal fixer-upper. Maybe ten years old. "Were you inside when it went?""No.She heard the sound of the front door being rattled.Claire lifted her cello out of the felt mold." I said." Gerry Cates said stiffly. Maybe it was the thought of the three dead people in the house.We all donned protective vests under our police jackets. "Just didn't envision it like this." I lobbed a grenade at the CLO.E." I'd been expecting to hear the Chief; her voice surprised me. and deep."I DON'T KNOW what took hold of me. I made my way over to the boy. Lindsay.A bed was overturned on its side up against a wall.

. "what the hell is that?"Peeking out through the strap of her exercise bra were a couple of small. A tech wheeled in a claw and crept closer to the bag." Steve Fiori. I stumbled over flaming rubble.I was jogging down by the bay with my border collie.I stumbled over debris.Then she noticed Edmund. "That took a lot of guts.I ran up to Captain Noroski. for nannies. We have no idea where she is. Lindsay?" Jill chuckled back. I made my way over to the boy. and held my breath. This boy was brilliant. "I'm Lieutenant Boxer. It's me.The shocked girl could barely speak. but they rarely questioned anything he told them. they're bought and paid for.I went into the bedroom and peeled off my tights and sweats.Wendy.. "And while I'm at it."We carefully screen all of our girls. They were all here.

Cappy looked at me and checked his gun. I ripped off my sweatshirt and wrapped it loosely around my face. Something in her arms.She heard the sound of the front door being rattled. my God. it was as grim as I could remember. "Mashed myself getting out of the shower. Her whole career sprang from that scoop. it was as if San Francisco were suddenly Beirut. What kind of force should we use to pick her up?I stared at the photo. through the web of news vans and camera crews.""There was an au pair. I didn't know what to expect." she repeated. War-ren had the "front nine.""I heard there was a baby stolen out of the house.I'd heard of secondary explosions in the Middle East."There was a collective sigh. do you. I'll care for her." Jacobi said."We carefully screen all of our girls." I said. Lindsay.""And the Lightowers said their little baby had taken to her like honey. She's ninety now."IT WAS A CLEAR.

He stared. I didn't want to talk to anyone tonight. They were also friends. I saw the redheaded kid who'd been riding his Razor."Please. the bodies of a woman and a man. Look at the firemen. "I did the right thing. Lindsay. Edmund. posthaste. Lieutenant."Oh. Lindsay. Judith Hertan. "We're gonna go for a hand entry. don't go near that bag. Then I heard my name one more time. "Word on the street is.My eyes were peeled to the side windows for any sign of activity.""Thank God!" she exclaimed.Finally. he opened the zip-pered back."OH. articles and magazine covers featuring Morton Lightower's glowing face ran the length of the room. "C'mon. I was sure the bag was hot - or at least a leave-behind.

grinning. As I went through my door.Jesus. "to get into Lightower's files?""Duh. and Danko had to choke back a laugh at how they obeyed his orders. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house."Michelle put the phone down.. They were also friends. too. I saw myself on the street. This girl had probably lost her ID. No one interviewed her. Aronoff. This had been a dream of his. It would be nice if he were here tonight. Any of that sound doable. But it can't be.""You could call it a date. "He's okay?""He's at the Burn Unit at Cal Pacific. like finger marks. But no baby. All she knew was that she couldn't let the baby die. the first. A fireman bent over me. Everyone was being so good."Lindsay.

Trembling."LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE. And if I did. just for a little while. You're Lieutenant Boxer?""I'm Lieutenant Boxer. the au pair." Fratelli: "Listen. voices. "Where are you?" I called. "Lightower's sister says there was a six-month-old baby inside. LT.""I may not outrank you. Cindy. did the backyard grill flare up at nine on a Sunday morning? Yeah. It's my thing Sunday mornings - get up early and cram my meaningful other into the front seat of the Explorer. The only motion in his face was a slight flickering in his eyes. Sounded a little off.Nothing happened. still tied to the post. "Chief just got it confirmed from the Bomb Squad. my best friend of a dozen years." Zinn nodded. Suddenly. "People are always popping off at shareholder meetings.""Thank God!" she exclaimed. the bodies of a woman and a man..

Michelle's heart jumped..Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door. the envelope. "Man and a woman. I'll care for her. She took out the bow.We started with the usual questions: Had Lightower received any threats? Were they aware of anyone who'd want to do him harm?"No. probably a psychopath; he even scared Danko sometimes. typical police insolence. A woman in overalls hurrying around the corner."TWO WOMEN WERE SITTING in Interrogation Room 1 when I got back. It was the au pair. Inspector. Tracchio was a glorified bean counter. "Ha. "Nothing. "Charlotte Lightower was pregnant. Lindsay?""If you mean.""Is that a challenge?" Cindy snickered. Aronoff. searing and noxious. EMS. We waited while Captain Noroski's men picked through the rubble.""Of course we can work something out. her face registering a com-pletely new horror. isn't it? I think I know her.

Lindsay. We had a team down at X/L's offices."LET THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE BE HEARD. shaking my head. avoiding new hot spots flaming up." There could've been a nursery down there.Not with everything that had just gone on. my number one inspector. "Mashed myself getting out of the shower. Closer this time. "She started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. but a black girl carrying a Cal-Berkeley bag had gone in thirty minutes before. it looks like the explo-sion originated from the second floor. Stock used to sell for sixty bucks." Cappy said."I got stood up. San Francisco Police Department. Michelle. We got a few leads.A tense silence settled over the room. even for your normal fixer-upper. I couldn't wait. They were calling her a cold-blooded killer. offering a card to Jacobi. they were blown up. If it was a bomb that had gone off in the house. "How can this be happening?"I knelt down in front of Dianne Aronoff and took her hand.

. We headed outside.. "I think she some-times spent the night. "We'll handle it from here." the mayor con-tinued. a cashmere sweater over jeans. Now I saw the entrance. San Francisco Police Department. "Wendy Raymore? San Fran-cisco Police!"There was no answer."I want everyone to know that our police department is already vigorously pursuing concrete leads.That made me laugh.""Can't."The Lightowers' remains were side by side on two gur-neys.Then she came upon the old aluminum case buried under a musty blanket.I stopped. Sounded a little off. But it can't be. I just took hold of that little boy and prayed. "What's a CLO?""Chief legal officer. now it's something like sixty cents.The frame of the bed was hot to the touch. mommy. Mort's secretary.. What I do is supposed to be about making money..

I'll care for her.. Look at the firemen. my God.I stumbled through the flames..It was a small boy. "He's okay?""He's at the Burn Unit at Cal Pacific. I lifted the strap and read. Across the bay in Berkeley.Claire lifted her cello out of the felt mold. One of the patrolmen at the scene had taken her home for me." she said. Please." Linda said.Then I pushed my way into the burning house. I saw it blow. My gaze was fixed on the red bag. that a six-month-old baby was still miss-ing. offering a card to Jacobi." I said. The farther I went."Sorry. The flash of orange light.""Don't forget contributors.That made me laugh." "Duh.

Over and over I ran the reel. Detectives. "Every cop in the city will be looking for this kid. Mal took a gun from his belt. restored town houses. mommy. It was always there..One of them had caught his eye." he said. blanketing my face." I promised."No. He had always preached the gospel:there's always another soldier. one of those plastic labels. searing and noxious. I'm afraid they're our matters now. "Lightower's sister. Please. In the morning."I took Cappy and Jacobi outside the room.. These were very smart people. that's probably the third body we found.Then I heard the crying again. Maybe it made the Lightowers seem like more of a family to me." I could barely talk.

"Less than a minute later. Warren."Suddenly I remembered seeing it on the news. I'm telling you. Malcolm. "Lieutenant?"I turned." Fratelli: "Listen." "You're saying maybe they'd be more forthcoming if theircompany got trashed a little on the front page of the Chronicle."Lindsay. though. Lindsay?""If you mean.." I tugged on her leash. but I did. If Caitlin wasn't there. I guess you could quote me on that. "It looks hot." His CSU team was still picking through the scene. He directed him down the front hall." I said." what we call the Sunday morning shift when the weather gets warm.. I guess you could quote me on that. Please. feeling my stomach turn. a couple of letters of recommendation. We had a team down at X/L's offices.

In the morgue. I punched in 911. "Man and a woman. Wendy seemed like a gem.Then I pushed my way into the burning house. My eyebrows were singed." I lobbed a grenade at the CLO.We all donned protective vests under our police jackets. Edmund picked up a cord-less on the handset.Suddenly. dabbing at her eyes. A redheaded kid in a FUBU sweatshirt practicing tricks on his Razor."OH. then she set down the phone. horrified."OH. She took out the bow. "Man and a woman."I don't get any reading." I said again.""Of course we can work something out. I'm not screw-ing around.""These recommendations. Do you have any idea who could've targeted your brother?""No accident. The second floor was gone. I couldn't see for shit. You look like shit.

""Is that a challenge?" Cindy snickered. Cindy. "Ms."When you said Eric was the only one brought out. along with about half the city's news force. August Spies." I said. But that wasn't what was bothering me."Sorry. August Spies. Just sitting there. if I'm five minutes late. praying I wasn't doing him harm.I hadn't thought about it until now. "The Creed of Greed guy. As I went through my door.I'd heard of secondary explosions in the Middle East.I started to panic again. everything told me. He wore the clothing of an expert bicyclist and had an older racing bike propped against his side. I guess you could quote me on that. One had salt-and-pepper hair and a ruddy com-plexion. She played the first bars of the concerto. My men are just finishing the upper floor.""Yeah." I tugged on her leash.The kid with the Razor was there.

Hell. forcing myself out of the EMT's grasp." he finally said. I just did what I thought was right.Someone put an oxygen mask over my mouth and I took several deep gulps. avoiding new hot spots flaming up." the suit introduced himself."Lieutenant? You okay?""I think so. "I heard it on the news."Hey.""Of course we can work something out. aren't we. Everyone was being so good. "Why don't you go on home?" Cappy said. Detectives. It was smothered in thick dust."Where's the baby?" Cappy shouted. my God. with an open plaid shirt. along with about half the city's news force.. Maestro Washburn?"Edmund smiled mischievously. having come straight off the first tee at Olympic. it could go off any second.Then I spotted Warren Jacobi. Cappy looked at me and checked his gun."All run long.

""We're doing everything we can to follow up on the baby.She heard the sound of the front door being rattled.Back in the office. I made straight for it. We got a line on the au pair. from a digital camera. We got a few leads."I want everyone to know that our police department is already vigorously pursuing concrete leads." she muttered vacantly." I promised." I said. Another fireman wrapped his arms around me. taking a semi relaxed breath for the first time all day."Hey. I just wanted to give you an update - everything is working beau-tifully. the TV is saying that whoever did this was a monster. blanketing my face. but no idea how to find her. eyes going back and forth. I took her through the frustrating meeting I'd just come out of. One look at the SWAT team and she let out a startled scream. "Isn't that the guy who owned that X/L Systems?""No idea. "Which fund you in?""I think it's called Long-Term Growth.I was coughing. The town house I had just admired was now a shell. I just heard. A fireman.

"What the fuck was that?"She was behind him as he ran into the bedroom. with all my strength. disappeared. Any longer and the fumes alone would kill us. They move data over the Internet. August Spies." I said.E. not only for whoever had cried but for myself.""Yeah.""Noted. I punched in 911. it's Cindy. Ever since I'd taken a shot in the Coombs case. the old strings stretching back into their accustomed notes. Computer files as well. hands on hips. didn't I?" Michelle asked. "Lieutenant. Danko was thinking as he observed the homicide scene." he called out. Maestro Washburn?"Edmund smiled mischievously. She fumbled around her purse for her inhaler. or all the cops and firemen charging around the accident scene." I said. He gently took the boy out of my arms. I saw it blow.

One of the charred bodies inside. Michelle. Malcolm.. I'm all right. No. she froze.""She seemed perfect for it. She seemed to have some guts.. Gerry went to Berkeley with him.A red school knapsack.Any moment now. What a performance she'd put on. Her whole career sprang from that scoop. "This is a horrible.""No one's holding anything back. They owned a small placement service for nannies and au pairs. put a fucking pillow over its head. He'd been juggling about a hundred news departments and wire services in his Topsiders and jeans. Lawyer. I stumbled down the hallway. I leaned back under the warming spray. articles and magazine covers featuring Morton Lightower's glowing face ran the length of the room.What if she'd been careless? What if someone had seen her coming back with the kid? What if they were kicking the door down now!Then Malcolm stepped into the room. watch-ing. In the morning.

Or the picture on Wendy Raymore's student ID. "Don't ask. they're crying you're bleeding the company. I was ready to put it behind me. It was a goddamn leave-behind.""I'm okay. But I'm okay. you did good. or all the cops and firemen charging around the accident scene. Let's go in. but on that Sunday afternoon. Her niece wasn't in there.Then I was out. to say the one thing in the midst of this madness that would make me cry. He wore the clothing of an expert bicyclist and had an older racing bike propped against his side." I said again. but the best we could get was a corporate public relations flack who said we could meet with them tomorrow at 8 A. No match on any name or group. offering a card to Jacobi.First to go were the stacks of old board games they hadn't played in years. Anyone up there didn't have a chance." Cappy said. Another fireman wrapped his arms around me.We stood in front of the smoking house. I stumbled over flaming rubble." I stared at the card and sniffed. More likely.

"but a killer medical revelation wouldn't hurt. obvi-ously a cop with some clout. Can't they ever give you a break?"Claire took the phone. "Would you be asking me if your goddamn superior officer happened to be a man?""Damn right. They were calling her a cold-blooded killer. I was sure the bag was hot - or at least a leave-behind."Claire moved over to a table and started to take off her surgical gloves. "Look. Jill. sooty. and deep.You know El Exigente. San Francisco Police Department. What's also doable is that anything we find in there that might not be flat-tering to X/L gets passed along to those hungry legal sharks in the D. whatever you found wouldn't make it through arraignment.""Can't. "People are always popping off at shareholder meetings. I saw myself on the street."Your boss has been murdered. don't go near that bag. Danko was thinking as he observed the homicide scene." I promised. I saw a light where I thought I had come in."IT WAS A CLEAR."C'mon." Steve Fiori. "I'm Lieutenant Boxer.

whatever you found wouldn't make it through arraignment. aren't we. I stared at that knapsack. a division captain's crest on his helmet. having come straight off the first tee at Olympic.""Eric. where was she?CHARLES DANKO STOOD at the edge of the crowd. my number one inspector. I pulled out of the crowd and ran to the bag. "Why don't you go on home?" Cappy said."They lifted the backpack into the protective truck as Niko knelt in front of it. She was running away. What I do is supposed to be about making money..."The news didn't exactly surprise us. Then she covered her face again. "Wendy Raymore? San Fran-cisco Police!"There was no answer.Jesus. Mort? Charlotte? The kids. I try to huff out three miles. you did good.She tossed her sweatshirt over her shoulder. The name rang a bell with Jacobi. My chest was filling with dread. If it was a bomb that had gone off in the house. leveling guns around the room.

I hadn't thought about it until now."High-speed switches or something."Behind me. I nodded." Jacobi reached for my arm." the mayor was saying.""I'M ALL RIGHT. honey."Get the truck in here. said. maybe forty. It couldn't be better. Then it was on to the old mitts and football pads from Little League and Pop Warner years. The neigh-borhood just waking up.A. EMS. an X-ray scanner.. Even Martha had someone - me!I felt my thoughts drift to Chris for the first time in a while." Jacobi said.Then I pushed my way into the burning house. "Lieutenant." I promised. so be it. But who had it now?I put down my gun."You're looking for a subpoena. disappeared.

" He bowed apologetically. And I want access to all correspondence." Jacobi said. Lindsay?""If you mean. Then she covered her face again. Zinn. the grit and soot and smell of ash chipping off my body. "We found the nurs-ery. Jacobi had run the name on the photo. "I went in to help."You guys in the Hall can't be heroes enough on your own shift. Two upstairs bed-rooms were open and empty. "So. "C'mon. pried it away from the wall. Martha. Edmund picked up a cord-less on the handset. badging his way over to me. and sitting down. for nannies."I don't need to remind you that this is a murder investi-gation. Everything had to start over now. she is only six months old. but on that Sunday afternoon." he said. "What did you want me to see?""I called you down here. It was always there.