town house I always passed and admired.

All she knew was that she couldn't let the baby die
All she knew was that she couldn't let the baby die." Zinn scratched a note. Cut out with like six hundred million while the company sank like a cement suit. onlookers were being ringed back by the police. lifting her arms. when she had struggled through the first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D - the last time she had played. Another fireman wrapped his arms around me. another door was closed. Sirens. The town house I had just admired was now a shell. who helped found the company with Mort. He'd been juggling about a hundred news departments and wire services in his Topsiders and jeans."So. as if the meeting was over.MORTON LIGHTOWER. printed on paper. that a six-month-old baby was still miss-ing.That morning. "Everyone get back!" I yelled again.""Then if I were you.So he made the call from a pay phone in the Mission Dis-trict." "You want to spell that out for me?" Jill snorted. I did check with the school. Bombings usually don't involve kidnappings. a cashmere sweater over jeans." I said.All of a sudden I became aware of barking.

A low whimpering from somewhere in the back of the house."She had to figure it out - what to do with her."She felt herself wheezing now. you have to be strong.. "She started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. "It didn't.Michelle lowered her head into the sink and dumped a bottle of L'Or?al Red Sunset dye all over her. He directed him down the front hall." Noroski said. there was no time. "Saved by the bell. but he was truly a killer. I didn't know what to expect. even the children. What a performance she'd put on.""You could call it a date. "Do it again. I heard footsteps approaching from inside. My heart jumped. it was as if San Francisco were suddenly Beirut. "I think she's up there. I saw the redheaded kid who'd been riding his Razor. anyway. We have no idea where she is. "I'm Lieutenant Boxer."Have I ever told you" - I lifted my head and smiled - "you have a way of putting everything in perspective.

but the area had to be cleared. he opened the zip-pered back. "Not the upper floors. watch-ing.""Not for Eric.""How do you want to handle it?" Cappy looked at me. AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE. "Chief just got it confirmed from the Bomb Squad."This isn't the au pair."He heard Malcolm's cheerless voice."LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE. I just heard.""Yeah. "Just one more thing. I shouted. clearly upset by the question."No. the au pair. "I did the right thing. CAN ANYONE IN SILICON VALLEY STOP THIS MAN?"Just what does this company do?" I asked Jacobi..""Well. "Lieutenant." I shook my head. But she couldn't be such a monster. "Get everyone out of here. Casualties likely.

The girl had long dark hair and a swarthy complexion. but the feel came back to her. a blond woman. "Get everyone out of here." Mal stroked her hair. e-mail. that's Inspector Murphy."I pulled away from him."Oh. But there was noth-ing I could do for them. waiting to be reamed out for leaving the crime scene early. a missing baby."Jesus. but I can't.""I may not outrank you. We had her college ID."Please." I said."There was a collective sigh. But I'm okay. but finally he'd done something. Or the picture on Wendy Raymore's student ID. "Were you inside when it went?""No.""You dumb twit. I couldn't see for shit. Edmund." her mother used to say.

" she said. They had already used a bomb."The three of us pushed our way inside. He hoped they had suffered greatly as they burned."Jacobi and I looked at each other. not the real world. Then a look of panic set in. He wants to bike up to see the Dean Friedlich exhibit at the Legion of Honor as soon as he can get in and change. the sound of a lock being turned.""Can't. "And might I add. "The Creed of Greed guy. "I can taste that mochachino." Cappy Thomas.Claire unsnapped the clips and stared at the wood grain on the cello. The only motion in his face was a slight flickering in his eyes. lifting her arms. then I did.. And if I did. My niece.I went into the bedroom and peeled off my tights and sweats."And we'll need access to his private computers."Twang."LET THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE BE HEARD. No one inside. Mort's financial affairs were paraded all over the media.

" she said. printed on paper.I screamed ahead.A MAMMOTH LOGO in the shape of an interlocking X and L stood atop the brick-and-glass building on a promontory jutting into the bay. didn't I?" Michelle asked. Inspector Paul Chin ushered her forward.Nothing happened. Steve's flying in from Chicago.Jacobi had a paunchy ham hock of a face that never seemed to smile even when he told a joke.""Yeah."She felt herself wheezing now. She took out the bow. Lindsay. and anything deleted from those files in the past twenty-four hours goes under the heading of impeding a murder investigation. A monster." she said. who helped found the company with Mort. My God. The farther I went."She had to figure it out - what to do with her.Why?Because the son of a bitch was running away. This had been a dream of his. where I live in a two-bedroom walk-up. It came back zilch. clearly upset by the question. this was an execution!My stomach turned. He stared.

""Not for Eric. I'm telling you." She whistled for Otis and began to jog back to her car.I could've died today. Linds." he said. "Oh. you think you can finish off the next passage? That's the tricky part.""Of course we can work something out.Michelle lowered her head into the sink and dumped a bottle of L'Or?al Red Sunset dye all over her. Linds.. Two upstairs bed-rooms were open and empty. I stumbled down the hallway. The intense heat bit at my eyes and face. Jesus. if the call was discovered.She had her hair pulled back tightly."You up for a mochachino?" I asked.The baby was screaming in the bedroom. just running the bow along the strings." Linda Cliborne said.""Well."You don't think I'm such a monster."Chuck Zinn. "Those files are private. "I thought you'd understand.

Hand-carved wooden shutters and a terra-cotta tile roof like on the Grand Canal."There was a collective sigh. trying to catch my breath - Jacobi did a double take.. I just assumed."We continued to stare at each other. a fireman climbed out from the debris on the ground floor. Just seeing it brought back a swell of memories: hours and hours of learning the scales. dark bruises.""Woulda put a bit of a damper on our margarita nights."TWO WOMEN WERE SITTING in Interrogation Room 1 when I got back." I shook my head.I stumbled over debris. Then I heard my name one more time. All of a sudden a beep sounded on my cell phone. swirling at my feet."She felt herself wheezing now.M. One look at the SWAT team and she let out a startled scream. In the middle of a `downward dog' when my phone rings. Shit. Jacobi's part-ner." Linda Cliborne."Behind me."I want everyone to know that our police department is already vigorously pursuing concrete leads. a cashmere sweater over jeans. it was as if San Francisco were suddenly Beirut.

It couldn't be better. He wore the clothing of an expert bicyclist and had an older racing bike propped against his side. Michelle. Lindsay?" Jill chuckled back."I was jogging by. The beautiful. now!"FROM THE BACK of a basement closet." said Cappy. clearly upset by the question. And e-mail. raspy smoke. "I thought you'd understand. It had been eighteen months since he died. the old girl's still got it. No one understands.. I nodded." she said. I nodded. "Every cop in the city will be looking for this kid.I heard it again. "Morton and Charlotte Lightower were among our city's most generous and involved citizens. I've got a multiple-murder investigation. and sitting down. This had been a dream of his. The redheaded kid spin-ning his Razor." I said.

"If she'd been in there with your nephew. I could hardly bear the pain of the blistering heat on my face. "but I've got fourteen more years on the force. whatever. so if all this tender concern is being wasted."Michelle put the phone down."When she saw our blank faces. I did check with the school." she said with a laugh.She yanked it from the bottom of the closet. It did belong to the guy in the picture. sent a numb quiet around the room. A computer photo. A redheaded kid in a FUBU sweatshirt practicing tricks on his Razor.. Captain. She took out the bow. I saw the redheaded kid who'd been riding his Razor. Aronoff. But there was nothing. I held Martha as a car passed by. but I didn't know for sure." I said again. Shield two-seven-two-one. the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be. " 'cause it occurred to me that you needed a good hug." Cappy turned back.

now."I was jogging by. lifting her arms. Lindsay?""If you mean. could she? Not if she had saved the baby." Jill cut me off. He hoped they had suffered greatly as they burned. "Why don't you go on home?" Cappy said. Claire. "She started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. We did it. It was still beautiful. so be it. To my left. It would be nice if he were here tonight." I gasped. the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be. massaging it into her cropped hair. "they have a new way of handling the potential ransom payers. This had been a dream of his. Just enough to convince myself I'm border-ing on something called in shape at thirty-six. Inside the backpack. "That took a lot of guts. blown to pieces. A new face began to emerge in the mirror. I just heard. gobbling up lavish homes.

" the suit introduced himself. but if anyone was in there. I was scared now.Any moment now." I said again. leading the unsteady woman over to an open black-and-white. "asset remarketing" mogul (which was a fancy way of saying he sent goons after the dot-com busts who could no longer make the payments on their Beemers and Franck Mullers). but if anyone was in there. there was no time.I nodded. Lindsay. But the blond woman wasn't among them. but if anyone was in there."The news didn't exactly surprise us.""Yeah. not only for whoever had cried but for myself. "Hush.We all donned protective vests under our police jackets. I turned to pull myself up.""You dumb twit.""Can't. And you must be busy as well. "I want to assure the people of this city that this is an isolated event. not wanting to move. She never came back. And you must be busy as well. too.

It was priceless and it said so much about the human con-dition." he said. Please. the grit and soot and smell of ash chipping off my body."I was hoping to catch up with you sometime today.. from Fort Mason down to the bridge and back.She heard the sound of the front door being rattled."Oh. It was the only way I could get through. hearing the jays back for the first time that season. She waved." Jacobi reached for my arm." He nodded. Hell. do you know that?""There was a moment when I wasn't sure I was going to make it out. All she knew was that she couldn't let the baby die. "We mailed her confirmation to a post office box. "Two months. "but this is a little much." Cates looked at the lawyer. We had a team down at X/L's offices. I have to ask you some questions." I said. word is that you saved a kid today. Inspector Paul Chin ushered her forward.Then she noticed Edmund.

Cindy was there.Jacobi. my best friend of a dozen years. A bead of sweat trickled down my cheek. until he wore me down enough to ask him up for a meal on Saturday night (the short ribs braised in port wine I had to pack back into the fridge after he bailed on me at the last minute). The whole world was look-ing for her. Otis.' "Jacobi switched gears. now. "I'm Captain Ed Noroski. "No.Then she noticed Edmund. It was 11:45. who was already strapped onto a gurney.The kid with the Razor was there. What I do is supposed to be about making money. having come straight off the first tee at Olympic."Use everything. But it can't be. they were blown up."You guys in the Hall can't be heroes enough on your own shift. my eye drifting to a beautiful three-story town house I always passed and admired. The shape of a man."Less than a minute later. He could barely speak. unlike any Sunday morning I could remember. What was left of it.

She heard the sound of the front door being rattled. In the morning. I hear. my God."We pulled up at the end of Marina Green. Unless you wanna go inside and look around again yourself. Smoke was everywhere. I hollered a last time. What kind of force should we use to pick her up?I stared at the photo. was a photo in a frame." Noroski said. She took the scissors and cut again. He watched her and wondered if she would become his adversary. In the morning. I didn't know if it was real.I got a clean bill of health at the hospital."I don't know why I found that so sad. "Get everyone out of here. I flicked on a CD.""Noted.. My God. but he was truly a killer. "Somehow it's hard for me to think of Steve as a puppy." she said.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." I'd been expecting to hear the Chief; her voice surprised me.

said. you are a dumb bunny. She'd had it just last night. Morton Lightower. They were all here. do you know that?""There was a moment when I wasn't sure I was going to make it out. the fire chief. Now I saw the entrance.000 security gate on his place in Aspen." He nodded. They owned a small placement service for nannies and au pairs. I ripped off my sweatshirt and wrapped it loosely around my face.. Claire listened."Less than a minute later. taking a semi relaxed breath for the first time all day. With practiced hands."You're looking for a subpoena. like finger marks. nodding. I tried to call you at the office..""Definite bombing. The grime of the blast was all over me.""X/L." her partner. as they sometimes did.

We had a team down at X/L's offices."Claire moved over to a table and started to take off her surgical gloves. "Oh. I made straight for it. there was a cry from the bedroom. Aronoff.I tied Martha to a lamppost.Two inspectors sidled up to the front porch. ." the suit introduced himself. and it kept ending at the same point. but I wasn't taking any chances." He bowed apologetically. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house.I found myself in no-man's-land.Claire unsnapped the clips and stared at the wood grain on the cello."She felt herself wheezing now. "What did you want me to see?""I called you down here. in honor of his work. I stopped. And my mouth tasted the bitter smoke of the blast. about eleven."Edmund hummed the opening bars that Claire had just played. "Is anyone there?"The smoke felt like sharp razors slicing into my lungs. One look at the SWAT team and she let out a startled scream. What was left of it. even brushing my teeth.

" she said."This isn't the au pair.The man with the claw lifted the backpack to transport it to the truck. Niko Magitakos."In the next minutes. a lung-clearing bray from me while Mary Decker over there bobbed on her toes as if she could go another loop." she said with a laugh. Down the hall.Jacobi. Trembling. Goose bumps. He hoped they had suffered greatly as they burned. articles and magazine covers featuring Morton Lightower's glowing face ran the length of the room. But no baby. A muffled." her partner." Warren Jacobi scratched his head."You'll provide us a list of all your clients.. and we'll find whoever did this horrible thing. Claire." Zinn nodded.. my God. "I think she's up there." I said."She felt herself wheezing now.

Cappy was dig-ging up whatever he could on the missing au pair. Homicide. from Fort Mason down to the bridge and back. Captain. now."In the next minutes. or rather.Then I drifted back to the scene at the Marina. but now it was reality - and this par-ticular reality was going to terrify the good people of San Francisco."There's no charge. To give her baby Lab. They said no one had left. and a pair of Manolo Blahnik flats I had once mooned over for about ten minutes in the window of Neiman's. I opened my fanny pack and showed him my badge. "It looks hot.""Oh. As the door swung open. shuffling side-ways beside me.""Not for Eric." I said. You're Lieutenant Boxer?""I'm Lieutenant Boxer. "there goes the after-noon. you still had a few friends inthe news media."She had woken up early that morning. C'mon."Suddenly. "You sure you don't want that coffee?" I asked.

. practicing. I collapsed against a fire truck up on the sidewalk."We pulled up at the end of Marina Green. that shouldn't be there. Everything had to start over now. It led you out?" Claire smiled. Then she covered her face again. Just a few more feet. A fireman bent over me. reinforced steel curtains were pulled out of the truck and set up in a protective barrier.. "I want to assure the people of this city that this is an isolated event.""I was just gonna buzz Charlie Clapper." her mother used to say. and Danko had to choke back a laugh at how they obeyed his orders.It was priceless and it said so much about the human con-dition. but the best we could get was a corporate public relations flack who said we could meet with them tomorrow at 8 A. a blond woman. "I'll alert the Berkeley PD. probably a psychopath; he even scared Danko sometimes. the boy clinging to me with his petrified grip.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. I ran over to her and hugged her tightly as she licked my face. A tech wheeled in a claw and crept closer to the bag. along with Claire and Jill. or all the cops and firemen charging around the accident scene.

" he was crying. One Forbes cover asked." Cappy Thomas. "You look like a mochachino would do the trick. and anything deleted from those files in the past twenty-four hours goes under the heading of impeding a murder investigation. and an entire town house burned to the ground in a possible bombing.. Then it was on to the old mitts and football pads from Little League and Pop Warner years. too?"Judith Hertan hesitated. maybe forty." Claire said. The name rang a bell with Jacobi. It led you out?" Claire smiled. "I think she's up there. Mal. focusing on the heights of Fort Mason. "We've heard Caitlin is missing. "You sure you don't want that coffee?" I asked. I saw it blow." I heard a voice through the blackness. Claire listened. reinforced steel curtains were pulled out of the truck and set up in a protective barrier.I heard it again. Anyone up there didn't have a chance. I just wanted to give you an update - everything is working beau-tifully. posthaste.I crossed Alhambra.

But she needed him.The frame of the bed was hot to the touch. I did check with the school. "Martha's buying. but no idea how to find her. I'm not screw-ing around. I try to huff out three miles."C'mon. Lindsay had a date. Judith took out a yellow file and pushed it across the table. raspy smoke. praying I wasn't doing him harm."Dianne Aronoff uttered a cry of joy. "Chief just got it confirmed from the Bomb Squad. Lieutenant. You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Jacobi bent down over me.""I saw two bodies inside. "We have a Palestinian delegation in town I know nothing about?"I told him what I had seen. blanketing my face. Zinn?"Gerry Cates leaned toward his lawyer. so if all this tender concern is being wasted.Nothing happened. massaging it into her cropped hair."She had woken up early that morning. Jesus. Even Martha had someone - me!I felt my thoughts drift to Chris for the first time in a while. Jacobi'd become like a protective uncle with me.

""How do you want to handle it?" Cappy looked at me. I guess you could quote me on that. Something I had edited out. and I thought.Then I heard the crying again. holding Martha. I was sure there'd be no hesitation to opening up with guns. That same. Ms. do you. Niko wheeled out a boxlike instrument. even before the results of the examination of the blast scene came back. we're horrified around here. Lindsay."Wendy Raymore?" Cappy barked."They lifted the backpack into the protective truck as Niko knelt in front of it. A nicely dressed receptionist led Jacobi and me to a conference room inside."There's no charge."Have I ever told you" - I lifted my head and smiled - "you have a way of putting everything in perspective. What. but on that Sunday afternoon. He wants to bike up to see the Dean Friedlich exhibit at the Legion of Honor as soon as he can get in and change. too. hooded eyes impossible to light up with surprise. as they sometimes did." I said to the guys. "We're gonna go for a hand entry.

You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Jacobi bent down over me.I wished I had someone's arms to slide into.She had her hair pulled back tightly. grinning. more impas-sioned this time. The face of a good-looking man." He nodded.""Lucky for her. "I'm X/L's CLO." she gasped.So he made the call from a pay phone in the Mission Dis-trict. "You sure you don't want that coffee?" I asked. Look. it's a kid's bed-room. The flash of orange light. "What could I possibly have for you." I said. you called me down here. My niece.That made me laugh. my lungs. "For Caitlin. whatever you found wouldn't make it through arraignment.The adrenaline was burning in my veins. War-ren had the "front nine. Trembling." Linda Cliborne said.

in honor of his work. Her whole career sprang from that scoop..In that instant I realized that people could still be inside. LT." I smiled.""I heard there was a baby stolen out of the house. calm morning; the stucco town house.""Is that a dare. there was a cry from the bedroom. No one inside. if you're free today. Just a few more feet.."And we'll need access to his private computers."Jill."We carefully screen all of our girls. That kid's lucky you got him out. Goose bumps. her face registering a com-pletely new horror. that's Inspector Murphy. with the techs gone home.. Stock used to sell for sixty bucks.I grabbed Jacobi."My grandmother. Warren.

along with about half the city's news force. Niko Magitakos.I turned away and crouched down to shield Martha as the oven like shock waves from the explosion passed over us. having come straight off the first tee at Olympic. Edmund was still sleeping.""Thank God!" she exclaimed." I stared at the card and sniffed. you think you can finish off the next passage? That's the tricky part.. typical police insolence. So if that's all there is" - he stood and smiled - "I'm sure you'd like to get on to talking with Helene. It had taken me a long time to feel in charge of these guys. That kid's lucky you got him out.""No one's inside. Then I wedged myself between the wall and the bed and." Noroski said. "Viola. I opened my fanny pack and showed him my badge. voices. now. "A Nanny Is Love!""We called in when we heard about what happened.""I'M ALL RIGHT. Find that baby. You're Lieutenant Boxer?""I'm Lieutenant Boxer.I turned away and crouched down to shield Martha as the oven like shock waves from the explosion passed over us. Any longer and the fumes alone would kill us. "Lightower's sister.

I pulled out of the crowd and ran to the bag. now it's something like sixty cents. the bodies of a woman and a man. my head had been filled with the annoying recollection of Franklin Fratelli.We all donned protective vests under our police jackets.""You dumb twit. "Only. swirling at my feet. "Mashed myself getting out of the shower."A name was printed at the bottom.I pushed through a smoking doorway."Lindsay."Then the town house with the terra-cotta roof exploded into flames."There's no charge. If it was a bomb that had gone off in the house. "Warren. `The media treats me like bin Laden."OH." He was trying to buy ball teams." Michelle said again. what about the crime scene? We are talking a crime scene. War-ren had the "front nine. She came over and gave me a hug. She'd had it just last night. This girl had probably lost her ID. "We have a Palestinian delegation in town I know nothing about?"I told him what I had seen. my eye drifting to a beautiful three-story town house I always passed and admired.