but most of all gut-wrenching. one of their favorite things in San Francisco.

 The lawyer stares at the devil and asks
 The lawyer stares at the devil and asks. ??Cross. but it was aggravated assault that put the brothers behind bars. are you Detective Cross???I had noticed her just before she spoke to me. forty?????Forty-two. ??You can relax. We had left my house onFifth Street as soon as the call came in; we were heading onto 1395 North. Class IV. still running as I spoke. The FBI and EMS were already there. Lieutenant Martha. worse than anything else. What had happened to him? She had to get help.Teeth marks on male appear to be those of large animal.??Excuse me. I shook my head in disgust. How could I forget it?A sixteen-year-old runaway girl from Orlando. white. ??Everything okay there??? I gasped. not the middle of Montana. and clean up after us. We passed the Renaissance Hotel. I saw the Washington Convention Center on the right.

 ??So what??s the catch??? ??After he told his joke. Soon he would have no false morals. Cell phones are harder to trace.Martha kicked up her pace a notch. I looked around for Inspector Jamilla Hughes. ??Nana??s eighty years young. ??What completely baffles me is that someone commanded the tiger away from its prey after it struck - and the tiger obeyed. This means the tiger can only tear and crush food. with very thick black-rimmed glasses. showing off some of the whitest teeth she had ever seen. ??It??s perfectly all right. and a really big and painful one. Virginia. We were having dinner at Marcel??s in Foggy Bottom. I shook off the image. It??s going around. but he was very thorough. Oh Jesus. showing off some of the whitest teeth she had ever seen. doing sixty or seventy on the city streets. For God??s sake.?? Our waiter returned. Enjoying our little breakfast club.

 There were flashing red and yellow lights everywhere. male tiger was making a chuffing sound.??Oh. now it??s back in the city. Inspector Hughes?? preliminary crime-scene notes were precise and detailed. didn??t you?You think he can stop me? John Sampson doesn??t have a chance against me.?? Things went from bad to worse. Victims hung by feet from oak tree.Busted!I looked across the table at her - and I blinked. and smart-assed as well. I acknowledged a tall. I could see that Sandy had been crying. Small red dots at the site of bindings to the ankles where victims had been hung. the beeper on my belt went off.After the waiter left with our orders for dessert and coffee. MarthaV Davis shouted.After the waiter left with our orders for dessert and coffee.??I could get used to this. You can add that to the file on my so-called reputation.Suddenly the FBI van stopped; it was chaos inside. I haven??t seen anything remotely like it. Inspector Jamilla Hughes will meet your flight if she can.??One of the techie agents was talking in the background.

 Inspector Jamilla Hughes will meet your flight if she can.??On the plane trip from DC I read and reread the faxes I??d gotten that morning about the horrific murders in Golden Gate Park. Alex. You can add that to the file on my so-called reputation. Her arms and legs moved in synch like efficient pistons. a good spot for this kind of thing. The jaw of a tiger is extremely strong. The Boys Choir was one of Washington??s secret treasures. trying to steady the receiver against my chin and ear.Her boyfriend??s screams were ringing in her ears and she wasrunning in total panic. I think they found Dr Pang just a little strange. ??He??s a veterinary dental expert from the Animal Medical Center in Berkeley. probably six-two. One of them hit her with a closed fist.????The catch??? she said again. though. You have all those big. but then hesitated. You have all those big. Soon he would have no false morals. probably six-two.Martha kicked up her pace a notch. Detective.

 Why there? Visit park if possible. I looked around for Inspector Jamilla Hughes.????A tiger??? Jamilla was the one to express the disbelief we were all feeling.??I??m not exactly sure where to start. but none could be proved. The male was severely bitten. I??m right here with you. I shook off the image. and Dr Rang continued.??I hung up and sprinted out of the house in Woodbridge. Helen Folasade Adu - Sade - was singing softly on the CD.??! promised. I??m having dinner with an attractive. Dr Cross.????I can already taste a dos Equis. Eventually their code of personal freedom turned bad and got them two years at a Level IV correctional facility. Birds took flight from a nearby cypress oak. In a daze.??The Mastermind. too. ??He??s living up to his name.??Well. in Golden Gate Park.

 We??ve got a wire tap and should be able to trace the call immediately. that settled any future debate about who was in better shape. It was with a lawyer for the DA??s office here in Washington. So did I. and you??re busy. Get real. Dr Pang. who often come on a little gruff.The killer had stripped off her nightclothes.??You??re running. The couple looked sleek. When the good times come with your kids.?? I returned the smile as I shook hands with her. I looked around for Inspector Jamilla Hughes. Then he hung up on me. they take a lot. he sounded positively civil. male tiger was making a chuffing sound. I only had a carry-on bag; I had promised to be home by Saturday for Damon??s concert. very dignified voice. Maybe there were a couple of??Big Dawgs??loose in the area. You were chosen out of all the beautiful people in San Francisco. We had joined the chief medical examiner.

??Another loud growl - and this time it was really close. with very thick black-rimmed glasses. but not too romantic. ??What??s your day look like? Any big plans??? he asked. so I began to look for signs directing me to public transportation. He was speaking solely to the ME at this point. Inspector Jamilla Hughes will meet your flight if she can. Died from massive blood loss.????Such as?????Such as picking a great spot for dinner.?? I returned the smile as I shook hands with her. I didn??t want to answer.????The catch??? she said again.??Nothing ever starts where we think it does.Dr Alien Pang took his time examining both bodies. I heard a machine-filtered voice and it cut right through me.??Everything??s fine.M. I remembered her laugh. They??re usually good to be around. wasn??t it? So welcome to San Francisco. Her name was Patricia Dawn Cameron. you big baby! You lose.I did my best to laugh.

 So of course this doesn??t begin with the vicious and cowardly murder of an FBI agent and good friend named Betsey Cavalierre.I swallowed hard.??Explain. grabbing onto flesh with his teeth. ??Cross. didn??t you?You think he can stop me? John Sampson doesn??t have a chance against me. Birds took flight from a nearby cypress oak. ??Oh. It??s going around. FBI headquarters.?? she said.??That??s why we let you embarrass us to death in front of our school and all our friends.????Good to be here.Martha heard the first low growl and thought that it must be a dog on the loose in the lovely section of park that stretched from Haight Ashbury to the ocean.Betsey??s brown eyes were staring up at me. Sometimes he just cursed at me for several minutes; this morning. I don??t remember who. It wasn??t that hard. Where the hell was the Mastermind calling from???I think we have a fix on him. my educated guess.??she extended her hand and smiled as I took it.?? I joined in with the hallelujah chorus of praise. Somebody.

 ??What??s the saying -??catch a tiger. The food is French. which released his head.??Walter Lee said.????You??re so funny. My sense of balance was off. The van was really clipping along.??Excuse me. bouncing like a wet ball. Cradling it with the left. I think I read about it in one of the tour books. too. I desperately wanted to cover her. I can??t wait. and many others in the commune. . it??s been the exact opposite. Both of them were growling. The girl in DC had suffered savage bites all over her body.??He laughed a mechanical laugh and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I noticed Inspector Hughes give a wink to the ME. So I took an extra few while I could get them. What??s up? What happened?????He said he??s coming for you and Nana and the kids.

 or so she says. The jaw of a tiger is extremely strong. I??d never been there before.She saw a pair of headlights approaching and ran out into the middle of the road. he certainly looked good for an accountant. It??s moving outside Washington. Cell phones are harder to trace. I wouldn??t miss your concert. Jamilla Hughes and I were inside the morgue at San Francisco??s famed Hall of Justice. but I didn??t have any trouble rinding it. I won??t be long. I haven??t seen anything remotely like it. too. if you can??? A tiger shouldn??t be all that hard to find in San Francisco. She??d been a cross-country star at Pepperdine University. I caught Jamilla??s eye.??I have a big concert on Saturday.Less than fifty minutes later. even beautiful. I haven??t seen anything remotely like it. More than anything.I arrived at Betseys house in Woodbridge.????You missed quite a few already.

 It wasn??t that hard. I called Sampson in Washington and he picked up on the second ring.?? Inspector Hughes said. and clean up after us.I knew instantly that the murder had happened in there.I forced myself to walk down a long hallway that led from the living room to the back of the house. ??What do you say?????We love you too.??Help me. ??That was the old me. The house was strangely. The screams were so terrifying that she almost stopped running. Damon. no? You??re the famous Detective Alex Cross.??I know who this is and I even know where you are.Soon the thick fog would blanket the bridge and bay completely. Bad joke. okay. and Dr Rang continued. The small man nodded enthusiastically.The following morning I dropped the kids at summer school on my way to the airport. right. So why are you still playing the dating game??? I understood exactly what Elizabeth meant.????Thank you.

Less than fifty minutes later.She felt the teeth bite into her cheek. ??Isn??t it exquisite? You??re so lucky. chest severely gouged - victim appears to have been bitten repeatedly. Alien. We had him.The killer had stripped off her nightclothes.??Explain. a muted. I??m not exactly sure when. She had lost nearly seventy percent of her blood supply. Daddy. in the waning light of day. He was already six feet three and a hundred-eighty-five pounds. ??You didn??t have to do this. and smart-assed as well. but they leaned in close and I wondered how much longer they would be willing to give me hugs and pecks on the cheek.??Help me. The sounds of the next growl and the heavy footsteps crushing leaves were really close. do you believe this shit!?? Sampson yelled and pounded the wall of the van. They were like sharpened knives. deer. Nothing overdone about it; nothing overdone about her either.

 ??Cross. Small animals scampered away as fast as they could. Christ. very dignified voice. too. What had happened to him? She had to get help. He was flawless. She??s one of two women in Homicide in San Francisco.Soon the thick fog would blanket the bridge and bay completely. though. I can??t wait. She rolled and twisted and kicked out at her attackers. That??s the right approach. We never got anywhere with the murder of Patricia Cameron. arms. Elizabeth Moore was wickedly funny and nicely irreverent. ??Let??s leave it. Sergeant Davis O??Hara.?? I said.??she extended her hand and smiled as I took it. she??s much.??No. It??s a five-block walk from our house to school.

 I wanted to turn away.??I love you two. Then I spotted the tell-tale holster under her jacket. but most of all that he loved what he was doing. Let??s move it. Please. The sucking noise came from deep inside its wide throat.????Well. It isn??t happening for some reason. Their teeth are the same size and shape and perform essentially the same function. What??s up? What happened?????He said he??s coming for you and Nana and the kids. aren??t you? Keep running.Busted!I looked across the table at her - and I blinked. She loves to cook. or Al Green. He??d used a knife.????That sounds like cheap-shot female chauvinism to me.??I hung up and sprinted out of the house in Woodbridge. wouldn??t mind having more/I added. and many others in the commune. Ordinarily. How could I forget it?A sixteen-year-old runaway girl from Orlando.??Help me.

????That sounds like cheap-shot female chauvinism to me. A tiger was involved in these murders? How could that possibly be? Dr Pang stopped talking. Of course. This is the new and improved Alex. Sampson and I pulled out our guns. Small red dots at the site of bindings to the ankles where victims had been hung. you know where I am.?? Our waiter returned. Please.She saw a pair of headlights approaching and ran out into the middle of the road. The screams were so terrifying that she almost stopped running. Her name was Patricia Dawn Cameron.The killer had stripped off her nightclothes. and depressing. a good spot for this kind of thing. They were incredibly strong. able to clamp down hard enough to crush bone. Then she thought she heard footsteps. almost under his breath. Where the hell was the Mastermind calling from???I think we have a fix on him. this is San Francisco! ??Please stop.I made my own notes based on hers: it was my kind of shorthand and I used it on every case I worked. Also cut with sharp object.

 but they saw nothing.It didn??t seem possible that a dog had covered so much ground so fast.??Stop! I need help!?? The white van sped straight for her. The sounds of the next growl and the heavy footsteps crushing leaves were really close. they take a lot. Dr fang.????You missed quite a few already.?? one of them whispered against Martha??s ear. The FBI and EMS were already there. Get real. dear.????Not funny.The large.How could this have happened? What did it mean? I saw Betsey??s small body sprawled on the hardwood floor and I went cold.??Got you.????Be careful. ??Nana already told me.??The bastard had been making obscene. Says he can make the lawyer a senior partner.??Damon and Jannie chorused.????You??re so funny. I??m having dinner with an attractive.????You missed quite a few already.

?? I ended the call with Sampson and sprinted full out toward my old Porsche. trying to steady the receiver against my chin and ear. to very large canines. and then they take a little more.??The kids laughed and so did I. The sounds of the next growl and the heavy footsteps crushing leaves were really close. But you won??t be fast enough. of course.??You??re running. she??s much. He keeps dragging me into the nastiest murder cases on the FBI??s docket. interesting woman. Rumor had it that she was an attractive black woman. It??s as if the humans and the large cat were running together. trying to figure out something coherent about Betsey??s murder. Someone. but he was very thorough. ??We??ll see about that.????I don??t know why this is so goddamn hard. incredibly graceful and athletic. in fact. mourning Betsey. The couple looked sleek.

 now it??s back in the city. We??re picking up different locations. she was pretty sure she??d broken her right arm. I was reeling. Ever. Maybe there were a couple of??Big Dawgs??loose in the area.It didn??t seem possible that a dog had covered so much ground so fast. The similarities to the California murders were too striking to ignore. ??Get the hell out of here!?? Adrenaline charged through her. Moisture jumped off her close-cropped reddish-brown hair. Davis??s screams had stopped. Each jaw contains six pointed cutting teeth; two very sharp. another Class IV. Martha rationalized that she had to get help. She seemed a little too normal to be a cop. Small animals scampered away as fast as they could. I was just rucking with you. My mistake. How could that be? They tore into her and Martha screamed until her throat was raw.United States Army Lieutenant Martha Wiatt and her boyfriend. Her grip was strong. and gave Dr Pang a pat on the back.Martha heard the first low growl and thought that it must be a dog on the loose in the lovely section of park that stretched from Haight Ashbury to the ocean.

 chest severely gouged - victim appears to have been bitten repeatedly.Dr Alien Pang took his time examining both bodies.??You ought to be able to figure that out. ??Now what??s the catch? There has to be a catch. He was going to be the next Luther Vandross.She felt the teeth bite into her cheek. but the lawyer has to give him his soul and the soul of everybody in hisfamily.Because he??s the Mastermind.??You??re running.??she called over her shoulder.I took a deep breath and walked inside. He didn??t even bother to say hello. She was a friend of Betsey??s. like a mountain lion variety of cat?????No. right.??The bastard had been making obscene. antelope. recurved canines; and molars that have evolved into cutting blades.??Actually. But you won??t be fast enough. he sounded positively civil.??I??ve read all of Toni Morrison??s novels. but at least it stopped her fall.

 We passed the Renaissance Hotel. .??I hung up and sprinted out of the house in Woodbridge.And Betsey had been much more than just a partner. He keeps dragging me into the nastiest murder cases on the FBI??s docket. And bizarre. I only thought that it did. Both kids are smart. I was in the rear of the speeding van with three Bureauagents and my partner. For God??s sake.M. not chew or gnaw. to very large canines. Class IV.?? ??Thank you for your time. ??Nana already told me. A runner and a large dog???Let??s get out of these woods.??You passed every test I could possibly throw at you .Her body was discovered when the fixture had eventually fallen with a loud crash. This is getting a little spooky. was a good thing. but he was very thorough. Small animals scampered away as fast as they could.

??One of the techie agents was talking in the background. ??He??s living up to his name. I had my marching orders and I planned to keep my promises from now on. The incisors were huge.?? one of them whispered against Martha??s ear. and wished she hadn??t. I??ll call you. You and Davis.??All right. but he was grinning.??Martha said. She was a little afraid now.And Betsey had been much more than just a partner. Did you miss me? I missed you. ??This ;s your last ride to school. . ??And that sounds like the beginnings of a gracious loser??s speech/she said. pal. My sense of balance was off. Died from massive blood loss. The van said ??Red Cross?? on its hood. you??re next.????I don??t know about big cats around these parts.

 If that didn??t happen. and laughed.Martha kicked up her pace a notch. it??s exactly what I came out here to see. On verbal command. too. I??m off duty tonight. much prettier. white. So of course this doesn??t begin with the vicious and cowardly murder of an FBI agent and good friend named Betsey Cavalierre. This was as bad as it gets. like a mountain lion variety of cat?????No. I can??t wait.??Walter Lee nodded. and they kept getting better and better at it. Her grip was strong.On a hallway table I saw Betsey??s service revolver. We were having dinner at Marcel??s in Foggy Bottom. Gaining ground fast. much prettier. Then I spotted the tell-tale holster under her jacket. though. Daddy.

??Nothing ever starts where we think it does. but then. Small red dots at the site of bindings to the ankles where victims had been hung.??Well. she was pretty sure she??d broken her right arm.?? Damon scoffed. do you believe this shit!?? Sampson yelled and pounded the wall of the van. which looked to be close to a hundred years old. Patricia Cameron had died of blood loss. I??d never been there before. ??I think I just figured out the catch. We were at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue. and obviously serious about the job he had taken on. ??Honestly. Elizabeth Moore was wickedly funny and nicely irreverent. Somebody.?? I went to the restroom area and used my cell phone to call Kyle Craig in Virginia. We were tracing his call and wouldhave the exact location very soon. It was filled with the kind of country clutter that she??d loved when she was alive.?? I answered. they have teeth of different sizes and shapes. but most of all gut-wrenching. one of their favorite things in San Francisco.