and Pop Warner years. "We've heard Caitlin is missing.

 Mort's financial affairs were paraded all over the media
 Mort's financial affairs were paraded all over the media. You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Jacobi bent down over me. Cindy had sneaked her way into a Grand Hyatt penthouse suite. I knew they'd had to make their peace with Homi-cide being run by a woman for the first time..I turned and headed for the light and cool that I knew were behind me. "I thought you'd understand. "Morton and Charlotte Lightower were among our city's most generous and involved citizens.""Can't. "Ms."I'm on it now."We both started to laugh." Mal stroked her hair."When you said Eric was the only one brought out. "Most of us have known Mort since the beginning. I held Martha as a car passed by. the more trouble I was in.

 I stopped. I hear. the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be. I hear. Everything had to start over now. she froze. but a black girl carrying a Cal-Berkeley bag had gone in thirty minutes before. the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be. My God.. all right. "But this was no gas explosion. calm morning; the stucco town house.I could've died today. I'd try to apply some nonlegal pressure.The Marina has always been one of my favorite neighbor-hoods..

 Look." Dianne Aronoff choked a sob. "C'mon. No sign of activity inside. I scrolled back to the mental image I had before the blast: the girl in the overalls leaving the scene. Then it was on to the old mitts and football pads from Little League and Pop Warner years. If the call was interrupted. I just heard.. who was bark-ing commands to his men searching through the house.Why?Because the son of a bitch was running away. But there was nothing.. as they sometimes did. my buddy Jill came along. Something I had edited out. She had listened to the news reports all afternoon.

 She's done nothing wrong. Buried under the rubble. Move everybody back.. No one else had been found in the house.." I said. She was blond with high cheekbones." he said."LET THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE BE HEARD. Then it was on to the old mitts and football pads from Little League and Pop Warner years. could she? Not if she had saved the baby. do you. clearly upset by the question."I'm on it now. you called me down here. printed on paper.

. "This is a horrible. She said good-bye to the au pair she had been for the past five months. and held my breath."When you said Eric was the only one brought out. Two years ago I had -""If you moguls have a moment. It was the au pair. the boy clinging to me with his petrified grip. unlike any Sunday morning I could remember. that shouldn't be there. waiting to be reamed out for leaving the crime scene early.. Just enough to convince myself I'm border-ing on something called in shape at thirty-six. In my eyes. next to the standard clock radio. EMS." Cappy said.

 Niko Magitakos. Wow. One look at the SWAT team and she let out a startled scream." The two men took seats." he was crying. held it in her hands. the wonderfully coldhearted au pair."Behind me." I said.""I'm not sure that's doable. Aronoff. Then it was on to the old mitts and football pads from Little League and Pop Warner years. Mayor Fiske and Police Commissioner Tracchio were live at the bomb scene. Wow. Claire looked around. but if anyone was in there. "So.

 "Sorry I brought it up. The intense heat bit at my eyes and face. "Mashed myself getting out of the shower. My chest was filling with dread. focusing on the heights of Fort Mason.""Any evidence there's anything in Lightower's computer to back that up?""Call me suspicious. Jill's voice: "Lindsay. put a fucking pillow over its head. "I did the right thing.The message light was flashing. "It's the office.I started to panic again. Get them moving!"I cut off the dispatcher."A name was printed at the bottom. choking immediately on the gray. "Martha's buying.000 security gate on his place in Aspen.

 A redheaded kid in a FUBU sweatshirt practicing tricks on his Razor. articles and magazine covers featuring Morton Lightower's glowing face ran the length of the room." Michelle said again. I stared at that knapsack. AUGUST SPIES. and deep. I collapsed against a fire truck up on the sidewalk. I'm all right.. No match on any name or group. I think he's going to be all right. my God. and Danko had to choke back a laugh at how they obeyed his orders. "We're gonna go for a hand entry. A single pass. That was before everyone realized they had no data to move over the Internet."You probably want to talk to Helene now.

 and two professionals covered in heavy protective gear pushed past me. She's Homicide. who was bark-ing commands to his men searching through the house. But there was nothing. No match on any name or group. The farther I went. And I want access to all correspondence. Cindy.. blinking sleep from her eyes. "It referred to Morton Lightower as an `enemy of the people. You okay?""I think so. but now it was reality - and this par-ticular reality was going to terrify the good people of San Francisco. and it hurt just to peek out from the protective cloth. Someone I could've saved. sooty. My niece.

 and Danko had to choke back a laugh at how they obeyed his orders."You'll provide us a list of all your clients. Look at the firemen. The shape of a man. Unless you wanna go inside and look around again yourself.""Lucky for her. we're horrified around here." I said with a shrug."I don't know why I found that so sad. "It referred to Morton Lightower as an `enemy of the people. blinking sleep from her eyes.A bed was overturned on its side up against a wall. Lindsay. "C'mon.Her old cello. my eye drifting to a beautiful three-story town house I always passed and admired. but I managed to budge it a little bit from the wall.

""Definite bombing. One look at the SWAT team and she let out a startled scream." The fire captain looked at the wreckage. and a grisly smell in the air." Linda said." I said. said. vin-dictive tragedy. with all my strength." she muttered vacantly. I pushed across a copy of the photo."So. "Lieutenant."Nope. Casualties likely. but I managed to budge it a little bit from the wall..

 This fiery action had taken nerve on his part. Claire Washburn pulled out an old. She didn't even know the girl's last name. My heart jumped. Two patrol cars had the street blocked off. "If she'd been in there with your nephew. I scrolled back to the mental image I had before the blast: the girl in the overalls leaving the scene. Two patrol cars had the street blocked off. sucking in mouth-fuls of precious air." I tried to pull myself up. could she? Not if she had saved the baby.Back in the office. unlike any Sunday morning I could remember. I just did what I thought was right. Let's go in.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..

 She was cheerful and attractive.. forcing myself out of the EMT's grasp. leading the unsteady woman over to an open black-and-white. I could try to cut a deal with them. "Don't ask."IT TOOK ME all of about six seconds after storming out the doors of X/L to place an urgent call to Jill. I lifted the strap and read. I shouted."I don't get any reading.. and I crept behind a line of parked cars close to the front of the house. Lindsay?""If you mean. from Fort Mason down to the bridge and back. I stopped. feeling my stomach turn.""Are there any leads?" Cates inquired.

"We pulled up at the end of Marina Green. They were all here. as they sometimes did.I started toward the knapsack.Two inspectors sidled up to the front porch." She winked. Before she realized she would never be a Yo-Yo Ma and headed to med school. I swear. before they send in the Arthur Ander-sen boys to do a little office tidying. It was always there. waiting to be reamed out for leaving the crime scene early. "Sorry I brought it up. but I didn't know for sure.Claire lifted her cello out of the felt mold. like finger marks. Someone was either let in or had access. Martha wagged up to me.

 maybe forty.Then I heard the crying again.Someone was crying. badging his way over to me. A residence.""Oh. it's not a challenge.I heard it again."She had to figure it out - what to do with her. "Just one more thing. Cut out with like six hundred million while the company sank like a cement suit. Suddenly.I found myself in no-man's-land. Martha. Curling streets of colorful. they're crying you're bleeding the company. I just heard.

" I said. an X-ray scanner. "What's a CLO?""Chief legal officer.I wished I had someone's arms to slide into. and would she be worthy?He inquired about her from a patrolman at the barricades. There was a note at the bomb scene. Please don't say anything.I found myself in no-man's-land. A quilt folded up that was now just a dust convention. It couldn't be better." I said. put a fucking pillow over its head."You don't think I'm such a monster. Just sitting there.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door. He hadn't come this close to an investigation since some case study he'd read at the academy twenty-five years ago."Doable.

 In the middle of a `downward dog' when my phone rings."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. "And might I add. The only motion in his face was a slight flickering in his eyes.""Is that a dare. This had been a dream of his. You are a hero. Jesus.000 security gate on his place in Aspen. Her whole career sprang from that scoop. The Berkeley PD had the house under surveil-lance.I got a clean bill of health at the hospital. their clothes on fire. If the call was interrupted. We were staring at a different girl. Then it was on to the old mitts and football pads from Little League and Pop Warner years. "We've heard Caitlin is missing.