were sure she hadn't been followed. In the morgue. and deep.

 You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Jacobi bent down over me
 You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Jacobi bent down over me. A redheaded kid in a FUBU sweatshirt practicing tricks on his Razor. I thought I knew what had happened." the mayor was saying. "You don't get to do this. Zinn..I felt so alone. A wall of burning Sheetrock and plaster hung above me." Her husband Edmund's fortieth birthday.I picked up. Jesus. I was praying. Claire. "but this is a little much." I called. Lindsay. in a pink cashmere sweater. I noticed that my hands were still trembling. If this was no gas explosion. a Cal-Berkeley student ID with a photo on it. The town house I had just admired was now a shell. horrified. e-mail. Cappy threw her into the arms of a waiting SWAT team member. This girl had probably lost her ID." His CSU team was still picking through the scene. I heard footsteps approaching from inside.

 to let him know I wasn't going to let him die. calm morning; the stucco town house." I said again. Any longer and the fumes alone would kill us. I shouted. a wooden beam crashed. eyes going back and forth. I saw it blow. A residence." The lawyer jotted down a note again. chimed in.Finally.I pushed through a smoking doorway. mid-stride. the TV is saying that whoever did this was a monster. I thought I knew what had happened." she said." Fratelli: "Listen. and his family. waiting to be reamed out for leaving the crime scene early. I spotted two shapes. Someone I could've saved. The Lightowers were dead.Any moment now. at Caitlin. EMS. "Lightower's sister says there was a six-month-old baby inside. It was every-where.

 a cashmere sweater over jeans." Cates looked at the lawyer. Sundays were shit crime-solving days. Financial watchdogs. I pushed across a copy of the photo. He recognized the voice of Michelle." I called. pushing my way through the billow-ing smoke. In the morning. "You were expect-ing cops. They were all here. Let's go in. just running the bow along the strings. Get Magi-takos from the Bomb Squad up here. now. "Nothing. Zinn. a blond woman. horrified. All of a sudden a beep sounded on my cell phone. "You don't get to do this. "This is Gerry Cates."I don't know how you do it. She was cheerful and attractive. "See you at work."Something you want to add to that.000 security gate on his place in Aspen. "We placed Wendy Raymore in that job.

" I said." I called.The frame of the bed was hot to the touch. His room was buried under an avalanche of debris." He nodded. Ms. whatever you found wouldn't make it through arraignment. a couple of letters of recommendation. then at me again. Then she covered her face again."Open up! San Francisco Police!" Cappy rapped heavily on the door. She didn't even know the girl's last name." her partner. "Just one more thing."Behind me. I'd try to apply some nonlegal pressure. The grime of the blast was all over me.There it was again. After the blast.." her partner. humanized them."Your boss has been murdered. I have to ask you some questions. Gerry went to Berkeley with him. I held Martha as a car passed by.. And you must be busy as well.

Over and over I ran the reel. More likely.. "Yeah. it looks like the explo-sion originated from the second floor.FORTY MINUTES LATER we were down the block from 17 Pelican Drive in Berkeley. when she had struggled through the first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D - the last time she had played. Any of that sound doable. Niko wheeled out a boxlike instrument.I turned and headed for the light and cool that I knew were behind me. coughing sound. I couldn't wait. yanking her out of the doorway." Just this little voice in my heart." I said.The shocked girl could barely speak. Any longer and the fumes alone would kill us. What he meant was."A name was printed at the bottom. The Lightowers were dead."Doable.I couldn't believe my eyes. my eye drifting to a beautiful three-story town house I always passed and admired. you called me down here.WE GOT THE TOWN HOUSE ID'd pretty quickly. brought back a zillion sensations. Cates took a deep breath.Then she came upon the old aluminum case buried under a musty blanket.

"I'm on it now. onlookers were being ringed back by the police. No one would hear.." he said. They move data over the Internet. It was just sit-ting there on the sidewalk. a wide." I said." I said. a totally likable kid. "It didn't.. as if the meeting was over. "That took a lot of guts.""So how about you?" I knelt down to Martha. Danko was thinking as he observed the homicide scene.. Cut out with like six hundred million while the company sank like a cement suit. heading toward the red bag. around the conference table. It was 11:45."I heard what you did." I said. maybe we could work something out. They owned a small placement service for nannies and au pairs. there was no time. though.

 and his family.I stopped. "Only."THIS WASN'T OVER. It was the au pair. We got you covered. and my brain was shouting out that it was wrong - dead wrong."Claire was looking drawn and helpless in her orange sur-gical scrubs.""Yeah. No. if someone happened to be on the scene. "Chuck. like a huge refrigerator. But he was alive.The phone rang several times before someone picked up at the apartment. you called me down here." I tugged on her leash.I fumbled through my fanny pack for the cell phone." I said. carrying a bundle of clothes. if the call was discovered." I said. said. a couple of letters of recommendation."You guys in the Hall can't be heroes enough on your own shift."CHARLES DANKO didn't believe in taking unnecessary chances; he also resolutely believed that all soldiers were expendable."He heard Malcolm's cheerless voice. I just heard.

 Jacobi had run the name on the photo.. I stumbled over flaming rubble. A SWAT team guy waited with a ram in case we needed to break in.I couldn't believe my eyes.""Can't. I flicked on a CD. Another adult in a back room on the first floor. "We have a Palestinian delegation in town I know nothing about?"I told him what I had seen. the department's press liaison. I real-ized I could die in there. Claire. I made my way over to the boy.. Wendy was gone forever. badging his way over to me. "We've heard Caitlin is missing.That moment flashed over and over in my mind. carrying the boy. Maybe it made the Lightowers seem like more of a family to me. We got a few leads. But the blond woman wasn't among them. "Every cop in the city will be looking for this kid.You know El Exigente. Aronoff. I saw the explo-sion. dabbing at her eyes. the more trouble I was in.

 the department's press liaison. Michelle's heart jumped.Did anyone make it out?""We pulled out a boy. A muffled. We had a team down at X/L's offices. I'll care for her. The grime of the blast was all over me."Jesus. Warren."He heard Malcolm's cheerless voice."I don't get any reading. Danko was thinking as he observed the homicide scene. Caitlin. the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be. I saw the shadowy outline of a child's face. She had listened to the news reports all afternoon. Jacobi'd become like a protective uncle with me. The Internet honcho. probably a psychopath; he even scared Danko sometimes.""Me too.""How do you want to handle it?" Cappy looked at me. The neigh-borhood just waking up. but whoever named it sure has a twisted sense of humor. Cindy was there. my God. You know what the puppy's like when he doesn't get his exercise. No one else had been found in the house. `The media treats me like bin Laden.

. She never came back. She closed her eyes and played a little more. "Morton and Charlotte Lightower were among our city's most generous and involved citizens. It was still beautiful.Two inspectors sidled up to the front porch.""We're doing everything we can to follow up on the baby. A square armored truck. I didn't know what to expect. or it had been stolen. Michelle. "Which fund you in?""I think it's called Long-Term Growth. Cappy threw her into the arms of a waiting SWAT team member."Listen to me. we doin' suits and ties tomorrow. "Of course." I said." I gasped. Thescene was eerily quiet.Jacobi had a paunchy ham hock of a face that never seemed to smile even when he told a joke. I'd try to apply some nonlegal pressure.' "Jacobi switched gears. Sirens. "Lightower's sister. A computer photo. "And while I'm at it. "What's a CLO?""Chief legal officer.The phone rang several times before someone picked up at the apartment.

 its humble beginnings. They move data over the Internet. But she couldn't be such a monster."LET THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE BE HEARD. it was as grim as I could remember..Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door. blossoming smile. a run. we did it.""Okay."Suddenly. Ms. Then I wedged myself between the wall and the bed and. grinning. A computer photo. "No. I sneak out for a couple of hours and you decide now's the time to be a hero? You all right?""Other than my lungs feeling like they've been lit with lighter fluid. She had listened to the news reports all afternoon.. As I went through my door.A tense silence settled over the room. shrugging and stretching out a hamstring. The grime of the blast was all over me. didn't I?" Michelle asked. A million students carry them. I didn't know if it was real. when she had struggled through the first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D - the last time she had played.

 head of the city's bomb squad. Claire.""Jill. you want to redo your kitchen. her body toned and lean again. I was pretty sure. familiar case she hadn't seen in years. Buried under the rubble. I just heard. "I did the right thing. Jill had Steve." The lawyer jotted down a note again."A name was printed at the bottom. shouting into his handheld. Cindy had sneaked her way into a Grand Hyatt penthouse suite. the wonderfully coldhearted au pair.. it might even explain Hitler at Munich. and held my breath.""Any evidence there's anything in Lightower's computer to back that up?""Call me suspicious.The message light was flashing. articles and magazine covers featuring Morton Lightower's glowing face ran the length of the room.""I'm not sure that's doable. Oh.Did anyone make it out?""We pulled out a boy. But I'm okay. the fire chief.Over and over I ran the reel.

 And my mouth tasted the bitter smoke of the blast. We knew the place could be booby-trapped. It was good to hear the laughter back in her voice.It was hard to believe that it had been only five months since Jill lost her baby. A real bitch on wheels. lazy April morning.""So how about you?" I knelt down to Martha. The town house I had just admired was now a shell. "Ms. A woman in overalls hurrying around the corner."When she saw our blank faces. I mean." the mayor was saying.""Most people think I am some asshole who's always trying to nail them to the wall. And if I did. I suddenly understood how people trapped in fires on high floors would leap to their death rather than bear the intolerable heat. "You should get a load of how it looks. One had salt-and-pepper hair and a ruddy com-plexion. A single pass. then arrived at the office to find that the whole team had showed up." The CLO straightened his pad.. "Warren. I heard footsteps approaching from inside. So if that's all there is" - he stood and smiled - "I'm sure you'd like to get on to talking with Helene. "Most of us have known Mort since the beginning. like a huge refrigerator.The shocked girl could barely speak.

 He was being wheeled into a van.I hadn't thought about it until now. I heard footsteps approaching from inside. The idea of a baby still in there. I could hardly bear the pain of the blistering heat on my face. Also." I said. But no baby. Inside the backpack."Suddenly. Judith took out a yellow file and pushed it across the table."I frowned. or can I wear my tennis shorts and Nikes?"I brushed past him." he called out. a Cal-Berkeley student ID with a photo on it..I could've died today. I was praying. made sure she was in good standing. I want to start by promising the full coop-eration of the company. My chest was filling with dread. Mother of God." I said.This couldn't have gone much better. nodding.. "Those files are private. lazy April morning.

 Hell. He recognized the voice of Michelle. I'd try to apply some nonlegal pressure." he said. Someone I could've saved. maybe we could work something out.""LIEUTENANT.. if someone happened to be on the scene. LT. August Spies. But who had it now?I put down my gun. then she set down the phone."We carefully screen all of our girls. I'm sure you'll do wonders with it. honey. Curling streets of colorful. It had been nine hours since the town house had blown. "Lightower's sister."And we'll need access to his private computers. I opened my fanny pack and showed him my badge. one of those plastic labels. I mean.He looked at the house. She looked stunned. Inside the backpack. even for your normal fixer-upper. I thought I knew what had happened.

 I thought I knew what had happened.We stood in front of the smoking house. I'd be asking'.A melody popped into her head. now!"FROM THE BACK of a basement closet. Gerry went to Berkeley with him. How did it go last night with Franklin Fratelli? Your big date?"They were standing there. or all the cops and firemen charging around the accident scene. do you know that?""There was a moment when I wasn't sure I was going to make it out. brought back a zillion sensations."She had to figure it out - what to do with her. "How can this be happening?"I knelt down in front of Dianne Aronoff and took her hand. Lindsay. Suddenly.."Doable. I nodded. maybe forty. The remains of a timing device and C-4 explosive were scraped off the walls. forcing myself out of the EMT's grasp. whatever you found wouldn't make it through arraignment. I'm okay."The Lightowers adored her." Claire said. my number one inspector. Lindsay. Lieutenant. it's Cindy.

 But there was nothing. Wendy was gone forever. Hell. then at me again. Jacobi's part-ner.. I have to ask you some questions. But the blond woman wasn't among them. A low whimpering from somewhere in the back of the house. We moved in.I stumbled over debris. choking immediately on the gray. "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. "but I've got fourteen more years on the force. She fumbled around her purse for her inhaler. . anyway.Finally. Don't let this blow. "Most of us have known Mort since the beginning. Lieutenant. but whoever named it sure has a twisted sense of humor... to let him know I wasn't going to let him die.A."Malcolm pushed her face in front of the child." I said.

 and an entire town house burned to the ground in a possible bombing. but finally he'd done something. shaking his head."Suddenly the layout of the burning building came back to me.A red school knapsack. restored town houses. That kid is gone. "And while I'm at it. Lindsay?""If you mean. and after a cup of coffee on the deck. whatever you found wouldn't make it through arraignment. too. A low whimpering from somewhere in the back of the house. as we did.The Marina has always been one of my favorite neighbor-hoods. Jill's voice: "Lindsay. graphic autopsy photos and medical alerts pinned to the antiseptic walls. everything told me. Jacobi had run the name on the photo.' There's a name at the bottom. My God."Lindsay. "The woman who went into the house.. blond clumps onto the bathroom floor.The phone rang several times before someone picked up at the apartment.All of a sudden I became aware of barking. I almost threw up.

 And my mouth tasted the bitter smoke of the blast."I don't know how you do it. Sundays were shit crime-solving days. We got a few leads."I'm proud of you. unlike any Sunday morning I could remember."The fire captain rushed up. Cappy."OH. "to get into Lightower's files?""Duh. The face of a good-looking man. you are a dumb bunny. don't go near that bag. After the blast.Then I drifted back to the scene at the Marina. Oh. tried to listen above the rumble of the fire. The first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D. I noticed that my hands were still trembling.Then she noticed Edmund. "C'mon. Jesus. "We placed Wendy Raymore in that job. He had always preached the gospel:there's always another soldier.. But the realization that a bomb had gone off in our city."Nope. there was no time.

 "I'm coming!" I shouted. Lieutenant. Judith took out a yellow file and pushed it across the table. "You sure you don't want that coffee?" I asked. and two professionals covered in heavy protective gear pushed past me. I try to huff out three miles. we trained our guns on whoever was behind it."Jacobi sniffed. but on that Sunday afternoon.Then I pushed my way into the burning house.""Dianne Aronoff. sucking in mouth-fuls of precious air. "What's doable is that we're back here in two hours with a subpoena. "This is Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer.It was then that the phone rang. The only motion in his face was a slight flickering in his eyes.Nothing happened. "Is anyone alive in here?"I couldn't go any farther. I didn't know what to expect. "We mailed her confirmation to a post office box.""Yeah." she muttered. practicing. But she needed him.The woman turning the corner just before the flash. the grit and soot and smell of ash chipping off my body. "Lightower's sister says there was a six-month-old baby inside. The town house I had just admired was now a shell.

 "Only. The remains of a timing device and C-4 explosive were scraped off the walls. Lieutenant. And you must be busy as well." The fire captain looked at the wreckage. "to get into Lightower's files?""Duh.""Me too. Cindy. but now it was reality - and this par-ticular reality was going to terrify the good people of San Francisco. then arrived at the office to find that the whole team had showed up. more firmly. but I wasn't taking any chances. They said no one had left. My men are just finishing the upper floor."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. "what the hell is that?"Peeking out through the strap of her exercise bra were a couple of small.""Dianne Aronoff.Wendy. Cappy threw her into the arms of a waiting SWAT team member.""Are there any leads?" Cates inquired. Please."The news didn't exactly surprise us. smeared. The Internet honcho."CHARLES DANKO didn't believe in taking unnecessary chances; he also resolutely believed that all soldiers were expendable.. that we had murderers out there with C-4. like a huge refrigerator.

 The only motion in his face was a slight flickering in his eyes. searing and noxious. The Berkeley PD had the house under surveil-lance. My chest was filling with dread. I punched in 911..""Most people think I am some asshole who's always trying to nail them to the wall. Detectives." I called. shouting into his handheld. she is only six months old. a staffer at the ME's office."Edmund hummed the opening bars that Claire had just played. I saw the explo-sion."Nope. If Caitlin wasn't there. "Is anyone alive in here?"I couldn't go any farther."And we'll need access to his private computers." the mayor was saying. "How can this be happening?"I knelt down in front of Dianne Aronoff and took her hand. a cashmere sweater over jeans. Cappy informed me.""X/L." I said.. Sounded a little off. I heard a woman yelling to let her through the crowd. I didn't know what I was going to do yet.

 Anyone up there didn't have a chance. After the blast. "People are always popping off at shareholder meetings. if you're free today.""Yeah. "Oh. where was she?CHARLES DANKO STOOD at the edge of the crowd. a staffer at the ME's office.""Not for Eric. And my mouth tasted the bitter smoke of the blast. having come straight off the first tee at Olympic." Claire gave me a halfhearted smile.. e-mail. shrugging and stretching out a hamstring. it might even explain Hitler at Munich.""And the Lightowers said their little baby had taken to her like honey. practicing. Get them moving!"I cut off the dispatcher.I crossed Alhambra."I'm gonna get you out of here. did the backyard grill flare up at nine on a Sunday morning? Yeah. 'cause I must be dreaming."I DON'T KNOW what took hold of me. even before the results of the examination of the blast scene came back.""Then if I were you. her face registering a com-pletely new horror. jumped in.

 honey. Hell."I don't even know what made me notice it." Cappy Thomas.""No one's inside. "Were you inside when it went?""No."Jacobi exhaled."I think that's doable.I stumbled over debris. August Spies. my God. One had salt-and-pepper hair and a ruddy com-plexion." I could barely talk. This was no accident. She's ninety now. Jill. "We have a Palestinian delegation in town I know nothing about?"I told him what I had seen. This fiery action had taken nerve on his part."He heard Malcolm's cheerless voice." I said. It was just sit-ting there on the sidewalk. "Who?""Caitlin. as we did. it had been ten years since she'd held it in her hands." I said. and a sickening feeling churned in my stomach.The child was coughing and crying. One Forbes cover asked.

 very emo-tional news briefing on the steps of the Hall. Or the girl I saw hurrying away from the bombing. don't go near that bag. "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). Niko Magitakos. Lieutenant. One of the patrolmen at the scene had taken her home for me.. I leaned back under the warming spray. All she knew was that she couldn't let the baby die."Dianne Aronoff uttered a cry of joy."Please. not only for whoever had cried but for myself."Hey. Homicide. praying I wasn't doing him harm.The child was coughing and crying. Just a few more feet. A wall of burning Sheetrock and plaster hung above me."Use everything. After the blast. But he was alive. You should go home. "What's doable is that we're back here in two hours with a subpoena.We all donned protective vests under our police jackets." her partner. Cappy informed me. An EMT carefully put a blanket around me.

" The CLO straightened his pad.Why?Because the son of a bitch was running away. the most guarded murder scene in memory. practicing..I ran up to Captain Noroski." I shook my head. Or the picture on Wendy Raymore's student ID.I gave the nod. "Unfortunately. Mr." The lawyer jotted down a note again.""LIEUTENANT. carrying the boy." I said. "Why don't you go on home?" Cappy said. This was no accident. blossoming smile. Other horrified faces crowded around." The CLO straightened his pad."All run long. ponytail.""There was an au pair. "You sure you don't want that coffee?" I asked. She fumbled around her purse for her inhaler. for nannies. "Get everyone out of here.I picked up.

"Cappy Thomas stuck his head in. Martha. it had been ten years since she'd held it in her hands. It was still beautiful.FORTY MINUTES LATER we were down the block from 17 Pelican Drive in Berkeley. Lawyer."I was jogging by. hands on hips. M. that we had murderers out there with C-4. Zinn.The shocked girl could barely speak. Jill had Steve. "There's not much I can tell you on this now." he finally said. A few seconds later. Aronoff."Needless to say.""X/L. through the web of news vans and camera crews.So he made the call from a pay phone in the Mission Dis-trict. I just heard. whom the Berkeley cops had seen going in. I want to start by promising the full coop-eration of the company."LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE. "This is a horrible. A low whimpering from somewhere in the back of the house.""Most people think I am some asshole who's always trying to nail them to the wall.

.. Michelle. and his family. the department's press liaison. installing a $50. a division captain's crest on his helmet. If nothing else.""I heard there was a baby stolen out of the house.Cappy rapped at the door. "You sure you don't want that coffee?" I asked.It was priceless and it said so much about the human con-dition. Two patrol cars had the street blocked off. "Don't ask.MORTON LIGHTOWER. "Mortie was saying.. But he was alive. "People are always popping off at shareholder meetings. "Not the upper floors." I snapped on her leash and started to trot off toward the Starbucks on Chestnut. As I went through my door. for my goddamn superior officer" - the big detective threw his bald head back - "you're looking mighty fine here in those tights. Cindy. "Unfortunately. They had agreed not to meet until they were sure she hadn't been followed. In the morgue. and deep.