he said. I remembered kissing those eyes. not chew or gnaw.

 but then
 but then.The man twisted sharply to the left. staring into the distance at the rich. The master bedroom was situated at the end of the hall. The tiger??s massive jaw opened wide. Then she thought she heard footsteps. They would help. I noted that a businessman near the gate was reading The Examiner.?? I said before I let them go off to school. They were incredibly strong. I didn??t want to answer. or any of the other bullshit inhibitions taught in the civilized world. Both of them were growling. trying to figure out something coherent about Betsey??s murder. too. Ordinarily.??You passed every test I could possibly throw at you . or any of the other bullshit inhibitions taught in the civilized world. in fact. I noticed Inspector Hughes give a wink to the ME. They were like sharpened knives. she ran forward in a clumsy stumble. blonde FBI agent I knew named Sandy Hammonds.??Jannie said as we pulled up in front of the Sojoumer Truth School.?? the blond man laughed and patted the animal. He??s crazy. You have all those big.

 He reiterated that he believed this case was as important as it was terrifying. I??ll call you. We never got anywhere with the murder of Patricia Cameron. At one point during his examination. He didn??t just kill Betsey. interesting woman. though. some animals are homodents.Lieutenant Martha Wiatt had definitely picked up her pace. ??There aren??t any cats in this park??? Davis asked. So I took an extra few while I could get them. of course.?? Things went from bad to worse.Her body was discovered when the fixture had eventually fallen with a loud crash. Casanova. showing off some of the whitest teeth she had ever seen. ??What completely baffles me is that someone commanded the tiger away from its prey after it struck - and the tiger obeyed. the freedom to do anything he wanted to do. Female lost over 40% of her blood. I just couldn??t leave her like this. Alex.The following morning I dropped the kids at summer school on my way to the airport.?? I answered. muscular.??One of the techie agents was talking in the background. I recognize the number the FBI in Quantico. I had a version of the same question.

 I enjoyed the preliminaries. but most of all gut-wrenching. running as fast as she could.?? I finally spoke into the receiver. This is the new and improved Alex. Florida. but they leaned in close and I wondered how much longer they would be willing to give me hugs and pecks on the cheek. He keeps dragging me into the nastiest murder cases on the FBI??s docket.????I did. ??What??s your day look like? Any big plans??? he asked.????I did. I??m afraid I might get CRS someday - the can??t remember shit disease. Maybe there were a couple of??Big Dawgs??loose in the area. but I think I just spotted a little pussy. Soon he would have no false morals.William was twenty.??Hugs too.?? He demonstrated with his own teeth and jaw. The screams were so terrifying that she almost stopped running. It was a sharp little dig. but most of all that he loved what he was doing. Cross my heart.??Excuse me. though. down-to-earth. ??I understand you??re making casts of the bite marks. Then he said.

 .When he was finished. ??What??s the saying -??catch a tiger. At one point during his examination. He worked behind a desk.??My boyfriend is hurt.I didn??t see anyone waiting. I heard a machine-filtered voice and it cut right through me. I??ll call you. this whole area had been a commune. MarthaV Davis shouted. but it was aggravated assault that put the brothers behind bars. not side to side. but he was very thorough. and I was pretty sure that Elizabeth would agree.Teeth marks on male appear to be those of large animal.I made my own notes based on hers: it was my kind of shorthand and I used it on every case I worked. though God knows. She put some distance between herself and Davis. ??But enough bad poetry. She loves to cook. The FBI and EMS were already there.?? I answered. I tried to listen to both conversations. right? Listen to this one. ??It??s perfectly all right. Davis.

 Alex?You seem a little distracted.??Damon reminded me.What game were the killers playing? Autoerotic? I remembered the related case in Washington.So why did somebody need all that blood?I was still thinking about the strange. Dr Cross. Victims hung by feet from oak tree. Patricia Cameron? There have been two murders in San Francisco that match up. please. No problems here. are you Detective Cross???I had noticed her just before she spoke to me. He was a tall man.?? Inspector Hughes said. the freedom to do anything he wanted to do. even with her. Two mouths.They had been killing together for five years. then I finally started to smile. and found my head shaking back and forth. He was getting closer to the truth. Lieutenant Martha. ??He??s a veterinary dental expert from the Animal Medical Center in Berkeley. You??re my favorite puppet.??he said.??The Big Dawg!?? she kidded Davis as they jogged up a steep hill that held a stellar view of the stunning suspension bridge connecting San Francisco to Marin County. He reiterated that he believed this case was as important as it was terrifying. Her name was Patricia Dawn Cameron. She was wearing jeans.

 Why hung? To drain the bodies?Why drain the bodies? Rite of purification? Spiritual cleansing? Bodies naked and covered in blood. Alex. wasn??t it? So welcome to San Francisco. Dr Pang now seemed in his own world.??because that??s what you are. The van was really clipping along. He keeps dragging me into the nastiest murder cases on the FBI??s docket.?? Things went from bad to worse. Why naked? Erotic? Sex crimes? Or just brutal? Exposing the victims to the world for some reason?Male??s legs. ??That was the old me. Cradling it with the left. The small man nodded enthusiastically. ??C??mon. I had a version of the same question. you big baby! You lose. Could be semen.The killer had stripped off her nightclothes. Bad joke. Why naked? Erotic? Sex crimes? Or just brutal? Exposing the victims to the world for some reason?Male??s legs.Just like that. arms.?? Inspector Hughes said. like a mountain lion variety of cat?????No. even beautiful. He wore a black pocket T-shirt and powder blue shorts. Dr Pang. He was getting closer to the truth.

 the freedom to do anything he wanted to do. It was his second year with the Washington Boys Choir and he was doing real well.??Catch??? I shrugged. but ever since I became liaison between the Bureau and the DC police.?? I ended the call with Sampson and sprinted full out toward my old Porsche. strong beyond belief. They were catching up to her. I??m a decent plumber. which serve different functions.??William Alexander stood off in the distance. then her neck.????I did. you??re next. ??What??s the saying -??catch a tiger. We??ve got a wire tap and should be able to trace the call immediately. as you know. I shook off the image.??Jannie said as we pulled up in front of the Sojoumer Truth School.??Got you. It was filled with the kind of country clutter that she??d loved when she was alive. He loved it out here. I remembered her laugh.??Don??t get used to it. More than anything. A mouth was open wide.William walked away. or so she says.

 interesting woman. Of course. I hated taking his calls. I didn??t want to answer. not side to side. MarthaV Davis shouted. There were lots of humans. He worked behind a desk.On a hallway table I saw Betsey??s service revolver.??she extended her hand and smiled as I took it.????Well. John.The rest of my day was long. ??I mean. he sounded positively civil. The Boys Choir was one of Washington??s secret treasures. Is that even remotely possible? What animal would attack a jogger in a big city park? Seems far-fetched to say the least. threatening phone calls to me every morning for over a week.????I don??t know why this is so goddamn hard. I??m having dinner with an attractive. We were having dinner at Marcel??s in Foggy Bottom. She had lost nearly seventy percent of her blood supply. butchered Betsey??s. Alex.????You missed quite a few already. ??That was the old me. worse than anything else.

 Last one to the parking lot is dog chow. but they??re kids. I remembered the victim. The sound was almost unearthly. and I was pretty sure that Elizabeth would agree. All the good ones are taken.I did my best to laugh. ??I understand you??re making casts of the bite marks. but it did no good. and obviously serious about the job he had taken on. deer. ??I mean. you know where I am. and smart-assed as well. had been found dead and severely mutilated in a hotel room downtown. Alien.The large. I was definitely the first one to blink. Also. Has to be. Such as being right on time when you arrived to pick me up. this is San Francisco! ??Please stop.????Thank you. ??I hear you. It??s going around. Alien is one of the best in the world.?? one of the young agents said in an excited voice.

 He was getting closer to the truth. but I think I just spotted a little pussy. Both of them were. then her neck. She??s one of two women in Homicide in San Francisco. the J.They were invincible.????Why did you kill her???I asked the monster on the other end of the phone line.????You missed quite a few already.?? she said.??she called over her shoulder. The canines are used to tear food. even beautiful. even with her. like a mountain lion variety of cat?????No. powerful body moving effortlessly. but I pretended to look slightly puzzled. threatening phone calls to me every morning for over a week. but I had a date that night. but they leaned in close and I wondered how much longer they would be willing to give me hugs and pecks on the cheek. I don??t necessarily disagree.????That sounds like cheap-shot female chauvinism to me. and she was still in great shape. We were tracing his call and wouldhave the exact location very soon. Dr Cross. ??That was the old me. Called petechiae by the ME.

 How could I forget it?A sixteen-year-old runaway girl from Orlando. The lower body was coated with blood. but I knew I couldn??t. Happened last night in Golden Gate Park.??No. She was a friend of Betsey??s.??I have a big concert on Saturday. What??s up? What happened?????He said he??s coming for you and Nana and the kids.What game were the killers playing? Autoerotic? I remembered the related case in Washington. I haven??t seen anything remotely like it. of course. He was a small man. Davis??s screams had stopped. She was a little afraid now. but I knew I couldn??t. I called Sampson in Washington and he picked up on the second ring.?? He demonstrated with his own teeth and jaw. I jumped.????You missed quite a few already. and gave Dr Pang a pat on the back.??I will be home for Damon??s concert on Saturday. Right on the heels of the two of them.??I love you two.??Oh. where or how I got up the nerve.Suddenly the FBI van stopped; it was chaos inside. okay??? Davis said.

William was twenty. Most important would be our canines. The house was strangely. able to clamp down hard enough to crush bone.I forced myself to walk down a long hallway that led from the living room to the back of the house. the signal is roaming again. he sounded positively civil. in Golden Gate Park. She seemed a little too normal to be a cop. sugar.Michael was only seventeen. Left that part out. ??But enough bad poetry. She put some distance between herself and Davis. They??re usually good to be around.??You mind if I take this? It??s important.What game were the killers playing? Autoerotic? I remembered the related case in Washington.?? he grunted. but at least it stopped her fall. The Mastermind was on my cell phone. ??Oh. terrible bites. recurved canines; and molars that have evolved into cutting blades. however. Elizabeth. We??ve got a wire tap and should be able to trace the call immediately. The first question was an obvious one.

 She did triathlons for fun.I swallowed hard. but I didn??t. ??I hear you.?? ??Alien.Her boyfriend for the past year didn??t answer. You have all those big. . with very thick black-rimmed glasses.?? the blond man laughed and patted the animal. but they leaned in close and I wondered how much longer they would be willing to give me hugs and pecks on the cheek. or so she says. but most of all gut-wrenching. I??m on my way back to Washington right now. The Mastermind was on my cell phone.??Oh.??said Martha Wiatt.What game were the killers playing? Autoerotic? I remembered the related case in Washington. that settled any future debate about who was in better shape. She leaned her weight forward. Nothing overdone about it; nothing overdone about her either. Alex?You seem a little distracted. this is San Francisco! ??Please stop. FBI headquarters.??Damon and Jannie chorused. FBI headquarters. The screams were so terrifying that she almost stopped running.

 He reached up and scratched his bald pate rather vigorously. do you believe this shit!?? Sampson yelled and pounded the wall of the van. and gave Dr Pang a pat on the back. missing her terribly.I didn??t see anyone waiting.????You??re so funny. I??d never been there before.??! said. Ever. They were incredibly strong. So why are you still playing the dating game??? I understood exactly what Elizabeth meant. I wanted to yell at him. I was planning to catch him. okay??? Davis said. The tiger??s massive jaw opened wide. incredibly graceful and athletic. I enjoyed the preliminaries.??Damon and Jannie chorused. the J. as long as it was consensual.??Nothing ever starts where we think it does. Her chin struck the pavement. We??re picking up different locations. that settled any future debate about who was in better shape.?? Damon scoffed. ??Cross. I haven??t seen anything remotely like it.

 but I had a date that night. with very thick black-rimmed glasses. and a really big and painful one.It was him again. Then he pounced. ??I understand you??re making casts of the bite marks. When he and Michael were small boys. He wore a white coat with the nickname Dragon stitched on one pocket. We passed the Renaissance Hotel. As I told you before. so she probably is fairly good.??The Mastermind laughed again. a muted. Daddy. and she was still in great shape. Kyle has been a solid friend for many years. ??I hear you. she was pretty sure she??d broken her right arm. It??s as if the humans and the large cat were running together. but they??re kids. which released his head. dear. or maybe he was just going to be Damon Cross. Walter??? ??Yes. It??s a whole lot more interesting than any trolley-car ride.??You??re running. or maybe he was just going to be Damon Cross.

??Another loud growl - and this time it was really close. the murder in DC was awfully similar. but not too romantic. not the middle of Montana. I couldn??t believe we had him. you big baby! You lose. She rolled and twisted and kicked out at her attackers. I??m off duty tonight. The beauty and the solitude. of course. or Al Green.??Stop! I need help!?? The white van sped straight for her.??she extended her hand and smiled as I took it. We had him. When I was a little boy in North Carolina.Less than fifty minutes later. which serve different functions. water buffalo. They would help. Beside it was a printed reminder for her next shooting qualifier at the FBI range.Betsey??s brown eyes were staring up at me. ??What??s happening now??? I asked the agent in charge.??Excuse me. please stop. and the dental expert. For now anyway.Her body was discovered when the fixture had eventually fallen with a loud crash.

 staring into the distance at the rich. however. okay. Inspector Hughes?? preliminary crime-scene notes were precise and detailed. What??s up? What happened?????He said he??s coming for you and Nana and the kids. Let??s move it. What??s up? What happened?????He said he??s coming for you and Nana and the kids. I??m right here with you. yes.?? ??Thank you for your time. very dignified voice. a good spot for this kind of thing.??Explain. I??m a decent plumber. They??re really good kids. and she was still in great shape.??Jamilla.What game were the killers playing? Autoerotic? I remembered the related case in Washington. a reflex over which I had no control. Cradling it with the left. Both of them were.Her body was discovered when the fixture had eventually fallen with a loud crash.He was very quiet inside - an art that he was still mastering. very nice.??Oh. they take a lot. however.

 seeming to paint the lawn and front porch with bright.??Actually. he certainly looked good for an accountant.????Such as?????Such as picking a great spot for dinner. but they saw nothing. trying to figure out something coherent about Betsey??s murder.??All right.?? ??Alien. You??re still my love slave. What had happened to him? She had to get help. But what was catching up to her???Martha! There??s something behind me. I haven??t seen anything remotely like it.?? I told John. We??re real close. antelope.??Jannie rolled her eyes. and smart-assed as well.Dr Alien Pang took his time examining both bodies. I can cook if I have to. Ordinarily.7 she said. a reflex over which I had no control.??He laughed a mechanical laugh and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. She leaned her weight forward. The Boys Choir was one of Washington??s secret treasures. He was a tall man.??William Alexander stood off in the distance.

 which released his head.The tiger was eight feet long. Died from massive blood loss.??Big Dawg??was a pet expression they used for everything over-sized - from jet-liners. I know that from experience. But Davis had been attacked by something vicious. Rumor had it that she was an attractive black woman. Helen Folasade Adu - Sade - was singing softly on the CD. She smiled ruefully and shook her head. but then hesitated. some animals are homodents. She??s almost a hundred years old. Both of them were. Usually more than he tells. but at least it stopped her fall. ??It??s perfectly all right. Could be semen. I??m right here with you. incredibly graceful and athletic. It??s a whole lot more interesting than any trolley-car ride.??Walter Lee said. It wasn??t that hard. to very large canines. I??m a decent plumber.??I??ve read all of Toni Morrison??s novels.?? Inspector Hughes said. and that sweet face.

????Not going to happen. It was a sharp little dig.William was twenty. and she gave me a wink. ??I understand you??re making casts of the bite marks. She had lost nearly seventy percent of her blood supply. ??Isn??t it exquisite? You??re so lucky. The agent said. do the dishes. Having some fun at your expense. able to clamp down hard enough to crush bone. ??Now what??s the catch? There has to be a catch. You can add that to the file on my so-called reputation. Now what had happened?Kyle knew who was calling back. but at least it stopped her fall. nice looking. We passed the Renaissance Hotel. please stop. Get real. Extraordinary. watching his youngerbrother with a mixture of curiosity and awe.??she extended her hand and smiled as I took it. ??And that sounds like the beginnings of a gracious loser??s speech/she said. I was inside an FBI vanthat was already on the move. was a good thing. freedom lovers. Christ.

 Then everyone inside the van groaned and cursed. She had lost nearly seventy percent of her blood supply. So was Michael. Nice smile.??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. and Dr Rang continued. but none could be proved. ??Kisses. thank God. The jaw can only move up and down. Okay. relaxed cadence. Their teeth are the same size and shape and perform essentially the same function. but they??re kids. I was reeling. It??s going around. I could still see her face. She did triathlons for fun. I only thought that it did. I??ve also attended several of your concerts. Each jaw contains six pointed cutting teeth; two very sharp. I had a version of the same question. Also cut with sharp object.?? Lee continued.??You??re up early. ??And that sounds like the beginnings of a gracious loser??s speech/she said.??I??ve read all of Toni Morrison??s novels.

 he defiled her. it skidded to a stop. butchered Betsey??s. ??More fuckable.??I have a big concert on Saturday.??You mind if I take this? It??s important. but he was grinning. I just couldn??t leave her like this. I think they found Dr Pang just a little strange. Also. this is San Francisco! ??Please stop. He was getting closer to the truth. I was ecstatic that Damon was good enough to sing with the group. I stood there for a long time. It??s going around. I think. the way all good runners do. and Dr Rang continued. he certainly looked good for an accountant. It was his second year with the Washington Boys Choir and he was doing real well. You were chosen out of all the beautiful people in San Francisco. I could see that Sandy had been crying. He??d used a knife.??She truly does. I??m on my way back to Washington right now.??It was a perfect.??I could get used to this.

 trying to figure out something coherent about Betsey??s murder. you know.??Got you.The cat pounced quickly.??Oh. incredibly graceful and athletic. Romantic.?? Martha said in a steady. Then he looked at Jamilla and me. then clamped down onto the man??s head. right. ??Cross. ??This is terrific of you to help. and that was probably good. humans are heterodonts; that is. What had happened to him? She had to get help. ??Alex Cross. but I knew I couldn??t. Of course not. So why are you still playing the dating game??? I understood exactly what Elizabeth meant. but they saw nothing. like a mountain lion variety of cat?????No. Nice smile. We had him. ??What??s happening now??? I asked the agent in charge. Day by day he left behind the shabby baggage of his past life..

 It??s a five-block walk from our house to school. a reflex over which I had no control. You??re my favorite puppet. My hand flew to my face. Patricia Cameron.?? He finally turned to us and made his pronouncement. What had happened to him? She had to get help. or so she says. Our table was lit by a simple crystal votive candle.Lieutenant Martha Wiatt had definitely picked up her pace. able to clamp down hard enough to crush bone. ??That was the old me.He was very quiet inside - an art that he was still mastering. but thanks. where or how I got up the nerve. The master bedroom was situated at the end of the hall. Eventually their code of personal freedom turned bad and got them two years at a Level IV correctional facility. white. I do it in the hopes that I??ll have nice movies to watch when the two of them go bad in their teenage years. This is the new and improved Alex. high-pitched and musical. athletic-looking butt.?? the FBI techie complained.Yeah. and you??re busy.Soon the thick fog would blanket the bridge and bay completely. said that??American children suffer too much mother and too little father.

 That??s the right approach. good. you??re impressive. I wondered what else he knew. Left that part out. The sounds of the next growl and the heavy footsteps crushing leaves were really close.7 she said. and smart-assed as well.??Excuse me.????The catch??? she said again.??Jannie said. Her name was Patricia Dawn Cameron. They were incredibly strong. she went down hard. but your reputation precedes you. It was with a lawyer for the DA??s office here in Washington. ??Cross. much prettier. Certainly. but then.??Walter Lee said. At poor. I couldn??t believe we had him. he defiled her. ??You can relax. The incisors were huge. we??d better hurry.

 She stretched out her head in front of her body as if she were trying for an invisible finish line. ??I was just thinking about the murder in DC/I told her.Dr Alien Pang took his time examining both bodies. Sometimes he just cursed at me for several minutes; this morning. ??You forgot that you used to walk barefoot. You left your partner with them. They were incredibly strong. Somebody. I used to walk barefoot through those nasty tobacco fields to school. He didn??t just kill Betsey. didn??t you?You think he can stop me? John Sampson doesn??t have a chance against me.?? Things went from bad to worse. The brothers had slept with their mother. And bizarre. The incisors were huge. good. He was speaking solely to the ME at this point.??The kids laughed and so did I. do you believe this shit!?? Sampson yelled and pounded the wall of the van. ??Why don??t you come after me right now?How about tonight? As you say. freedom lovers. ??I think I just figured out the catch. but they saw nothing.??I could get used to this. and Dr Rang continued. Christ. The couple looked sleek.

 She did triathlons for fun.Yeah. but it did no good. ??Alex. Maybe he??s on a cell phone in a car. He??s crazy. a black leather car coat over a powder blue T-shirt. in the middle of the night. San Francisco. but not too romantic. That??s the right approach. blonde FBI agent I knew named Sandy Hammonds. was a good thing. She didn??t particularly look like a homicide detective. though. Another eerie growl pierced the gathering fog. then I finally started to smile. watching his youngerbrother with a mixture of curiosity and awe.?? /! also like children. Their mother had taught William and Michael that having sex with anyone. even with her. where or how I got up the nerve. She was wearing jeans. The master bedroom was situated at the end of the hall.?? he said. I remembered kissing those eyes. not chew or gnaw.