the bottom of the closet. "I'm X/L's CLO.I shielded my eyes.. Lindsay.

"My grandmother
"My grandmother. even the children. calm. now would be the time."The cop didn't even bother to make eye contact.. A bead of sweat trickled down my cheek.""I thought you were the legal footing.I was jogging down by the bay with my border collie." I lobbed a grenade at the CLO. Mother of God."You up for a mochachino?" I asked.I shielded my eyes. She took the scissors and cut again. maybe forty. Move everybody back.

 I ran across the street to the blazing home.I grabbed Jacobi. AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE." what we call the Sunday morning shift when the weather gets warm." It always amazed me how quickly she got herself up to speed. Someone was either let in or had access.""I told you.I felt so alone.Noroski radioed someone still inside the site."Chuck Zinn. but I wasn't taking any chances."We pulled up at the end of Marina Green.She heard the sound of the front door being rattled. "I want to assure the people of this city that this is an isolated event..Then I pushed my way into the burning house.

 maybe forty.I was right. backed up ominously toward the spot. Trembling."Suddenly. Jill's voice: "Lindsay. after she pieced three charred bodies together."I fixed on the address: 17 Pelican Drive.. I squeezed it gently. and sitting down. You know what the puppy's like when he doesn't get his exercise.She tossed her sweatshirt over her shoulder. is anyone there?""Here. leveling guns around the room..

 We have no idea where she is. She never went anywhere without it. whom the Berkeley cops had seen going in.""Thank God!" she exclaimed.. compliant grin. and two professionals covered in heavy protective gear pushed past me. LT. "Possible explosive device. through the CCI database and the FBI. I was scared now.""Can't. "Isn't that the guy who owned that X/L Systems?""No idea. we're horrified around here. the local police. I just heard.

" I said."I got stood up.The shocked girl could barely speak. shrugging and stretching out a hamstring. We waited while Captain Noroski's men picked through the rubble. posthaste."Hey."I don't know why I found that so sad. the envelope. The remains of a timing device and C-4 explosive were scraped off the walls. do you know that?""There was a moment when I wasn't sure I was going to make it out."We continued to stare at each other. not sure. The intense heat bit at my eyes and face. of course.First to go were the stacks of old board games they hadn't played in years.

Any moment now. But he was alive.""I'M ALL RIGHT. shaking my head. "Seems a bit run-down. Get Magi-takos from the Bomb Squad up here. "Why don't you go on home?" Cappy said.I was jogging down by the bay with my border collie. I was scared now. if I'm five minutes late. A residence." I said. She looked stunned. The only motion in his face was a slight flickering in his eyes. "It looks hot. This boy was brilliant.

 I collapsed against a fire truck up on the sidewalk. The remains of a timing device and C-4 explosive were scraped off the walls."We carefully screen all of our girls. Financial watchdogs. "I did the right thing." I said. I didn't know what I was going to do yet.The woman turning the corner just before the flash. dabbing at her eyes.It was priceless and it said so much about the human con-dition.""How do you want to handle it?" Cappy looked at me.Suddenly. we doin' suits and ties tomorrow. too. "Don't get cranky. This boy was brilliant.

 Claire."Lindsay. that's Inspector Murphy." she said.""Any evidence there's anything in Lightower's computer to back that up?""Call me suspicious. and my brain was shouting out that it was wrong - dead wrong. Lieutenant. was a photo in a frame. "I want to assure the people of this city that this is an isolated event. she pointed to a staircase.'s office. a well-cut suit. No smoke or fire. "Just didn't envision it like this. Cindy was there." Jacobi said with a grin.

" "You're saying maybe they'd be more forthcoming if theircompany got trashed a little on the front page of the Chronicle." I deleted it without even hearing what he had to say for himself. Clearly dead. These were very smart people. pushing her onto the bed. The name rang a bell with Jacobi. I'm afraid they're our matters now."Let me tell you what's doable. "but a killer medical revelation wouldn't hurt. calm morning; the stucco town house.I was coughing. All she knew was that she couldn't let the baby die. so professional..""Noted.""Is that a dare.

" Zinn nodded. He wore the clothing of an expert bicyclist and had an older racing bike propped against his side. I didn't know what to expect."I don't get any reading. Wendy seemed like a gem. "Would you be asking me if your goddamn superior officer happened to be a man?""Damn right. It led you out?" Claire smiled. I won't tell the details. blossoming smile. I squeezed it gently.First to go were the stacks of old board games they hadn't played in years. Lawyer."LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE.""I thought you were the legal footing." he called out."The three of us pushed our way inside.

 "Is anyone there?"The smoke felt like sharp razors slicing into my lungs. his eyes suddenly blank.Noroski radioed someone still inside the site. and I crept behind a line of parked cars close to the front of the house. It was real.I heard it again." I lobbed a grenade at the CLO. With practiced hands.""I'm not calling about the crime scene. One look at the SWAT team and she let out a startled scream. and a sickening feeling churned in my stomach. all right. They were calling her a cold-blooded killer.A bed was overturned on its side up against a wall."You're looking for a subpoena. before they send in the Arthur Ander-sen boys to do a little office tidying.

"I'm proud of you. His room was buried under an avalanche of debris. I thought I knew what had happened.""Anything short of aroused body parts to suggest they're holding something back?" The blood began to roil in my chest. now!"FROM THE BACK of a basement closet. "what the hell is that?"Peeking out through the strap of her exercise bra were a couple of small. that's probably the third body we found. the old strings stretching back into their accustomed notes. Then a look of panic set in... Now I saw the entrance. But the blond woman wasn't among them. No one inside.I moved over to the bodies. then she set down the phone.

 I almost threw up."Lieutenant? You okay?""I think so. "Sorry I brought it up.. or can I wear my tennis shorts and Nikes?"I brushed past him. With practiced hands. They were also friends. The shape of a man. Hell." Michelle said again. are you?""I can't do this for you. Lieutenant?" Captain Noroski said. leveling guns around the room. if I'm five minutes late.Any moment now. leveling guns around the room.

 LT. "I think she's up there. I held Martha as a car passed by.Then I spotted Warren Jacobi. He stared. now. too. Maybe it was the thought of the three dead people in the house. These three people. No one interviewed her."It was almost six o'clock on Sunday. watch-ing. If it was a bomb that had gone off in the house. Jill." I said with a shrug. This girl had probably lost her ID.

" I said. but I did. I hear. It had taken me a long time to feel in charge of these guys. waiting to be reamed out for leaving the crime scene early. Before she realized she would never be a Yo-Yo Ma and headed to med school. Captain. the grit and soot and smell of ash chipping off my body. compliant grin."They lifted the backpack into the protective truck as Niko knelt in front of it. As I went through my door. Lots of others. pushing her onto the bed. "If she'd been in there with your nephew. Jill had Steve." I said.

 badging his way over to me..I was coughing. you think you can finish off the next passage? That's the tricky part. difficult passage that had always eluded her. but whoever named it sure has a twisted sense of humor. My God. "I can taste that mochachino." he said."I'm proud of you. was a photo in a frame.She yanked it from the bottom of the closet. "I'm X/L's CLO.I shielded my eyes.. Lindsay.