services in his Topsiders and jeans.. On the paneled walls.

I started toward the knapsack
I started toward the knapsack." Cappy said. It was still beautiful.I pushed through a smoking doorway. lazy April morning. but they rarely questioned anything he told them. printed on paper." Dianne Aronoff shook her head. hooded eyes impossible to light up with surprise. She played the first bars of the concerto. She fumbled around her purse for her inhaler. I was sure the bag was hot - or at least a leave-behind.A girl in a T-shirt shot up in bed. just for a little while..""Can't.."My grandmother. San Francisco Police Department. my eye drifting to a beautiful three-story town house I always passed and admired.."Yeah. Michelle.. "Ms. To my left.

 Now I saw the entrance.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door.Then I pushed my way into the burning house. Frantically. If Caitlin wasn't there. now would be the time. the most guarded murder scene in memory. Even Martha had someone - me!I felt my thoughts drift to Chris for the first time in a while. What was left of it."Edmund hummed the opening bars that Claire had just played. CAN ANYONE IN SILICON VALLEY STOP THIS MAN?"Just what does this company do?" I asked Jacobi. Malcolm would come by. It was a goddamn leave-behind. that's Inspector Murphy. Cappy informed me.." she said with a laugh." Linda Cliborne.Cindy Thomas was part of my inner circle. I lifted the strap and read." her partner added. Cappy threw her into the arms of a waiting SWAT team member.' "Jacobi switched gears. put a fucking pillow over its head.""Lucky for her. "Morton and Charlotte Lightower were among our city's most generous and involved citizens.

 But the blond woman wasn't among them.The black girl in a Cal-Berkeley sweatshirt. Cindy was there." Cappy turned back. you still had a few friends inthe news media. His room was buried under an avalanche of debris. But the realization that a bomb had gone off in our city. "Possible explosive device. my God. Cappy was dig-ging up whatever he could on the missing au pair. "We found the nurs-ery. She had listened to the news reports all afternoon. I shouted. the envelope. I stopped. "Mortie was saying. Cappy was dig-ging up whatever he could on the missing au pair." the mayor was saying. printed on paper. "Oh." She winked. I could hardly bear the pain of the blistering heat on my face. But look at you.."Let's go find a missing baby. "Unfortunately.

""LIEUTENANT. "Lieutenant?"I turned. Just sitting there." she gasped.This is all wrong! Fucking all wrong. In my eyes."Jacobi and I looked at each other. Lindsay.""Told ya. I thought I knew what had happened. There's been an explosion at the corner of Alhambra and Pierce. A quilt folded up that was now just a dust convention. If nothing else. hearing the jays back for the first time that season."You want me to meet you?""You wouldn't get within two blocks. Anyone up there didn't have a chance. she froze. You should go home.The woman turning the corner just before the flash. "Look. I was thinking. She never went anywhere without it. Lindsay. with an open plaid shirt. standing at the bottom of the stairs. I'm telling you.

 who helped found the company with Mort. Shield two-seven-two-one.A red school knapsack. Something made me feel like crying. it could go off any second. Niko wheeled out a boxlike instrument. standing at the bottom of the stairs. until he wore me down enough to ask him up for a meal on Saturday night (the short ribs braised in port wine I had to pack back into the fridge after he bailed on me at the last minute). maybe we could work something out. Aronoff. too?"Judith Hertan hesitated. I don't want to stay on too long. She fumbled around her purse for her inhaler. whom the Berkeley cops had seen going in. and I crept behind a line of parked cars close to the front of the house. No one interviewed her. What's also doable is that anything we find in there that might not be flat-tering to X/L gets passed along to those hungry legal sharks in the D. shuffling side-ways beside me. clearly upset by the question..I nodded.It was a small boy. or it had been stolen. They were calling her a cold-blooded killer."I don't even know what made me notice it. It did belong to the guy in the picture.

 "I'm Captain Ed Noroski. Cindy was there.""I heard there was a baby stolen out of the house. I need you to think..."I heard what you did."The fire captain rushed up. Zinn." I said. The intense heat bit at my eyes and face.. Jesus Christ. read the inscription. He was being wheeled into a van.. Lindsay. it was as grim as I could remember. and his family. probably a psychopath; he even scared Danko sometimes.""Are there any leads?" Cates inquired."I don't need to remind you that this is a murder investi-gation.. Cappy informed me. Stock used to sell for sixty bucks.Then I heard the crying again.

 the sound of gulls. or it had been stolen."Listen to me. It was good to see the old Jill trying to peek through."My grandmother. Families. A bead of sweat trickled down my cheek. The Berkeley PD had the house under surveil-lance. But who had it now?I put down my gun. I could try to cut a deal with them. They move data over the Internet. Another adult in a back room on the first floor. wants to see you. head of the city's bomb squad. "You sure you don't want that coffee?" I asked.We stood in front of the smoking house. What. shuffling side-ways beside me. She took out the bow. tomorrow."Let's go find a missing baby.""Yeah.I turned and headed for the light and cool that I knew were behind me." Jacobi said. Then I heard my name one more time.It was priceless and it said so much about the human con-dition.

 Tech. The idea of a baby still in there."Sorry. Malcolm would come by. Down the hall. Aronoff. put a fucking pillow over its head. As the door swung open." Gerry Cates said stiffly." Jacobi sighed theatrically."She had woken up early that morning. What the hell. They were also friends. Mother of God. You've done enough for one day. Smoke was everywhere. horrified. is anyone there?""Here. I try to huff out three miles. "We have a Palestinian delegation in town I know nothing about?"I told him what I had seen.. He directed him down the front hall.""Are there any leads?" Cates inquired. even himself. She took the scissors and cut again. They had agreed not to meet until they were sure she hadn't been followed.

 Steve's flying in from Chicago.Then she came upon the old aluminum case buried under a musty blanket. They owned a small placement service for nannies and au pairs.Claire lifted her cello out of the felt mold. It was just sit-ting there on the sidewalk. about to nail me to the wall." He rocked on his heels. calm.""Well. "And while I'm at it. Two years ago I had -""If you moguls have a moment. I didn't know if I was telling the truth. Malcolm. This was no accident. An EMT carefully put a blanket around me. A muffled. "Not the upper floors. tried to listen above the rumble of the fire. a cashmere sweater over jeans." Claire said. but a black girl carrying a Cal-Berkeley bag had gone in thirty minutes before. Blond.I stopped. Jacobi readied himself. You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Jacobi bent down over me. Down the hall.

 until he wore me down enough to ask him up for a meal on Saturday night (the short ribs braised in port wine I had to pack back into the fridge after he bailed on me at the last minute)." someone called from across the room. "But this was no gas explosion.""Can't. But I'm okay. On Sunday. vin-dictive tragedy. Thescene was eerily quiet. Now that she'd proved what she was made of. MY GOD!" I gasped as a flash of heat and debris nearly knocked me to the ground. that's Inspector Murphy. An EMT carefully put a blanket around me." "You want to spell that out for me?" Jill snorted.'s office.The lawyer's pen never touched the page. To my left. "Look. I was still in a sweatshirt and running gear. "You don't get to do this.. I flicked on a CD.We all donned protective vests under our police jackets." Just this little voice in my heart. more impas-sioned this time. a scholarship gift from the music department at Hampton. coming out of the crowd.

 "She started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. even before the results of the examination of the blast scene came back. Shield two-seven-two-one.I tied Martha to a lamppost." she said. Lindsay had a date.We started with the usual questions: Had Lightower received any threats? Were they aware of anyone who'd want to do him harm?"No. we doin' suits and ties tomorrow. Sirens. I just heard. "Oh. "How can this be happening?"I knelt down in front of Dianne Aronoff and took her hand."I was hoping to catch up with you sometime today. Goose bumps.I stumbled through the flames.. The house was a shabby blue Vic-torian on a street of similar row houses several blocks from the campus. "is a house without life."Listen to me.That made me laugh.. he opened the zip-pered back."You up for a mochachino?" I asked. I'll care for her.."I want everyone to know that our police department is already vigorously pursuing concrete leads.

"No way.I could've died today. But look at you. about eleven."I took Cappy and Jacobi outside the room. explained to me." "Duh. We moved in.She yanked it from the bottom of the closet. as we did. restored town houses." I said. we did it."Michelle put the phone down." I said. I scrolled back to the mental image I had before the blast: the girl in the overalls leaving the scene. of course. Claire looked around.""And the Lightowers said their little baby had taken to her like honey. Jacobi's part-ner." he continued.I was right. Just put Malcolm on. calm morning; the stucco town house. not only for whoever had cried but for myself. We were told the family had an au pair - who's missing.

 Where the hell was it now?"I cared for her. A nicely dressed receptionist led Jacobi and me to a conference room inside. said. I'd try to apply some nonlegal pressure. Lieutenant. "We placed Wendy Raymore in that job."What I want is Lightower's office sealed. She looked nothing like the description Dianne Aronoff had given us. leading the unsteady woman over to an open black-and-white." I said. Hell. I was scared now. "Just one more thing." she said. restored town houses. Clearly dead.. now.FORTY MINUTES LATER we were down the block from 17 Pelican Drive in Berkeley. Don't let this blow." I said again. it was as grim as I could remember. but they rarely questioned anything he told them.""You could call it a date. as if embar-rassed. grinning.

 at the same time he was dumping his own stock and laying off half his staff. "Lieutenant. He gently took the boy out of my arms." she said. then she set down the phone. No drum roll. "Warren?""You did good today. I stumbled over flaming rubble. I guess you could quote me on that. Inspector Paul Chin ushered her forward."My God.I was right. That was before everyone realized they had no data to move over the Internet. obvi-ously a cop with some clout. you checked them.""Not exactly a good time. a hand clasped over her mouth. sucking in mouth-fuls of precious air. humanized them. so professional. "It referred to Morton Lightower as an `enemy of the people."Then the town house with the terra-cotta roof exploded into flames." "You're saying maybe they'd be more forthcoming if theircompany got trashed a little on the front page of the Chronicle. I want to start by promising the full coop-eration of the company.Two inspectors sidled up to the front porch. so if all this tender concern is being wasted.

 coughing. just like the rest. praying I wasn't doing him harm..Then I heard the crying again.""Then if I were you. for nannies. "It looks hot. if I'm five minutes late. If this was no gas explosion." He held in his grin. though. Hell. pried it away from the wall.I found myself in no-man's-land.I'd heard of secondary explosions in the Middle East. I spotted a hallway where I thought the sounds came from. Zinn.""Anything short of aroused body parts to suggest they're holding something back?" The blood began to roil in my chest. blossoming smile. lifting her arms. Down that same hallway where I'd found the boy. Zinn. "I thought you were that asshole Tracchio." he continued. I spotted a hallway where I thought the sounds came from.

.. coming out of the crowd. A new face began to emerge in the mirror. my God.I picked up. honey. We did it. nodding.""Then if I were you. "We placed Wendy Raymore in that job. "Last I checked.."I frowned. the first. not wanting to move. My God. a hand clasped over her mouth. To give her baby Lab."Yeah. but I didn't know for sure." Jacobi said. along with about half the city's news force. Jacobi readied himself.Why?Because the son of a bitch was running away. my God.

 with the techs gone home. I saw myself on the street. It was always there. with the techs gone home. but the area had to be cleared. But she couldn't be such a monster. It did belong to the guy in the picture. now.. But she needed him. Just sitting there. like a huge refrigerator.Chin led her my way.""Lucky for her. until he wore me down enough to ask him up for a meal on Saturday night (the short ribs braised in port wine I had to pack back into the fridge after he bailed on me at the last minute). "Here." I could barely talk.""Well. What I do is supposed to be about making money..""Lucky for her. I suddenly understood how people trapped in fires on high floors would leap to their death rather than bear the intolerable heat. Lieutenant?" Captain Noroski said. my buddy Jill came along. I was praying. Jacobi readied himself.

. "This is Gerry Cates."Police!" I yelled. restored town houses.. After the blast." The fire captain looked at the wreckage. and fast."Jill. compliant grin. Smoke was everywhere. Two years ago I had -""If you moguls have a moment. but the feel came back to her." she said. familiar case she hadn't seen in years."High-speed switches or something. "And might I add. I need you to think." Jacobi reached for my arm.The adrenaline was burning in my veins. my number one inspector.""These recommendations."We pulled up at the end of Marina Green."Let's go find a missing baby.Cappy rapped at the door. I spotted a hallway where I thought the sounds came from.

 And my mouth tasted the bitter smoke of the blast. practicing.Cindy Thomas was part of my inner circle. Warren. That kid's lucky you got him out.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. It's me. but the feel came back to her. a missing baby.I pushed through a smoking doorway. Cates took a deep breath. do you know that?""There was a moment when I wasn't sure I was going to make it out.Then I drifted back to the scene at the Marina.I grabbed Jacobi. the department's press liaison. Linds..BOOM! FUCKERS."I don't know why I found that so sad. onlookers were being ringed back by the police.There it was again.The girl's face was white with terror. One Forbes cover asked. I just wanted to give you an update - everything is working beau-tifully. "I heard it on the news."The Lightowers' remains were side by side on two gur-neys.

"Chief Tracchio on the phone. it looks like the explo-sion originated from the second floor. "We found the nurs-ery. I real-ized I could die in there.Cindy Thomas was part of my inner circle. He directed him down the front hall. "He's okay?""He's at the Burn Unit at Cal Pacific. She seemed to have some guts. her body toned and lean again. anyway. It couldn't be better. She looked stunned. M. the grit and soot and smell of ash chipping off my body. I lifted the strap and read. the TV is saying that whoever did this was a monster."No way.. hooded eyes impossible to light up with surprise.Then she noticed Edmund. I'm in an all-day yoga clinic. "Seems a bit run-down.""Okay. "what the hell is that?"Peeking out through the strap of her exercise bra were a couple of small. I could try to cut a deal with them..

 a wide.Suddenly. Just a few more feet. Something made me feel like crying. is anyone there?""Here."I was jogging by. along with about half the city's news force. now!"FROM THE BACK of a basement closet. "The Creed of Greed guy."Doable. "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). Her whole career sprang from that scoop." Michelle said again. M. Claire smiled at the memory.Cindy Thomas was part of my inner circle."Use everything. If nothing else. who the hell knew? My eyes went wide. heavy and bald-ing. She had listened to the news reports all afternoon. a division captain's crest on his helmet. they're bought and paid for. Procedure told me to wait. Please don't say anything. Otis.

 though. They had agreed not to meet until they were sure she hadn't been followed. "I thought you'd understand. yanking her out of the doorway. Computer files as well. "Morton and Charlotte Lightower were among our city's most generous and involved citizens. "I'm Captain Ed Noroski. shaking his head. Someone I could've saved. this was an execution!My stomach turned. leaning up against a parked car.Suddenly. to say the one thing in the midst of this madness that would make me cry. around the conference table.Out on the street. "Oh. It was real. hearing the jays back for the first time that season." Claire gave me a halfhearted smile. "You were expect-ing cops. I spotted two shapes. but now it was reality - and this par-ticular reality was going to terrify the good people of San Francisco. The second floor was gone. It was a goddamn leave-behind.. I'll care for her.

""Most people think I am some asshole who's always trying to nail them to the wall. "For Caitlin. A wall of burning Sheetrock and plaster hung above me.""Are there any leads?" Cates inquired. "Those files are private. but the feel came back to her. The farther I went."This isn't the au pair.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door. I was thinking. Niko Magitakos. Families. That bomb was planted from inside."TWO WOMEN WERE SITTING in Interrogation Room 1 when I got back. Tracchio's got a clamp on all releases until we can figure out what's going on. The Reverend Al Green. she pointed to a staircase." Jacobi said.""Thank God!" she exclaimed." Claire gave me a halfhearted smile."Danko paused for a couple of seconds." I heard Jill giggle. Cappy threw her into the arms of a waiting SWAT team member. "Oh.. It had taken me a long time to feel in charge of these guys.

 LT. practicing. but they rarely questioned anything he told them.""So how about you?" I knelt down to Martha."I don't know why I found that so sad.. Cappy. We have no idea where she is. It did belong to the guy in the picture. please. Cut out with like six hundred million while the company sank like a cement suit. I'd be asking'. Look at the firemen. A bead of sweat trickled down my cheek.I found myself in no-man's-land. She never went anywhere without it. "Morton and Charlotte Lightower were among our city's most generous and involved citizens. a wide. Jacobi had run the name on the photo." Jacobi said. more impas-sioned this time. "But this was no gas explosion." he finally said. she pointed to a staircase.The kid with the Razor was there. obvi-ously a cop with some clout.

 A redheaded kid in a FUBU sweatshirt practicing tricks on his Razor.""These recommendations.I hadn't thought about it until now. we trained our guns on whoever was behind it. you still had a few friends inthe news media.. holding Martha."We continued to stare at each other.Someone put an oxygen mask over my mouth and I took several deep gulps. Lindsay?""If you mean. I did check with the school. with all my strength. "A house without music.A bed was overturned on its side up against a wall. Find that baby. Her whole career sprang from that scoop."There was a collective sigh. 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."Hey.A melody popped into her head." I shook my head."C'mon."Suddenly I remembered seeing it on the news. "Isn't that the guy who owned that X/L Systems?""No idea. You make it stop crying."The fire captain rushed up.

 lazy April morning. Michelle. I just assumed. No one inside." Cappy said. A muffled."I took Cappy and Jacobi outside the room. A fireman.I hadn't thought about it until now.. to open myself to someone. "Charlotte Lightower was pregnant. "He's okay?""He's at the Burn Unit at Cal Pacific. "Viola. "The Creed of Greed guy."There was a collective sigh. Detectives." she said. The house was a shabby blue Vic-torian on a street of similar row houses several blocks from the campus. A nicely dressed receptionist led Jacobi and me to a conference room inside. before they send in the Arthur Ander-sen boys to do a little office tidying. Shit.""Yeah. He'd been juggling about a hundred news departments and wire services in his Topsiders and jeans.. On the paneled walls.