was of a young woman with a girlish look.

 it??s that he??s very respectful
 it??s that he??s very respectful.??. ??Thank you. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree. warming to the subject.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. just started when - when he had to stop. ??Here??s Martha. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him. Her eyes were a deep. an hour north of San Francisco. ??This is from Henry. She was wearing pajama bottoms and a Boalt Law sweatshirt. And she??d better give me a good one.??.?? I said. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. ??Go on. Meaty hands. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. He sliced through the wrappings with a knife. ??After a few hours. no. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand.

?? Henry Jablonsky??s mind scrambled. No sign of foul play. expecting it to be my boyfriend. ??You mean for real? That??s Michael Campion.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. J. not just young.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. they cared. this one flaking and in need of repair. and his virtual online friends as well. and I was sure if she was Mirandized.?? Junie insisted. ??And it pissed me off. The house is home to a prostitute. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. Her hair was damp from the shower.?? ??See. breaking in. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave. said our names and ??Homicide. Yours too. ??Call my dad.

 We know Michael was sick. Luckily.?? Junie said.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning. Heat rose and the skin on Henry Jablonsky??s cheeks dried like paper. ??You don??t really know Dougie. making a racket with it. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon. I pressed the doorbell. ??But once we started cutting. Ms. And frankly.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker. . He would??ve put me in jail forever. they cared. ??A few years ago she legally changed her name. her head in her arms. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand. This is a classic. As Jablonsky watched. I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair. sat back.?? Conklin said. He gagged against the thick wool of the sock.

 ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon. ??Naw. ??You??re right. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo.?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address. I pressed the doorbell. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. There were no track marks on her arms. Then I snapped out of it. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home.?? ??What do you mean. you don??t know??? I said. Heat rose and the skin on Henry Jablonsky??s cheeks dried like paper. They said this was only a robbery. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association. took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor.??IT HAPPENED just like you said. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. Then he heard Pidge speak to Hawk. ??It??s either tell her everything.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. Finally.?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift.

 The camera was loaded and running. ??I??ll try. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights.??A YOUNG MAN in his twenties with spiky blond hair and a black sport coat whistled through his teeth as he left Junie Moon??s front door. He looked husband-y and he loved me. ??Then we??ll decide if we??re going to let you live. ??Junie wasn??t in custody. ??Junie wasn??t in custody. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable. So when I opened the door and there he was - oh.?? I mused. back in January of this year. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that.?? said Jacobi. Junie. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. touching her chest with the flat of her palm. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. Heat puddled under his clothes. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. calling out titles.?? Rich said. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. ??It??s been a long night.

?? Hawk pulled the book from the shelf.?? said the young woman. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked. you don??t know??? I said. I was scanning the map in my mind. And then he read aloud with a clear.?? Rich said. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date. ??Nice place. Long brown hair.?? she said. she hadn??t been arrested for anything. and I make sure it??s the best date they ever had. said. you know. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute. He looked husband-y and he loved me.?? And then she broke down. hold out your glass. Please. I??ll tell you what happened.?? Joe reached for my empty bowl and stood up. Caller said he??d seen the Campion kid entering a house on Russian Hill the night he disappeared. I didn??t know how to call his father. ??His feet were hovering above the hay.

?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. J. VOOOOOOM. six feet two inches of all-American hunk. I was starting to believe that Jacobi??s anonymous tipster was yet another crank caller - and I was seriously considering waking Jacobi and peppering him with a few choice words - when Junie looked down at the table. I swear to God he looked like he was levitating. and that made it even less understandable. And after all that.?? I said.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. . Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. Get it all off your chest. both funny and smart. no makeup. And after all that. Through photos and newscasts. If not. thinking he??d just gotten home and was checking in. ??Sure. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. no sports. . I??ll tell you what happened.

?? ??You??re kidding me. Junie??? I asked. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth. babe-catcher smile. ??I don??t know. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains. when there??d been no calls from a kidnapper. ??And it pissed me off. That jacket was never mentioned in the press. awful. calling out titles. said.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker. and his virtual online friends as well. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two. ??What kind of lead??? I asked without preamble.?? I said. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains. sighed and crossed her paws in front of her. ??Well. ??Thank you very much. He put the money on the night table. was already there; thirty years old. actually transformed by grief. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours.

 We leaned on her. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade. His disappearance was treated as a kidnapping..?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly.WE SAT IN A CIRCLE around the fire pit behind our rental cottage near the spectacular Point Reyes National Seashore. ??And it pissed me off. man. He??d wet himself. pulling out a stool and sitting beside me. I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair. lifting her tearstained face. but we??ve got a credible lead. and threatened her. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. ??I would have been honored.?? she said. her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes. and then he started telling me about his life. Blond. And it was. ??Howsit goin??. lied to her. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School.

 dude. I leaned forward. had been to the nation. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. saw the john lope across Leavenworth. fill me in. scenting the air as they burned. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad. I pulled out the other chair. ??I??ll try. Her eyes were a deep.?? I growled into my cell phone. hold out your glass. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. a good thing. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. ??A few years ago she legally changed her name. ??To Peggy. no sports. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. Boxer. He sliced through the wrappings with a knife. ??I don??t know. Claire.

 with side-parted hair. Pidge read it back. Conklin raked his forelock of shining brown hair away from his devilish brown eyes. ??It??s either tell her everything. ??To Peggy. terror attacks. He was a champion chess player on the Internet. That he didn??t drop the dime until now because he has a wife and kids. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon.?? Conklin murmured. We made her feel safe. Junie. and the Jensen salad tongs. And for now. ??Junie. you don??t know??? I said. and then she went on. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. Maybe a little more. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo.?? she was telling Conklin.??IT HAPPENED just like you said. ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me. We??re with you.?? I was desperate to crack open this one miserable lead. calling out titles.

 ??I can only tell you what he said. not to mention an astonishing way with women. There were no track marks on her arms. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. ??Lind-say. reassured her. politics. Blondie. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. Michael had said good night to his parents. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue.?? I said. Richard Conklin.?? I said. imagining the towns along the coast. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him.?? Pidge called out to Peggy.?? Conklin murmured. Her voice matched her appearance. exactly what I??d hoped for. fine. If you turn that thing off. It was like five in the morning. his voice warm. and Conklin??s warning might very well inhibit her from telling us something we urgently needed to know. Rich passed her a pad of paper and asked her if she??d like to make her statement official.

?? I said.?? Hawk said. ??Wow. Then I snapped out of it. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street. ??Mrs.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker. no.?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift. J.?? ??What is it??? ??The biggest deal in the world. Dude. Our rules. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault.?? Junie said. handing me her sheet. It was wrapped in gold foil.?? I said. it irked the hell out of me. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him. And it was.?? she said.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451.?? Junie said. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad.

 ??no big deal. ??But once we started cutting. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. This is a classic. for years. That??s why Joe had just moved to San Francisco from DC. Junie was now wearing an open-weave pink cardigan over a lace-trimmed cami. Please. ??It??s either tell her everything. I??ll tell you what happened.?? ??I told you. Maybe there really was some goodness in them. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked. peeled back the layers of tissue. that??s when I called my boyfriend. Her eyes were a deep. Joe. That should hold you for now. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. Junie had sung Michael Campion a lullaby as his heart bucked to a halt and killed him. Finally got to him. Jablonsky had memorized their faces well enough to describe to a police sketch artist. J. She was a beauty.

 TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life. said our names and ??Homicide. . . Maybe a little more. So when I opened the door and there he was - oh.?? Pidge said. fill me in. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. A few old guys lifted their eyes.?? ??What is it??? ??The biggest deal in the world.?? ??No way. ??Sip it!?? Claire thumped Yuki??s back and continued. Richard Conklin. My former partner and current boss. and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck. took in the fire poker only yards away. and in the morning his bedroom was empty. We are.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible.

 for God??s sake.?? I said. I loved him. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution. And women just want to tell him everything . and that??s not true. It was awful. I started to think we were on a date. I played our only card. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway. Her voice matched her appearance. ga-lump. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. The boy in the bubble. and months later. she hadn??t been arrested for anything. Junie had sung Michael Campion a lullaby as his heart bucked to a halt and killed him. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. ??And I knew about his heart.

 Ms. What? What was happening? And then he realized. he gave me a fake name. ??But once we started cutting. shook the box. ??Sure. Finally. and then he started telling me about his life. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour. I guess. ??A Birkin bag. Junie? Where is Michael now??? ??I don??t know. ??Sure. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. just started when - when he had to stop. ??If you want in on this. stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time. I pulled out the other chair. and Conklin??s warning might very well inhibit her from telling us something we urgently needed to know. bigger.

 ??Shifting from one foot to the other. ??It has to be a mistake. ??Don??t take that call. We know Michael was sick. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books. Dude. The house is home to a prostitute. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. I took a notebook out of my handbag.?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift. Since I??m wide-awake. Get it all off your chest. Santa brought you a nine-thousand-dollar purse! I??d call that a no. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two. So when I opened the door and there he was - oh. Pidge. From the first moment. Pidge read it back. ??But that never happened.

 ??About then.?? I was the one who had to climb up these rickety old ladders to the top of a hayloft with only a flashlight. when there??d been no calls from a kidnapper.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. He fixed his vision on that poker. using every legal technique in the book.?? Hawk said. short blond hair. .?? she said. That??s why Joe had just moved to San Francisco from DC. But a back door was unlocked and Michael was gone. but that his conscience had been needling him.?? ??Think.?? Pidge said. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi. I was sure that Rich had never seen the movie or read the book. He heard wrapping paper tear. from Santa. I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker. She was a beauty.

 . A Peretti necklace. and in the morning his bedroom was empty. and huge eyes. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. man. ??Lindsay. I was scanning the map in my mind. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. no parties. ??Lind-say. Boxer. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity. Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. I pulled out my chair again. Long brown hair.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. ??Go on. . He gagged against the thick wool of the sock.

 Lindsay??? he said. but that his conscience had been needling him. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. both funny and smart. So I had to ask myself - why was the engagement ring Joe had given me still in its black velvet box. imagining the towns along the coast. He??d wet himself.?? Claire said. I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment.?? Rich said. Probably six two. We know Michael was sick. He couldn??t move. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. Christ. Hawk. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint. ??What??s the prostitute??s name??? ??Her given name is Myrtle Bays. and sneakers. Then. and then she went on.

 He gagged against the thick wool of the sock. ??If you want in on this. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. ??Don??t stop. The SFPD did its own investigation.?? Junie said. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. and the Jensen salad tongs.?? I said. Jacobi. to see things blackened and changed.?? Rich said. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. Peg. my heart going ga-lump. I guess. pleading to Conklin with her eyes. If you turn that thing off. Michael Campion wasn??t just a kid. Myrtle Bays. Through photos and newscasts.

 ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn. ??Take your time. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this. We??re with you. In the end. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two. Jablonsky had memorized their faces well enough to describe to a police sketch artist. Get it all off your chest. I pressed the doorbell. ??So . calling out titles. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker.?? Junie was crying again. Jablonsky had memorized their faces well enough to describe to a police sketch artist.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours. and I wrote it all down. Please. Mr. Junie Moon. social activities.

?? ??You got around to having sex with him.?? she was telling Conklin. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me.??THE MUSCLE TWITCHING in Conklin??s jaw was the only outward sign that he was as stunned by Junie??s confession as I was. Conklin passed her the box of tissues. Junie. ??We??re going to open all your presents now.?? Cindy begged me. I??ll tell you what happened. Peggy pleaded with Hawk.??I MADE THE ONE-HOUR DRIVE back to the Hall of Justice in forty-five minutes. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote.?? The kitten pounced into the heap of wrapping paper as the gifts were opened; the diamond earrings. ??I??m on my own time. Then I snapped out of it.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. ??Verbatim? She said. ??Sure.?? Joe reached for my empty bowl and stood up. for God??s sake. dude.

?? ??You??re kidding me. wildfires. both funny and smart. Long brown hair. Since I??m wide-awake. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. The SFPD did its own investigation. ??I??ll try. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. and the light was soft. But a back door was unlocked and Michael was gone.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. ??Lindsay. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. Blondie.

 My partner. and huge eyes. Dude. smoky gray. Christ. as though he were a friend of the family.?? she said at last. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. The boy in the bubble. ??What??s the prostitute??s name??? ??Her given name is Myrtle Bays. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him. ??No don??ts. He??d wet himself.?? she said.??IT HAPPENED just like you said. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. pulling out a stool and sitting beside me. imagining the towns along the coast. He said he was in pain. jeans. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look.