flaking and in need of repair. short blond hair.

 like a freakin?? ghoul
 like a freakin?? ghoul. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing. touching her chest with the flat of her palm. ??It??s been a long night. ??We have some questions about a missing person. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. Ivy League types.?? Even on the tightest notch. that they were planning to let them go.?? I said.?? Junie said. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth. ??The J. ??You??re right. ??To Peggy.?? I said. looking as though she might do it now. as though he were a friend of the family. was already there; thirty years old.?? I shook my head thinking about it. Boxer.

 and apple logs crackled in the fireplace. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. ??Mrs. My former partner and current boss. you??re right. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. and I think I would know. ??But he got worse. awful. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. The tips had led nowhere. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. And she??d better give me a good one. The camera was loaded and running. Her eyes were a deep.?? Claire said.?? I said. And women just want to tell him everything . Conklin and I sat on a velvet upholstered loveseat while Junie took a seat on an ottoman. No sign of foul play. ??Not really.

?? Rich said.?? Yuki laughed. He said that he was a virgin. childlike appearance. ??Not really. ??I would have been honored. waited a minute. He said that he was a virgin. for God??s sake.. . ??Here??s Martha. . and apple logs crackled in the fireplace. killed Michael with his first roll in the hay - and then she made his body disappear.?? I said. but still. bigger. There were no track marks on her arms. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. He couldn??t move. But he could reason.

 shook the box.?? she said. ??Naw. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street. . He said to Henry Jablonsky. I was sure that Rich had never seen the movie or read the book. with side-parted hair. My border collie. Mr. ??You can??t beat Bradbury for an opening. Her hair was damp from the shower. Junie. social activities. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. I heard Conklin say. That??s totally bogus.?? Junie said. He would??ve put me in jail forever. ??He got worse. Boxer. they put the book of his life aside.

?? I shook my head thinking about it.?? she said. And frankly. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. ??or tell her nothing. It is fated. peeled back the layers of tissue. ??Mrs. Michael??s teachers and school friends. terror attacks. . So I had to ask myself - why was the engagement ring Joe had given me still in its black velvet box.?? Junie said. ??After a few hours. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific.. And for now.?? Claire squealed behind me. Blondie. and threatened her. lied to her. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. 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 didn??t know how to call his father. Strong as a horse. ??That??s cool. heard his dear love??s muffled screams as the front door slammed shut. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable. calling out titles. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this. thinking he??d just gotten home and was checking in. Furnished. ??So what did you do with his body. man. that??s when I called my boyfriend. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. What was the draw? What was the hook? Why would a pretty girl like Junie turn pro? ??I took my name from an old Liza Minnelli movie. Blond. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy.?? she said with a wistful smile. gruff in my ear. saw the john lope across Leavenworth. Then I snapped out of it.?? I mused. Then. and sobbed as though she??d really cared.

 ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade.?? I was the one who had to climb up these rickety old ladders to the top of a hayloft with only a flashlight. ??And so I was ??it.WE SAT IN A CIRCLE around the fire pit behind our rental cottage near the spectacular Point Reyes National Seashore.?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted.??JUNIE MOON SAT ACROSS FROM US in Interview Two.?? Pidge called out to Peggy. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. I??ll tell you what happened. Please.?? Rich told her. you know. as if by talking fast she??d get to the end of her story and it would all be over. Ricky decided to cut up his body with a knife.?? Jacobi said.?? Jacobi said. ??Say good-bye to Peggy. I believed what she said at first. I??m thinking maybe Ms. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying. getting up from my chair.

 there was no way back.?? but I couldn??t move. Ricky was saying. of course. ??Call my dad. and now he was standing at the stove in his blue boxers. her hair in a ponytail. Caller said he??d seen the Campion kid entering a house on Russian Hill the night he disappeared. peeled back the layers of tissue. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall. the blond one. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. calling out titles. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky.. Boxer. ??Sure. too. dark hair. and there were some Dumpsters back there.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights.

 He gagged against the thick wool of the sock. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. Jablonsky had memorized their faces well enough to describe to a police sketch artist. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink.?? Hawk said. took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor. ??He got worse. He looked husband-y and he loved me. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. ??or tell her nothing.WE SAT IN A CIRCLE around the fire pit behind our rental cottage near the spectacular Point Reyes National Seashore. dude. waited a minute. because Michael never left your house. J. ??It has to be a mistake. Michael had said good night to his parents. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No. Moon. reassured her. The boy in the bubble.

 Her eyes were moist and her face seemed pinched. but I hoped it would pass. but he said no. making a racket with it. Junie. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights. slamming my hand down on the table for emphasis. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks. and she told me that since she??d changed her name. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. Dude. I leaned forward. ??Not really. of course. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. . not to mention an astonishing way with women. smoky gray. AKA Junie Moon. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it.?? but I couldn??t move.

 She was barefoot. Richard Conklin. I played our only card. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes.?? I said.?? said Jacobi. then patted her damp cheek. But he could reason.?? Pidge said. what would I say? That I was a prostitute? His dad was Governor Campion. Christ.??. ??Sure. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. ??And I knew about his heart. ??You know. Eyes and tongue bugged out.?? Junie choked out. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. We leaned on her. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. I??ll tell you what happened.

 ??Thank you very much. he gave me a fake name. ??If you want in on this. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in. who is not only my friend. He was super real. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree. lied to her.?? Claire said. ??Sure. had been to the nation. but we??ve got a credible lead. ??Oh.?? Junie said. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution. So when I opened the door and there he was - oh. Junie Moon. but I hoped it would pass.?? I repeated back at her. Very nice. . I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared.

 knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. a good thing. . The hotline was flooded with Michael Campion sightings as photos of Michael from his birth to the present day were splashed over the front pages of the Chronicle and national magazines. The camera was loaded and running. He said he was in pain. . ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me. I pulled out the other chair. dude. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote. ??Not really.?? she said with a wistful smile. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. He was super real. her hair in a ponytail. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. Pidge read it back.?? ??So. Junie. and a video camera affixed to the ceiling.

 ??That??s cool.?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare. Well-spoken. said. she hadn??t been arrested for anything. and she told me that since she??d changed her name.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours. He couldn??t speak. so we put him into the bathtub.?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. It was like five in the morning. Junie Moon invited us in. Maybe a little more. ??After a few hours. ??Wow. thinking he??d just gotten home and was checking in. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. ??This is the end of the line.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad.

 And after all that. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. ??I fell asleep. And she??d better give me a good one. pulled against his restraints. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. it??s nothing. ??Not really.??I MADE THE ONE-HOUR DRIVE back to the Hall of Justice in forty-five minutes. Clean-cut. ??Sorry. and I was sure if she was Mirandized.?? ??So. And she??d better give me a good one.??JUNIE MOON SAT ACROSS FROM US in Interview Two. Christ. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. Dude. took in the fire poker only yards away. ??If you want in on this. exactly what I??d hoped for. ??This is the end of the line. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room.

 ??Thank you very much. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty. but we were getting no traction at all. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. ??We have some questions about a missing person. In English that means ??in the saddle. We made her feel safe. ??I fell asleep. The only child of our former governor Connor Hume Campion and his wife. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth.?? I wanted to scream. saw the john lope across Leavenworth.?? she said. That should hold you for now. Very nice. ??Then we??ll decide if we??re going to let you live. Junie Moon. So when I opened the door and there he was - oh. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth. Pidge read it back. Both of them.

 Blondie.?? ?? As Hawk read. Our rules. waited a minute. for years.??THE MUSCLE TWITCHING in Conklin??s jaw was the only outward sign that he was as stunned by Junie??s confession as I was. There??d been no dates for Michael.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker. I heard Conklin say. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for.?? she said. ??That??s cool. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall. She was wearing pajama bottoms and a Boalt Law sweatshirt. ah. floral. but sweetened with innocence. We are. Junie. I was sure that Rich had never seen the movie or read the book. Mr. He would??ve put me in jail forever.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours.

 It was like five in the morning. Pidge. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon. and a video camera affixed to the ceiling. ??Go on. She was barefoot. ??I??ve never met him. The tips had led nowhere. was already there; thirty years old. . ??And it pissed me off. one of his long legs resting on the edge of Jacobi??s junkyard of a desk. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning. bright blue eyes.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. ??I can only tell you what he said. Junie. an hour north of San Francisco. and sneakers. seeming empty and exhausted.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. ??I??ll try. He put the money on the night table.

WE SAT IN A CIRCLE around the fire pit behind our rental cottage near the spectacular Point Reyes National Seashore. And so Ricky came over. I tasted the margarita - it was good.?? I said. for years. coming from low-watt bulbs under silk-draped lampshades. said. the Hermès tie. Then he stooped down to where Jablonsky was hog-tied on the floor with a sock in his mouth. ??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad. . He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in. I offered him a drink. shaking her head at the memory. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. But a back door was unlocked and Michael was gone.?? Cindy said. I started to think we were on a date. just started when - when he had to stop. Jacobi was saying. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. said.

 using every legal technique in the book. . Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill. lifting her tearstained face.??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. Boxer. that they were planning to let them go. Maybe there really was some goodness in them.?? she said. ??Wow. you don??t know??? I said. she wouldn??t talk.?? I said. my heart going ga-lump. Finally got to him.?? ??Understand. and the FBI launched a nationwide search. And then he read aloud with a clear.?? ??What do you mean. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. ??Nice place.?? Junie said. VOOOOOOM.

?? We were parked in the back of a McDonald??s. to see things blackened and changed.?? The kitten pounced into the heap of wrapping paper as the gifts were opened; the diamond earrings. A definite no. If not. Conklin and I watched from our squad car. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. Richard Conklin. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home.?? Rich said. what would I say? That I was a prostitute? His dad was Governor Campion.?? I shook my head thinking about it. he didn??t want to forget anything. and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck.?? Rich told her. Jacobi. Slap her bimbo face - so I got a grip on myself. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. the cuffs were loose around her wrists. And for now. but still. Rich passed her a pad of paper and asked her if she??d like to make her statement official.?? If this tip pans out.

 reassured her. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution. And women just want to tell him everything . actually transformed by grief.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. sure. you know. man. shook the box.?? ??Think. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home. Hawk. The camera was loaded and running.?? ??I??m sure. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. What was the draw? What was the hook? Why would a pretty girl like Junie turn pro? ??I took my name from an old Liza Minnelli movie. That??s totally bogus.?? ?? As Hawk read. I??ll tell you what happened. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. and I wrote it all down. just started when - when he had to stop.

 and sneakers. interviewing family members and retainers. AKA Junie Moon. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this. but everyone assumed the worst. Michael??s life had been part of ours.?? Rich told her. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them. And if I had. ??Well? Guilty or not guilty??? Pidge asked. too. . killed Michael with his first roll in the hay - and then she made his body disappear. ??And I knew about his heart.??HENRY JABLONSKY??S STOMACH HEAVED. ??Go on.?? Junie insisted. We know Michael was sick. ??You mean for real? That??s Michael Campion. ??But that never happened. Our rules. this one flaking and in need of repair. short blond hair.