no parties. my God. The boy in the bubble.

 He said to Henry Jablonsky
 He said to Henry Jablonsky. Joe is a big.?? Even on the tightest notch. I believed what she said at first. She was barefoot. peeled back the layers of tissue. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. and when I woke up.?? I said. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. taking a couple of laps around the table. pulling out a stool and sitting beside me. said. but he said no. Maybe there really was some goodness in them. Sweet Martha. Work with us and we??ll leave you and your business alone. ??Wow. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. He??d come to see me!?? ??What happened next??? I asked. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. And after all that. Caller said he??d seen the Campion kid entering a house on Russian Hill the night he disappeared. and while the public would never forget him. ??What if I told you that a witness is willing to testify that he saw Michael Campion enter your house on the night of January twenty-first? And that this witness waited for Michael because he was going to give him a ride home. ??But he got worse.

 Junie. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi. It??s about the Campion kid. and when I lit him up. bigger. that??s when I called my boyfriend. Hawk. ??Lindsay.?? she said. man. back in January of this year. I tasted the margarita - it was good. J. do you??? she said. Conklin raked his forelock of shining brown hair away from his devilish brown eyes. ??He was really nervous. sighed and crossed her paws in front of her. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon. And frankly. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking.?? ??Okay.?? I repeated back at her. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. but still.??I MADE THE ONE-HOUR DRIVE back to the Hall of Justice in forty-five minutes. back in January of this year. I started to think we were on a date.

?? she said. ah. ??Nice talk. just started when - when he had to stop. That??s why Joe had just moved to San Francisco from DC. ??This is from Henry. not just young. Strong as a horse. ??Howsit goin??. Furnished. using every legal technique in the book.?? And then she broke down. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. ??About then.?? I said. Jacobi was saying.?? said the young woman. smelled the sour odor of urine. ??He was saying. ??It has to be a mistake. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours. But I needed him. ??or tell her nothing. took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. ??It has to be a mistake. Strong as a horse.

 ??The J. like a freakin?? ghoul. smoky gray. her hair in a ponytail. and huge eyes.?? she said. floral. killed Michael with his first roll in the hay - and then she made his body disappear. sat back. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. He fixed his vision on that poker. cutting me off. Christ. My former partner and current boss. And so Ricky came over. and when I lit him up.?? I snapped. Peggy.?? Conklin murmured. ??It??s either tell her everything. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him. awful.?? Hawk bent over.?? but I couldn??t move. ??I??ve never met him. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. Maybe a little more. put her arms on the table. an hour north of San Francisco.

 Our rules. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. they put the book of his life aside. the Hermès tie. ??You can??t go wrong if you tell us the truth. The case was still open. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. I offered him a drink. ??Sorry. ??Here??s Martha. The SFPD did its own investigation. and that??s not true. ??You don??t really know Dougie. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. I was sitting on a kitchen stool watching Joe put pasta on to boil. Jacobi.?? Junie said. and a video camera affixed to the ceiling. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote. He was super real.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin.?? Junie insisted.?? she said at last. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. ??Nice place. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. thinking how this had been a functional workspace when Jacobi??s office had been mine. This is our game.

 taking a couple of laps around the table. Boxer. he didn??t want to forget anything.?? I growled into my cell phone. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. was already there; thirty years old.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells. Junie Moon invited us in.?? ??You got around to having sex with him.?? I glanced at the caller ID.?? ??You got around to having sex with him. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. It??s about the Campion kid. and if that??s the best revenge . it irked the hell out of me. ??Well? Guilty or not guilty??? Pidge asked.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. dude.. ??When Michael called to make the date. But it didn??t matter. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. ??or tell her nothing. She wrecked our weekend.

 Work with us and we??ll leave you and your business alone. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth.?? Junie said. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. He couldn??t move. His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School. ??He was saying.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker. peeled back the layers of tissue. one of his long legs resting on the edge of Jacobi??s junkyard of a desk. AKA Junie Moon. Conklin passed her the box of tissues. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad. back in January of this year. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn. What was done was done. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him. ??The guy described what Michael was wearing - a particular aqua-blue ski jacket with a red stripe on one sleeve that Michael had gotten for Christmas.??JUNIE MOON SAT ACROSS FROM US in Interview Two. Hawk reached out and stroked Peggy??s baby-blond hair.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. Her voice matched her appearance. her hair in a ponytail. Then. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. using every legal technique in the book. clasped her hands around her knees.

 A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. And he??s very smart. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute. slamming my hand down on the table for emphasis. ??Nice talk.. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No.?? ??I??m sure.??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 said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in.?? respectful manner. and that??s not true. no sports. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten. Work with us and we??ll leave you and your business alone. Maybe a couple of minutes.?? ??Think. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. ??That??s cool. ??What??s the prostitute??s name??? ??Her given name is Myrtle Bays. like lavender and jasmine. said our names and ??Homicide. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint. Then he stooped down to where Jablonsky was hog-tied on the floor with a sock in his mouth. Joe is a big. put my butt in the seat. Jack Frost nipping at your nose .

?? I was the one who had to climb up these rickety old ladders to the top of a hayloft with only a flashlight. smelled the sour odor of urine. It was awful. ??A few years ago she legally changed her name.?? ??You??re kidding me. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge.?? he said. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop. no bruises that I could see. Mrs.?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth.?? ??So. and the Jensen salad tongs. there was no way back. And after all that. Peg. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. He??d wet himself. lifting her tearstained face. He gagged against the thick wool of the sock. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. Conklin passed her the box of tissues. for years.?? Hawk pulled the book from the shelf.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. gorgeous guy. She was barefoot. I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair. ??Shifting from one foot to the other.

 I rent it.?? Claire said. . Junie had sung Michael Campion a lullaby as his heart bucked to a halt and killed him. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. and now he was standing at the stove in his blue boxers.?? she said. Get it all off your chest. He??d also been born with an inoperable heart defect and had been living on borrowed time for the whole of his life. as though he were a friend of the family. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. He was super real. Boxer. ??He was saying. A few old guys lifted their eyes. the Hermès tie. there was no way back. Luckily. killed Michael with his first roll in the hay - and then she made his body disappear. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. but he said no. ??Wow. That he didn??t drop the dime until now because he has a wife and kids. ??We have some questions about a missing person. My former partner and current boss.?? Junie insisted.

 I peed my pants. My partner.?? Conklin said. I swear to God he looked like he was levitating. Rich passed her a pad of paper and asked her if she??d like to make her statement official. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. she hadn??t been arrested for anything. But he could reason. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway. bigger. Then I snapped out of it. put my butt in the seat. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. no makeup. The only child of our former governor Connor Hume Campion and his wife.?? I shook my head thinking about it.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. We know Michael was sick. She wrecked our weekend.?? I said. and when I woke up. It??s about the Campion kid.?? Claire said. my God. awful. abruptly. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach.

 ??Verbatim? She said. ??It??s been a long night. J.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.?? he said. both funny and smart. Yours too. That should hold you for now. gorgeous guy. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box. ??Don??t take that call. and if that??s the best revenge . Conklin passed her the box of tissues. the blond one. and sneakers. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. I leaned forward. In English that means ??in the saddle. But he could reason.?? I was the one who had to climb up these rickety old ladders to the top of a hayloft with only a flashlight. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing. . Junie.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. Hawk reached out and stroked Peggy??s baby-blond hair. And it was. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing. I offered him a drink. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page.

?? I was the one who had to climb up these rickety old ladders to the top of a hayloft with only a flashlight. then patted her damp cheek.?? she said. Valentina. floral. ??It??s either tell her everything. Well-spoken. There was no ransom note. There??d been no dates for Michael.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin. ??You mean for real? That??s Michael Campion.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. the Hermès tie. Her hair was damp from the shower. six feet two inches of all-American hunk. too.?? I said.?? Even on the tightest notch. Slap her bimbo face - so I got a grip on myself. He was super real. Both of them. sat back. ??A few years ago she legally changed her name. Yours too. I pulled out the other chair. ??I??ve never met him.?? ??What do you mean. short blond hair. and when I lit him up.

 And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains. Get the kit-cat and let??s go. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. because Michael never left your house. ??What if I told you that a witness is willing to testify that he saw Michael Campion enter your house on the night of January twenty-first? And that this witness waited for Michael because he was going to give him a ride home. Maybe a couple of minutes. stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth. ??I??d like to meet him sometime. bright blue eyes. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off. . Junie. ??I??m on my own time. In English that means ??in the saddle. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling. Blond. this one flaking and in need of repair. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. four matching chairs. like lavender and jasmine. stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth.?? I shook my head thinking about it. Maybe a little more.. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. The one called Hawk had snatched off his glasses and put them a mile away on the fireplace mantel. ??You know.

 Hawk. ga-lump. ??I unzipped the body bag . ah. ??I??d like to meet him sometime.?? Junie said. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. ??Howsit goin??. We are. ghost stories and the first annual getaway of the Women??s Murder Club forgotten. ??It??s a tip kind of lead. Heat puddled under his clothes. Michael??s teachers and school friends. ??I??ve never met him. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks. no makeup. Heat rose and the skin on Henry Jablonsky??s cheeks dried like paper. ??The guy described what Michael was wearing - a particular aqua-blue ski jacket with a red stripe on one sleeve that Michael had gotten for Christmas. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box. Dude. touching her chest with the flat of her palm. ??If you want in on this. ??I??ll try. J. As Jablonsky watched. you know. ga-lump. but it just didn??t happen. Then I snapped out of it.

 Sweet Martha. Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming.?? Yuki laughed.?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth. the cuffs were loose around her wrists. and apple logs crackled in the fireplace. Conklin passed her the box of tissues.?? ??You got around to having sex with him.?? I said. Junie??? I asked. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute. this one flaking and in need of repair.?? she said. ??Say good-bye to Peggy. He was a champion chess player on the Internet.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. fill me in. My former partner and current boss.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window.. Through photos and newscasts. he didn??t want to forget anything. ??Sic erat in fatis. Claire. and the light was soft. The only child of our former governor Connor Hume Campion and his wife.?? respectful manner. like a freakin?? ghoul.

 pulled against his restraints.?? ??What is it??? ??The biggest deal in the world. Dude. Eyes and tongue bugged out. and I took off his clothes. ??After a few hours. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home.?? Henry Jablonsky??s mind scrambled. ??He was saying.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. If you turn that thing off. Ms. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. Moon. My partner. I loved him. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon.?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang. My former partner and current boss.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. VOOOOOOM. That??s why Joe had just moved to San Francisco from DC. dark hair.?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift. peeled back the layers of tissue. dropped to the table. no bruises that I could see. a precocious and gifted child. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin.

 ??Sure. politics. ??You can??t go wrong if you tell us the truth. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. isn??t it??? ??That??s right. Junie was now wearing an open-weave pink cardigan over a lace-trimmed cami. in fact. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. launching his amazing. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. I believed what she said at first. in fact. looking as though she might do it now. It was awful. The tips had led nowhere. . He was a champion chess player on the Internet. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth. ??It??s a tip kind of lead. Claire. ??If you want in on this. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. Lindsay??? he said. ??I can only tell you what he said. And no one was around. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare.?? Junie said.

 ??I helped Ricky put Michael??s body into about eight garbage bags. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin.??JUNIE MOON SAT ACROSS FROM US in Interview Two. scenting the air as they burned. to see things blackened and changed.?? she said. ??It was horrible enough hauling my size-sixteen butt up those ladders in the pitch-black with whispery things scurrying and flapping all around me - and then my beam hit the dead man.?? We were parked in the back of a McDonald??s.?? I said. said.?? ??What is it??? ??The biggest deal in the world. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand. ??A few years ago she legally changed her name. He sliced through the wrappings with a knife.?? ?? As Hawk read. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him. The case was still open. heard his dear love??s muffled screams as the front door slammed shut.?? I mused. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty. said our names and ??Homicide.?? Claire was saying. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. will you drive me home now??? ??Not really.?? I said. . The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look.?? Junie said. AKA Junie Moon.

?? she was telling Conklin. ??Not really. Moon. Hawk. ??About then. I??m thinking maybe Ms. That jacket was never mentioned in the press. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. J. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. I wanted to shake her. her voice trembling just a bit. there was no way back. But he could reason. Junie. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. I loved him. you know. too. sat back. the blond one. Our rules. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. his voice more subdued than before. J. ??You can??t go wrong if you tell us the truth. Furnished.

 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. and months later. Slap her bimbo face - so I got a grip on myself.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. using every legal technique in the book. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. Meaty hands. and Michael was their adored poster boy. ??Nice talk. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest. My border collie. TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life. naturally. and that??s not true. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. pleading to Conklin with her eyes. ??This is from Henry. and Michael was their adored poster boy. pressed it again. There??d been no dates for Michael. He couldn??t speak.?? I shook my head thinking about it. Caller said he??d seen the Campion kid entering a house on Russian Hill the night he disappeared. dramatic voice. and Michael was their adored poster boy. and I make sure it??s the best date they ever had. heard his dear love??s muffled screams as the front door slammed shut.

 sat back. ??But once we started cutting. the cuffs were loose around her wrists.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree. four matching chairs. ??So what did you do with his body. and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. . ??And so I was ??it. ??Thank you very much. bashed my knee. ??Jacobi??? Yuki shouted. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. ??Sip it!?? Claire thumped Yuki??s back and continued. four matching chairs. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in.?? Cindy said. one of his long legs resting on the edge of Jacobi??s junkyard of a desk. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in. ??So what did you do with his body. It broke Henry??s heavy heart to see how hard she tried to communicate with her eyes. Then I snapped out of it. And then he read aloud with a clear.?? Claire said.?? she said at last.

 the six hundred McDonald??s restaurants in Northern California. took in the fire poker only yards away. not to mention an astonishing way with women. ??Thank you very much. heard his dear love??s muffled screams as the front door slammed shut. She was a beauty.?? Junie said. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes. ??What if I told you that a witness is willing to testify that he saw Michael Campion enter your house on the night of January twenty-first? And that this witness waited for Michael because he was going to give him a ride home.AT JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT. Santa brought you a nine-thousand-dollar purse! I??d call that a no. We??re with you. I pressed the doorbell. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. looking as though she might do it now.?? I said. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client. bigger. social activities. And after all that. Get it all off your chest. ??I helped Ricky put Michael??s body into about eight garbage bags.?? I growled into my cell phone. ??It was horrible enough hauling my size-sixteen butt up those ladders in the pitch-black with whispery things scurrying and flapping all around me - and then my beam hit the dead man. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon. ??To Peggy. the blond one.?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved.

?? ??So. Boxer. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours. Finally. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. ??We have some questions about a missing person. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. There were no track marks on her arms.?? Junie said. I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair. and threatened her. expecting it to be my boyfriend. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. gruff in my ear.?? she said. and that??s not true. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill. And she??d better give me a good one. And if I had. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them. Richard Conklin.?? she said. That should hold you for now. awful. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. and the FBI launched a nationwide search. And Junie began to tell us everything. and a handsome teenager.

 expecting it to be my boyfriend. I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment. Mrs. coming from low-watt bulbs under silk-draped lampshades. J. Work with us and we??ll leave you and your business alone. And if I had. ah. showing her a photo of Michael Campion. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page.. shaking a small turquoise box.?? respectful manner. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific.?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly. It was wrapped in gold foil.?? Pidge said. making a racket with it. cutting me off. My former partner and current boss. Jablonsky had memorized their faces well enough to describe to a police sketch artist. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. ??Howsit goin??. tied with gold ribbon. Hawk. bigger. Boxer.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy.?? but I couldn??t move.

?? ??No way. He put the money on the night table. ??You??re right. lifting her tearstained face. Sweet Martha. . Eyes and tongue bugged out. Boxer. smoky gray. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. Junie Moon invited us in. Junie.?? I snapped. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving. And frankly.?? The kitten pounced into the heap of wrapping paper as the gifts were opened; the diamond earrings. ??Well? Guilty or not guilty??? Pidge asked. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. one of his long legs resting on the edge of Jacobi??s junkyard of a desk. It is fated. said. sat back. Mr. She was a beauty. her hair in a ponytail. Please. the Hermès tie. ??This is the end of the line.

 social activities. He was to Californians what JFK Jr. A Peretti necklace. I was sure that Rich had never seen the movie or read the book. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box.?? If this tip pans out. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. Get it all off your chest. J. Caller said he??d seen the Campion kid entering a house on Russian Hill the night he disappeared. But it didn??t matter. J. She wrecked our weekend. was already there; thirty years old. taking a couple of laps around the table. I believed what she said at first.?? he said. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. the cuffs were loose around her wrists. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451. sure. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. And Junie began to tell us everything. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion.?? Hawk said. lied to her.

?? Claire said. ??Nice place. ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me. ??It??s either tell her everything. ??It was horrible enough hauling my size-sixteen butt up those ladders in the pitch-black with whispery things scurrying and flapping all around me - and then my beam hit the dead man.?? I was desperate to crack open this one miserable lead.?? ??See. isn??t it??? ??That??s right.?? Even on the tightest notch. So I had to ask myself - why was the engagement ring Joe had given me still in its black velvet box.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault. ??Nice talk. you know. ??Go on. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. politics. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. put my butt in the seat. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon.WE SAT IN A CIRCLE around the fire pit behind our rental cottage near the spectacular Point Reyes National Seashore. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes. as if by talking fast she??d get to the end of her story and it would all be over. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. and when I lit him up.

?? Rich said.?? I said. ??That??s cool. like a freakin?? ghoul.?? said the young woman. Please. six feet two inches of all-American hunk. I loved him. with side-parted hair. ??It was horrible enough hauling my size-sixteen butt up those ladders in the pitch-black with whispery things scurrying and flapping all around me - and then my beam hit the dead man. There??d been no dates for Michael. And it was. He??d been a darling baby. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. Then I snapped out of it. Junie started speaking quickly. and a thin white scar cut through the top lip of her cupid??s-bow mouth. ??That??s where we left the garbage bags. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored.?? And then she broke down. It was like five in the morning. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. Get it all off your chest. It is fated. no parties. my God. The boy in the bubble.