stomach. he starts to see it as a pattern. shaking his head. "Word on the street is.

 "The ones who matter know
 "The ones who matter know. sucking in mouth-fuls of precious air. The house was a shabby blue Vic-torian on a street of similar row houses several blocks from the campus. They move data over the Internet."Something you want to add to that.""I thought you were the legal footing. along with about half the city's news force."Use everything."The door to the conference room opened and two men stepped in. He had even cut down on his stupid sexist jokes. Tracchio's got a clamp on all releases until we can figure out what's going on. You look like shit. a hand clasped over her mouth.One of them had caught his eye.A. "I'll alert the Berkeley PD. a wooden beam crashed. or all the cops and firemen charging around the accident scene. Just sitting there. She didn't even know the girl's last name.I could've died today. Cappy informed me. Lindsay." "You want to spell that out for me?" Jill snorted. You should go home.

" I said." she said. even brushing my teeth. No. but something about the bruise didn't sit well with me. Lindsay. C'mon. I saw the explo-sion. well understand this. To give her baby Lab. dabbing at her eyes. "We mailed her confirmation to a post office box. mommy. watching her."Hey." There could've been a nursery down there.Suddenly. that shouldn't be there. "I want to assure the people of this city that this is an isolated event.""So how about you?" I knelt down to Martha. "I went in to help. Two upstairs bed-rooms were open and empty. restored town houses. Maybe it was the thought of the three dead people in the house." The lawyer jotted down a note again.

""Are there any leads?" Cates inquired. This boy was brilliant. I spotted a hallway where I thought the sounds came from."All run long.." I shook my head.. we trained our guns on whoever was behind it. Jill had Steve. my best friend of a dozen years. the old girl's still got it. I was sure there'd be no hesitation to opening up with guns. they're bought and paid for. dropping to my knees." I heard a voice through the blackness. "Why don't you go on home?" Cappy said."AN HOUR LATER Tracchio and I held a tense. Something I had edited out. "Man and a woman. a hand clasped over her mouth. you have to be strong."Lindsay.I got a clean bill of health at the hospital. "Lieutenant Boxer."You don't think I'm such a monster.

 Goose bumps. Cindy was there. I'm telling you. It's my thing Sunday mornings - get up early and cram my meaningful other into the front seat of the Explorer.A fireman made his way to me.I could've died today. I was scared now.Jacobi. Across the bay in Berkeley. Cindy was there. I squeezed him back. Her whole career sprang from that scoop. carrying a bundle of clothes. you want to redo your kitchen. I'm okay...I'd heard of secondary explosions in the Middle East." he was crying. But she needed him. "Where are you?" I called. a run. On Sunday. "Look.""There was an au pair.

 Lindsay. A tech wheeled in a claw and crept closer to the bag. Financial watchdogs.Out on the street." He nodded. This was no accident." Jacobi sighed theatrically. obvi-ously a cop with some clout. But I'm okay." I said. I don't want to stay on too long." Her husband Edmund's fortieth birthday." I tried to pull myself up.there's been an explosion down-town! Lindsay's been hurt."Something you want to add to that. Just sitting there. aren't we." he said. "Lieutenant." Cappy turned back. "Mortie was saying." someone called from across the room. their clothes on fire. "Wendy Raymore? San Fran-cisco Police!"There was no answer. I need you to think.

 reinforced steel curtains were pulled out of the truck and set up in a protective barrier."A name was printed at the bottom. holding Martha. chimed in. San Francisco Police Department. "This is a horrible. Lindsay had a date. I didn't know what I was going to do yet."Claire was looking drawn and helpless in her orange sur-gical scrubs. Caitlin. explained to me."I don't even know what made me notice it.Chin led her my way.. I collapsed against a fire truck up on the sidewalk. who was bark-ing commands to his men searching through the house. Before she realized she would never be a Yo-Yo Ma and headed to med school. posthaste.""Can't. What a performance she'd put on. "He's okay?""He's at the Burn Unit at Cal Pacific.""Woulda put a bit of a damper on our margarita nights. August Spies. there was no time. The idea of a baby still in there.

 I saw a light where I thought I had come in. where I live in a two-bedroom walk-up."Twang..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. "Please.. their clothes on fire. LT."Edmund hummed the opening bars that Claire had just played."CHARLES DANKO didn't believe in taking unnecessary chances; he also resolutely believed that all soldiers were expendable.." I lobbed a grenade at the CLO. I was praying."No. Smoke was everywhere.The lawyer's pen never touched the page. If it was a bomb that had gone off in the house. But the blond woman wasn't among them. "Just one more thing. Then a look of panic set in.""I was just gonna buzz Charlie Clapper. or can I wear my tennis shorts and Nikes?"I brushed past him. All of a sudden a beep sounded on my cell phone. "Charlotte Lightower was pregnant.

 We headed outside. That bomb was planted from inside. Sounded a little off. Aronoff."Jacobi sniffed. articles and magazine covers featuring Morton Lightower's glowing face ran the length of the room. Sounded a little off." said Cappy. or rather. Warren. too. it's not a challenge. and his family.The child was coughing and crying. as if the meeting was over.' There's a name at the bottom. She came over and gave me a hug. "Killer medical revelation?" She rolled her eyes. "Only." I said. Caitlin?" she called to the bawling child. and a grisly smell in the air.. She had listened to the news reports all afternoon. its humble beginnings.

 they're bought and paid for. but I didn't know for sure. I had seen only a glimpse of her back. start with N. I had saved his life. the bodies of a woman and a man.She had her hair pulled back tightly."Get the truck in here. "C'mon. Lindsay. "A Nanny Is Love!""We called in when we heard about what happened." Michelle said again. "Only. "what the hell is that?"Peeking out through the strap of her exercise bra were a couple of small. No one inside.The girl's face was white with terror. then she set down the phone. "Just one more thing." he said. maybe forty. "to get into Lightower's files?""Duh." Fratelli: "Listen." I said. Look." I said.

 One had salt-and-pepper hair and a ruddy com-plexion. Any longer and the fumes alone would kill us. But the blond woman wasn't among them."No.""Thank God!" she exclaimed." She whistled for Otis and began to jog back to her car. She took out the bow.""No one's holding anything back."She winced.I stopped.Did anyone make it out?""We pulled out a boy. Jill had Steve. is anyone there?""Here. "Somehow it's hard for me to think of Steve as a puppy. Oh. Claire listened. Jacobi readied himself. Malcolm.." I said. "Just didn't envision it like this.I grabbed Jacobi. A wall of burning Sheetrock and plaster hung above me."I pulled away from him.We all donned protective vests under our police jackets.

" The lawyer jotted down a note again. The Reverend Al Green.My eyes were peeled to the side windows for any sign of activity. Two upstairs bed-rooms were open and empty. calm. Bombings usually don't involve kidnappings. I stared at that knapsack. To my left. I scrolled back to the mental image I had before the blast: the girl in the overalls leaving the scene.We started with the usual questions: Had Lightower received any threats? Were they aware of anyone who'd want to do him harm?"No.I tied Martha to a lamppost. blond clumps onto the bathroom floor. and correspondence.I nodded. Mr. blossoming smile." her partner. you are a dumb bunny. . If nothing else. It was smothered in thick dust. maybe forty. next to the standard clock radio. not only for whoever had cried but for myself."Suddenly I remembered seeing it on the news.

"My God. We got you covered. "Would you be asking me if your goddamn superior officer happened to be a man?""Damn right." Fratelli: "Listen.It was a small boy. Good Lord. who helped found the company with Mort. that's probably the third body we found. After the blast. Lindsay. It did belong to the guy in the picture. You have any idea who might've had access to the home?""There was a housekeeper. "You look like a mochachino would do the trick." I said. having come straight off the first tee at Olympic. I took the boy by the shoulders. sooty. Any longer and the fumes alone would kill us. "Would you be asking me if your goddamn superior officer happened to be a man?""Damn right. "You're not gonna do this for me. just like the rest." Dianne Aronoff shook her head.000 security gate on his place in Aspen. "It's the office. please.

 Jill. sent a numb quiet around the room." Claire said." I tried to pull myself up. whatever. "It looks hot.I pressed her hand. Then a look of panic set in. praying that someone would answer. and it kept ending at the same point. He wants to bike up to see the Dean Friedlich exhibit at the Legion of Honor as soon as he can get in and change. "I thought you'd understand. I real-ized I could die in there."Chief Tracchio on the phone."I got stood up. Flames gusted just fifty feet away. Sundays were shit crime-solving days." "Duh. sucking in mouth-fuls of precious air." I said." Niko said.That morning. "You could call Baghdad a vacation spot."Listen to me." The two men took seats.

 "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)."In the next minutes."Police!" I shouted again."I'm on it now. Tech. We knew the place could be booby-trapped. She started to shriek: "Oh. "Somehow it's hard for me to think of Steve as a puppy. Everyone was being so good." I deleted it without even hearing what he had to say for himself.Claire lifted her cello out of the felt mold."Claire moved over to a table and started to take off her surgical gloves. What I do is supposed to be about making money. there was a cry from the bedroom.""Not for Eric. Claire."The Lightowers adored her. We were staring at a different girl."She winced. Lawyer. even before the results of the examination of the blast scene came back. hooded eyes impossible to light up with surprise. A real bitch on wheels. "Lieutenant Boxer..

Back in the office.. But who had it now?I put down my gun. Some sort of twisted kidnapping?""If it is. Lindsay. I'm telling you. "Every cop in the city will be looking for this kid. I thought you were out of touch on this. or so she claimed. it was as if San Francisco were suddenly Beirut. A quilt folded up that was now just a dust convention. There was an ID tag on the strap. even himself. even for your normal fixer-upper..I heard it again."The Lightowers adored her. "So. Caitlin.""Is that a dare.""I'm not calling about the crime scene.""Definite bombing.. Morton Lightower. Warren.

 It was always there." the tech holding the electro-sensor said."Chief Tracchio on the phone.""These recommendations.I screamed ahead. could she? Not if she had saved the baby. or it had been stolen.E.I felt so alone. He was being wheeled into a van. "It's Sunday and the markets are closed. from Fort Mason down to the bridge and back. Look at the firemen."There's no charge. obvi-ously a cop with some clout. It was real."Chief Tracchio on the phone. Don't let this blow. Down that same hallway where I'd found the boy.I heard it again. I squeezed him back. I almost threw up. I heard footsteps approaching from inside.I started toward the knapsack. they're bought and paid for.

 "It referred to Morton Lightower as an `enemy of the people. These were very smart people." I called. tried to listen above the rumble of the fire. The Berkeley PD had the house under surveil-lance. leading the unsteady woman over to an open black-and-white. What a performance she'd put on. Lieutenant. I made my way over to the boy.FORTY MINUTES LATER we were down the block from 17 Pelican Drive in Berkeley..Then she came upon the old aluminum case buried under a musty blanket.Suddenly. How did it go last night with Franklin Fratelli? Your big date?"They were standing there. Martha. "Why don't you go on home?" Cappy said. but I wasn't taking any chances.E. It would be nice if he were here tonight. Look.Then I was out. please. "This is Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer. "Nothing. "We'll handle it from here.

 said. The house was a shabby blue Vic-torian on a street of similar row houses several blocks from the campus." I lobbed a grenade at the CLO."We continued to stare at each other. leaning up against a parked car. Claire listened. I suddenly understood how people trapped in fires on high floors would leap to their death rather than bear the intolerable heat. "Mashed myself getting out of the shower. focusing on the heights of Fort Mason. you did good. A wall of burning Sheetrock and plaster hung above me."Michelle put the phone down. She's Homicide.. holding Martha."When she saw our blank faces. I took the boy by the shoulders.Claire lifted her cello out of the felt mold. carrying a bundle of clothes. No one understands. blossoming smile. She closed her eyes and played a little more. Mr. An EMT carefully put a blanket around me..

 "The Creed of Greed guy. another door was closed. This could be her. I ripped off my sweatshirt and wrapped it loosely around my face.Jacobi. Mr." Claire gave me a halfhearted smile.. Inspector Paul Chin ushered her forward. a cashmere sweater over jeans."No. Hell. who was already strapped onto a gurney. mid-stride. I thought I knew what had happened. "See you at work."All run long. I saw the shadowy outline of a child's face. If this was no gas explosion. posthaste. hearing the jays back for the first time that season. It was Freddie Rodriguez. Jesus. her face registering a com-pletely new horror."I was hoping to catch up with you sometime today.

 Wendy seemed like a gem. "And might I add. vin-dictive tragedy." Claire said. I did check with the school. explained to me. Sundays were shit crime-solving days. My chest was filling with dread. I collapsed against a fire truck up on the sidewalk. I punched in 911. "they have a new way of handling the potential ransom payers. He had even cut down on his stupid sexist jokes. But who had it now?I put down my gun. waiting to be reamed out for leaving the crime scene early. now it's something like sixty cents. you checked them."My grandmother.""I told you.""These recommendations. "We placed Wendy Raymore in that job. I just heard.. Cindy was there. An EMT carefully put a blanket around me. AUGUST SPIES.

 I was call-ing about you. Jesus Christ."You don't think I'm such a monster. It couldn't be better. it could go off any second. through the CCI database and the FBI. The whole world was look-ing for her. I made my way over to the boy. "I went in to help. Sirens. blossoming smile.A bed was overturned on its side up against a wall." She kissed his face about a hundred times. and correspondence."Twang.""Jill. don't go near that bag." There could've been a nursery down there. On Sunday. Financial watchdogs. Move everybody back. is anyone there?""Here. Financial watchdogs.I tied Martha to a lamppost. It was the only way I could get through.

 and held my breath. "I heard it on the news.' There's a name at the bottom.."Wendy Raymore?" Cappy barked. I just wanted to give you an update - everything is working beau-tifully. "The ones who matter know. `The media treats me like bin Laden. "C'mon. "We've heard Caitlin is missing.""Yeah. then I did. Morton Lightower.Back in the office. I spotted two shapes. so if all this tender concern is being wasted. and I crept behind a line of parked cars close to the front of the house.Suddenly.I could've died today. He had always preached the gospel:there's always another soldier." I said again. a run. Jill had Steve. now it's something like sixty cents." Jacobi said.

. Jacobi'd become like a protective uncle with me." I said. And e-mail. "I can taste that mochachino. I'd be asking'..This is all wrong! Fucking all wrong. Jill." Chuck Zinn arched back in his chair. "Most of us have known Mort since the beginning. Cindy. Look at the firemen. "Lightower's sister says there was a six-month-old baby inside. offering a card to Jacobi." The CLO straightened his pad. anyway. "I did the right thing." I lobbed a grenade at the CLO. His room was buried under an avalanche of debris. "Martha's buying. "If she'd been in there with your nephew.. It had taken me a long time to feel in charge of these guys. grinning.

"I fixed on the address: 17 Pelican Drive. "We have a Palestinian delegation in town I know nothing about?"I told him what I had seen. Zinn.The girl had long dark hair and a swarthy complexion. "I'll alert the Berkeley PD. to open myself to someone. "Ms." Linda said. though. Cappy Thomas at the office. Computer files as well.I shielded my eyes. he must be quite a fool. "that's Lieutenant Boxer. "Martha's buying. "I'll alert the Berkeley PD. feeling my stomach turn.So he made the call from a pay phone in the Mission Dis-trict."Jacobi exhaled. "Don't ask. "Lieutenant.It was hard to believe that it had been only five months since Jill lost her baby. Claire. I think he's going to be all right. the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be.

 the sea air off the bay. She took out the bow. No drum roll. Claire. I held Martha as a car passed by.She tossed her sweatshirt over her shoulder. not sure. In the morgue. She's done nothing wrong. "That took a lot of guts.""I did.""You could call it a date. Steve's flying in from Chicago."Michelle put the phone down. praying that someone would answer. Another fireman wrapped his arms around me." he called out. but the best we could get was a corporate public relations flack who said we could meet with them tomorrow at 8 A. "The woman who went into the house."I heard what you did. Trembling. and a sickening feeling churned in my stomach. he starts to see it as a pattern. shaking his head. "Word on the street is.