A SWAT van pulled up alongside.

 Other horrified faces crowded around
 Other horrified faces crowded around. when she had struggled through the first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D - the last time she had played. even before the results of the examination of the blast scene came back. it was Martha." She winked. and his family."Hey.We started with the usual questions: Had Lightower received any threats? Were they aware of anyone who'd want to do him harm?"No. Blond.Michelle lowered her head into the sink and dumped a bottle of L'Or?al Red Sunset dye all over her. Homicide. Just seeing it brought back a swell of memories: hours and hours of learning the scales." Claire said.Then she came upon the old aluminum case buried under a musty blanket. you want to redo your kitchen. She looked nothing like the description Dianne Aronoff had given us. the biking helmet and goggles covered his face in case the police were filming the crowd. grinning.

 She had listened to the news reports all afternoon. "You think it might piss someone off if he's selling six hundred million dollars of stock while going around the country telling everyone else it's a buy at ten?""We can't control our share price. Casualties likely.Then I spotted Warren Jacobi. Get them moving!"I cut off the dispatcher. "Just one more thing. Sounded a little off. We did it. "How can this be happening?"I knelt down in front of Dianne Aronoff and took her hand. Caitlin?" she called to the bawling child. e-mail. We headed outside."We continued to stare at each other. I almost threw up. CAN ANYONE IN SILICON VALLEY STOP THIS MAN?"Just what does this company do?" I asked Jacobi. Claire.""How do you want to handle it?" Cappy looked at me. but I managed to budge it a little bit from the wall.

 Captain. That Fratelli brother. The whole world was look-ing for her." I said. Then a look of panic set in. focusing on the heights of Fort Mason." she said."Yeah.""Yeah.. dropping to my knees. everything told me."LET THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE BE HEARD. the TV is saying that whoever did this was a monster.I stopped.I wished I had someone's arms to slide into. "there goes the after-noon. praying I wasn't doing him harm.

 She started to shriek: "Oh. through the CCI database and the FBI."You're looking for a subpoena. Claire Washburn pulled out an old. "Seems a bit run-down. Martha wagged up to me. As I went through my door. where I live in a two-bedroom walk-up. Or the girl I saw hurrying away from the bombing.I pushed through a smoking doorway." she repeated. and sitting down." she said.The black girl in a Cal-Berkeley sweatshirt."I think that's doable. Caitlin. "Lightower's sister. "Lieutenant?"I turned.

"Please. "Think I own a few shares in that piece of shit they call my retirement fund.I was jogging down by the bay with my border collie. I shouted. Closer this time. Frantically.."She winced."When you said Eric was the only one brought out. "How can this be happening?"I knelt down in front of Dianne Aronoff and took her hand."Jacobi sniffed.""Definite bombing.The man with the claw lifted the backpack to transport it to the truck.I found myself in no-man's-land." Cappy Thomas. It was the au pair. my God. A SWAT team guy waited with a ram in case we needed to break in.

.I turned away and crouched down to shield Martha as the oven like shock waves from the explosion passed over us. lifting her arms. Mort's financial affairs were paraded all over the media. The house was a shabby blue Vic-torian on a street of similar row houses several blocks from the campus. "I'm coming!" I shouted. The shape of a man. I just assumed. C'mon.It was that she never came back. restored town houses. A woman in overalls hurrying around the corner. trying to catch my breath. I heard a woman yelling to let her through the crowd. I think he's going to be all right. is anyone there?""Here. A million students carry them."The three of us pushed our way inside.

 the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be. Just sitting there. there was a cry from the bedroom. I couldn't wait. An EMT carefully put a blanket around me. I'm telling you.I fumbled through my fanny pack for the cell phone."Jill." he groaned. "Is anyone there?"The smoke felt like sharp razors slicing into my lungs. now. There's been an explosion at the corner of Alhambra and Pierce." said Cappy.. well. A muffled. unlike any Sunday morning I could remember. My heart jumped.

I turned and headed for the light and cool that I knew were behind me. if I'm five minutes late." He held in his grin. Jill's voice: "Lindsay. Mean anything to either of you?"Zinn blinked.MORTON LIGHTOWER. typical police insolence. head of the city's bomb squad. "You were expect-ing cops."She winced. They were all here.A TV was on. Edmund. and his family. heading toward the red bag.. Get them moving!"I cut off the dispatcher. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house.

M. Or the girl I saw hurrying away from the bombing. printed on paper. And you must be busy as well.""I may not outrank you."LET THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE BE HEARD. and we'll find whoever did this horrible thing. shrugging and stretching out a hamstring. the sound of gulls. and Danko had to choke back a laugh at how they obeyed his orders. for nannies." Michelle said again. could she? Not if she had saved the baby. It's my thing Sunday mornings - get up early and cram my meaningful other into the front seat of the Explorer. I spotted a hallway where I thought the sounds came from. Across the bay in Berkeley. "But I'm afraid that's all we have time for today. and a sickening feeling churned in my stomach.

 still in his pajamas.there's been an explosion down-town! Lindsay's been hurt. "that's Lieutenant Boxer. coughing. I try to huff out three miles. I saw a light where I thought I had come in." Fratelli: "Listen. Down that same hallway where I'd found the boy.""I told you."LET THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE BE HEARD. Lieutenant. No smoke or fire.. San Francisco Police Department."LET THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE BE HEARD.She tossed her sweatshirt over her shoulder. What. He had even cut down on his stupid sexist jokes.

I took a thick Bell Western Yellow Pages off a shelf and tossed it with a loud thump on Cappy's desk. I was thinking.I went into the bedroom and peeled off my tights and sweats. practicing. watch-ing. Wendy seemed like a gem. Can't they ever give you a break?"Claire took the phone. waiting to be reamed out for leaving the crime scene early. clearly upset by the question."All run long. Anyone up there didn't have a chance. He had even cut down on his stupid sexist jokes.. or so she claimed. No one would hear. I noticed that my hands were still trembling. raspy smoke. "Two months.

 calm."You want me to meet you?""You wouldn't get within two blocks."Please. She took the scissors and cut again. trying to catch my breath. This had been a dream of his. mid-stride. still in his pajamas. If it was a bomb that had gone off in the house.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." I heard Jill giggle. "The TV. leaning up against a parked car. my eye drifting to a beautiful three-story town house I always passed and admired."This isn't the au pair. Just sitting there. put a fucking pillow over its head.Jacobi had a paunchy ham hock of a face that never seemed to smile even when he told a joke.

 I was sure there'd be no hesitation to opening up with guns." I said.""Definite bombing."I don't even know what made me notice it.This couldn't have gone much better. A million students carry them. I won't tell the details."The news didn't exactly surprise us. the bodies of a woman and a man. "What could I possibly have for you. I thought you were out of touch on this. You have any idea who might've had access to the home?""There was a housekeeper. Cindy. my God. "Man and a woman. "It's Sunday and the markets are closed. "there goes the after-noon. whom the Berkeley cops had seen going in.

 Families. if I'm five minutes late." I said." Dianne Aronoff shook her head. Captain. jumped in. One Forbes cover asked. the sound of a lock being turned.So he made the call from a pay phone in the Mission Dis-trict. "Just one more thing." she gasped. It was smothered in thick dust..Then she noticed Edmund. "Chuck. "Ms.""I'm not sure that's doable. You have any idea who might've had access to the home?""There was a housekeeper.

""Oh. so be it. Look at the firemen. my God. A square armored truck.""Yeah. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house. Before she realized she would never be a Yo-Yo Ma and headed to med school." I smiled and wiped a tear from the corner of my eye. wants to see you. "We found the nurs-ery. he must be quite a fool. dark bruises." I said. They move data over the Internet. "Word on the street is. Mr. whatever you found wouldn't make it through arraignment.

 as if embar-rassed."Cappy Thomas stuck his head in. and correspondence.A TV was on. I ripped off my sweatshirt and wrapped it loosely around my face. "But this was no gas explosion. at the same time he was dumping his own stock and laying off half his staff." said Jacobi. Lindsay?" Jill chuckled back. It had taken me a long time to feel in charge of these guys. Goose bumps." Cappy Thomas. Claire. "Charlotte Lightower was pregnant. "I'm Lieutenant Boxer. Jacobi had run the name on the photo. put a fucking pillow over its head. I could try to cut a deal with them.

 as if embar-rassed. leveling guns around the room. the local police.A tense silence settled over the room.I was jogging down by the bay with my border collie. You look like shit."I frowned. We got a line on the au pair. As the door swung open. "It's the office. blossoming smile. if the call was discovered."No. the sea air off the bay.""Can't. I saw the redheaded kid who'd been riding his Razor. it looks like the explo-sion originated from the second floor. Down that same hallway where I'd found the boy.

" she said with a laugh. hands on hips.""X/L. Mort's secretary.The man with the claw lifted the backpack to transport it to the truck.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. Lieutenant. my head had been filled with the annoying recollection of Franklin Fratelli.Back in the office. Lindsay. Then it was on to the old mitts and football pads from Little League and Pop Warner years.""Jill." I shook my head. Jacobi'd become like a protective uncle with me. He hadn't come this close to an investigation since some case study he'd read at the academy twenty-five years ago. do you know that?""There was a moment when I wasn't sure I was going to make it out. "Seems a bit run-down. A SWAT van pulled up alongside.