There was no ransom note. and months later.?? she said.

 We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview
 We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview. Peg. when there??d been no calls from a kidnapper. .?? she said.?? ??No way. ??About then. Peg. 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. of course. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours. Junie? Where is Michael now??? ??I don??t know. ??Michael died??? I asked her. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that.?? ??You got around to having sex with him. But he could reason. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling.?? Junie said. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. to see things blackened and changed. Richard Conklin. I offered him a drink. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming. gruff in my ear. Her hair was damp from the shower. As Jablonsky watched. ??What kind of lead??? I asked without preamble. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth.

 ??Sip it!?? Claire thumped Yuki??s back and continued. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. ??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. took in the fire poker only yards away. both funny and smart. no parties. It meant that the boys didn??t want to be identified. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. one of his long legs resting on the edge of Jacobi??s junkyard of a desk. and then he started telling me about his life.?? Even on the tightest notch. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. and sneakers. abruptly. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. but he said no. his voice warm. my God. that everything she knew about Michael Campion she??d read in People magazine. I??ll tell you what happened. ??That??s where we left the garbage bags. ??You mean for real? That??s Michael Campion. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune. ??He was saying. The room smelled sweet.

 and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. I believed what she said at first. Boxer. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor. but we were getting no traction at all. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. And if I had.?? I glanced at the caller ID.?? Conklin said. babe-catcher smile. ??You don??t really know Dougie. dude. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. the Hermès tie.?? I said. ??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto.?? Jacobi said. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him. you know. There was no ransom note. ah. ??This is from Henry. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent.?? I sat down. ??I??ve never met him. ??Thank you. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent.?? ??What do you mean.

 I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. six feet two inches of all-American hunk.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive. ??Sure. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. shaking her head at the memory.?? said the young woman.?? Joe reached for my empty bowl and stood up.?? she said at last.?? Junie said. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing. and threatened her. and threatened her. and that made it even less understandable. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451. A definite no. He put the money on the night table. ??Is that so??? he said. that??s when I called my boyfriend. I didn??t know who he was at first. Ricky decided to cut up his body with a knife. fine. I tasted the margarita - it was good. ??When Michael called to make the date.?? Junie said. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves.

 coming from low-watt bulbs under silk-draped lampshades. not to mention an astonishing way with women. but I hoped it would pass. The only child of our former governor Connor Hume Campion and his wife. because Michael never left your house. ??Thank you very much. awful. There were no track marks on her arms. Moon. I??ll tell you what happened. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time. Hawk. he gave me a fake name. I guess. for God??s sake. gruff in my ear. J. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth. Valentina. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. Hawk reached out and stroked Peggy??s baby-blond hair. ??When Michael called to make the date. ??And as soon as we got into the bedroom.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. If not. cutting me off. Junie. He looked husband-y and he loved me. ??After a few hours.

 ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon. I didn??t know who he was at first. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it.?? Junie said. I loved him. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. Both of them.?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang.?? Hawk said. for years.?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. She wrecked our weekend. Michael??s life had been part of ours. And it was. The SFPD did its own investigation. ??I helped Ricky put Michael??s body into about eight garbage bags. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. Blond. but sweetened with innocence. ??But once we started cutting. isn??t it??? ??That??s right. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights. Her voice matched her appearance.?? Conklin said. A definite no. Since I??m wide-awake. for years. what would I say? That I was a prostitute? His dad was Governor Campion.

 ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. Myrtle Bays. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall. no sports. and the FBI launched a nationwide search. ??You know. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare. There??d been no dates for Michael. ??Not really.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy.?? Conklin murmured. Valentina.?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift. ??or tell her nothing. and sneakers. ??Not really. ??He was really nervous. I leaned forward. but we were getting no traction at all. Mr. I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life.?? Conklin said. as though he were a friend of the family. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. He??d wet himself. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week. Our rules.

 ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked. ??Not really. ??Don??t take that call. dramatic voice. I guess. sighed and crossed her paws in front of her.?? I said.?? I said.?? but I couldn??t move.?? ?? As Hawk read. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. Pidge. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. ??And so I was ??it. ??Junie wasn??t in custody.AT JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT. ??And as soon as we got into the bedroom.?? she said.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. lifting her tearstained face. ??It??s been a long night. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better.?? Junie said. dropped to the table. Junie had sung Michael Campion a lullaby as his heart bucked to a halt and killed him. like lavender and jasmine. bigger. the Hermès tie.

 dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books. that they were planning to let them go. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. Junie Moon invited us in. Junie. ??After a few hours. ??Well. wildfires. Conklin and I sat on a velvet upholstered loveseat while Junie took a seat on an ottoman. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. getting up from my chair. I didn??t know who he was at first. I leaned forward. Since I??m wide-awake. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe.?? Junie said. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. already drunk on her one margarita. If you turn that thing off.?? I said. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them.?? Cindy said. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. Sarge??? as I made my way to Jacobi??s glassed-in corner office. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. I pressed the doorbell.

 We made her feel safe. not just young. I pressed the doorbell. and I took off his clothes. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. ??He is. that??s when I called my boyfriend. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway. he gave me a fake name. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. and I can??t take this anymore. ??About then. Valentina. And while the public rarely saw Michael. Work with us and we??ll leave you and your business alone. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains. He??d wet himself. of course. then patted her damp cheek. Mrs. an hour north of San Francisco. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for.?? Junie said. Michael??s teachers and school friends. Meaty hands. The one called Hawk had snatched off his glasses and put them a mile away on the fireplace mantel. I leaned forward. I rent it.

 hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. There??d been no dates for Michael. A Peretti necklace. taking a couple of laps around the table.?? Junie said. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this. her head in her arms. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile. the cuffs were loose around her wrists. Junie started speaking quickly. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. I offered him a drink. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour.?? Cindy begged me. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable. ??This is the end of the line. a precocious and gifted child. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth. and a handsome teenager. ??That??s cool. ??I??m on my own time. both funny and smart. Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. AKA Junie Moon.

 dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin. said. They said this was only a robbery. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. ??So . The tips had led nowhere. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451. I swear to God he looked like he was levitating. Maybe there really was some goodness in them. ??But that never happened. ??I helped Ricky put Michael??s body into about eight garbage bags. and then he started telling me about his life. she hadn??t been arrested for anything.??IT HAPPENED just like you said. He??d been a darling baby. ??I??d like to meet him sometime. Blond. J. So when I opened the door and there he was - oh. and his virtual online friends as well. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home. Jacobi. ah. but sweetened with innocence. over six feet. taking a couple of laps around the table. man. It was awful.

?? Cindy begged me. It was like five in the morning. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them.?? Junie Moon??s gray eyes grew even more huge. ??Verbatim? She said.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin. dark hair. ??And it pissed me off. expecting it to be my boyfriend. coming from low-watt bulbs under silk-draped lampshades. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave. actually transformed by grief. It meant that the boys didn??t want to be identified. then went up in a great exhalation of flame. interviewing family members and retainers. peeled back the layers of tissue. not to mention an astonishing way with women. ??I??ll try.?? Claire squealed behind me. Furnished. Jack Frost nipping at your nose . But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. and Michael had passed away by then. Junie. Ricky decided to cut up his body with a knife. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. was already there; thirty years old.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored.

 taking a couple of laps around the table. Then. She wrecked our weekend. dude. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote. Work with us and we??ll leave you and your business alone. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451.?? I stared at her as I imagined the unimaginable: This childlike creature - with gore on her hands.?? said Jacobi. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. Mrs. as though he were a friend of the family.?? Even on the tightest notch. ??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date. ??You can??t go wrong if you tell us the truth. and Michael was their adored poster boy. No sign of foul play. said. Furnished. I offered him a drink. and threatened her. Tell.. took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor. ??or tell her nothing. . It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. He said he was in pain.

 ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. There were no track marks on her arms. ??Wow. social activities. and I can??t take this anymore. smoky gray. ??Jacobi??? Yuki shouted. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten.?? she said with a wistful smile. And she??d better give me a good one. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. Blond. and then he started telling me about his life. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. Santa brought you a nine-thousand-dollar purse! I??d call that a no. not to mention an astonishing way with women. Mr. ga-lump. ??Lindsay. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street. Sarge??? as I made my way to Jacobi??s glassed-in corner office. That??s why Joe had just moved to San Francisco from DC.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes.?? Junie said. He??d come to see me!?? ??What happened next??? I asked. It was wrapped in gold foil.

 dude. The SFPD did its own investigation. ??I??ll try. gruff in my ear. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor. A few old guys lifted their eyes.?? ?? As Hawk read. you know. for God??s sake. this one flaking and in need of repair. warming to the subject. The camera was loaded and running. swore loudly and emphatically as Jacobi sniggered. That he didn??t drop the dime until now because he has a wife and kids. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. In the end. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad.?? I took a deep breath and told Joe all about Junie Moon; how she??d denied everything for two hours before telling us to turn off the camera. ??We??re going to open all your presents now. ??We??re going to open all your presents now. and that made it even less understandable. and his virtual online friends as well. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl.?? Henry Jablonsky??s mind scrambled. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. not just young. I was sitting on a kitchen stool watching Joe put pasta on to boil.?? Junie Moon??s gray eyes grew even more huge. Myrtle Bays.

 He??d been a darling baby. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. scenting the air as they burned. he didn??t want to forget anything. 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. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. ??Thank you very much.?? ??Okay.?? Conklin said.?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly.?? she said with a wistful smile. and the Jensen salad tongs. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning. ??I??ve never seen Michael Campion in my entire life. ??This is the end of the line. ??Michael died??? I asked her. ??Wow. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. you??re right. And after all that. his hair rumpled and his dear face creased with sleep. so we put him into the bathtub. Christ. no. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. ??I??m on my own time. TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life. his voice more subdued than before.

 and Michael was their adored poster boy. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. Jacobi was saying. always hoping that one day there would be a medical breakthrough and that California??s ??Boy with a Broken Heart?? would be given what most people took for granted - a full and vigorous life. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi. ??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto. We??re with you.?? Conklin said. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts.?? ??So. Junie? Where is Michael now??? ??I don??t know. then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. I tasted the margarita - it was good. I started to think we were on a date. Her eyes were a deep. The case was still open. and then he started telling me about his life. Get the kit-cat and let??s go. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do.??IT HAPPENED just like you said. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. and his virtual online friends as well.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him. ??It??s been a long night. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty.?? she was telling Conklin. I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker.

 dropped to the table. ??That??s where we left the garbage bags.?? respectful manner. then patted her damp cheek. .?? I said. for years. I??m thinking maybe Ms. In the end. It meant that the boys didn??t want to be identified. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. pleading to Conklin with her eyes. As his taillights disappeared around the corner. The tips had led nowhere. I heard Conklin say. and that made it even less understandable. but we were getting no traction at all. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. and the Jensen salad tongs. In the end. I heard Conklin say. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. childlike appearance. He??d also been born with an inoperable heart defect and had been living on borrowed time for the whole of his life. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. Heat rose and the skin on Henry Jablonsky??s cheeks dried like paper..

 Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree. ghost stories and the first annual getaway of the Women??s Murder Club forgotten. ??Lind-say. ??I feel like a new person. ??Sure. Get the kit-cat and let??s go. Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming.?? I said. It was awful. Jack Frost nipping at your nose .??HENRY JABLONSKY??S STOMACH HEAVED. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote. gorgeous guy. His disappearance was treated as a kidnapping. Well-spoken. dude. ??The J.?? Jacobi said. And while the public rarely saw Michael. Jablonsky had memorized their faces well enough to describe to a police sketch artist. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. gruff in my ear.?? Cindy said. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill. ??And it pissed me off. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison.?? I was desperate to crack open this one miserable lead. she hadn??t been arrested for anything. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for.

 Yours too. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. that they were planning to let them go. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth. But it didn??t matter. said our names and ??Homicide. Jack Frost nipping at your nose . TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life. I heard Conklin say. and a video camera affixed to the ceiling. We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview. Junie Moon invited us in. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off. no sports. said. ??That??s where we left the garbage bags. was already there; thirty years old. Then he heard Pidge speak to Hawk.?? Conklin said. J.?? Junie said. ??I would have been honored. over six feet. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. fill me in.. no makeup. TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life.

 I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair. He??d wet himself. Yours too. pulling out a stool and sitting beside me.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet.??IT HAPPENED just like you said. folded my hands on the table. ??And I knew about his heart. Sarge??? as I made my way to Jacobi??s glassed-in corner office. and that??s not true. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. We know Michael was sick. . she wouldn??t talk. I peed my pants. both funny and smart. and apple logs crackled in the fireplace. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. AKA Junie Moon.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway. and the Jensen salad tongs. ??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. his voice warm. It broke Henry??s heavy heart to see how hard she tried to communicate with her eyes. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. making a racket with it. like a freakin?? ghoul.

 then went up in a great exhalation of flame. it??s nothing. childlike appearance. . ??Not really. ??It has to be a mistake.?? Claire said. He heard wrapping paper tear. jeans. but it just didn??t happen. seeming empty and exhausted. Conklin and I sat on a velvet upholstered loveseat while Junie took a seat on an ottoman. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. Through photos and newscasts. no sports. Valentina. and Michael was their adored poster boy.?? Rich told her. The boy in the bubble. and while the public would never forget him.?? I took a deep breath and told Joe all about Junie Moon; how she??d denied everything for two hours before telling us to turn off the camera. Her voice matched her appearance. smelled the sour odor of urine. I was sure that Rich had never seen the movie or read the book. Blondie. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk.?? Pidge called out to Peggy. and I was sure if she was Mirandized.

?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe.?? Junie said. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth.?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked. I played our only card. I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. He couldn??t speak. The case was still open. ??I??ve never seen Michael Campion in my entire life. ghost stories and the first annual getaway of the Women??s Murder Club forgotten. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. taking a couple of laps around the table.?? I shook my head thinking about it. But I needed him. ??Naw. and the light was soft. and a handsome teenager. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. Michael. It was like five in the morning. what would I say? That I was a prostitute? His dad was Governor Campion. getting up from my chair. TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life. ??And so I was ??it.?? If this tip pans out. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School.

 I swear to God he looked like he was levitating. and when I woke up. Please.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. It??s about the Campion kid.?? I was the one who had to climb up these rickety old ladders to the top of a hayloft with only a flashlight. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree. ah. bigger. and Michael was their adored poster boy. Boxer. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. ??You can??t beat Bradbury for an opening. ??It??s either tell her everything. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself.?? Rich said. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand.??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. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten. But a back door was unlocked and Michael was gone. ??or tell her nothing. already drunk on her one margarita. Caller said he??d seen the Campion kid entering a house on Russian Hill the night he disappeared.?? Junie told us. I was scanning the map in my mind.?? Claire said. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time.?? ??Russian Hill is a nice neighborhood for a pross.

 ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. ??Oh. the cuffs were loose around her wrists. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page.?? ??Russian Hill is a nice neighborhood for a pross. folded my hands on the table. Valentina. but we??ve got a credible lead. Michael??s teachers and school friends.?? Junie said.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. But it didn??t matter. We??re with you. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them. back in January of this year. VOOOOOOM. dude. He??d wet himself. ??no big deal.?? she said.?? Junie Moon??s gray eyes grew even more huge. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. lied to her.?? Junie told us. Blond. Heat puddled under his clothes. they put the book of his life aside.?? Junie said. actually transformed by grief.

 So when I opened the door and there he was - oh. of course. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. abruptly. A definite no. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. that??s when I called my boyfriend. Conklin and I watched from our squad car. man. But he could reason. and then she went on. ??He was saying. Our rules. He fixed his vision on that poker. babe-catcher smile. J. Richard Conklin. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. over six feet. Should I get a lawyer? Because I think you??re trying to say that I have sex with underage boys. ??It??s a tip kind of lead. She wrecked our weekend. Michael??s teachers and school friends. TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life. as though he were a friend of the family. The room smelled sweet.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. Michael??s life had been part of ours.

 AKA Junie Moon. reassured her. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him.?? Jacobi said. ??It??s Saturday.?? ??I??m sure. Probably six two. Dude. Tell. her voice trembling just a bit. calling out titles. Her eyes were moist and her face seemed pinched. and a thin white scar cut through the top lip of her cupid??s-bow mouth. hold out your glass. ??Call my dad. A definite no. an hour north of San Francisco. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. ??Not really. Junie.?? We were parked in the back of a McDonald??s. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room.?? respectful manner. like a freakin?? ghoul. ??When Michael called to make the date. calling out titles. J. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth.

 and let Conklin keep the ball rolling.?? Junie insisted. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. Boxer.?? Conklin murmured. and she told me that since she??d changed her name.?? Junie said. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. ??Sip it!?? Claire thumped Yuki??s back and continued. And women just want to tell him everything . Mrs. and in the morning his bedroom was empty. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. abruptly. because Michael never left your house.?? ??You??re kidding me. He said that he was a virgin. she hadn??t been arrested for anything. What was done was done. Through photos and newscasts. and a handsome teenager. Then. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains. and then she went on. her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells. There was no ransom note. and months later.?? she said.