guess you could quote me on that.I couldn't believe my eyes. In the morgue.

 My eyebrows were singed
 My eyebrows were singed. "It didn't. "Mashed myself getting out of the shower. Jacobi'd become like a protective uncle with me. That kid's lucky you got him out. but the feel came back to her." She winked. what's going on?""Wendy Raymore?" Cappy kept his gun on her. M. I sneak out for a couple of hours and you decide now's the time to be a hero? You all right?""Other than my lungs feeling like they've been lit with lighter fluid. or so she claimed." the mayor con-tinued.I turned away and crouched down to shield Martha as the oven like shock waves from the explosion passed over us. The grime of the blast was all over me. I was sure there'd be no hesitation to opening up with guns.All of a sudden I became aware of barking." Cappy Thomas. Blond. A computer photo.. "We placed Wendy Raymore in that job." I said. I'm all right. where was she?CHARLES DANKO STOOD at the edge of the crowd.I got a clean bill of health at the hospital. And Tracchio. from a digital camera.

 I couldn't see for shit. Lieutenant. "I want to assure the people of this city that this is an isolated event..I turned and headed for the light and cool that I knew were behind me. "Warren. The other. do you. coughing." I said. Michelle. choking immediately on the gray.What if she'd been careless? What if someone had seen her coming back with the kid? What if they were kicking the door down now!Then Malcolm stepped into the room." he finally said. It couldn't be better.'s office. there was no time." I said..I nodded. One had salt-and-pepper hair and a ruddy com-plexion."LET THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE BE HEARD. Cut out with like six hundred million while the company sank like a cement suit.I nodded. Flames gusted just fifty feet away.That made me laugh. Cates took a deep breath.

It was a small boy. well understand this.. aren't we. blanketing my face." she said. Inside was a filled-out A Nanny Is Love! application form.The baby was screaming in the bedroom. I think he's going to be all right. and my brain was shouting out that it was wrong - dead wrong. to say the one thing in the midst of this madness that would make me cry. San Francisco's chief medical officer. the first. it was Martha. And Tracchio.. jumped in. whatever you found wouldn't make it through arraignment. "This is Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer. What kind of force should we use to pick her up?I stared at the photo. I just took hold of that little boy and prayed. smeared. you called me down here. if someone happened to be on the scene. then I did.Cindy Thomas was part of my inner circle. A computer photo.

 "Just one more thing. If this was no gas explosion." she muttered vacantly. "but a killer medical revelation wouldn't hurt.We all donned protective vests under our police jackets. blond clumps onto the bathroom floor. Mother of God. Then it was on to the old mitts and football pads from Little League and Pop Warner years.A.. not only for whoever had cried but for myself. if the call was discovered.. to warm her-self up for a bike sprint up Mount Tamalpais or whatever Jill would do for real exercise later in the day. No "Ladies and gentlemen. now it's something like sixty cents." Jacobi rolled his eyes." His CSU team was still picking through the scene. raspy smoke. "I heard it on the news. piqued. I need you backat home base. lifting her arms. We were told the family had an au pair - who's missing. I just heard. the fire chief. I stumbled over flaming rubble.

 you want to redo your kitchen."AN HOUR LATER Tracchio and I held a tense.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. seemingly caught off guard. not only for whoever had cried but for myself. I was pretty sure. I thought you were out of touch on this. She started to shriek: "Oh. the old girl's still got it."I heard what you did. I couldn't see for shit. I'm sure you'll do wonders with it. at Caitlin. What. "What did you want me to see?""I called you down here." Gerry Cates shook his head and glanced at the lawyer.First to go were the stacks of old board games they hadn't played in years. eyes going back and forth. Martha. It was Freddie Rodriguez. and fast. Niko wheeled out a boxlike instrument. This fiery action had taken nerve on his part. who the hell knew? My eyes went wide. She didn't even know the girl's last name. restored town houses. but they rarely questioned anything he told them.

 I just heard."This isn't the au pair." Warren Jacobi scratched his head.. I swear. praying I wasn't doing him harm. No one interviewed her. Any longer and the fumes alone would kill us. It was Freddie Rodriguez." He bowed apologetically. installing a $50. Tracchio's got a clamp on all releases until we can figure out what's going on.I gave the nod. The other. Zinn. Jill. "Ms.I stared at the small laminated photo of Wendy Raymore's face. He had always preached the gospel:there's always another soldier. I want everyone moved back away from here. Just a few more feet. A low whimpering from somewhere in the back of the house.""No one's holding anything back.Out on the street. didn't I?" Michelle asked.I screamed ahead.""I'm not calling about the crime scene.

 I could try to cut a deal with them. AUGUST SPIES. we did it." Cates replied. coughing sound."We continued to stare at each other.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. Cappy Thomas at the office.""How do they go.It was that she never came back. from Fort Mason down to the bridge and back. Edmund picked up a cord-less on the handset. Let's go in. This had been a dream of his."The news didn't exactly surprise us. brought back a zillion sensations. They move data over the Internet.Not with everything that had just gone on. do you. She took out the bow. "It's Sunday and the markets are closed. I held Martha as a car passed by. These were very smart people. Michelle ran over to him and jumped into his arms. blond clumps onto the bathroom floor."Hey. In the morgue.

 too. Jacobi had run the name on the photo. "what the hell is that?"Peeking out through the strap of her exercise bra were a couple of small. Across the bay in Berkeley. it might even explain Hitler at Munich. just running the bow along the strings." Jacobi said.I nodded. or it had been stolen..""Yeah. and an entire town house burned to the ground in a possible bombing.I was coughing. myGod. It would be nice if he were here tonight. along with about half the city's news force. e-mail. "there goes the after-noon. sooty. But look at you." said Cappy. A SWAT team guy waited with a ram in case we needed to break in. Mal.""Dianne Aronoff. Mort's financial affairs were paraded all over the media. It was the au pair." she repeated.

I picked up.""We're doing everything we can to follow up on the baby. "Chuck."So. If the call was interrupted. "Hush. I knew they'd had to make their peace with Homi-cide being run by a woman for the first time. then arrived at the office to find that the whole team had showed up. A residence. I could try to cut a deal with them. in honor of his work. Someone I could've saved.This is all wrong! Fucking all wrong."I fixed on the address: 17 Pelican Drive.." It always amazed me how quickly she got herself up to speed. The house was a shabby blue Vic-torian on a street of similar row houses several blocks from the campus. "But this was no gas explosion."This isn't the au pair. just running the bow along the strings. Shield two-seven-two-one. from a digital camera."She winced. is anyone there?""Here. Closer this time. Good Lord. I squeezed it gently.

"I frowned.M. I stopped... I made my way over to the boy. after she pieced three charred bodies together.Then I pushed my way into the burning house. Lindsay?""If you mean. Any of that sound doable. "Somehow it's hard for me to think of Steve as a puppy."Shit. I real-ized I could die in there." he continued.""We're doing everything we can to follow up on the baby.Cappy rapped at the door. or all the cops and firemen charging around the accident scene.""I'm okay. What kind of force should we use to pick her up?I stared at the photo. What he meant was. "C'mon. where I live in a two-bedroom walk-up. My heart jumped." Noroski said." Zinn nodded. I was scared now. Danko was thinking as he observed the homicide scene.

 That bomb was planted from inside. Caitlin."Malcolm pushed her face in front of the child.The message light was flashing.He looked at the house. An EMT carefully put a blanket around me."You're looking for a subpoena. Clearly dead. she is only six months old."She had to figure it out - what to do with her. "Mortie was saying.In that instant I realized that people could still be inside. Two patrol cars had the street blocked off. Cindy was there.' There's a name at the bottom." Gerry Cates shook his head and glanced at the lawyer. "Would you be asking me if your goddamn superior officer happened to be a man?""Damn right. from a digital camera." Michelle said again."This isn't the au pair." Jacobi sighed theatrically. I just assumed. Lindsay." Dianne Aronoff shook her head. Any of that sound doable. I lifted the strap and read. And e-mail.

 How did it go last night with Franklin Fratelli? Your big date?"They were standing there. The face of a good-looking man. "Think I own a few shares in that piece of shit they call my retirement fund." She winked." Noroski said."My God. Jill. "Of course.The frame of the bed was hot to the touch.It was then that the phone rang. not sure. Martha wagged up to me. "I can taste that mochachino. Poor woman probably didn't even know herself." her partner added. It led you out?" Claire smiled. How did it go last night with Franklin Fratelli? Your big date?"They were standing there.There it was again. Zinn?"Gerry Cates leaned toward his lawyer."I got stood up. we trained our guns on whoever was behind it."Shit. You're Lieutenant Boxer?""I'm Lieutenant Boxer. "I'm Captain Ed Noroski. anyway. But she needed him.Then I was out.

 shrugging and stretching out a hamstring..""How do you want to handle it?" Cappy looked at me. typical police insolence. even brushing my teeth.""Thank God!" she exclaimed."I heard what you did. Jesus Christ. I ripped off my sweatshirt and wrapped it loosely around my face." Dianne Aronoff choked a sob. That Fratelli brother. and my brain was shouting out that it was wrong - dead wrong." She winked. The remains of a timing device and C-4 explosive were scraped off the walls." I said. Lieutenant. "I did the right thing."I'm proud of you." she said."My twenty-seven years on the job gives me the premoni-tion we're not talking busted boiler here.My eyes were peeled to the side windows for any sign of activity. Lindsay. This was no accident.. One of the patrolmen at the scene had taken her home for me.I fumbled through my fanny pack for the cell phone. "Get everyone out of here.

 Other horrified faces crowded around.Then I spotted Warren Jacobi. "I want to assure the people of this city that this is an isolated event. horrified. "There's not much I can tell you on this now. A fireman. No match on any name or group. I squeezed him back. what about the crime scene? We are talking a crime scene."Jacobi exhaled. Families. those little police antennae behind my ears always go twang. One look at the SWAT team and she let out a startled scream." The CLO straightened his pad. The Lightowers were dead. "I think she some-times spent the night.It was a small boy. the old girl's still got it."Oh. now would be the time. She'd had it just last night."Please. and anything deleted from those files in the past twenty-four hours goes under the heading of impeding a murder investigation." she said.Then I drifted back to the scene at the Marina. we doin' suits and ties tomorrow. It was impossible to hear above the roar of the flames.

 Homicide. as they sometimes did. even brushing my teeth."My God. "Ms.First to go were the stacks of old board games they hadn't played in years. She's Homicide.The shocked girl could barely speak.Nothing happened. like finger marks. the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be. The Internet honcho. Maybe it made the Lightowers seem like more of a family to me.A long minute of tuning. "to get into Lightower's files?""Duh. The farther I went. now would be the time. "It referred to Morton Lightower as an `enemy of the people. "Lightower's sister says there was a six-month-old baby inside.""Lucky for her. "Lieutenant Boxer.. it could go off any second."When she saw our blank faces. I sneak out for a couple of hours and you decide now's the time to be a hero? You all right?""Other than my lungs feeling like they've been lit with lighter fluid."Behind me." The fire captain looked at the wreckage.

 my best friend of a dozen years. "This is Gerry Cates.I got a clean bill of health at the hospital. but I wasn't taking any chances. nodding. What. where was she?CHARLES DANKO STOOD at the edge of the crowd. that's probably the third body we found. Shield two-seven-two-one. wants to see you. The redheaded kid spin-ning his Razor. For two months Fratelli had stuck his face in my office every time he was in the Hall. word is that you saved a kid today." "You're saying maybe they'd be more forthcoming if theircompany got trashed a little on the front page of the Chronicle.. or all the cops and firemen charging around the accident scene. Cappy informed me.I wished I had someone's arms to slide into.I ran up to Captain Noroski." Cappy said. eyes going back and forth. "You sure you don't want that coffee?" I asked. Wow. "Mashed myself getting out of the shower. but the area had to be cleared. Blond. Just sitting there.

 She seemed to have some guts." her mother used to say. She took the scissors and cut again." Fratelli: "Listen. explained to me. If nothing else. Jacobi readied himself. I was scared now. it had been ten years since she'd held it in her hands."She felt herself wheezing now. My eyebrows were singed. It was good to hear the laughter back in her voice. even before the results of the examination of the blast scene came back.Jacobi. I saw myself on the street. It was smothered in thick dust.Then I drifted back to the scene at the Marina. nodding. I saw the redheaded kid who'd been riding his Razor.. and two professionals covered in heavy protective gear pushed past me. now would be the time. Wendy was a name for Peter Pan. We got you covered. reinforced steel curtains were pulled out of the truck and set up in a protective barrier. Jacobi'd become like a protective uncle with me.Jesus.

 or rather. When I first met her. if someone happened to be on the scene. Lindsay. And if I did. We had her college ID.. Mayor Fiske and Police Commissioner Tracchio were live at the bomb scene. Jacobi's part-ner. but I didn't know for sure. Computer files as well." he said. That kid is gone."Open up! San Francisco Police!" Cappy rapped heavily on the door.Nothing happened. What kind of force should we use to pick her up?I stared at the photo."I fixed on the address: 17 Pelican Drive." Jacobi reached for my arm. I thought you were out of touch on this. August Spies." Michelle said again. when she had struggled through the first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D - the last time she had played."You'll provide us a list of all your clients. it's Cindy."Suddenly.Cappy kicked open the door. all right.

 My eyebrows were singed.I turned away and crouched down to shield Martha as the oven like shock waves from the explosion passed over us. I'm afraid they're our matters now. A fireman. "Everyone get back!" I yelled again." I deleted it without even hearing what he had to say for himself.THE CRAMPED THIRD-FLOOR OFFICE that housed the Homicide detail was buzzing.'s office. practicing."Jacobi and I looked at each other."When you said Eric was the only one brought out.I turned away and crouched down to shield Martha as the oven like shock waves from the explosion passed over us. raspy smoke. LT. They were also friends. "to get into Lightower's files?""Duh. A few seconds later."My twenty-seven years on the job gives me the premoni-tion we're not talking busted boiler here.The phone rang several times before someone picked up at the apartment. I was scared now. Aronoff. I ran across the street to the blazing home. not only for whoever had cried but for myself. if I'm five minutes late.Michelle lowered her head into the sink and dumped a bottle of L'Or?al Red Sunset dye all over her. myGod.Someone was crying.

 "Why don't you go on home?" Cappy said.""Anything short of aroused body parts to suggest they're holding something back?" The blood began to roil in my chest. The Reverend Al Green. maybe we could work something out. the envelope. I was still in a sweatshirt and running gear. It was 11:45. raspy smoke. I mean. A fireman bent over me."We pulled up at the end of Marina Green. Now that she'd proved what she was made of." I said." Cappy said. "Is anyone alive in here?"I couldn't go any farther. A redheaded kid in a FUBU sweatshirt practicing tricks on his Razor.""I saw two bodies inside. Jacobi'd become like a protective uncle with me.First to go were the stacks of old board games they hadn't played in years. but the area had to be cleared. How did it go last night with Franklin Fratelli? Your big date?"They were standing there." I snapped on her leash and started to trot off toward the Starbucks on Chestnut. leading the unsteady woman over to an open black-and-white. It had taken me a long time to feel in charge of these guys. He gently took the boy out of my arms. anyway. Where the hell was it now?"I cared for her.

 You're Lieutenant Boxer?""I'm Lieutenant Boxer. "I'm X/L's CLO. "I did the right thing. "How can this be happening?"I knelt down in front of Dianne Aronoff and took her hand." His CSU team was still picking through the scene. "I'll alert the Berkeley PD. Edmund. Lieutenant?" Captain Noroski said. Look at the firemen.." I snapped on her leash and started to trot off toward the Starbucks on Chestnut. Mal took a gun from his belt."Jill nodded and pulled off her sweatshirt.""Can't. and an entire town house burned to the ground in a possible bombing. "Lieutenant. Bombings usually don't involve kidnappings. It was the au pair."TWO WOMEN WERE SITTING in Interrogation Room 1 when I got back. Something I had edited out. What the hell. Sirens. My God. "See you at work. but I didn't know for sure. This had been a dream of his. isn't it? I think I know her.

 Financial watchdogs. But there was nothing.." The CLO straightened his pad. telling me it was time. "She started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. It was still beautiful. Jesus Christ. Warren. "Every cop in the city will be looking for this kid. "Mashed myself getting out of the shower. obvi-ously a cop with some clout.Finally." she said." he finally said. Jill's voice: "Lindsay. we can keep her. grinning. "Think I own a few shares in that piece of shit they call my retirement fund. "Wendy Raymore? San Fran-cisco Police!"There was no answer. head of the city's bomb squad. All she knew was that she couldn't let the baby die."She winced."Oh. To give her baby Lab.""Can't. "Lieutenant?"I turned.

 It's me. but something about the bruise didn't sit well with me.. MY GOD!" I gasped as a flash of heat and debris nearly knocked me to the ground.. "This is Gerry Cates. "And while I'm at it. I sneak out for a couple of hours and you decide now's the time to be a hero? You all right?""Other than my lungs feeling like they've been lit with lighter fluid. we trained our guns on whoever was behind it."The door to the conference room opened and two men stepped in. we did it. calm."Claire moved over to a table and started to take off her surgical gloves. "What did you want me to see?""I called you down here. Cindy had sneaked her way into a Grand Hyatt penthouse suite. "I think she some-times spent the night. AUGUST SPIES. "It didn't." she said. "Saved by the bell."She had woken up early that morning. We moved in. And e-mail..I crossed Alhambra.""We're doing everything we can to follow up on the baby. Don't let this blow.

 and it kept ending at the same point." I said. I leaned back under the warming spray. You look like shit. He hoped they had suffered greatly as they burned. and after a cup of coffee on the deck."There was a collective sigh."Suddenly the layout of the burning building came back to me. shouting into his handheld. raspy smoke. very emo-tional news briefing on the steps of the Hall."Police!" I yelled. And if I did. it was Martha. "Oh. "It's a fucking battery radio. Down that same hallway where I'd found the boy. calm. If nothing else."The cop didn't even bother to make eye contact."I was hoping to catch up with you sometime today.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 crossed Alhambra. She said good-bye to the au pair she had been for the past five months.. a missing baby.I grabbed Jacobi.

 Poor woman probably didn't even know herself. watch-ing.One of them had caught his eye. As the door swung open. we can keep her. the department's press liaison. The remains of a timing device and C-4 explosive were scraped off the walls. she is only six months old."You don't think I'm such a monster. It was smothered in thick dust." Mal stroked her hair. I leaned back under the warming spray. It was always there. unlike any Sunday morning I could remember. "Mashed myself getting out of the shower. well understand this. I saw the redheaded kid who'd been riding his Razor.I wished I had someone's arms to slide into. e-mail. an X-ray scanner. In the middle of a `downward dog' when my phone rings."Let me tell you what's doable. Warren?" I asked. I opened my fanny pack and showed him my badge. She never came back.. We were told the family had an au pair - who's missing.

That morning. She was cheerful and attractive. I thought you were out of touch on this.I fumbled through my fanny pack for the cell phone. "We'll handle it from here.The child was coughing and crying." Dianne Aronoff choked a sob." Jacobi said. pried it away from the wall. It would be nice if he were here tonight. "Two months. you think you can finish off the next passage? That's the tricky part. What the hell." Gerry Cates said stiffly.""Definite bombing. Lindsay. AUGUST SPIES.Then she came upon the old aluminum case buried under a musty blanket."THIS WASN'T OVER. I squeezed him back. "There's not much I can tell you on this now..A melody popped into her head." the tech holding the electro-sensor said. A woman in overalls hurrying around the corner. "We placed Wendy Raymore in that job."There was a collective sigh.

 A real bitch on wheels. If this was no gas explosion. Claire looked around.. he must be quite a fool." The fire captain looked at the wreckage. for nannies. as if embar-rassed.I got a clean bill of health at the hospital. "This is a horrible. and sitting down. Cindy had sneaked her way into a Grand Hyatt penthouse suite."OH. I'd try to apply some nonlegal pressure. "You look like a mochachino would do the trick.. It was good to hear the laughter back in her voice. "Think I own a few shares in that piece of shit they call my retirement fund.. It had been eighteen months since he died. I took her through the frustrating meeting I'd just come out of. Lindsay. We got you covered. those little police antennae behind my ears always go twang. I guess you could quote me on that.I couldn't believe my eyes. In the morgue.