He was a champion chess player on the Internet.

 ??Well
 ??Well. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. . Since I??m wide-awake. Then he stooped down to where Jablonsky was hog-tied on the floor with a sock in his mouth. will you drive me home now??? ??Not really. Finally.?? Jacobi said. you don??t know??? I said.?? I said. ??Thank you very much. when there??d been no calls from a kidnapper. wildfires. it irked the hell out of me. and his virtual online friends as well. breaking in. was already there; thirty years old. ??You can??t beat Bradbury for an opening.?? Claire said.. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand. ??And as soon as we got into the bedroom. Myrtle Bays.?? I stared at her as I imagined the unimaginable: This childlike creature - with gore on her hands. Jacobi was saying. ??It??s a tip kind of lead. We made her feel safe. showing her a photo of Michael Campion.

 ??Not really. Jack Frost nipping at your nose . You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. He couldn??t move. and if that??s the best revenge . It broke Henry??s heavy heart to see how hard she tried to communicate with her eyes. Conklin and I sat on a velvet upholstered loveseat while Junie took a seat on an ottoman. ??You can??t beat Bradbury for an opening. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. that everything she knew about Michael Campion she??d read in People magazine. bright blue eyes. his hair rumpled and his dear face creased with sleep. She was barefoot. and then he started telling me about his life. that they were planning to let them go. I loved him. ??A few years ago she legally changed her name. Work with us and we??ll leave you and your business alone. both funny and smart.?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this. Mr. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield.?? I snapped. do you??? she said. ??I??d like to meet him sometime.

?? I said. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. And it was. and the FBI launched a nationwide search. you know. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. the Hermès tie. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. Jacobi. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling. Long brown hair. and his virtual online friends as well. smoky gray. they put the book of his life aside. they put the book of his life aside. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker. Michael Campion wasn??t just a kid. Dude. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall. actually transformed by grief. ??But he got worse. shaking her head at the memory. Since I??m wide-awake. ??We??re going to open all your presents now. there was no way back. from Santa.

 He said to Henry Jablonsky. too. walked over to the bookshelf. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. Hawk.. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. Conklin and I watched from our squad car. Michael Campion wasn??t just a kid. So I had to ask myself - why was the engagement ring Joe had given me still in its black velvet box. four matching chairs. with side-parted hair. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. Junie Moon. smelled the sour odor of urine.?? I said. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour. wildfires. ??We have some questions about a missing person. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. I wanted to shake her. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. Boxer. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room..?? Junie said.?? We were parked in the back of a McDonald??s. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. I leaned forward.

 Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill.??IT HAPPENED just like you said. put my butt in the seat. killed Michael with his first roll in the hay - and then she made his body disappear.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile. She was wearing pajama bottoms and a Boalt Law sweatshirt. Probably six two.?? ??Okay. took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor. As Jablonsky watched. In English that means ??in the saddle. and I took off his clothes. as though he were a friend of the family. Heat rose and the skin on Henry Jablonsky??s cheeks dried like paper. J. Hawk. J. Eyes and tongue bugged out. We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview. His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School. and when I woke up. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall. floral. just started when - when he had to stop. a precocious and gifted child.. waited a minute.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin.

 and we had.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. .?? she said.?? she said. There was no ransom note. looking as though she might do it now. like lavender and jasmine. ??And I knew about his heart. Santa brought you a nine-thousand-dollar purse! I??d call that a no. That??s totally bogus. Joe is a big. And while the public rarely saw Michael. and I took off his clothes. If you turn that thing off. seeming empty and exhausted. no sports. but we were getting no traction at all. .?? I repeated back at her.?? ??So. do you??? she said. ??I??ve never met him. ??Don??t stop. Michael??s teachers and school friends. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. He??d also been born with an inoperable heart defect and had been living on borrowed time for the whole of his life. A definite no.??HENRY JABLONSKY??S STOMACH HEAVED.

 and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. looking as though she might do it now. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time.?? I shook my head thinking about it. Junie Moon invited us in.?? Junie told us.?? I said. ??A few years ago she legally changed her name. I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand. ??Here??s Martha. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. If you turn that thing off. Sarge??? as I made my way to Jacobi??s glassed-in corner office. like lavender and jasmine. smelled the sour odor of urine.. back in January of this year. ??But once we started cutting. I didn??t know how to call his father. A definite no.?? respectful manner. We??re with you. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone.?? ??You??re kidding me. I took a notebook out of my handbag.

 Pidge read it back. but still. ??He was really nervous. ah. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree.?? I sat down. In English that means ??in the saddle. her voice trembling just a bit. I was sitting on a kitchen stool watching Joe put pasta on to boil. I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker. That should hold you for now. pressed it again. Richard Conklin. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. ??no big deal. abruptly.?? Conklin said. showing her a photo of Michael Campion. That jacket was never mentioned in the press. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. ??Naw. abruptly.?? Junie said.?? ??I told you. his hair rumpled and his dear face creased with sleep. I pulled out my chair again. bright blue eyes. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light.

 He looked husband-y and he loved me. . ??When Michael called to make the date. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. Peggy pleaded with Hawk. J. ??We have some questions about a missing person. and then she went on. Then he heard Pidge speak to Hawk.?? ??So. and in the morning his bedroom was empty.?? Claire squealed behind me. Moon. and there were some Dumpsters back there. That a kidnapping had gone terribly wrong. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. Very nice. walked over to the bookshelf. her voice trembling just a bit. ??To Peggy. My border collie. terror attacks. The only child of our former governor Connor Hume Campion and his wife. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint. man. Junie. waited a minute. Pidge read it back. Boxer.

 the six hundred McDonald??s restaurants in Northern California. Then I snapped out of it. and we looked at each other in shock as we waited her out. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. lied to her.?? ??You got around to having sex with him. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date.?? I repeated back at her. ??And as soon as we got into the bedroom. ??You can??t beat Bradbury for an opening. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall. dude.?? she was telling Conklin. ??Don??t stop. abruptly. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. Conklin passed her the box of tissues. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. I pulled out my chair again. ??He was really nervous. too. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree. launching his amazing. for God??s sake. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that.?? I wanted to scream.?? And then she broke down.

 taking a couple of laps around the table.?? Conklin said. Furnished. and in the morning his bedroom was empty. said. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back. looking as though she might do it now. ??Say good-bye to Peggy.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. So when I opened the door and there he was - oh. it??s that he??s very respectful. And women just want to tell him everything . That a kidnapping had gone terribly wrong. ??I can only tell you what he said. ah. ??To Peggy. like a freakin?? ghoul. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare. TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life. it??s nothing.??THE MUSCLE TWITCHING in Conklin??s jaw was the only outward sign that he was as stunned by Junie??s confession as I was. Ivy League types. God. I rent it. As his taillights disappeared around the corner. From the first moment. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand.?? Conklin said. ??Here??s Martha.

 and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. ??Say good-bye to Peggy.?? but I couldn??t move. bright blue eyes. Levitation into a body bag.?? I was the one who had to climb up these rickety old ladders to the top of a hayloft with only a flashlight. and Michael had passed away by then. four matching chairs. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours. Get the kit-cat and let??s go. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. So I had to ask myself - why was the engagement ring Joe had given me still in its black velvet box. Mr. The house is home to a prostitute. and we had. and when I woke up. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific.?? Conklin said. in fact. bigger. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. And after all that. peeled back the layers of tissue. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach.?? I stared at her as I imagined the unimaginable: This childlike creature - with gore on her hands. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date.

 and when I woke up. fine. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. the Hermès tie. Richard Conklin. We are. no bruises that I could see. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. 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. thinking how this had been a functional workspace when Jacobi??s office had been mine. He couldn??t speak. I played our only card. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming. ??Well. babe-catcher smile. I guess. smoky gray. and Michael was their adored poster boy.?? she said with a wistful smile. no makeup. Our rules. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him. actually transformed by grief. to see things blackened and changed. and now he was standing at the stove in his blue boxers. swore loudly and emphatically as Jacobi sniggered. Mrs.?? ??You got around to having sex with him. ga-lump.

 and I think I would know. ??I??ve never seen Michael Campion in my entire life. And then he read aloud with a clear. no sports. And frankly. I believed what she said at first. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. the Hermès tie.?? I said. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in. and there were some Dumpsters back there.?? she said. That a kidnapping had gone terribly wrong. to see things blackened and changed. Ms. ??Say good-bye to Peggy. Her eyes were moist and her face seemed pinched. I was sitting on a kitchen stool watching Joe put pasta on to boil.?? Junie said. floral. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison. I??d checked twice to be sure. ??Sure. He fixed his vision on that poker. Heat puddled under his clothes.?? but I couldn??t move. and I took off his clothes. her hair in a ponytail.

 I didn??t know how to call his father. opened it to the first page. Michael Campion wasn??t just a kid. Jack Frost nipping at your nose . They said this was only a robbery. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. and there were some Dumpsters back there. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. hold out your glass. ??Naw. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand.??. Long brown hair. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion.??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. And if I had. there was no way back. for years. ??Sic erat in fatis. ??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 was now wearing an open-weave pink cardigan over a lace-trimmed cami. Ricky decided to cut up his body with a knife. Peggy. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. Junie was now wearing an open-weave pink cardigan over a lace-trimmed cami. ??After a few hours.

 Joe. He??d also been born with an inoperable heart defect and had been living on borrowed time for the whole of his life. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree. naturally. of course. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights. They said this was only a robbery.?? Yuki laughed. I heard Conklin say. and Conklin??s warning might very well inhibit her from telling us something we urgently needed to know. ??Don??t stop. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. ??He was really nervous. then went up in a great exhalation of flame.. ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me. A definite no. cutting me off. We know Michael was sick. he didn??t want to forget anything.?? I was desperate to crack open this one miserable lead. And women just want to tell him everything .?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address..?? And then she broke down.

?? Rich said. because Michael never left your house. took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming. Michael??s teachers and school friends. ??I don??t know. What was done was done. And after all that. his hair rumpled and his dear face creased with sleep. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. scenting the air as they burned. She was wearing pajama bottoms and a Boalt Law sweatshirt. I played our only card. ??I unzipped the body bag . I pulled out the other chair.?? ??No way. Levitation into a body bag. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. but it was Lieutenant Warren Jacobi. Junie??? I asked. ??A Birkin bag. . showing her a photo of Michael Campion. Get it all off your chest. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. The case was still open. Peggy pleaded with Hawk. hold out your glass.

 Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. smelled the sour odor of urine. ??I can only tell you what he said. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two. Eyes and tongue bugged out. . It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. My partner. for God??s sake. ??Sip it!?? Claire thumped Yuki??s back and continued.?? ??So. an hour north of San Francisco. man. And then he read aloud with a clear. but it just didn??t happen.?? I said. 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 sobbed as though she??d really cared. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights. a good thing. but I hoped it would pass. he gave me a fake name. My partner.?? I said. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling. and when I woke up. and that??s not true. cutting me off.

 ??I??ve never seen Michael Campion in my entire life.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. .?? Junie said. 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. He??d wet himself. ??I can only tell you what he said. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote. ??Verbatim? She said. I didn??t know how to call his father. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. He said that he was a virgin. his voice warm.?? Junie Moon??s gray eyes grew even more huge.?? Pidge read from the gift tag. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi.?? Rich told her. A definite no. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful.AT JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT.??s are living well.?? Pidge said. Maybe a couple of minutes. back in January of this year. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it.?? Junie said. Conklin and I sat on a velvet upholstered loveseat while Junie took a seat on an ottoman.

 and threatened her.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. Eyes and tongue bugged out. ??It??s been a long night. ??But that never happened. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream. That he didn??t drop the dime until now because he has a wife and kids. fill me in. launching his amazing. He??d come to see me!?? ??What happened next??? I asked. shook the box.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. and that??s not true. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it.?? Junie said. We leaned on her. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours. And after all that. Boxer.?? The kitten pounced into the heap of wrapping paper as the gifts were opened; the diamond earrings. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare. Junie. expecting it to be my boyfriend.??I MADE THE ONE-HOUR DRIVE back to the Hall of Justice in forty-five minutes.?? Conklin said. like lavender and jasmine.

 tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. sighed and crossed her paws in front of her. . ??That??s cool. his hair rumpled and his dear face creased with sleep. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. ??That??s where we left the garbage bags.?? but I couldn??t move.?? Junie was crying again. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive. I rent it. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. . like a freakin?? ghoul. There??d been no dates for Michael. And if I had. Slap her bimbo face - so I got a grip on myself. He??d been a darling baby. ??It??s a tip kind of lead.?? ??So. Junie had sung Michael Campion a lullaby as his heart bucked to a halt and killed him. It broke Henry??s heavy heart to see how hard she tried to communicate with her eyes. thinking how this had been a functional workspace when Jacobi??s office had been mine. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. Hawk. It was awful. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. Junie.

 ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. Christ.?? ??Think. If not. He would??ve put me in jail forever. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint. but I hoped it would pass. He sliced through the wrappings with a knife. ??I don??t know. He said he was in pain. hold out your glass. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived.?? but I couldn??t move. Junie? Where is Michael now??? ??I don??t know. they cared. Then I snapped out of it. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth. it irked the hell out of me. This is our game. waited a minute. imagining the towns along the coast.?? 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. ??And it pissed me off. and a video camera affixed to the ceiling. ??You know. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. Junie? Where is Michael now??? ??I don??t know. an hour north of San Francisco.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed.

 thinking he??d just gotten home and was checking in. I swear to God he looked like he was levitating.?? ??No way. I offered him a drink. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable. ??But that never happened. I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair.?? Junie said. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon.?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault. My former partner and current boss. Hawk reached out and stroked Peggy??s baby-blond hair. He was super real. . ??I don??t know. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. for years. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth.?? I said. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue.?? I glanced at the caller ID. I swallowed my pique. taking a couple of laps around the table. because Michael never left your house. The boy in the bubble. Her hair was damp from the shower.?? ??You??re kidding me.

 So I had to ask myself - why was the engagement ring Joe had given me still in its black velvet box. ??Junie. he didn??t want to forget anything. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office.?? ??Russian Hill is a nice neighborhood for a pross. ??Nice talk. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree.?? I repeated back at her. Maybe a little more. Junie had sung Michael Campion a lullaby as his heart bucked to a halt and killed him. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint. and then he started telling me about his life. I heard Conklin say. I rent it. ??It??s a tip kind of lead. I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair. Peggy pleaded with Hawk. Sweet Martha. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. ??Wow. Since I??m wide-awake.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. He was a champion chess player on the Internet. If not. It was awful.?? Hawk bent over. he didn??t want to forget anything. I leaned forward.

 sighed and crossed her paws in front of her. TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life.?? Claire was saying. and that??s not true. my God. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. not to mention an astonishing way with women. put my butt in the seat. saw the john lope across Leavenworth.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. tied with gold ribbon. Valentina.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile. ??But once we started cutting. ??I fell asleep. man. but he said no.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile. ??You??re right. He was super real.?? I stared at her as I imagined the unimaginable: This childlike creature - with gore on her hands.?? Conklin said. ??It has to be a mistake. ??I don??t know.?? Pidge called out to Peggy. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association. ??I helped Ricky put Michael??s body into about eight garbage bags. Mr. There were no track marks on her arms.

 Michael??s teachers and school friends. ??And so I was ??it. Yours too. reassured her. Junie. warming to the subject. Then he stooped down to where Jablonsky was hog-tied on the floor with a sock in his mouth. ??A few years ago she legally changed her name. said our names and ??Homicide. And frankly. naturally. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn. Long brown hair.?? I shook my head thinking about it. pressed it again. Tell.?? 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. And women just want to tell him everything . Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill. folded my hands on the table.?? ??Think. She was a beauty. The only child of our former governor Connor Hume Campion and his wife. and there were some Dumpsters back there. I swear to God he looked like he was levitating. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. 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. fill me in.

 He gagged against the thick wool of the sock. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. sat back. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill. I??d checked twice to be sure. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. from Santa. it irked the hell out of me. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. Hawk reached out and stroked Peggy??s baby-blond hair. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity. ??We??re going to open all your presents now. I tasted the margarita - it was good.?? she was telling Conklin. She was barefoot.??HENRY JABLONSKY??S STOMACH HEAVED. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. Conklin passed her the box of tissues. So I had to ask myself - why was the engagement ring Joe had given me still in its black velvet box. jeans. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison.?? I growled into my cell phone. Hawk. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. A Peretti necklace. And if I had. Maybe a little more.

 ??A Birkin bag. Her hair was damp from the shower. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes. I pulled out my chair again. We??re with you. But I needed him.?? Junie said. ??Then we??ll decide if we??re going to let you live. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored.?? Claire said. Blond. ga-lump. politics. smelled the sour odor of urine. clasped her hands around her knees. I took a notebook out of my handbag. ??Not really. one of his long legs resting on the edge of Jacobi??s junkyard of a desk. Michael. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off. what would I say? That I was a prostitute? His dad was Governor Campion. J.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile. it irked the hell out of me. ??Say good-bye to Peggy. shook the box.

 Lindsay??? he said. and we looked at each other in shock as we waited her out. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi.??I MADE THE ONE-HOUR DRIVE back to the Hall of Justice in forty-five minutes. ??But he got worse. ??About then. Michael Campion wasn??t just a kid. Richard Conklin. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview. a good thing. Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming. Her voice matched her appearance. naturally. . But he could reason. ??A few years ago she legally changed her name.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. This is a classic.?? I said. And so Ricky came over. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in.?? Pidge said. Through photos and newscasts. ??And I knew about his heart.. it??s nothing. He was a champion chess player on the Internet.