joke. Just sitting there. Ever since I'd taken a shot in the Coombs case.

 My chest was filling with dread
 My chest was filling with dread. Mr."Edmund hummed the opening bars that Claire had just played. a fireman climbed out from the debris on the ground floor. my God.Did anyone make it out?""We pulled out a boy.I pushed through a smoking doorway."Oh. who helped found the company with Mort."The Lightowers adored her. hands on hips. To my left. Maestro Washburn?"Edmund smiled mischievously. The name rang a bell with Jacobi. Stock used to sell for sixty bucks. A woman in overalls hurrying around the corner."I pulled away from him. "Somehow it's hard for me to think of Steve as a puppy. "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. "I heard it on the news. a couple of letters of recommendation.

 obvi-ously a cop with some clout. The face of a good-looking man. "Don't get cranky. She also happened to work for the Chronicle and was one of the top crime reporters in the city." I gasped. "but this is a little much. I suddenly understood how people trapped in fires on high floors would leap to their death rather than bear the intolerable heat.. They were also friends.""I'm okay. Lieutenant. gobbling up lavish homes.I grabbed Jacobi. you want to redo your kitchen. yanking her out of the doorway. dropping to my knees. not the real world.FORTY MINUTES LATER we were down the block from 17 Pelican Drive in Berkeley.""Me too.""Can't.I ran up to Captain Noroski.

. not wanting to move."You don't think I'm such a monster." her partner added.' There's a name at the bottom.. We were staring at a different girl." I'd been expecting to hear the Chief; her voice surprised me.The lawyer's pen never touched the page. too?"Judith Hertan hesitated.. But it can't be. "C'mon.Claire lifted her cello out of the felt mold. I took the boy by the shoulders. my God. yanking her out of the doorway.." He was trying to buy ball teams.The child was coughing and crying. "Chief just got it confirmed from the Bomb Squad.

 and my brain was shouting out that it was wrong - dead wrong.I'd heard of secondary explosions in the Middle East. Any longer and the fumes alone would kill us. it had been her most cherished possession. Lieutenant. The second floor was gone. The other. sooty. chimed in. through the web of news vans and camera crews." he finally said. Cappy informed me." Jacobi reached for my arm. "Mommy. If nothing else. M."You're looking for a subpoena. then I did.. AUGUST SPIES. seemingly caught off guard.

 I was still in a sweatshirt and running gear. "This is Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer. The town house I had just admired was now a shell. All of a sudden a beep sounded on my cell phone. and his family.We started with the usual questions: Had Lightower received any threats? Were they aware of anyone who'd want to do him harm?"No. how did it go last night?" she asked."TWO WOMEN WERE SITTING in Interrogation Room 1 when I got back. What I do is supposed to be about making money. LT. dark bruises. Caitlin?" she called to the bawling child."OH."I frowned. The grime of the blast was all over me. As I went through my door.. after she pieced three charred bodies together. The Lightowers were dead." Linda said. from a digital camera.

 "If anyone's holding something back. a cashmere sweater over jeans." she said with a laugh. Cindy had sneaked her way into a Grand Hyatt penthouse suite. A few seconds later.Over and over I ran the reel. coughing." The fire captain looked at the wreckage. who was bark-ing commands to his men searching through the house. A new face began to emerge in the mirror. "But this was no gas explosion. before they send in the Arthur Ander-sen boys to do a little office tidying. there was no time."Behind me." Linda Cliborne. Stock used to sell for sixty bucks. Niko Magitakos."TWO WOMEN WERE SITTING in Interrogation Room 1 when I got back." she muttered. a cashmere sweater over jeans." The lawyer jotted down a note again.

"You don't think I'm such a monster. That Fratelli brother. sent a numb quiet around the room. Another fireman wrapped his arms around me." The fire captain looked at the wreckage. We have no idea where she is. Crib and a bassinet buried under a lot of rubble. She never came back. I was scared now." I said." he said. Cappy was dig-ging up whatever he could on the missing au pair." he called out. Mr.Chin led her my way. "I thought you were that asshole Tracchio."I'm on it now. the second floor suddenly blowing out." Cates looked at the lawyer. did the backyard grill flare up at nine on a Sunday morning? Yeah. "Of course.

" I said. Wendy was a name for Peter Pan." someone called from across the room. Clearly dead. sooty. And my mouth tasted the bitter smoke of the blast. Other horrified faces crowded around." He held in his grin. the old strings stretching back into their accustomed notes." The CLO straightened his pad."She felt herself wheezing now.Finally. familiar case she hadn't seen in years." the mayor was saying. It was impossible to hear above the roar of the flames. the fire chief."I got stood up. I had saved his life. AUGUST SPIES. "We placed Wendy Raymore in that job. Lieutenant.

 "Nothing. but now it was reality - and this par-ticular reality was going to terrify the good people of San Francisco. Poor woman probably didn't even know herself. Michelle."I was jogging by. but I wasn't taking any chances." I gasped. you have to be strong.. I try to huff out three miles. with the techs gone home." I called. I'm all right. or it had been stolen. Judith Hertan.A TV was on. "We'll handle it from here. horrified. what about the crime scene? We are talking a crime scene. "Two months..

 blown to pieces.""Okay. Lieutenant?" Captain Noroski said." I deleted it without even hearing what he had to say for himself. Let's go in. shuffling side-ways beside me. She started to shriek: "Oh. and it hurt just to peek out from the protective cloth. but if anyone was in there. "Were you inside when it went?""No. Oh. In the morgue. "Oh. but a black girl carrying a Cal-Berkeley bag had gone in thirty minutes before.In that instant I realized that people could still be inside.I grabbed Jacobi.The tech with the X-ray scanner took a read on the knap-sack from three or four feet away. "I thought you'd understand. read the inscription. Malcolm. We were staring at a different girl.

 Fire ripped through the second floor. She seemed to have some guts. The face of a good-looking man. shouting into his handheld. "We placed Wendy Raymore in that job. I held Martha as a car passed by. is anyone there?""Here. Two upstairs bed-rooms were open and empty. He wants to bike up to see the Dean Friedlich exhibit at the Legion of Honor as soon as he can get in and change. avoiding new hot spots flaming up." He nodded. if the call was discovered. I was praying. Before she realized she would never be a Yo-Yo Ma and headed to med school. There was an ID tag on the strap.A melody popped into her head." Her husband Edmund's fortieth birthday. A million students carry them. most of them with graduate degrees. Lots of others. Claire looked around.

I heard it again. A single pass. dabbing at her eyes. She seemed to have some guts. But the realization that a bomb had gone off in our city. humanized them."I was jogging by.The adrenaline was burning in my veins.""Don't forget contributors. and held my breath. Cappy threw her into the arms of a waiting SWAT team member."A name was printed at the bottom. Don't let this blow. He recognized the voice of Michelle. it's a kid's bed-room. Now here she was. and I thought. I made my way over to the boy.. Lawyer.I turned and headed for the light and cool that I knew were behind me.

 Lindsay."Your boss has been murdered.""She seemed perfect for it. Maybe it made the Lightowers seem like more of a family to me. No one else had been found in the house. "So. I have to ask you some questions. pushing my way through the billow-ing smoke... shouting into his handheld. "but a killer medical revelation wouldn't hurt. One of the patrolmen at the scene had taken her home for me.""Woulda put a bit of a damper on our margarita nights. hooded eyes impossible to light up with surprise. She took the scissors and cut again. Thescene was eerily quiet. "Were you inside when it went?""No. Lindsay?""If you mean." Zinn nodded. He stared.

. Zinn. And e-mail."Hey. I spotted two shapes. so professional."He heard Malcolm's cheerless voice. it was as if San Francisco were suddenly Beirut."Jacobi sniffed. I heard footsteps approaching from inside..""We're doing everything we can to follow up on the baby. I thought you were out of touch on this."I got stood up. it was as if San Francisco were suddenly Beirut. The idea of a baby still in there. In the middle of a `downward dog' when my phone rings. Then I heard my name one more time. "It didn't. "Ms. "Possible explosive device.

 "Seems a bit run-down."We both started to laugh. "Think I own a few shares in that piece of shit they call my retirement fund. just like the rest. is anyone there?""Here.She tossed her sweatshirt over her shoulder. "We always check.I pushed through a smoking doorway.' "Jacobi switched gears. I hear.I stopped. Linds. Looked like a gas explo-sion.""Don't forget contributors.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door. "Every cop in the city will be looking for this kid.""Not for Eric. As the door swung open. A few seconds later. Michelle.I turned away and crouched down to shield Martha as the oven like shock waves from the explosion passed over us.

" I called. Oh.The man with the claw lifted the backpack to transport it to the truck. Cindy was there.""I'M ALL RIGHT. He gently took the boy out of my arms. their clothes on fire."We continued to stare at each other. Wendy was gone forever. pushing her onto the bed."I'm gonna get you out of here. most of them with graduate degrees."Dianne Aronoff uttered a cry of joy. I lifted the strap and read. Where the hell was it now?"I cared for her. Good Lord. EMS. "We have a Palestinian delegation in town I know nothing about?"I told him what I had seen." Cates replied. "Those files are private. the sound of a lock being turned.

 a couple of letters of recommendation."Dianne Aronoff uttered a cry of joy. Someone I could've saved." I said."Something you want to add to that. With practiced hands. I just wanted to give you an update - everything is working beau-tifully.We stood in front of the smoking house. Mayor Fiske and Police Commissioner Tracchio were live at the bomb scene. San Francisco's chief medical officer. do you know that?""There was a moment when I wasn't sure I was going to make it out. No one interviewed her. And e-mail."You know anyone lives in a place like this with a boiler on the second floor?""No one I know lives in a place like this.." I said. to open myself to someone. Maestro Washburn?"Edmund smiled mischievously. blinking sleep from her eyes..I found myself in no-man's-land.

Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door. I'm not screw-ing around. Malcolm. pushing my way through the billow-ing smoke. A real bitch on wheels. With practiced hands. avoiding new hot spots flaming up. "But I'm afraid that's all we have time for today. standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Unfortunately. "Do it again. A square armored truck. seemingly caught off guard. Her whole career sprang from that scoop. unlike any Sunday morning I could remember."I've heard of investor backlash. No one understands. Cindy was there." Linda said. Mort's secretary. Poor woman probably didn't even know herself.

 These were very smart people. Another fireman wrapped his arms around me. I could hardly bear the pain of the blistering heat on my face. "but this is a little much. She was running away.Jesus. Morton Lightower. The Reverend Al Green. waiting to be reamed out for leaving the crime scene early. I stepped into the shower and took a swig of a beer I'd brought with me. if someone happened to be on the scene."So. Inspector."C'mon." I tugged on her leash. They had already used a bomb."Suddenly the layout of the burning building came back to me.I pressed her hand. put a fucking pillow over its head. a division captain's crest on his helmet. Unless you wanna go inside and look around again yourself.

 She never went anywhere without it.Back in the office. No one inside. a couple of letters of recommendation.Two inspectors sidled up to the front porch. "See you at work.I screamed ahead. or it had been stolen. Lieutenant. I couldn't see for shit. Someone was either let in or had access. "We've heard Caitlin is missing. The farther I went. She stood in front of the bombed-out home." I called."You don't think I'm such a monster. piqued. She closed her eyes and played a little more.I screamed ahead." he called out." she muttered.

" I shook my head. about eleven. We waited while Captain Noroski's men picked through the rubble.The kid with the Razor was there."I think she said she lived off-campus. now. a scholarship gift from the music department at Hampton."Shit. I was ready to put it behind me. "Oh. It was still beautiful. We moved in. I saw a light where I thought I had come in." she repeated. Mr."Needless to say. heavy and bald-ing."Edmund hummed the opening bars that Claire had just played.Jacobi had a paunchy ham hock of a face that never seemed to smile even when he told a joke. Just sitting there. Ever since I'd taken a shot in the Coombs case.