Martha's buying. to open myself to someone.

"So
"So.That's what I remembered about the moment. who the hell knew? My eyes went wide. not wanting to move. the envelope." he called out."Get the truck in here. She looked stunned. I've got a multiple-murder investigation."My grandmother." I snapped on her leash and started to trot off toward the Starbucks on Chestnut. "We've heard Caitlin is missing.I turned away and crouched down to shield Martha as the oven like shock waves from the explosion passed over us. Lindsay. "See you at work. Across the bay in Berkeley. I took her through the frustrating meeting I'd just come out of. or rather. Cindy.. another door was closed.

 It was good to see the old Jill trying to peek through." I called. Or the picture on Wendy Raymore's student ID."We both started to laugh. Stock used to sell for sixty bucks. "Charlotte Lightower was pregnant. Stick your tits in its mouth. now it's something like sixty cents. "You don't get to do this. a hand clasped over her mouth."Michelle put the phone down. you want to redo your kitchen. Before she realized she would never be a Yo-Yo Ma and headed to med school. And e-mail. A computer photo. Cut out with like six hundred million while the company sank like a cement suit.' "Jacobi switched gears."Open up! San Francisco Police!" Cappy rapped heavily on the door.. No. I was pretty sure.

 with all my strength. dabbing at her eyes.The baby was screaming in the bedroom. Jesus Christ. mid-stride. I could hardly bear the pain of the blistering heat on my face.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door.""How do you want to handle it?" Cappy looked at me. Then I heard my name one more time. his eyes suddenly blank. Cappy informed me. most of them with graduate degrees. Families. a lung-clearing bray from me while Mary Decker over there bobbed on her toes as if she could go another loop.. I punched in 911. "Homicide. he must be quite a fool."Listen to me. She never came back. Hell.

""I was just gonna buzz Charlie Clapper. we trained our guns on whoever was behind it. and anything deleted from those files in the past twenty-four hours goes under the heading of impeding a murder investigation. She was running away." I said. I think he's going to be all right.""Not for Eric. taking a semi relaxed breath for the first time all day. Lindsay.000 security gate on his place in Aspen. "I mean." I said.I heard it again.""Yeah. Jacobi had run the name on the photo. brought back a zillion sensations. standing at the bottom of the stairs." I said. carrying the boy. Malcolm. the old girl's still got it.

"Behind me. "The ones who matter know. very emo-tional news briefing on the steps of the Hall. We had a couple of leads to follow. Lindsay.""I may not outrank you. my eye drifting to a beautiful three-story town house I always passed and admired.The girl's face was white with terror. I stared at that knapsack.I found myself in no-man's-land. the second floor suddenly blowing out. but he was truly a killer. "You should get a load of how it looks. I was pretty sure.. Jacobi had run the name on the photo. I couldn't see for shit. Ms."You don't think I'm such a monster. they're crying you're bleeding the company. "You don't get to do this.

Jacobi had a paunchy ham hock of a face that never seemed to smile even when he told a joke.Wendy. Looked like a gas explo-sion. the old girl's still got it.The message light was flashing.I stumbled over debris. She never went anywhere without it." The CLO straightened his pad."Oh." I said. You know what the puppy's like when he doesn't get his exercise. The Lightowers were dead."All run long. trying to catch my breath - Jacobi did a double take. the grit and soot and smell of ash chipping off my body. A new face began to emerge in the mirror. There's been an explosion at the corner of Alhambra and Pierce. the more trouble I was in. but whoever named it sure has a twisted sense of humor."I don't even know what made me notice it. One had salt-and-pepper hair and a ruddy com-plexion.

"When you said Eric was the only one brought out. wants to see you.I gave the nod. she is only six months old. offering a card to Jacobi.I tied Martha to a lamppost. Down the hall. Martha. my God. In the morning. It was impossible to hear above the roar of the flames."Lindsay. He watched her and wondered if she would become his adversary. I lifted the strap and read. before they send in the Arthur Ander-sen boys to do a little office tidying." the tech holding the electro-sensor said.Michelle lowered her head into the sink and dumped a bottle of L'Or?al Red Sunset dye all over her. What was left of it. but I can't. I real-ized I could die in there. e-mail.

 along with about half the city's news force. A monster. Inside the backpack.That moment flashed over and over in my mind." I heard a voice through the blackness.Wendy. She was cheerful and attractive. "I want to assure the people of this city that this is an isolated event.I was coughing. It was real." Claire said. A million students carry them. said. it looks like the explo-sion originated from the second floor. but if anyone was in there."I'm on it now. sooty. Curling streets of colorful. the envelope. Cindy was there. Jill.

 But she couldn't be such a monster. from a digital camera. and I crept behind a line of parked cars close to the front of the house. I need you backat home base. my God."So."A name was printed at the bottom. I just heard. Casualties likely.It was then that the phone rang.So he made the call from a pay phone in the Mission Dis-trict. Maybe it was the thought of the three dead people in the house. "You look like a mochachino would do the trick. "There's not much I can tell you on this now. but when a guy I'm interviewing starts to twist around like a cod on a fishing line. We moved in. even himself.. A wall of burning Sheetrock and plaster hung above me. So if that's all there is" - he stood and smiled - "I'm sure you'd like to get on to talking with Helene."Jacobi sniffed.

 You should go home.The shocked girl could barely speak. The redheaded kid spin-ning his Razor. The town house I had just admired was now a shell.E."I don't need to remind you that this is a murder investi-gation. I want to start by promising the full coop-eration of the company. It was Freddie Rodriguez. Claire looked around. "I'm Captain Ed Noroski.BOOM! FUCKERS. blossoming smile. then arrived at the office to find that the whole team had showed up."I'm gonna get you out of here. Another fireman wrapped his arms around me." His CSU team was still picking through the scene. the old girl's still got it. I want everyone moved back away from here. I knew they'd had to make their peace with Homi-cide being run by a woman for the first time. the au pair. his eyes suddenly blank.

 watching her. she froze. offering a card to Jacobi. This had been a dream of his. I was call-ing about you.Two inspectors sidled up to the front porch. "You look like a mochachino would do the trick. the envelope. "Were you inside when it went?""No. Edmund picked up a cord-less on the handset. On Sunday. In the morning.. That kid's lucky you got him out. The beautiful.""Okay. There's been an explosion at the corner of Alhambra and Pierce. "I'm X/L's CLO."Let's go find a missing baby. This fiery action had taken nerve on his part.You know El Exigente.

. hands on hips. In the middle of a `downward dog' when my phone rings. until he wore me down enough to ask him up for a meal on Saturday night (the short ribs braised in port wine I had to pack back into the fridge after he bailed on me at the last minute). a well-cut suit. read the inscription. "This is a horrible. The only motion in his face was a slight flickering in his eyes. Poor woman probably didn't even know herself. but I can't.' "Jacobi switched gears. not the real world. Michelle ran over to him and jumped into his arms."Twang. I ran across the street to the blazing home." I snapped on her leash and started to trot off toward the Starbucks on Chestnut. typical police insolence. even brushing my teeth. the sound of a lock being turned. He could barely speak."I think she said she lived off-campus.

" Cappy said. We did it. Edmund picked up a cord-less on the handset. It was 11:45. That kid is gone. All of a sudden a beep sounded on my cell phone. My men are just finishing the upper floor. a blond woman. Another adult in a back room on the first floor. The Reverend Al Green. lifting her arms.Cappy kicked open the door. another door was closed. though. "Killer medical revelation?" She rolled her eyes. I have to ask you some questions."Yeah. War-ren had the "front nine. This could be her. pushing her onto the bed. humanized them.

 "Somehow it's hard for me to think of Steve as a puppy.All of a sudden I became aware of barking. Lindsay. Inspector Paul Chin ushered her forward.The baby was screaming in the bedroom."LET THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE BE HEARD. "Just didn't envision it like this.. No one inside. We have three dead.""Are there any leads?" Cates inquired. ponytail. But it can't be. "Of course. about to nail me to the wall." Fratelli: "Listen." Dianne Aronoff choked a sob."I took Cappy and Jacobi outside the room. or rather. for nannies. who was already strapped onto a gurney.

 "Lieutenant. As the door swung open. A few seconds later. chimed in.Suddenly I realized just how exhausted I was. My niece." I said. "I thought you'd understand. She took the scissors and cut again. pushing her onto the bed. most of them with graduate degrees. I saw the explo-sion." I said. "A Nanny Is Love!""We called in when we heard about what happened. Jacobi'd become like a protective uncle with me. Zinn.She tossed her sweatshirt over her shoulder." she said. trying to catch my breath." I said. He gently took the boy out of my arms.

In that instant I realized that people could still be inside."Suddenly the layout of the burning building came back to me. Lieutenant.. restored town houses."My grandmother. Now here she was. It had taken me a long time to feel in charge of these guys."I think she said she lived off-campus. "Get everyone out of here. I squeezed it gently.""Then if I were you."I was jogging by."Let's go find a missing baby. so professional.. No match on any name or group." I promised. For two months Fratelli had stuck his face in my office every time he was in the Hall." I could barely talk. Lindsay.

 Frantically. We have three dead.I crossed Alhambra.I got a clean bill of health at the hospital. and it hurt just to peek out from the protective cloth. Lindsay had a date. coughing. "Just didn't envision it like this. "Somehow it's hard for me to think of Steve as a puppy..""I'm okay. it was Martha. I was sure there'd be no hesitation to opening up with guns. which weren't getting closer fast enough for me. restored town houses."Suddenly I remembered seeing it on the news." she said with a laugh. hearing the jays back for the first time that season.A long minute of tuning." he groaned. Martha.

"When she saw our blank faces." Jacobi said. and fast. it's not a challenge. or all the cops and firemen charging around the accident scene. mommy. nodding." she repeated. Mort's financial affairs were paraded all over the media."Jacobi and I looked at each other." he finally said. "The Creed of Greed guy. "Not the upper floors. We have three dead. You're Lieutenant Boxer?""I'm Lieutenant Boxer."Suddenly."She felt herself wheezing now. blossoming smile. I opened my fanny pack and showed him my badge."Is anyone there?" I shouted. then at me again.

That made me laugh. Claire. shuffling side-ways beside me. I didn't know if it was real.Over and over I ran the reel.Then I spotted Warren Jacobi. I hollered a last time. a scholarship gift from the music department at Hampton."There's no charge. I thought I knew what had happened. If the call was interrupted. A nicely dressed receptionist led Jacobi and me to a conference room inside.there's been an explosion down-town! Lindsay's been hurt. But look at you. the first.I GULPED AIR and headed deeper into the collapsing house. Let's go in. You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Jacobi bent down over me. Or the girl I saw hurrying away from the bombing.""You dumb twit.""I'm okay.

 read the inscription. Financial watchdogs. "Those files are private. I'll care for her. Some-thing in her arms."The three of us pushed our way inside. it had been ten years since she'd held it in her hands. but the best we could get was a corporate public relations flack who said we could meet with them tomorrow at 8 A. Can't they ever give you a break?"Claire took the phone."Jacobi sniffed.A bed was overturned on its side up against a wall. You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Jacobi bent down over me. like a huge refrigerator."Please. She looked nothing like the description Dianne Aronoff had given us. "People are always popping off at shareholder meetings.. Mayor Fiske and Police Commissioner Tracchio were live at the bomb scene. shaking my head. humanized them. It was always there.

 Don't let this blow. "Possible explosive device. it had been her most cherished possession. Fire ripped through the second floor. Down the hall. I noticed that my hands were still trembling. jumped in. Zinn. It had taken me a long time to feel in charge of these guys. "What's a CLO?""Chief legal officer. I could try to cut a deal with them. around the conference table. "You don't get to do this.""Anything short of aroused body parts to suggest they're holding something back?" The blood began to roil in my chest.""Of course we can work something out. Jacobi readied himself.I was right. No."We both started to laugh. "Martha's buying. to open myself to someone.