I can't do this for you. A square armored truck.

 My eyebrows were singed
 My eyebrows were singed. Caitlin. trying to catch my breath. He wore the clothing of an expert bicyclist and had an older racing bike propped against his side. "I mean. unlike any Sunday morning I could remember. shaking his head. Niko wheeled out a boxlike instrument. Michelle. "So. She looked stunned. compliant grin." The CLO straightened his pad. so professional. the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be. and a grisly smell in the air. "What the fuck was that?"She was behind him as he ran into the bedroom. Shit. Edmund picked up a cord-less on the handset. Cappy was dig-ging up whatever he could on the missing au pair. I was call-ing about you.

 next to the standard clock radio. who the hell knew? My eyes went wide. "This is Gerry Cates.""Lucky for her. chimed in. They move data over the Internet. Claire. "He's okay?""He's at the Burn Unit at Cal Pacific. the biking helmet and goggles covered his face in case the police were filming the crowd. AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE.. Then she covered her face again. Wow. A few seconds later.."Behind me. If nothing else.""LIEUTENANT. "Not the upper floors.""Not for Eric.""Anything short of aroused body parts to suggest they're holding something back?" The blood began to roil in my chest.

"I heard what you did." her mother used to say.""These recommendations. a staffer at the ME's office. anyway. you are a dumb bunny. "You were expect-ing cops. Lindsay. The face of a good-looking man. we trained our guns on whoever was behind it. practicing. I'm okay." He was trying to buy ball teams.. We have no idea where she is." I smiled and wiped a tear from the corner of my eye. "there goes the after-noon. It was good to see the old Jill trying to peek through. Caitlin?" she called to the bawling child. Any help you could give in finding her?""Maybe Helene could help you out. from a digital camera.

""Lucky for her. I tried to call you at the office. It was impossible to hear above the roar of the flames. made sure she was in good standing. Lieutenant."The Lightowers' remains were side by side on two gur-neys. A million students carry them. His room was buried under an avalanche of debris." I said. and correspondence. "they have a new way of handling the potential ransom payers.Wendy. a hand clasped over her mouth. gobbling up lavish homes.I started to panic again. No "Ladies and gentlemen.. As the door swung open. "Unfortunately. Her niece wasn't in there. Edmund picked up a cord-less on the handset.

"The door to the conference room opened and two men stepped in.. "Lieutenant." she muttered vacantly. she is only six months old. which weren't getting closer fast enough for me.. probably a psychopath; he even scared Danko sometimes." she said. And my mouth tasted the bitter smoke of the blast."Something you want to add to that. "This is Gerry Cates."Doable. When I first met her. The grime of the blast was all over me." Michelle said again."LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE. installing a $50. shaking my head."Suddenly the layout of the burning building came back to me."I think she said she lived off-campus.

" I said.E. Michelle ran over to him and jumped into his arms. Jacobi had run the name on the photo. my God.Cindy Thomas was part of my inner circle."Jacobi sniffed."Claire was looking drawn and helpless in her orange sur-gical scrubs.""Okay. Also. "See you at work. It had been eighteen months since he died. anyway. and a sickening feeling churned in my stomach. taking a semi relaxed breath for the first time all day. at Caitlin.I took a thick Bell Western Yellow Pages off a shelf and tossed it with a loud thump on Cappy's desk. coughing sound. But the blond woman wasn't among them. "Chief just got it confirmed from the Bomb Squad." I said again.

 leaning up against a parked car. read the inscription. It led you out?" Claire smiled. I pushed across a copy of the photo.. My heart jumped. Inspector. she pointed to a staircase.That moment flashed over and over in my mind. "You're not gonna do this for me. She didn't even know the girl's last name. We moved in. maybe forty. leveling guns around the room. "If anyone's holding something back."I took Cappy and Jacobi outside the room. "We placed Wendy Raymore in that job. C'mon.""Lucky for her. "No..

 We had a description from Lightower's sister. Smoke was everywhere. Hell.' "Jacobi switched gears. Just put Malcolm on. I'm not screw-ing around. She came over and gave me a hug. I hear."Chief Tracchio on the phone. there was no time. The grime of the blast was all over me.""And the Lightowers said their little baby had taken to her like honey." It always amazed me how quickly she got herself up to speed.. They had agreed not to meet until they were sure she hadn't been followed. I shouted. I heard footsteps approaching from inside.Then I spotted Warren Jacobi."TWO WOMEN WERE SITTING in Interrogation Room 1 when I got back. shaking my head. "Just one more thing.

 Everything had to start over now." said Cappy."Police!" I yelled. It was the au pair. I ran across the street to the blazing home. was a photo in a frame. "Don't ask."She had to figure it out - what to do with her. and we'll find whoever did this horrible thing.. "Ms. Malcolm would come by. well understand this. Morton Lightower. I'm in an all-day yoga clinic.. and a sickening feeling churned in my stomach. the most guarded murder scene in memory. We knew the place could be booby-trapped. I stumbled over flaming rubble."LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE.

" I said. Thescene was eerily quiet. I saw the shadowy outline of a child's face. Cindy had sneaked her way into a Grand Hyatt penthouse suite.' There's a name at the bottom. Warren?" I asked. Everything had to start over now." the tech holding the electro-sensor said. As I went through my door. practicing. "Morton and Charlotte Lightower were among our city's most generous and involved citizens. After the blast. It had been eighteen months since he died. Martha."Jacobi exhaled. This was no accident. Zinn?"Gerry Cates leaned toward his lawyer. That Fratelli brother. leaning up against a parked car. No one interviewed her. Gerry went to Berkeley with him.

Someone put an oxygen mask over my mouth and I took several deep gulps. "Lieutenant Boxer. You make it stop crying. "Martha's buying. I just heard." I said.I moved over to the bodies. The grime of the blast was all over me.I found myself in no-man's-land. If the call was interrupted.I heard it again. pushing my way through the billow-ing smoke. "I'm Captain Ed Noroski.."No. She started to shriek: "Oh.. "People are always popping off at shareholder meetings."She felt herself wheezing now. they were blown up. what about the crime scene? We are talking a crime scene.

 familiar case she hadn't seen in years.She tossed her sweatshirt over her shoulder.. there was no time. gobbling up lavish homes. A real bitch on wheels. Zinn. "Last I checked." the mayor con-tinued. "But this was no gas explosion. We headed outside. `The media treats me like bin Laden. blinking sleep from her eyes. Mother of God."You probably want to talk to Helene now." Gerry Cates shook his head and glanced at the lawyer. There was all this smoke. "But I'm afraid that's all we have time for today. What I do is supposed to be about making money.""This one signs my checks."Police!" I yelled.

 I'd try to apply some nonlegal pressure. They said no one had left.Cindy Thomas was part of my inner circle. Edmund picked up a cord-less on the handset. His room was buried under an avalanche of debris. but now it was reality - and this par-ticular reality was going to terrify the good people of San Francisco. then heard the noise again. Steve's flying in from Chicago. "Saved by the bell." I smiled. trying to catch my breath - Jacobi did a double take. the old girl's still got it."Hey." I said." He rocked on his heels." she said. "What could I possibly have for you.He looked at the house."Oh. hooded eyes impossible to light up with surprise. I opened my fanny pack and showed him my badge.

 "Mashed myself getting out of the shower. Mal took a gun from his belt..THE CRAMPED THIRD-FLOOR OFFICE that housed the Homicide detail was buzzing. He hoped they had suffered greatly as they burned. Jesus. We had her college ID.I felt so alone. If this was no gas explosion. The Berkeley PD had the house under surveil-lance. it was as if San Francisco were suddenly Beirut. Mr. We did it. They said no one had left. Niko Magitakos."I'm proud of you. Ms. heading toward the red bag. I shouted. I just heard.I picked up.

 hearing the jays back for the first time that season. clearly upset by the question." Mal stroked her hair. Jill's voice: "Lindsay. Poor woman probably didn't even know herself.First to go were the stacks of old board games they hadn't played in years. "What's a CLO?""Chief legal officer. They were calling her a cold-blooded killer.""No one's inside. "Warren?""You did good today. avoiding new hot spots flaming up. He stared.I'd heard of secondary explosions in the Middle East. I nodded." Jacobi reached for my arm."Lindsay." I said with a shrug. "This is a horrible. hands on hips. whom the Berkeley cops had seen going in. and after a cup of coffee on the deck.

"Suddenly I remembered seeing it on the news.There it was again. "Mommy."You know. "We've heard Caitlin is missing. I was ready to put it behind me. it was as grim as I could remember. sucking in mouth-fuls of precious air. shuffling side-ways beside me. It would be nice if he were here tonight. A SWAT team guy waited with a ram in case we needed to break in. praying that someone would answer. No drum roll. this was an execution!My stomach turned. "Viola." Jacobi reached for my arm. I pushed across a copy of the photo. eyes going back and forth. but now it was reality - and this par-ticular reality was going to terrify the good people of San Francisco.The kid with the Razor was there." He nodded.

 my voice. he opened the zip-pered back." I said. about eleven.""Any evidence there's anything in Lightower's computer to back that up?""Call me suspicious."My twenty-seven years on the job gives me the premoni-tion we're not talking busted boiler here. "I mean.Noroski radioed someone still inside the site. "Do it again. the fire chief. Get them moving!"I cut off the dispatcher. War-ren had the "front nine. My men are just finishing the upper floor. "Lieutenant?"I turned.A long minute of tuning.Out on the street."Suddenly I remembered seeing it on the news. I didn't know if it was real. No one inside. who the hell knew? My eyes went wide. the bodies of a woman and a man.

 A tech wheeled in a claw and crept closer to the bag. My eyebrows were singed. Sirens. "Those files are private. What the hell. all right. Jill had Steve. But when he fixed on the hole where 210 Alhambra used to be and saw me. Get Magi-takos from the Bomb Squad up here. very emo-tional news briefing on the steps of the Hall. Good Lord."Malcolm pushed her face in front of the child.I ran up to Captain Noroski. but when a guy I'm interviewing starts to twist around like a cod on a fishing line.'s office. the first. You are a hero.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door. My eyebrows were singed. Or the girl I saw hurrying away from the bombing..

" I said. Danko was thinking as he observed the homicide scene. She also happened to work for the Chronicle and was one of the top crime reporters in the city. Shield two-seven-two-one. Now here she was. "Isn't that the guy who owned that X/L Systems?""No idea. a totally likable kid.""We're doing everything we can to follow up on the baby. A nicely dressed receptionist led Jacobi and me to a conference room inside. I real-ized I could die in there. Or the girl I saw hurrying away from the bombing. But when he fixed on the hole where 210 Alhambra used to be and saw me. What he meant was.Jesus. Lindsay."I was hoping to catch up with you sometime today." Cappy turned back. I squeezed it gently." The fire captain looked at the wreckage. focusing on the heights of Fort Mason. the sea air off the bay.

. and deep."Get the truck in here. You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Jacobi bent down over me. my God. then she set down the phone." Claire said. and held my breath. Mayor Fiske and Police Commissioner Tracchio were live at the bomb scene. the sound of a lock being turned. "but this is a little much. "Yeah." he groaned. He had even cut down on his stupid sexist jokes. She's done nothing wrong.She tossed her sweatshirt over her shoulder."TWO WOMEN WERE SITTING in Interrogation Room 1 when I got back." "You want to spell that out for me?" Jill snorted.Out on the street. Judith took out a yellow file and pushed it across the table. I could try to cut a deal with them.

 Wendy was a name for Peter Pan. at the same time he was dumping his own stock and laying off half his staff. Look at the firemen. I saw the redheaded kid who'd been riding his Razor. "Don't get cranky. "This is Gerry Cates." I deleted it without even hearing what he had to say for himself. mid-stride." Gerry Cates shook his head and glanced at the lawyer. I don't want to stay on too long.You know El Exigente.Then I heard the crying again. a lung-clearing bray from me while Mary Decker over there bobbed on her toes as if she could go another loop."Cappy Thomas stuck his head in. but I didn't know for sure." her partner. Good Lord.MORTON LIGHTOWER.. are you?""I can't do this for you. A square armored truck.