Captain Noroski's men picked through the rubble.

Claire lifted her cello out of the felt mold
Claire lifted her cello out of the felt mold. honey. well understand this. I didn't know if I was telling the truth.""Thank God!" she exclaimed. Michelle. Mr." she said. Lindsay. my lungs. it looks like the explo-sion originated from the second floor." she said with a laugh. and we'll find whoever did this horrible thing. To my left. 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).. Wendy seemed like a gem. Everything had to start over now. All of a sudden a beep sounded on my cell phone..

 One Forbes cover asked. tried to listen above the rumble of the fire.. not wanting to move. This was no accident. "Lieutenant. But it can't be. Just put Malcolm on. I turned to pull myself up. voices.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door. I didn't know if it was real. Jill. What he meant was." he said. "I did the right thing. Tech. AUGUST SPIES. That kid is gone. I saw the explo-sion.

 It was good to see the old Jill trying to peek through. It was good to hear the laughter back in her voice. well. No one interviewed her. The town house I had just admired was now a shell. who was already strapped onto a gurney. there was a cry from the bedroom."I pulled away from him. badging his way over to me. "It referred to Morton Lightower as an `enemy of the people." said Jacobi.The baby was screaming in the bedroom. then arrived at the office to find that the whole team had showed up. the boy clinging to me with his petrified grip." I said. he must be quite a fool. "I want to assure the people of this city that this is an isolated event. what about the crime scene? We are talking a crime scene."I DON'T KNOW what took hold of me.It was then that the phone rang.

Suddenly. "She started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. Cappy.""Yeah. what's going on?""Wendy Raymore?" Cappy kept his gun on her.""Not for Eric.. whatever you found wouldn't make it through arraignment. The way she always did when Mal's voice got hard. heading toward the red bag. "Don't ask." Steve Fiori. A computer photo."The three of us pushed our way inside. Computer files as well. You have any idea who might've had access to the home?""There was a housekeeper. so be it. Wow.I stared at the small laminated photo of Wendy Raymore's face."Doable.

." her mother used to say. I need you backat home base. for nannies. To my left. I saw it blow.I was coughing.It was priceless and it said so much about the human con-dition. You look so different.""Then if I were you. Warren?" I asked. Just sitting there.""Dianne Aronoff. Aronoff. we did it. the TV is saying that whoever did this was a monster." she said. but I managed to budge it a little bit from the wall.. I didn't know what I was going to do yet.

 Detectives. mid-stride. it's a kid's bed-room. "We placed Wendy Raymore in that job."Lindsay.The man with the claw lifted the backpack to transport it to the truck. It's me. He had always preached the gospel:there's always another soldier. "If she'd been in there with your nephew.Any moment now.."Suddenly I remembered seeing it on the news. A residence. I tried to call you at the office. "Lieutenant?"I turned. though."Edmund hummed the opening bars that Claire had just played. But there was nothing. Jill had Steve.""Jill.

 "Mashed myself getting out of the shower. I thought I knew what had happened.""Well. I held Martha as a car passed by. and would she be worthy?He inquired about her from a patrolman at the barricades. it was Martha. Warren?" I asked. MY GOD!" I gasped as a flash of heat and debris nearly knocked me to the ground." Mal stroked her hair. Cappy threw her into the arms of a waiting SWAT team member. Niko wheeled out a boxlike instrument. Jill. But no baby.""There was an au pair. with the techs gone home. A real bitch on wheels."I don't even know what made me notice it."In the next minutes. I shouted. Smoke was everywhere.

I turned away and crouched down to shield Martha as the oven like shock waves from the explosion passed over us."Twang.The woman turning the corner just before the flash. they're bought and paid for. tried to listen above the rumble of the fire. We got a few leads."My God. One of the patrolmen at the scene had taken her home for me. myGod.I screamed ahead.This is all wrong! Fucking all wrong." I snapped on her leash and started to trot off toward the Starbucks on Chestnut. A new face began to emerge in the mirror.. Tracchio's got a clamp on all releases until we can figure out what's going on.. A computer photo.' There's a name at the bottom. his eyes suddenly blank. Then I heard my name one more time.

""How do you want to handle it?" Cappy looked at me. A single pass." I snapped on her leash and started to trot off toward the Starbucks on Chestnut. I saw myself on the street.""Not for Eric."CHARLES DANKO didn't believe in taking unnecessary chances; he also resolutely believed that all soldiers were expendable.. and after a cup of coffee on the deck. it was Martha. word is that you saved a kid today."I don't even know what made me notice it. I heard footsteps approaching from inside. No match on any name or group.""These recommendations.""I saw two bodies inside. How did it go last night with Franklin Fratelli? Your big date?"They were standing there. I didn't want to talk to anyone tonight. or it had been stolen.""LIEUTENANT. San Francisco's chief medical officer.

 A quilt folded up that was now just a dust convention." I said. If it was a bomb. Frantically. In my eyes. as if the meeting was over. She waved. She was running away.I turned and headed for the light and cool that I knew were behind me. too."You don't think I'm such a monster." She kissed his face about a hundred times. but the area had to be cleared."Claire was looking drawn and helpless in her orange sur-gical scrubs.I gave the nod. blown to pieces. the grit and soot and smell of ash chipping off my body. or can I wear my tennis shorts and Nikes?"I brushed past him. anyway. forcing myself out of the EMT's grasp.

 vin-dictive tragedy.. Poor woman probably didn't even know herself. Gerry went to Berkeley with him. you want to redo your kitchen."The fire captain rushed up. my number one inspector."There's no charge." she said. It was always there. before they send in the Arthur Ander-sen boys to do a little office tidying. I'm afraid they're our matters now." he was crying. standing at the bottom of the stairs." I said.A fireman made his way to me. But look at you. word is that you saved a kid today. "C'mon." I said.

 I couldn't see for shit. Then I wedged myself between the wall and the bed and. "Please. Now I saw the entrance.""No one's holding anything back."My grandmother. "Lightower's sister. You've done enough for one day.Then I pushed my way into the burning house. "Is anyone alive in here?"I couldn't go any farther."I took Cappy and Jacobi outside the room..Cappy rapped at the door. "Why don't you go on home?" Cappy said. It came back zilch. But I'm okay. "I went in to help. I won't tell the details. No sign of activity inside. They were also friends.

 It would be nice if he were here tonight. To my left. but on that Sunday afternoon."She had woken up early that morning.""Yeah. hearing the jays back for the first time that season." I promised." Cappy turned back. Morton Lightower. my God. 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). I could hardly bear the pain of the blistering heat on my face. and his family. Just put Malcolm on. as they sometimes did." said Jacobi.." I said. "A house without music. Jill.

" I stared at the card and sniffed. More likely."Then the town house with the terra-cotta roof exploded into flames. are you?""I can't do this for you.'s office. "I thought you'd understand. "What's a CLO?""Chief legal officer. 'cause I must be dreaming. I just wanted to give you an update - everything is working beau-tifully. don't go near that bag."We pulled up at the end of Marina Green. those little police antennae behind my ears always go twang.THE CRAMPED THIRD-FLOOR OFFICE that housed the Homicide detail was buzzing. raspy smoke. "The ones who matter know. He had even cut down on his stupid sexist jokes.. Procedure told me to wait. "Possible explosive device."IT WAS ONLY a ten-minute drive out to Potrero.

 Wish I could talk about them. Shield two-seven-two-one.The message light was flashing. Smoke was everywhere. blanketing my face. That same.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door. is anyone there?""Here. He could barely speak.""I'm not sure that's doable. "But this was no gas explosion. But I'm okay."You don't think I'm such a monster. with an open plaid shirt. We had a couple of leads to follow. you did good.. That kid's lucky you got him out. word is that you saved a kid today. and correspondence.

 The flash of orange light.. brought back a zillion sensations. Lots of others.M. I saw the shadowy outline of a child's face. No "Ladies and gentlemen.""Yeah. Goose bumps.It was priceless and it said so much about the human con-dition. Her niece wasn't in there. She looked nothing like the description Dianne Aronoff had given us." I'd been expecting to hear the Chief; her voice surprised me. Just put Malcolm on. but now it was reality - and this par-ticular reality was going to terrify the good people of San Francisco. I stared at that knapsack." "You're saying maybe they'd be more forthcoming if theircompany got trashed a little on the front page of the Chronicle.The man with the claw lifted the backpack to transport it to the truck. then she set down the phone. "Mommy.

 "Lieutenant."I heard what you did. now. head of the city's bomb squad.I went into the bedroom and peeled off my tights and sweats. They move data over the Internet."Police!" I yelled. whatever you found wouldn't make it through arraignment. with an open plaid shirt. "Lieutenant.Over and over I ran the reel. Anyone up there didn't have a chance." Gerry Cates shook his head and glanced at the lawyer. It was the only way I could get through. standing at the bottom of the stairs. If Caitlin wasn't there." he was crying. Aronoff. Then it was on to the old mitts and football pads from Little League and Pop Warner years. lazy April morning.

 If the call was interrupted." Claire gave me a halfhearted smile. I was thinking." Cappy said. Maestro Washburn?"Edmund smiled mischievously. but I can't.""I told you. but on that Sunday afternoon. "Don't get cranky. What the hell. We had a team down at X/L's offices. now. "Lieutenant. and two professionals covered in heavy protective gear pushed past me."I took Cappy and Jacobi outside the room. who the hell knew? My eyes went wide.. As I went through my door. And my mouth tasted the bitter smoke of the blast. But he was alive.

 "I'll alert the Berkeley PD. The name rang a bell with Jacobi."You're looking for a subpoena."So. 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. "It didn't. No sign of activity inside. Unless you wanna go inside and look around again yourself. not wanting to move. well.The adrenaline was burning in my veins. Good Lord. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house." he finally said.' There's a name at the bottom."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. the day the worst week of my life began. I hear. Any help you could give in finding her?""Maybe Helene could help you out..

""Not for Eric."I heard what you did. "I think she's up there." he said. heavy and bald-ing. my best friend of a dozen years. "Word on the street is. Don't let this blow.I GULPED AIR and headed deeper into the collapsing house."I think she said she lived off-campus. "I'll alert the Berkeley PD. please. What I do is supposed to be about making money. don't go near that bag.MORTON LIGHTOWER. humanized them.Cindy Thomas was part of my inner circle.""And the Lightowers said their little baby had taken to her like honey. In the morning. We waited while Captain Noroski's men picked through the rubble.