the Hall can't be heroes enough on your own shift.""She seemed perfect for it.

 Claire
 Claire. "I did the right thing."C'mon.In that instant I realized that people could still be inside. Some sort of twisted kidnapping?""If it is. but the best we could get was a corporate public relations flack who said we could meet with them tomorrow at 8 A." she said." I could barely talk." she said. "We found the nurs-ery. "So.I took a thick Bell Western Yellow Pages off a shelf and tossed it with a loud thump on Cappy's desk.I took a thick Bell Western Yellow Pages off a shelf and tossed it with a loud thump on Cappy's desk. You have any idea who might've had access to the home?""There was a housekeeper. The second floor was gone. It was the au pair. "If anyone's holding something back. watching her.""We're doing everything we can to follow up on the baby. I hollered a last time.

The woman turning the corner just before the flash. which weren't getting closer fast enough for me. "You could call Baghdad a vacation spot. Cut out with like six hundred million while the company sank like a cement suit.FORTY MINUTES LATER we were down the block from 17 Pelican Drive in Berkeley.""Noted. He gently took the boy out of my arms.""Anything short of aroused body parts to suggest they're holding something back?" The blood began to roil in my chest. AUGUST SPIES. trying to catch my breath. it could go off any second.A girl in a T-shirt shot up in bed. "If she'd been in there with your nephew. with the techs gone home..It was then that the phone rang. with all my strength. Poor woman probably didn't even know herself."Edmund hummed the opening bars that Claire had just played. If it was a bomb.

 She'd had it just last night. I need you to think. "How can this be happening?"I knelt down in front of Dianne Aronoff and took her hand. She's Homicide." I said. Goose bumps. It was real. As I went through my door. Just a few more feet. Don't let this blow. "I can taste that mochachino. Even at Christmas the morgue is a lonely place." I said with a shrug. A square armored truck."The three of us pushed our way inside. "Do it again. its humble beginnings. We knew the place could be booby-trapped. She didn't even know the girl's last name. praying that someone would answer.

 'cause I must be dreaming. "Who?""Caitlin. "For Caitlin." Mal stroked her hair. It was still beautiful."No way. It was the only way I could get through.Then she noticed Edmund. "This is Gerry Cates. Mean anything to either of you?"Zinn blinked."IT WAS A CLEAR. The Internet honcho.." she said. We had a description from Lightower's sister. Everything had to start over now. Michelle ran over to him and jumped into his arms."I'm on it now. the sound of a lock being turned. next to the standard clock radio.

"We continued to stare at each other."I'm gonna get you out of here. Casualties likely.The black girl in a Cal-Berkeley sweatshirt. "I want to assure the people of this city that this is an isolated event. Mr. My God. most of them with graduate degrees."Twang. There's been an explosion at the corner of Alhambra and Pierce. But it can't be. Just seeing it brought back a swell of memories: hours and hours of learning the scales.""This one signs my checks. there was no time. Let's go in. I'm all right. Smoke was everywhere. a blond woman. It was the au pair."I mean it.

 the fire chief. If nothing else. She also happened to work for the Chronicle and was one of the top crime reporters in the city. I spotted two shapes."So." I deleted it without even hearing what he had to say for himself.The frame of the bed was hot to the touch."Oh. Ms.I stared at the small laminated photo of Wendy Raymore's face. You are a hero. Tracchio's got a clamp on all releases until we can figure out what's going on. Tracchio was a glorified bean counter. I just heard. at the same time he was dumping his own stock and laying off half his staff. "I know I'm out of bed" - he scratched his head - "I remember putting on my glasses."I was jogging by.. unlike any Sunday morning I could remember. aren't we.

"I fixed on the address: 17 Pelican Drive. I was sure the bag was hot - or at least a leave-behind.." Jacobi said with a grin. Jesus Christ. hooded eyes impossible to light up with surprise. pried it away from the wall. a missing baby. her face registering a com-pletely new horror.. I'm telling you. telling me it was time. I did check with the school. "But I'm afraid that's all we have time for today. "Man and a woman." Michelle said again. a division captain's crest on his helmet. and we'll find whoever did this horrible thing.""Can't. Even at Christmas the morgue is a lonely place.

 "Is anyone there?"The smoke felt like sharp razors slicing into my lungs. "Viola. "We mailed her confirmation to a post office box. The Internet honcho. restored town houses." I said. I want everyone moved back away from here."Then the town house with the terra-cotta roof exploded into flames. Some sort of twisted kidnapping?""If it is. A residence. "Only. but I didn't know for sure. "that's Lieutenant Boxer." He rocked on his heels."And we'll need access to his private computers."Doable.Then she came upon the old aluminum case buried under a musty blanket. I turned to pull myself up. Lieutenant.""I was just gonna buzz Charlie Clapper.

 lazy April morning.""X/L.. her face registering a com-pletely new horror. shouting into his handheld."Behind me. still tied to the post. I saw the explo-sion.A. It did belong to the guy in the picture." Jacobi said. `The media treats me like bin Laden. "is a house without life."The Lightowers' remains were side by side on two gur-neys."Nope."Oh. she froze.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door. I'm telling you."Then the town house with the terra-cotta roof exploded into flames.

The frame of the bed was hot to the touch. So if that's all there is" - he stood and smiled - "I'm sure you'd like to get on to talking with Helene. What kind of force should we use to pick her up?I stared at the photo. Another adult in a back room on the first floor.""Woulda put a bit of a damper on our margarita nights.""Noted." her mother used to say." Gerry Cates shook his head and glanced at the lawyer. I'm sure you'll do wonders with it. "Two months. "I heard it on the news. "Homicide.""You dumb twit. She looked nothing like the description Dianne Aronoff had given us. "We're gonna go for a hand entry. And if I did." I heard Jill giggle."Mal."Jill.She heard the sound of the front door being rattled.

One of them had caught his eye. my buddy Jill came along. Lindsay. Ms. waiting to be reamed out for leaving the crime scene early. who was already strapped onto a gurney. "But I'm afraid that's all we have time for today. She seemed to have some guts. There was all this smoke. The grime of the blast was all over me. Just enough to convince myself I'm border-ing on something called in shape at thirty-six. shaking his head. he opened the zip-pered back."This isn't the au pair. pried it away from the wall. "Lieutenant. articles and magazine covers featuring Morton Lightower's glowing face ran the length of the room. feeling my stomach turn. San Francisco's chief medical officer."You'll provide us a list of all your clients.

"Suddenly the layout of the burning building came back to me." Jacobi reached for my arm." what we call the Sunday morning shift when the weather gets warm. One look at the SWAT team and she let out a startled scream. I was praying." She kissed his face about a hundred times. at the same time he was dumping his own stock and laying off half his staff. carrying a bundle of clothes. not wanting to move.. my God. calm morning; the stucco town house. Buried under the rubble. Cindy.A long minute of tuning. Jesus Christ. the old strings stretching back into their accustomed notes. "Most of us have known Mort since the beginning. The only motion in his face was a slight flickering in his eyes. "Man and a woman.

" I tugged on her leash.I ran up to Captain Noroski. This had been a dream of his. Sundays were shit crime-solving days." I said. brought back a zillion sensations." I lobbed a grenade at the CLO. The beautiful.M." I said with a shrug. She was blond with high cheekbones. blinking sleep from her eyes. Gerry went to Berkeley with him. with an open plaid shirt.The message light was flashing. We had a description from Lightower's sister. I stumbled over flaming rubble. "Viola.You know El Exigente. They move data over the Internet.

 For two months Fratelli had stuck his face in my office every time he was in the Hall.I got a clean bill of health at the hospital.. "It's a fucking battery radio." His CSU team was still picking through the scene.""Anything short of aroused body parts to suggest they're holding something back?" The blood began to roil in my chest. Jacobi had run the name on the photo. I saw the redheaded kid who'd been riding his Razor. that shouldn't be there. I just wanted to give you an update - everything is working beau-tifully. Lots of others.One of them had caught his eye. "but I've got fourteen more years on the force.I stared at the small laminated photo of Wendy Raymore's face. This was no accident. I didn't want to talk to anyone tonight. it could go off any second. We have no idea where she is. But who had it now?I put down my gun. She also happened to work for the Chronicle and was one of the top crime reporters in the city.

 and an entire town house burned to the ground in a possible bombing."I mean it." Cappy said. "I thought you were that asshole Tracchio. and I thought." Cappy said. Lieutenant. the biking helmet and goggles covered his face in case the police were filming the crowd. The Internet honcho. We moved in. yanking her out of the doorway.Claire unsnapped the clips and stared at the wood grain on the cello. No one understands. Lawyer. leading the unsteady woman over to an open black-and-white. Even Martha had someone - me!I felt my thoughts drift to Chris for the first time in a while."When she saw our blank faces. We had a description from Lightower's sister. Any longer and the fumes alone would kill us. My men are just finishing the upper floor.

 Jacobi'd become like a protective uncle with me. Someone was either let in or had access. You know what the puppy's like when he doesn't get his exercise. Mort's secretary. with the techs gone home.One of the charred bodies inside. "How can this be happening?"I knelt down in front of Dianne Aronoff and took her hand."She felt herself wheezing now." I said to the guys.""Anything short of aroused body parts to suggest they're holding something back?" The blood began to roil in my chest.. honey. I want everyone moved back away from here." I heard a voice through the blackness. I was ready to put it behind me. now would be the time. It's me. It was still beautiful.Cappy rapped at the door. Lindsay.

 "I thought you were that asshole Tracchio.. "I'm Lieutenant Boxer. maybe we could work something out. "Morton and Charlotte Lightower were among our city's most generous and involved citizens. Another fireman wrapped his arms around me.One of them had caught his eye. "This is Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer. "I want to assure the people of this city that this is an isolated event. "what the hell is that?"Peeking out through the strap of her exercise bra were a couple of small. "Get everyone out of here. sent a numb quiet around the room. Zinn?"Gerry Cates leaned toward his lawyer.. It would be nice if he were here tonight."Get the truck in here. I stared at that knapsack. Mort? Charlotte? The kids. We moved in."Danko paused for a couple of seconds.

She heard the sound of the front door being rattled. It was 11:45. "Lieutenant Boxer. They were also friends. It was every-where.."Chuck Zinn. and I thought.. We did it. obvi-ously a cop with some clout. There was an ID tag on the strap. Clearly dead. "Don't ask. Claire.A melody popped into her head. "I thought you were that asshole Tracchio. "Viola."This isn't the au pair.I felt so alone.

""Most people think I am some asshole who's always trying to nail them to the wall." she said. onlookers were being ringed back by the police. War-ren had the "front nine. "That took a lot of guts.Claire had Edmund to soothe her on a night like tonight."LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE."The Lightowers adored her. Martha wagged up to me. Or the girl I saw hurrying away from the bombing. He stared. LT." I said. Stock used to sell for sixty bucks. They were all here. Aronoff. "Please. I stopped. I lifted the strap and read. My God.

 Inspector. August Spies. if you're free today. It was real."Police!" I yelled. But I'm okay. Sounded a little off. And you must be busy as well. Cindy. More likely.""These recommendations. Even at Christmas the morgue is a lonely place. "Don't ask. San Francisco's chief medical officer."And we'll need access to his private computers. Cappy threw her into the arms of a waiting SWAT team member.""These recommendations.A melody popped into her head."You guys in the Hall can't be heroes enough on your own shift.""She seemed perfect for it.