You could call Baghdad a vacation spot.

"My God
"My God. No. I need you backat home base. There was all this smoke. telling me it was time. I collapsed against a fire truck up on the sidewalk." she said. "Warren. "Just one more thing. A bead of sweat trickled down my cheek." I could barely talk. "Isn't that the guy who owned that X/L Systems?""No idea. AUGUST SPIES.""How do you want to handle it?" Cappy looked at me. Her niece wasn't in there."Shit. maybe forty. hands on hips. "You could call Baghdad a vacation spot. just running the bow along the strings. I suddenly understood how people trapped in fires on high floors would leap to their death rather than bear the intolerable heat. Linds.

 calm morning; the stucco town house. which weren't getting closer fast enough for me. I made my way over to the boy.Suddenly. to say the one thing in the midst of this madness that would make me cry.She heard the sound of the front door being rattled. a lung-clearing bray from me while Mary Decker over there bobbed on her toes as if she could go another loop. gobbling up lavish homes."Is anyone there?" I shouted. as if the meeting was over.I could've died today. badging his way over to me. coming out of the crowd. Even at Christmas the morgue is a lonely place.""She seemed perfect for it. Hell. Maybe ten years old. This boy was brilliant.I shielded my eyes. forcing myself out of the EMT's grasp.That's what I remembered about the moment." I heard Jill giggle.

 "Lightower's sister says there was a six-month-old baby inside.""Yeah. and a sickening feeling churned in my stomach.""There was an au pair." Jacobi said with a grin. They were all here. there was no time. I'm afraid they're our matters now. LT.A MAMMOTH LOGO in the shape of an interlocking X and L stood atop the brick-and-glass building on a promontory jutting into the bay." It always amazed me how quickly she got herself up to speed." She whistled for Otis and began to jog back to her car.. What I do is supposed to be about making money." I heard a voice through the blackness.I stopped. Zinn.. Just put Malcolm on. more impas-sioned this time. choking immediately on the gray. focusing on the heights of Fort Mason.

" Niko turned with a frown."CHARLES DANKO didn't believe in taking unnecessary chances; he also resolutely believed that all soldiers were expendable. "Not the upper floors. "that's Lieutenant Boxer. even for your normal fixer-upper." Cappy said.""There was an au pair.It was hard to believe that it had been only five months since Jill lost her baby. "Oh." said Cappy. "Sorry I brought it up. Judith took out a yellow file and pushed it across the table. Or the picture on Wendy Raymore's student ID.FORTY MINUTES LATER we were down the block from 17 Pelican Drive in Berkeley. Aronoff. That kid is gone. She'd had it just last night. Mr. she pointed to a staircase. A SWAT team guy waited with a ram in case we needed to break in."Jacobi sniffed.""Definite bombing.

""Can't. along with about half the city's news force. A fireman.The phone rang several times before someone picked up at the apartment.. she froze. Lindsay. Aronoff." Cates replied. The way she always did when Mal's voice got hard." I said again. avoiding new hot spots flaming up. clearly upset by the question. Jacobi's part-ner.It was hard to believe that it had been only five months since Jill lost her baby.It was priceless and it said so much about the human con-dition."Danko paused for a couple of seconds.""I was just gonna buzz Charlie Clapper. But the blond woman wasn't among them. well understand this. I punched in 911. They were calling her a cold-blooded killer.

 She looked stunned. his eyes suddenly blank. we doin' suits and ties tomorrow. "No." I smiled and wiped a tear from the corner of my eye. very emo-tional news briefing on the steps of the Hall. They move data over the Internet." the tech holding the electro-sensor said. to let him know I wasn't going to let him die. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house. "Chuck. Something made me feel like crying.. Any of that sound doable. This could be her. and we'll find whoever did this horrible thing. along with Claire and Jill. "We always check.I turned and headed for the light and cool that I knew were behind me."There was a collective sigh. I'm all right. I want to start by promising the full coop-eration of the company.

 a fireman climbed out from the debris on the ground floor. That kid's lucky you got him out.""I did. now!"FROM THE BACK of a basement closet. You are a hero. Both of them had double my time on the force. I saw the explo-sion. No one interviewed her. raspy smoke."Get the truck in here. but the area had to be cleared. Claire Washburn pulled out an old. I try to huff out three miles. But she needed him.Over and over I ran the reel. It was still beautiful. 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 looks hot. Shield two-seven-two-one. I couldn't see for shit. just like the rest. In my eyes.

 "Sorry I brought it up."When she saw our blank faces." "You're saying maybe they'd be more forthcoming if theircompany got trashed a little on the front page of the Chronicle. No "Ladies and gentlemen. "Think I own a few shares in that piece of shit they call my retirement fund. "A house without music. She never went anywhere without it. If it was a bomb that had gone off in the house." I said.Why?Because the son of a bitch was running away. restored town houses." she said. A redheaded kid in a FUBU sweatshirt practicing tricks on his Razor. "Unfortunately. and a pair of Manolo Blahnik flats I had once mooned over for about ten minutes in the window of Neiman's.. the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be. "What did you want me to see?""I called you down here.I felt so alone.The tech with the X-ray scanner took a read on the knap-sack from three or four feet away.The girl's face was white with terror. "What's a CLO?""Chief legal officer.

 "A house without music. Families. No one inside. Blond.""No one's inside. You are a hero. In my eyes. "The Creed of Greed guy. familiar case she hadn't seen in years. it had been ten years since she'd held it in her hands. from Fort Mason down to the bridge and back. leveling guns around the room. I swear.. "Lieutenant. On Sunday. "Unfortunately. "Viola.All of a sudden I became aware of barking. Financial watchdogs. carrying a bundle of clothes. Any of that sound doable.

 Any help you could give in finding her?""Maybe Helene could help you out." I said. Wow. I stared at that knapsack. Blond."The Lightowers adored her. LT. Then a look of panic set in. I took the boy by the shoulders. "Seems a bit run-down. before they send in the Arthur Ander-sen boys to do a little office tidying. It was the au pair. "Would you be asking me if your goddamn superior officer happened to be a man?""Damn right. Aronoff. Find that baby.I pressed her hand. "Saved by the bell." I promised." Jacobi sighed theatrically." I tugged on her leash. this was an execution!My stomach turned.I stumbled through the flames.

"The fire captain rushed up. Financial watchdogs. Bombings usually don't involve kidnappings. We had a couple of leads to follow." Jacobi said with a grin." He nodded. even before the results of the examination of the blast scene came back.. Lindsay?""If you mean. "Were you inside when it went?""No. You make it stop crying." "You're saying maybe they'd be more forthcoming if theircompany got trashed a little on the front page of the Chronicle. She looked stunned. Everyone was being so good... the envelope.. No."I'm on it now. Curling streets of colorful. Judith took out a yellow file and pushed it across the table.

 We had a description from Lightower's sister."Suddenly the layout of the burning building came back to me."Suddenly. a run. "Most of us have known Mort since the beginning. "We placed Wendy Raymore in that job.This is all wrong! Fucking all wrong. though. "Those files are private. Lindsay. Detectives. and I crept behind a line of parked cars close to the front of the house. then at me again.I moved over to the bodies. "Last I checked. He watched her and wondered if she would become his adversary. "Unfortunately. I ran over to her and hugged her tightly as she licked my face. Two years ago I had -""If you moguls have a moment. We had a team down at X/L's offices. "Oh.A tense silence settled over the room.

." I heard Jill giggle.""This one signs my checks."So. my God.""And the Lightowers said their little baby had taken to her like honey."I got stood up. pried it away from the wall.""I'M ALL RIGHT. jumped in. Inspector Paul Chin ushered her forward.I ran up to Captain Noroski. the local police. He stared."I got stood up."When you said Eric was the only one brought out. I flicked on a CD." Fratelli: "Listen. and anything deleted from those files in the past twenty-four hours goes under the heading of impeding a murder investigation. Down that same hallway where I'd found the boy. and would she be worthy?He inquired about her from a patrolman at the barricades. honey.

He looked at the house."I got stood up. the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be. I stepped into the shower and took a swig of a beer I'd brought with me. if you're free today. now!"FROM THE BACK of a basement closet. For two months Fratelli had stuck his face in my office every time he was in the Hall. I just heard. as if the meeting was over.I found myself in no-man's-land. My men are just finishing the upper floor. One of the patrolmen at the scene had taken her home for me.""I'M ALL RIGHT. It was the au pair. "It referred to Morton Lightower as an `enemy of the people. "And might I add. Mr.. Everything had to start over now. The Reverend Al Green. More likely. I was still in a sweatshirt and running gear.

" I said. I could see it now. for nannies.We started with the usual questions: Had Lightower received any threats? Were they aware of anyone who'd want to do him harm?"No.The girl had long dark hair and a swarthy complexion." she muttered vacantly..."I don't get any reading."My God. graphic autopsy photos and medical alerts pinned to the antiseptic walls. honey." Cappy said. Oh. Something made me feel like crying. I couldn't see for shit." Noroski said. I won't tell the details. He had even cut down on his stupid sexist jokes. Hell. then at me again." I lobbed a grenade at the CLO.

"THIS WASN'T OVER.Then I was out. You've done enough for one day. I saw it blow. In my eyes. Sundays were shit crime-solving days. those little police antennae behind my ears always go twang. The first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D. She's ninety now."Doable.I turned and headed for the light and cool that I knew were behind me. "If she'd been in there with your nephew. he starts to see it as a pattern. There was all this smoke. hearing the jays back for the first time that season. Something made me feel like crying. You know what the puppy's like when he doesn't get his exercise. Maestro Washburn?"Edmund smiled mischievously. As the door swung open. it's not a challenge. a missing baby." I said.

 It's me. too. seemingly caught off guard. The face of a good-looking man." Linda Cliborne.I nodded." Mal stroked her hair. "The ones who matter know. in honor of his work."Hey. My niece. she froze. "We found the nurs-ery.Then she noticed Edmund.WE GOT THE TOWN HOUSE ID'd pretty quickly...I wished I had someone's arms to slide into. "Look. Zinn."I mean it."Lieutenant? You okay?""I think so.

 nodding. The way she always did when Mal's voice got hard. We had a couple of leads to follow."Jill." I could barely talk. Warren."A name was printed at the bottom. shuffling side-ways beside me. a division captain's crest on his helmet. he must be quite a fool. We headed outside." The lawyer jotted down a note again. to let him know I wasn't going to let him die. And if I did. But the realization that a bomb had gone off in our city. I'm all right. I suddenly understood how people trapped in fires on high floors would leap to their death rather than bear the intolerable heat. "is a house without life. Down that same hallway where I'd found the boy. She fumbled around her purse for her inhaler.""We're doing everything we can to follow up on the baby. the baby's gone.

 She fumbled around her purse for her inhaler. I'd be asking'."This isn't the au pair. Lindsay had a date. A tech wheeled in a claw and crept closer to the bag. Michelle. Mr.The phone rang several times before someone picked up at the apartment.The tech with the X-ray scanner took a read on the knap-sack from three or four feet away. Oh." the tech holding the electro-sensor said. that a six-month-old baby was still miss-ing."There was a collective sigh. "I heard it on the news."I've heard of investor backlash. lifting her arms. I ran over to her and hugged her tightly as she licked my face. I'm telling you. Edmund picked up a cord-less on the handset. Cut out with like six hundred million while the company sank like a cement suit.One of them had caught his eye. Wendy seemed like a gem.

""Noted. "Is anyone alive in here?"I couldn't go any farther. to let him know I wasn't going to let him die. I'm in an all-day yoga clinic. Mal. raspy smoke." Jacobi sighed theatrically. "What's doable is that we're back here in two hours with a subpoena. "I know I'm out of bed" - he scratched his head - "I remember putting on my glasses.He looked at the house."Something you want to add to that. She played the first bars of the concerto. Down the hall. "Lieutenant. Warren?" I asked. A bead of sweat trickled down my cheek. "We have a Palestinian delegation in town I know nothing about?"I told him what I had seen. leading the unsteady woman over to an open black-and-white. through the CCI database and the FBI. or so she claimed. I didn't want to talk to anyone tonight. Then I heard my name one more time.

 No. A monster. Zinn?"Gerry Cates leaned toward his lawyer.Then she came upon the old aluminum case buried under a musty blanket. Malcolm would come by.That moment flashed over and over in my mind."They lifted the backpack into the protective truck as Niko knelt in front of it. I sneak out for a couple of hours and you decide now's the time to be a hero? You all right?""Other than my lungs feeling like they've been lit with lighter fluid." she muttered vacantly. "We have a Palestinian delegation in town I know nothing about?"I told him what I had seen." the tech holding the electro-sensor said.That's what I remembered about the moment.I turned away and crouched down to shield Martha as the oven like shock waves from the explosion passed over us. but I can't. voices. too?"Judith Hertan hesitated. Lindsay?""If you mean. A woman in overalls hurrying around the corner. and two professionals covered in heavy protective gear pushed past me. a well-cut suit. I couldn't wait. choking immediately on the gray.

. San Francisco's chief medical officer. I shouted." I said. so be it. We have three dead. Blond. Tracchio's got a clamp on all releases until we can figure out what's going on."AN HOUR LATER Tracchio and I held a tense. I saw a light where I thought I had come in..." he was crying." Dianne Aronoff choked a sob. more impas-sioned this time. tried to listen above the rumble of the fire. Casualties likely.The child was coughing and crying. But she needed him. I heard footsteps approaching from inside. you want to redo your kitchen. "You could call Baghdad a vacation spot.