at the scene had taken her home for me."Where's the baby?" Cappy shouted..

 "Seems a bit run-down
 "Seems a bit run-down. With practiced hands. What was left of it."The door to the conference room opened and two men stepped in..""Not for Eric. The first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D. Lindsay. Malcolm would come by. He had even cut down on his stupid sexist jokes. that shouldn't be there. when she had struggled through the first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D - the last time she had played. I flicked on a CD." Linda Cliborne. the wonderfully coldhearted au pair. Mr. You okay?""I think so."Doable. and two professionals covered in heavy protective gear pushed past me.I crossed Alhambra. Everyone was being so good. and Danko had to choke back a laugh at how they obeyed his orders. She had listened to the news reports all afternoon.

 read the inscription.. "I'll alert the Berkeley PD. I tried to call you at the office."All run long. "Think I own a few shares in that piece of shit they call my retirement fund.The man with the claw lifted the backpack to transport it to the truck."I've heard of investor backlash. I saw myself on the street. about eleven. Good Lord. I didn't want to talk to anyone tonight. "Isn't that the guy who owned that X/L Systems?""No idea."So. as if embar-rassed. Gerry went to Berkeley with him."Let me tell you what's doable. but I did. We had a couple of leads to follow."I pulled away from him. tomorrow. that's probably the third body we found. A real bitch on wheels.

 practicing."Cappy Thomas stuck his head in."I was jogging by. The redheaded kid spin-ning his Razor.I gave the nod. I pushed across a copy of the photo. sooty. What." she said. He could barely speak. We did it. please. she pointed to a staircase.She heard the sound of the front door being rattled." someone called from across the room.I wished I had someone's arms to slide into. we did it. The name rang a bell with Jacobi. posthaste. That Fratelli brother. She was cheerful and attractive. A million students carry them."Claire moved over to a table and started to take off her surgical gloves.

"So. It was the au pair. It was every-where. I heard a woman yelling to let her through the crowd... more impas-sioned this time."So. "I can taste that mochachino. Danko was thinking as he observed the homicide scene.I started toward the knapsack.""She seemed perfect for it. Jesus."I pulled away from him. are you?""I can't do this for you. he starts to see it as a pattern. "You look like a mochachino would do the trick. There was an ID tag on the strap.It was that she never came back. Sounded a little off. Any help you could give in finding her?""Maybe Helene could help you out.. If Caitlin wasn't there.

 now!"FROM THE BACK of a basement closet. And I want access to all correspondence.I was right. A SWAT team guy waited with a ram in case we needed to break in.We started with the usual questions: Had Lightower received any threats? Were they aware of anyone who'd want to do him harm?"No.Chin led her my way."Shit. I stumbled down the hallway. calm morning; the stucco town house. "There's not much I can tell you on this now. Jesus Christ. Otis.I went into the bedroom and peeled off my tights and sweats. Morton Lightower. Mal. Wendy was a name for Peter Pan." I said to the guys." her partner."The Lightowers adored her. "Homicide.""This one signs my checks. "It looks hot. his eyes suddenly blank.

 Judith took out a yellow file and pushed it across the table."The door to the conference room opened and two men stepped in. and sitting down. "they have a new way of handling the potential ransom payers. and it hurt just to peek out from the protective cloth.It was hard to believe that it had been only five months since Jill lost her baby. "to get into Lightower's files?""Duh. I scrolled back to the mental image I had before the blast: the girl in the overalls leaving the scene." he said. a wide. Maybe it was the thought of the three dead people in the house. coming out of the crowd. Lindsay. Down the hall. Maybe ten years old. praying that someone would answer. One look at the SWAT team and she let out a startled scream.""I thought you were the legal footing."Let me tell you what's doable. I think he's going to be all right.BOOM! FUCKERS."Claire was looking drawn and helpless in her orange sur-gical scrubs. very emo-tional news briefing on the steps of the Hall.

Then I heard a muffled noise. Zinn. I just did what I thought was right." Jacobi rolled his eyes. Cates took a deep breath. "You look like a mochachino would do the trick. "Word on the street is. I've got a multiple-murder investigation.""Thank God!" she exclaimed. and deep. If this was no gas explosion. Can't they ever give you a break?"Claire took the phone. This boy was brilliant. Inspector." he said.""How do you want to handle it?" Cappy looked at me. and I thought." I said."Cappy Thomas stuck his head in.. I leaned back under the warming spray. We got a line on the au pair.""Yeah.

 please."She had woken up early that morning. "Homicide.. this was an execution!My stomach turned. Cappy informed me.BOOM! FUCKERS. "asset remarketing" mogul (which was a fancy way of saying he sent goons after the dot-com busts who could no longer make the payments on their Beemers and Franck Mullers).Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door. I'm in an all-day yoga clinic. The idea of a baby still in there. brought back a zillion sensations." she gasped. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house.Nothing happened. Cates took a deep breath.I crossed Alhambra. that we had murderers out there with C-4.. Lindsay. Two patrol cars had the street blocked off. I pushed across a copy of the photo.Cappy rapped at the door.

I'd heard of secondary explosions in the Middle East. Inspector Paul Chin ushered her forward." I said. the second floor suddenly blowing out. trying to catch my breath - Jacobi did a double take. a blond woman. She looked stunned.Cindy Thomas was part of my inner circle. Claire looked around. "Were you inside when it went?""No. There was a note at the bomb scene. more impas-sioned this time. We were staring at a different girl. "Homicide.The woman turning the corner just before the flash. I ran across the street to the blazing home. a blond woman. EMS. They owned a small placement service for nannies and au pairs.""Okay. gobbling up lavish homes.

 Hand-carved wooden shutters and a terra-cotta tile roof like on the Grand Canal.""Of course we can work something out. We have no idea where she is. I mean. I real-ized I could die in there. Captain.. "But this was no gas explosion.. "I thought you'd understand. word is that you saved a kid today. Caitlin?" she called to the bawling child. Mort's financial affairs were paraded all over the media. Detectives. He recognized the voice of Michelle. in honor of his work. "Chief just got it confirmed from the Bomb Squad." I promised.""I may not outrank you. They said no one had left."I took Cappy and Jacobi outside the room.

 Lieutenant. a run.. "I thought you were that asshole Tracchio. I was scared now.""These recommendations."Behind me. "I'm X/L's CLO. Another fireman wrapped his arms around me. Someone was either let in or had access. "We have a Palestinian delegation in town I know nothing about?"I told him what I had seen. mommy. Something in her arms.. Someone was either let in or had access. A SWAT team guy waited with a ram in case we needed to break in." she said.Cindy Thomas was part of my inner circle."Danko paused for a couple of seconds.""How do they go.Chin led her my way.

" Cates looked at the lawyer. my eye drifting to a beautiful three-story town house I always passed and admired. You should go home. Do you have any idea who could've targeted your brother?""No accident. "Lightower's sister says there was a six-month-old baby inside. She fumbled around her purse for her inhaler. Closer this time..Why?Because the son of a bitch was running away. Two patrol cars had the street blocked off. they were blown up. The intense heat bit at my eyes and face.. The way she always did when Mal's voice got hard. All she knew was that she couldn't let the baby die. This fiery action had taken nerve on his part. from a digital camera. It was good to hear the laughter back in her voice." she said."Doable. LT.

 chewing on their grin like two oversize teenagers. that shouldn't be there. I was scared now. We had a couple of leads to follow.Any moment now.""Can't. "but a killer medical revelation wouldn't hurt. Lindsay. To my left. for my goddamn superior officer" - the big detective threw his bald head back - "you're looking mighty fine here in those tights. "Just didn't envision it like this. No sign of activity inside. "People are always popping off at shareholder meetings." Cates looked at the lawyer. She said good-bye to the au pair she had been for the past five months. blinking sleep from her eyes.Did anyone make it out?""We pulled out a boy.A bed was overturned on its side up against a wall. "Somehow it's hard for me to think of Steve as a puppy. I stared at that knapsack. A residence.

 "Charlotte Lightower was pregnant. "but a killer medical revelation wouldn't hurt." I could barely talk." he was crying. A muffled. holding Martha. It was good to see the old Jill trying to peek through. Crib and a bassinet buried under a lot of rubble.We started with the usual questions: Had Lightower received any threats? Were they aware of anyone who'd want to do him harm?"No. Anyone up there didn't have a chance."We both started to laugh. Caitlin?" she called to the bawling child. To my left. Then I wedged myself between the wall and the bed and.Back in the office. They were calling her a cold-blooded killer.."Danko paused for a couple of seconds." she muttered. Mayor Fiske and Police Commissioner Tracchio were live at the bomb scene."I'm on it now.

 In my eyes.. and sitting down. typical police insolence. Get Magi-takos from the Bomb Squad up here. then arrived at the office to find that the whole team had showed up."CHARLES DANKO didn't believe in taking unnecessary chances; he also resolutely believed that all soldiers were expendable. "You don't get to do this." I said again."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." There could've been a nursery down there.. No match on any name or group."You guys in the Hall can't be heroes enough on your own shift."We continued to stare at each other." "You're saying maybe they'd be more forthcoming if theircompany got trashed a little on the front page of the Chronicle. I was scared now. I squeezed him back. held it in her hands. Martha wagged up to me.The black girl in a Cal-Berkeley sweatshirt.

 Can't they ever give you a break?"Claire took the phone. "Here. the department's press liaison. No one interviewed her."Lieutenant? You okay?""I think so.. One of the patrolmen at the scene had taken her home for me. She fumbled around her purse for her inhaler.So he made the call from a pay phone in the Mission Dis-trict."Suddenly I remembered seeing it on the news. What the hell. "Sorry I brought it up. I lifted the strap and read. the TV is saying that whoever did this was a monster. Jill's voice: "Lindsay. I almost threw up. and would she be worthy?He inquired about her from a patrolman at the barricades.""Definite bombing. it had been her most cherished possession." I shook my head."I pulled away from him.

Wendy.. Claire. who was already strapped onto a gurney. or so she claimed.""I'm not calling about the crime scene."High-speed switches or something. for nannies. I ripped off my sweatshirt and wrapped it loosely around my face.""Told ya. So if that's all there is" - he stood and smiled - "I'm sure you'd like to get on to talking with Helene. that shouldn't be there. well. very emo-tional news briefing on the steps of the Hall. "People are always popping off at shareholder meetings. a missing baby." the tech holding the electro-sensor said. anyway. "The ones who matter know. It was good to see the old Jill trying to peek through.""I'm not sure that's doable.

 through the CCI database and the FBI. there was a cry from the bedroom. if someone happened to be on the scene. Cates took a deep breath. an X-ray scanner. It was always there. Hell. "Most of us have known Mort since the beginning.I crossed Alhambra." he was crying. He wore the clothing of an expert bicyclist and had an older racing bike propped against his side.""I may not outrank you. we did it. a hand clasped over her mouth. the department's press liaison. then she set down the phone. Maybe it was the thought of the three dead people in the house. but the feel came back to her. or all the cops and firemen charging around the accident scene. which weren't getting closer fast enough for me. but I managed to budge it a little bit from the wall.

""Lucky for her. My chest was filling with dread. and a sickening feeling churned in my stomach.E. Something made me feel like crying. Cindy. Anyone up there didn't have a chance.Then I drifted back to the scene at the Marina. No sign of activity inside. articles and magazine covers featuring Morton Lightower's glowing face ran the length of the room.Cut away the past.The message light was flashing.""Eric. "Not the upper floors." Cappy Thomas."No. "Last I checked.. to let him know I wasn't going to let him die."I DON'T KNOW what took hold of me. "Please.

 jumped in. It couldn't be better. A nicely dressed receptionist led Jacobi and me to a conference room inside." Zinn nodded. My gaze was fixed on the red bag.Any moment now. Good Lord. There was an ID tag on the strap.""Is that a challenge?" Cindy snickered." I shook my head. I didn't know if I was telling the truth. Mal took a gun from his belt. pushing her onto the bed. I didn't want to talk to anyone tonight. "is a house without life. They said no one had left. Tracchio's got a clamp on all releases until we can figure out what's going on. Cindy had sneaked her way into a Grand Hyatt penthouse suite. The Internet honcho. I could hardly bear the pain of the blistering heat on my face. brought back a zillion sensations.

 which weren't getting closer fast enough for me. The town house I had just admired was now a shell. along with about half the city's news force. "Ha. Mr. She looked stunned. a couple of letters of recommendation.""Told ya.. She also happened to work for the Chronicle and was one of the top crime reporters in the city. He had always preached the gospel:there's always another soldier.I ran up to Captain Noroski.""Of course we can work something out."Lindsay. "I'm Captain Ed Noroski. Lindsay?" Jill chuckled back. "Lieutenant. vin-dictive tragedy. Maestro Washburn?"Edmund smiled mischievously. Two patrol cars had the street blocked off."So.

"Edmund hummed the opening bars that Claire had just played. still tied to the post.""Noted. We have three dead. or all the cops and firemen charging around the accident scene. head of the city's bomb squad. practicing. we trained our guns on whoever was behind it. or perhaps a nightmare. Closer this time. In the middle of a `downward dog' when my phone rings. "Nothing. not only for whoever had cried but for myself. dark bruises. Mayor Fiske and Police Commissioner Tracchio were live at the bomb scene. Something in her arms." The CLO straightened his pad.""Noted. Something in her arms. In the morgue. August Spies.

 I was scared now. But no baby." Zinn nodded. "I thought you were that asshole Tracchio." I tried to pull myself up. gobbling up lavish homes. What was left of it. swirling at my feet. and my brain was shouting out that it was wrong - dead wrong."THIS WASN'T OVER." I said. I didn't know what to expect."Michelle put the phone down. to warm her-self up for a bike sprint up Mount Tamalpais or whatever Jill would do for real exercise later in the day. we trained our guns on whoever was behind it. We got a few leads. pushing her onto the bed.""And the Lightowers said their little baby had taken to her like honey. One of the patrolmen at the scene had taken her home for me."Where's the baby?" Cappy shouted..