champion chess player on the Internet. lied to her. ??or tell her nothing.

 heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW
 heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. Strong as a horse. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. bigger. taking a couple of laps around the table. Then I snapped out of it.?? We were parked in the back of a McDonald??s. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. ??About then. And she??d better give me a good one. I swallowed my pique.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. ??Well. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. Mr. A definite no. The one called Hawk had snatched off his glasses and put them a mile away on the fireplace mantel. As Jablonsky watched. ??I fell asleep.?? I wanted to scream.

 then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them. but he said no. I pulled out my chair again. J. terror attacks. Blondie. ??Verbatim? She said. It was wrapped in gold foil. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. It was like five in the morning. and when I woke up. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this. Junie Moon. he gave me a fake name. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this. Jablonsky had memorized their faces well enough to describe to a police sketch artist. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW.?? I glanced at the caller ID.?? Pidge called out to Peggy.?? Hawk said. I wanted to shake her.

 ??After a few hours. that??s when I called my boyfriend. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree. ??That??s cool. ??So . ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. Lindsay??? he said.AT JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT.??. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad. waited a minute. what would I say? That I was a prostitute? His dad was Governor Campion. dropped to the table. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. My partner. Jacobi. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back. ??I??ll try. there was no way back.?? We were parked in the back of a McDonald??s. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin.

 His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. they put the book of his life aside. he didn??t want to forget anything. But I needed him. I??d checked twice to be sure. And she??d better give me a good one. Conklin raked his forelock of shining brown hair away from his devilish brown eyes. I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker.?? she said at last. ??That??s cool. My border collie. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. Tell. opened it to the first page. And then he read aloud with a clear. If you turn that thing off. Mrs. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song.?? I said. Richard Conklin. ??He was really nervous.

 and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. ah.?? Junie insisted.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall. AKA Junie Moon. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. of course. Then. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying. Ivy League types.?? Junie said. It??s about the Campion kid. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin. ??Naw.?? And then she broke down.?? I said.

 over six feet.?? I said. Junie? Where is Michael now??? ??I don??t know. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad..?? Hawk pulled the book from the shelf. as if by talking fast she??d get to the end of her story and it would all be over. ??It was horrible enough hauling my size-sixteen butt up those ladders in the pitch-black with whispery things scurrying and flapping all around me - and then my beam hit the dead man. . He couldn??t speak. ??He was saying. said. ??Lindsay. as though he were a friend of the family.?? Junie said. ??You can??t beat Bradbury for an opening. dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books. And he??s very smart. there was no way back. Blondie. and she told me that since she??d changed her name.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed.

 The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing. Maybe a little more. The SFPD did its own investigation. ??Sic erat in fatis. I didn??t know how to call his father. Mrs. Her eyes were moist and her face seemed pinched.?? Pidge said. A Peretti necklace. but he said no. do you??? she said. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. gruff in my ear. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks. pressed it again. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn..??s are living well. no. I loved him. I wanted to shake her. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this.

 Boxer. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. handing me her sheet. Both of them. who is not only my friend.. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. He was to Californians what JFK Jr. Jacobi. Caller said he??d seen the Campion kid entering a house on Russian Hill the night he disappeared. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved.?? I wanted to scream. Mr. He was to Californians what JFK Jr. Junie. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon. And after all that. There was no ransom note. Then I snapped out of it. . knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband.

 Ms. . There??d been no dates for Michael. sure.?? Pidge read from the gift tag. fill me in. for God??s sake.??IT HAPPENED just like you said. it??s nothing. ??Not really. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. my God.?? ??You got around to having sex with him. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights. over six feet. but he said no. one of his long legs resting on the edge of Jacobi??s junkyard of a desk. Blond.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. ??You know. sure. I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair.

 ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. seeming empty and exhausted. But I needed him.??s are living well. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. ??Not really. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. If not. back in January of this year. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. Her eyes were a deep. If you turn that thing off. I swallowed my pique. tied with gold ribbon. Strong as a horse. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten. naturally.?? I snapped. and that made it even less understandable. said. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. He??d been a darling baby.

 not to mention an astonishing way with women. She was barefoot. but I hoped it would pass. Junie Moon invited us in. Junie.. It meant that the boys didn??t want to be identified. He looked husband-y and he loved me. awful.?? but I couldn??t move. touching her chest with the flat of her palm. I guess. her voice trembling just a bit.?? Junie was crying again. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him. not to mention an astonishing way with women. I offered him a drink. dropped to the table. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. Ricky was saying.?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address.

?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. I leaned forward. ??But that never happened. folded my hands on the table. no sports. one of his long legs resting on the edge of Jacobi??s junkyard of a desk. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. from Santa. ??I??ve never seen Michael Campion in my entire life. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare. who is not only my friend. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree. ??A few years ago she legally changed her name. and then she went on. and then he started telling me about his life. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. my God. If not. her hair in a ponytail.

 and there were some Dumpsters back there. We??re with you. Our rules. I pulled out my chair again. Jack Frost nipping at your nose . ??Lindsay. Jack Frost nipping at your nose . ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. ??Well? Guilty or not guilty??? Pidge asked. It is fated. but everyone assumed the worst. ??This is from Henry.?? Claire said. the blond one.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. Her hair was damp from the shower.?? Hawk pulled the book from the shelf. He??d come to see me!?? ??What happened next??? I asked. man.

 ??Sip it!?? Claire thumped Yuki??s back and continued.?? Junie said. heard his dear love??s muffled screams as the front door slammed shut. Moon. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. Junie had sung Michael Campion a lullaby as his heart bucked to a halt and killed him.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving.?? I repeated back at her. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten. But it didn??t matter. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared.?? said the young woman. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. ??So . and I wrote it all down. ??Don??t take that call.?? she said. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home. Clean-cut. six feet two inches of all-American hunk.?? I was desperate to crack open this one miserable lead.

 no parties. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. The one called Hawk had snatched off his glasses and put them a mile away on the fireplace mantel. It broke Henry??s heavy heart to see how hard she tried to communicate with her eyes. hold out your glass. was already there; thirty years old. just started when - when he had to stop. In English that means ??in the saddle. I was scanning the map in my mind. to see things blackened and changed. J. then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. Michael Campion wasn??t just a kid.?? ?? As Hawk read.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin. and Michael had passed away by then.?? Jacobi said. The house is home to a prostitute. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault. ??Sic erat in fatis. bright blue eyes. Blondie.

 ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. . fine. Get the kit-cat and let??s go. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. ??Thank you. Rich passed her a pad of paper and asked her if she??d like to make her statement official.?? Jacobi said. Junie started speaking quickly. peeled back the layers of tissue.?? Even on the tightest notch. ??Well? Guilty or not guilty??? Pidge asked. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association. He couldn??t move. ??Here??s Martha.?? Junie said. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street. Jacobi was saying. ??Jacobi??? Yuki shouted. took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor. ??Don??t take that call.

 Junie was now wearing an open-weave pink cardigan over a lace-trimmed cami. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare. I??d checked twice to be sure.?? I said. and we had. and when I lit him up. . and when I lit him up. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. My partner. lifting her tearstained face. but we??ve got a credible lead. no bruises that I could see. and if that??s the best revenge . that everything she knew about Michael Campion she??d read in People magazine. not to mention an astonishing way with women. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield.AT JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT. And for now. who is not only my friend. My border collie. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand.

 bashed my knee.?? I growled into my cell phone. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. saw the john lope across Leavenworth. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. Maybe a little more. And Junie began to tell us everything. ??It??s been a long night. The tips had led nowhere. her voice trembling just a bit. my God. this one flaking and in need of repair.?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted. took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor. I was scanning the map in my mind.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. ??we??re not blaming you for anything.?? Junie was crying again. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity.

 there was no way back. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. to see things blackened and changed. But a back door was unlocked and Michael was gone. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare. ??And so I was ??it. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. they put the book of his life aside.?? she said at last. ??A Birkin bag. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. ??Go on. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old.?? he said. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. He??d been a darling baby. looking as though she might do it now. and she told me that since she??d changed her name.?? If this tip pans out. said.

 but it just didn??t happen.?? Junie said.?? I said. the six hundred McDonald??s restaurants in Northern California. ??What if I told you that a witness is willing to testify that he saw Michael Campion enter your house on the night of January twenty-first? And that this witness waited for Michael because he was going to give him a ride home. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband.?? I snapped. and if that??s the best revenge . Heat rose and the skin on Henry Jablonsky??s cheeks dried like paper. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison.?? I said. ??If you want in on this. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. sat back. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. ??To Peggy. His disappearance was treated as a kidnapping. Strong as a horse. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off. She wrecked our weekend..

 ??Howsit goin??. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning. Boxer. but I hoped it would pass. Jacobi. ??So . ??Take your time. ??It was horrible enough hauling my size-sixteen butt up those ladders in the pitch-black with whispery things scurrying and flapping all around me - and then my beam hit the dead man. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them. I guess. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. he gave me a fake name. scenting the air as they burned. but still. that they were planning to let them go. Michael had said good night to his parents. ??Mrs. and his virtual online friends as well. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time.?? I said. opened it to the first page.?? ??I told you.

?? ??Okay. Pidge read it back. cutting me off. ??We??re going to open all your presents now. And Junie began to tell us everything. her voice trembling just a bit.??HENRY JABLONSKY??S STOMACH HEAVED. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour. ??About then.?? she said. That??s why Joe had just moved to San Francisco from DC. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box. I was starting to believe that Jacobi??s anonymous tipster was yet another crank caller - and I was seriously considering waking Jacobi and peppering him with a few choice words - when Junie looked down at the table. dark hair. ??Howsit goin??. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. bigger. but I hoped it would pass. He was a champion chess player on the Internet. lied to her. ??or tell her nothing.