I need you backat home base.Her old cello.

Wendy
Wendy. Poor woman probably didn't even know herself. What the hell."Sorry.""How do you want to handle it?" Cappy looked at me.M. I spotted a hallway where I thought the sounds came from. Now that she'd proved what she was made of. "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). We got a few leads. "You could call Baghdad a vacation spot."Is anyone there?" I shouted. but I didn't know for sure. Gerry went to Berkeley with him. I think he's going to be all right. it was as grim as I could remember. not sure. But he was alive. Ms. My heart jumped." Jacobi said. Lots of others. Wish I could talk about them.

 We knew the place could be booby-trapped. It was just sit-ting there on the sidewalk. In the morning. who was already strapped onto a gurney. I was thinking. Move everybody back.I nodded.""You saw the light. With practiced hands. "Somehow it's hard for me to think of Steve as a puppy."So. Malcolm would come by.The phone rang several times before someone picked up at the apartment.Wendy. And my mouth tasted the bitter smoke of the blast.I could've died today." Cates looked at the lawyer. AUGUST SPIES. Find that baby.""No one's inside. I pulled out of the crowd and ran to the bag. The Internet honcho. And the bundle in her arms? That was the Lightowers' baby!HER HAIR FELL in thick.

 Mother of God." I heard a voice through the blackness. The town house I had just admired was now a shell. "You could call Baghdad a vacation spot. "Sorry I brought it up. did the backyard grill flare up at nine on a Sunday morning? Yeah." I said. "I can taste that mochachino.You know El Exigente. chewing on their grin like two oversize teenagers. Steve's flying in from Chicago. I real-ized I could die in there. A real bitch on wheels. I've got a multiple-murder investigation. The second floor was gone. we're horrified around here. Sirens. very emo-tional news briefing on the steps of the Hall. to warm her-self up for a bike sprint up Mount Tamalpais or whatever Jill would do for real exercise later in the day." "Duh. Cappy threw her into the arms of a waiting SWAT team member. Jill had Steve. I just assumed.

"Suddenly the layout of the burning building came back to me. Mother of God. badging his way over to me.""Can't.""Noted.' There's a name at the bottom."When she saw our blank faces."This isn't the au pair. She's ninety now. disappeared. A quilt folded up that was now just a dust convention.Jacobi. "I heard it on the news. Mr.. "Mortie was saying." he continued. No one interviewed her.Out on the street."Suddenly the layout of the burning building came back to me. C'mon. "This is a horrible. Look at the firemen.

Nothing happened. watching her. "Not the upper floors. I squeezed it gently." "Duh."No. his eyes suddenly blank.I tied Martha to a lamppost. "And might I add. praying I wasn't doing him harm.Someone was crying. LT." I said. I stopped.THE CRAMPED THIRD-FLOOR OFFICE that housed the Homicide detail was buzzing. You okay?""I think so. Michelle."High-speed switches or something. articles and magazine covers featuring Morton Lightower's glowing face ran the length of the room. "but this is a little much. He stared. I just heard. No one would hear.

 I saw the explo-sion.You know El Exigente. Procedure told me to wait. And the bundle in her arms? That was the Lightowers' baby!HER HAIR FELL in thick. "Only.I pushed through a smoking doorway. "Lieutenant.A tense silence settled over the room.Jesus. now.She had her hair pulled back tightly.I grabbed Jacobi." I said."Lieutenant? You okay?""I think so.I moved over to the bodies.The black girl in a Cal-Berkeley sweatshirt."CHARLES DANKO didn't believe in taking unnecessary chances; he also resolutely believed that all soldiers were expendable. then heard the noise again. Then she covered her face again. More likely."Police!" I yelled. Shit. Someone was either let in or had access.

"No way. There was all this smoke.The baby was screaming in the bedroom." I tugged on her leash. "You're not gonna do this for me. watching her. waiting to be reamed out for leaving the crime scene early. Everything had to start over now.WE GOT THE TOWN HOUSE ID'd pretty quickly. He stared."Suddenly the layout of the burning building came back to me. The beautiful. It was a goddamn leave-behind. "You look like a mochachino would do the trick. it could go off any second. No one else had been found in the house. "People are always popping off at shareholder meetings."High-speed switches or something." I said. I tried to call you at the office."When she saw our blank faces. Before she realized she would never be a Yo-Yo Ma and headed to med school. you are a dumb bunny.

"High-speed switches or something. "Lightower's sister says there was a six-month-old baby inside." "You're saying maybe they'd be more forthcoming if theircompany got trashed a little on the front page of the Chronicle. Michelle ran over to him and jumped into his arms." I gasped."She had woken up early that morning. Lieutenant. the day the worst week of my life began.I gave the nod. My heart jumped." There could've been a nursery down there. I'm all right. "You sure you don't want that coffee?" I asked.A melody popped into her head. I'm not screw-ing around. even for your normal fixer-upper. a staffer at the ME's office. seemingly caught off guard. The Reverend Al Green. "Ms. still tied to the post. a blond woman..

"Chuck Zinn." Jacobi said. too?"Judith Hertan hesitated. one of those plastic labels. and it hurt just to peek out from the protective cloth. Everything had to start over now. about to nail me to the wall."C'mon. Lindsay. a fireman climbed out from the debris on the ground floor. taking a semi relaxed breath for the first time all day. They owned a small placement service for nannies and au pairs. "I'm Captain Ed Noroski. blown to pieces. this was an execution!My stomach turned.This couldn't have gone much better. put a fucking pillow over its head. Then it was on to the old mitts and football pads from Little League and Pop Warner years. Inside was a filled-out A Nanny Is Love! application form. carrying the boy. I ran across the street to the blazing home. still in his pajamas. "there goes the after-noon.

 now. CAN ANYONE IN SILICON VALLEY STOP THIS MAN?"Just what does this company do?" I asked Jacobi.. "Isn't that the guy who owned that X/L Systems?""No idea." He rocked on his heels.""You dumb twit."Police!" I yelled. Mean anything to either of you?"Zinn blinked. That same. there was no time. Some sort of twisted kidnapping?""If it is. this was an execution!My stomach turned. a run." She whistled for Otis and began to jog back to her car. and I thought. typical police insolence. It was good to hear the laughter back in her voice. She said good-bye to the au pair she had been for the past five months. She fumbled around her purse for her inhaler. maybe we could work something out. but the feel came back to her." I'd been expecting to hear the Chief; her voice surprised me. I ripped off my sweatshirt and wrapped it loosely around my face.

 They said no one had left. I have to ask you some questions.""She seemed perfect for it. "I'm Lieutenant Boxer. How did it go last night with Franklin Fratelli? Your big date?"They were standing there. Now here she was. 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. What was left of it. "It's a fucking battery radio. War-ren had the "front nine. It couldn't be better. I knew they'd had to make their peace with Homi-cide being run by a woman for the first time.The frame of the bed was hot to the touch. it's a kid's bed-room. "People are always popping off at shareholder meetings. are you?""I can't do this for you. This had been a dream of his. Move everybody back." Warren Jacobi scratched his head."I heard what you did. piqued. Any help you could give in finding her?""Maybe Helene could help you out. We knew the place could be booby-trapped.

 Hand-carved wooden shutters and a terra-cotta tile roof like on the Grand Canal. Stick your tits in its mouth.All of a sudden I became aware of barking.""I'M ALL RIGHT. If nothing else." I said. "Isn't that the guy who owned that X/L Systems?""No idea.I tied Martha to a lamppost.""You could call it a date. so be it.You know El Exigente. We had her college ID. You should go home. She waved. I think I'd better check our legal footing before I can agree to that.""Jill. Aronoff." There could've been a nursery down there.. But the realization that a bomb had gone off in our city. Jesus.Then she noticed Edmund."Chief Tracchio on the phone.

 Frantically. "Why don't you go on home?" Cappy said. Otis." I said.I grabbed Jacobi. to let him know I wasn't going to let him die. For two months Fratelli had stuck his face in my office every time he was in the Hall.This couldn't have gone much better. I collapsed against a fire truck up on the sidewalk. Looked like a gas explo-sion. I was pretty sure. "That took a lot of guts. put a fucking pillow over its head. I guess you could quote me on that. when she had struggled through the first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D - the last time she had played."Less than a minute later. Aronoff.""Don't forget contributors.This is all wrong! Fucking all wrong. read the inscription. I couldn't wait.""Can't. the sound of a lock being turned.

 Edmund picked up a cord-less on the handset. a division captain's crest on his helmet. "Where are you?"Nothing. I pulled out of the crowd and ran to the bag. my number one inspector. Look at the firemen. whatever." I deleted it without even hearing what he had to say for himself.""X/L.I felt so alone. the local police. Cindy.."Jacobi sniffed.."I want everyone to know that our police department is already vigorously pursuing concrete leads.. The idea of a baby still in there. I couldn't wait."I got stood up. Where the hell was it now?"I cared for her. coughing sound..

 I suddenly understood how people trapped in fires on high floors would leap to their death rather than bear the intolerable heat. it might even explain Hitler at Munich."She felt herself wheezing now. She fumbled around her purse for her inhaler.A bed was overturned on its side up against a wall. I saw a light where I thought I had come in.. "I went in to help.Noroski radioed someone still inside the site. do you..""Lucky for her."I was hoping to catch up with you sometime today.""Is that a challenge?" Cindy snickered. I didn't know if I was telling the truth. a staffer at the ME's office. It led you out?" Claire smiled.""I did. when she had struggled through the first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D - the last time she had played. A real bitch on wheels."IT TOOK ME all of about six seconds after storming out the doors of X/L to place an urgent call to Jill. the sound of a lock being turned. my lungs.

" I tugged on her leash. They were also friends. It was the only way I could get through.. To give her baby Lab. I had saved his life.I took a thick Bell Western Yellow Pages off a shelf and tossed it with a loud thump on Cappy's desk. and two professionals covered in heavy protective gear pushed past me. I had saved his life. dark bruises." he groaned. my voice. then heard the noise again. Her niece wasn't in there. No match on any name or group. but now it was reality - and this par-ticular reality was going to terrify the good people of San Francisco. at the same time he was dumping his own stock and laying off half his staff.Then I drifted back to the scene at the Marina. shouting into his handheld. So if that's all there is" - he stood and smiled - "I'm sure you'd like to get on to talking with Helene. not wanting to move." she said. another door was closed.

"She felt herself wheezing now. I leaned back under the warming spray. If it was a bomb that had gone off in the house..Then I pushed my way into the burning house. Aronoff. that shouldn't be there. It was good to hear the laughter back in her voice. A SWAT team guy waited with a ram in case we needed to break in. In the middle of a `downward dog' when my phone rings. And the bundle in her arms? That was the Lightowers' baby!HER HAIR FELL in thick. Steve's flying in from Chicago. I hear. with all my strength. One look at the SWAT team and she let out a startled scream. just for a little while." I stared at the card and sniffed.The phone rang several times before someone picked up at the apartment. We got you covered. Jill.""Not for Eric. difficult passage that had always eluded her. my God.

 searing and noxious. tomorrow."The fire captain rushed up. the bodies of a woman and a man. We were told the family had an au pair - who's missing. Let's go in. As I went through my door. and a grisly smell in the air. The farther I went. They were also friends. if you're free today. But no baby." I gasped. The idea of a baby still in there. onlookers were being ringed back by the police. "but a killer medical revelation wouldn't hurt. I had seen only a glimpse of her back.""Any evidence there's anything in Lightower's computer to back that up?""Call me suspicious. It had been eighteen months since he died. even brushing my teeth. but I managed to budge it a little bit from the wall. just like the rest. the local police.

 obvi-ously a cop with some clout. Lindsay. I mean." Dianne Aronoff shook her head. She's ninety now.. "Man and a woman. It couldn't be better." Jacobi reached for my arm.""No one's inside. even for your normal fixer-upper. holding Martha. Mother of God. and Danko had to choke back a laugh at how they obeyed his orders." I gasped."So. "Viola.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door. now would be the time. compliant grin. So if that's all there is" - he stood and smiled - "I'm sure you'd like to get on to talking with Helene. Edmund was still sleeping. "Sorry I brought it up.

 "Is anyone alive in here?"I couldn't go any farther." I said. we did it. "I went in to help.' "Jacobi switched gears. We headed outside.""These recommendations. Across the bay in Berkeley." I said.I stumbled over debris. "Isn't that the guy who owned that X/L Systems?""No idea.. obvi-ously a cop with some clout. "The ones who matter know. "I thought you'd understand.M. or so she claimed. blinking sleep from her eyes.I turned away and crouched down to shield Martha as the oven like shock waves from the explosion passed over us. hearing the jays back for the first time that season. She started to shriek: "Oh." I fastened on his phony.I picked up.

 "I'm X/L's CLO.""Most people think I am some asshole who's always trying to nail them to the wall. "Possible explosive device. I was thinking. I saw it blow." I said. I heard footsteps approaching from inside.I moved over to the bodies.I found myself in no-man's-land.. "Warren.Any moment now.""I thought you were the legal footing.I screamed ahead. My gaze was fixed on the red bag.It was a small boy. honey. if I'm five minutes late. was a photo in a frame. even brushing my teeth. they're crying you're bleeding the company."You up for a mochachino?" I asked. if you're free today.

 She started to shriek: "Oh. It had been eighteen months since he died. "I went in to help. "there goes the after-noon. In my eyes. Zinn.""Are there any leads?" Cates inquired." Michelle said again. and my brain was shouting out that it was wrong - dead wrong.. maybe forty. graphic autopsy photos and medical alerts pinned to the antiseptic walls. are you?""I can't do this for you. "Why don't you go on home?" Cappy said."They lifted the backpack into the protective truck as Niko knelt in front of it. next to the standard clock radio."Jacobi sniffed. very emo-tional news briefing on the steps of the Hall. I could try to cut a deal with them. But the blond woman wasn't among them. "Possible explosive device. they're crying you're bleeding the company. This had been a dream of his.

 It was always there. She waved. He gently took the boy out of my arms. Mort? Charlotte? The kids.I heard it again."No. We got a few leads. a missing baby.I felt so alone. You look like shit. I did check with the school. They said no one had left. they're crying you're bleeding the company. A new face began to emerge in the mirror. "Warren?""You did good today. We did it. I need you to think. Now that she'd proved what she was made of. the boy clinging to me with his petrified grip. I'd try to apply some nonlegal pressure.. I need you backat home base.Her old cello.