She looked stunned. Martha. I was pretty sure.

 Wendy seemed like a gem
 Wendy seemed like a gem.""Yeah. What was left of it. I almost threw up. You know what the puppy's like when he doesn't get his exercise." I said."She winced.All of a sudden I became aware of barking." Cappy turned back. I'd be asking'. What the hell."I'm proud of you." she gasped. a blond woman."I mean it." Warren Jacobi scratched his head.""No one's inside."Cappy Thomas stuck his head in.The kid with the Razor was there."C'mon. "Just didn't envision it like this. the day the worst week of my life began. and would she be worthy?He inquired about her from a patrolman at the barricades. "Only. I lifted the strap and read.Jesus. "Oh. She was running away.

 seemingly caught off guard."Let's go find a missing baby.. "You don't get to do this. you have to be strong. If the call was interrupted. It had been nine hours since the town house had blown.. she threw on a denim shirt and jeans and set out on the dreaded task of cleaning out the basement closet. AUGUST SPIES. the sea air off the bay. carrying the boy. Computer files as well." Mal stroked her hair. clearly upset by the question.Out on the street. "Most of us have known Mort since the beginning. Shit. She waved. "Lieutenant. still tied to the post."Jacobi exhaled.Someone put an oxygen mask over my mouth and I took several deep gulps. this was an execution!My stomach turned. Look.""Yeah.""X/L." I said with a shrug.

"CHARLES DANKO didn't believe in taking unnecessary chances; he also resolutely believed that all soldiers were expendable. I was ready to put it behind me. A computer photo. "But this was no gas explosion. but finally he'd done something.Cut away the past. He had even cut down on his stupid sexist jokes."The cop didn't even bother to make eye contact." "You want to spell that out for me?" Jill snorted. "We're gonna go for a hand entry. Now that she'd proved what she was made of."Edmund hummed the opening bars that Claire had just played. The name rang a bell with Jacobi. Jill."Then the town house with the terra-cotta roof exploded into flames. I leaned back under the warming spray.I started toward the knapsack.One of them had caught his eye.I stumbled over debris. "I know I'm out of bed" - he scratched his head - "I remember putting on my glasses. her face registering a com-pletely new horror. I'm all right. That kid's lucky you got him out.""I may not outrank you. She was blond with high cheekbones. They owned a small placement service for nannies and au pairs. "Where are you?"Nothing.I took a thick Bell Western Yellow Pages off a shelf and tossed it with a loud thump on Cappy's desk.

 before they send in the Arthur Ander-sen boys to do a little office tidying. I flicked on a CD. The other. my voice. The Berkeley PD had the house under surveil-lance. to say the one thing in the midst of this madness that would make me cry. but the best we could get was a corporate public relations flack who said we could meet with them tomorrow at 8 A." I promised. It was Freddie Rodriguez. or it had been stolen. Shit. there was no time. it looks like the explo-sion originated from the second floor. I didn't know if it was real. Then I heard my name one more time.I shielded my eyes." Zinn nodded." "You want to spell that out for me?" Jill snorted.I took a thick Bell Western Yellow Pages off a shelf and tossed it with a loud thump on Cappy's desk. and held my breath." He nodded.I heard it again. backed up ominously toward the spot." what we call the Sunday morning shift when the weather gets warm. and my brain was shouting out that it was wrong - dead wrong."LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE. "Don't ask. I squeezed him back.

Not with everything that had just gone on. Two patrol cars had the street blocked off.."I was hoping to catch up with you sometime today. She took out the bow. "there goes the after-noon.""How do you want to handle it?" Cappy looked at me. As the door swung open. all right. then heard the noise again. I scrolled back to the mental image I had before the blast: the girl in the overalls leaving the scene. "For Caitlin. to say the one thing in the midst of this madness that would make me cry.""Anything short of aroused body parts to suggest they're holding something back?" The blood began to roil in my chest."What I want is Lightower's office sealed.""LIEUTENANT. It was the only way I could get through. more impas-sioned this time. reinforced steel curtains were pulled out of the truck and set up in a protective barrier. The neigh-borhood just waking up. I need you to think. the second floor suddenly blowing out. whom the Berkeley cops had seen going in.""These recommendations."Where's the baby?" Cappy shouted. `The media treats me like bin Laden. 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."And we'll need access to his private computers.

 "Think I own a few shares in that piece of shit they call my retirement fund." Zinn scratched a note. I could try to cut a deal with them. difficult passage that had always eluded her. It was always there. She took out the bow. holding Martha." "You're saying maybe they'd be more forthcoming if theircompany got trashed a little on the front page of the Chronicle. She waved.. dropping to my knees. I couldn't see for shit.The lawyer's pen never touched the page. coughing.""Of course we can work something out."I don't need to remind you that this is a murder investi-gation. "C'mon.One of them had caught his eye. She came over and gave me a hug."IT TOOK ME all of about six seconds after storming out the doors of X/L to place an urgent call to Jill. Malcolm.""We're doing everything we can to follow up on the baby.It was then that the phone rang.That made me laugh.I found myself in no-man's-land. which weren't getting closer fast enough for me." I promised. the old strings stretching back into their accustomed notes.

You know El Exigente. I leaned back under the warming spray. No one else had been found in the house."I don't know why I found that so sad. San Francisco's chief medical officer."Mal.""I may not outrank you. that a six-month-old baby was still miss-ing.It was that she never came back. and I thought. Cut out with like six hundred million while the company sank like a cement suit. "what the hell is that?"Peeking out through the strap of her exercise bra were a couple of small. We have no idea where she is. gobbling up lavish homes."I don't even know what made me notice it. That was before everyone realized they had no data to move over the Internet."I've heard of investor backlash.She yanked it from the bottom of the closet."Use everything. Sirens. One of the patrolmen at the scene had taken her home for me. Maybe ten years old." her partner added. Don't let this blow.So he made the call from a pay phone in the Mission Dis-trict. I made straight for it. massaging it into her cropped hair. what's going on?""Wendy Raymore?" Cappy kept his gun on her.

"TWO WOMEN WERE SITTING in Interrogation Room 1 when I got back." I said. She played the first bars of the concerto. "The TV."The door to the conference room opened and two men stepped in. who the hell knew? My eyes went wide. that's probably the third body we found." she said. Lindsay?" Jill chuckled back. She's done nothing wrong." Chuck Zinn arched back in his chair.""LIEUTENANT. ponytail. Jacobi readied himself. head of the city's bomb squad.Wendy. with all my strength. I didn't know what to expect.The message light was flashing. I pulled out of the crowd and ran to the bag. even brushing my teeth. "Yeah.FORTY MINUTES LATER we were down the block from 17 Pelican Drive in Berkeley. hooded eyes impossible to light up with surprise.. It was impossible to hear above the roar of the flames. "I heard it on the news. She was blond with high cheekbones.

""Definite bombing. "Just didn't envision it like this. it was Martha. Zinn. but finally he'd done something. I have to ask you some questions.That morning. "The Creed of Greed guy." Michelle said again.I crossed Alhambra."And we'll need access to his private computers. I think he's going to be all right. Detectives.. honey. aren't we."THIS WASN'T OVER.There it was again. disappeared. praying that someone would answer. Looked like a gas explo-sion."Claire moved over to a table and started to take off her surgical gloves. if the call was discovered."Oh."I don't even know what made me notice it.""Lucky for her.I went into the bedroom and peeled off my tights and sweats. disappeared.

"You're looking for a subpoena. And the bundle in her arms? That was the Lightowers' baby!HER HAIR FELL in thick."I don't need to remind you that this is a murder investi-gation. I shouted.I couldn't believe my eyes. C'mon. "Martha's buying. said. "Warren." Michelle said again."We continued to stare at each other.. With practiced hands. And you must be busy as well. or rather. You know what the puppy's like when he doesn't get his exercise. but I managed to budge it a little bit from the wall. We had a team down at X/L's offices. too?"Judith Hertan hesitated. I had saved his life. It was 11:45. Some sort of twisted kidnapping?""If it is." I shook my head."Where's the baby?" Cappy shouted. Lieutenant. Unless you wanna go inside and look around again yourself. I could try to cut a deal with them. This girl had probably lost her ID.

."I've heard of investor backlash.. It couldn't be better."I think that's doable. the envelope. that's Inspector Murphy. "Charlotte Lightower was pregnant."I heard what you did." Niko said. They were calling her a cold-blooded killer."Police!" I shouted again. raspy smoke.I picked up." The CLO straightened his pad.A long minute of tuning.""Woulda put a bit of a damper on our margarita nights. She fumbled around her purse for her inhaler. "For Caitlin. "that's Lieutenant Boxer. and held my breath.. from Fort Mason down to the bridge and back. I saw a light where I thought I had come in. that we had murderers out there with C-4. to let him know I wasn't going to let him die." "Duh. What's also doable is that anything we find in there that might not be flat-tering to X/L gets passed along to those hungry legal sharks in the D.

 read the inscription. Another fireman wrapped his arms around me. I tried to call you at the office." I said. dark bruises. my buddy Jill came along. The other. and his family. She started to shriek: "Oh."The cop didn't even bother to make eye contact." Cappy said. We waited while Captain Noroski's men picked through the rubble. The town house I had just admired was now a shell. "You could call Baghdad a vacation spot. and would she be worthy?He inquired about her from a patrolman at the barricades. this was an execution!My stomach turned. blinking sleep from her eyes. it was as if San Francisco were suddenly Beirut. Just seeing it brought back a swell of memories: hours and hours of learning the scales. A few seconds later. I thought I knew what had happened. the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be. if I'm five minutes late. and held my breath." She kissed his face about a hundred times.The black girl in a Cal-Berkeley sweatshirt. "there goes the after-noon.""She seemed perfect for it.

 calm morning; the stucco town house.The lawyer's pen never touched the page. And my mouth tasted the bitter smoke of the blast. but the best we could get was a corporate public relations flack who said we could meet with them tomorrow at 8 A." "You want to spell that out for me?" Jill snorted. you called me down here.. Cates took a deep breath. She never came back. "I want to assure the people of this city that this is an isolated event." he said. "that's Lieutenant Boxer. The intense heat bit at my eyes and face. I try to huff out three miles.." she muttered vacantly.. The idea of a baby still in there. And e-mail. I collapsed against a fire truck up on the sidewalk. but when a guy I'm interviewing starts to twist around like a cod on a fishing line." I snapped on her leash and started to trot off toward the Starbucks on Chestnut. Sirens.""This one signs my checks. you checked them. It would be nice if he were here tonight. "Don't get cranky. The beautiful.

 In my eyes. "What could I possibly have for you. mommy. Claire looked around. "He's okay?""He's at the Burn Unit at Cal Pacific." her mother used to say.I pressed her hand. Jesus.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door.. with all my strength. But she needed him. "Lieutenant. in a pink cashmere sweater."THIS WASN'T OVER. They move data over the Internet. "I did the right thing. then I did. No sign of activity inside. A bead of sweat trickled down my cheek. She had listened to the news reports all afternoon. even before the results of the examination of the blast scene came back. My niece. "I want to assure the people of this city that this is an isolated event. then she set down the phone. Mr. Tracchio's got a clamp on all releases until we can figure out what's going on. "Mortie was saying.

 A wall of burning Sheetrock and plaster hung above me." she said. It was the only way I could get through. That was before everyone realized they had no data to move over the Internet. "Of course. "what the hell is that?"Peeking out through the strap of her exercise bra were a couple of small.Chin led her my way.I couldn't believe my eyes." I said... Inside the backpack. Move everybody back. my God. "Chuck. but if anyone was in there. It was still beautiful. "I went in to help. "You should get a load of how it looks. I saw myself on the street. I guess you could quote me on that. but on that Sunday afternoon. but on that Sunday afternoon.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door.Jesus. who was bark-ing commands to his men searching through the house." There could've been a nursery down there."We pulled up at the end of Marina Green.

 "I think she some-times spent the night. whatever you found wouldn't make it through arraignment. "We've heard Caitlin is missing."IT WAS ONLY a ten-minute drive out to Potrero. A tech wheeled in a claw and crept closer to the bag. Then she covered her face again. Thescene was eerily quiet. you want to redo your kitchen. "We mailed her confirmation to a post office box. I stared at that knapsack. I was still in a sweatshirt and running gear.""Can't. Shit." I said with a shrug. Malcolm would come by.My eyes were peeled to the side windows for any sign of activity. "How can this be happening?"I knelt down in front of Dianne Aronoff and took her hand. I need you to think. now it's something like sixty cents.. to let him know I wasn't going to let him die. I was thinking. Sounded a little off." he finally said." I said.It was then that the phone rang. what's going on?""Wendy Raymore?" Cappy kept his gun on her. And Tracchio.

"Police!" I shouted again." Just this little voice in my heart.""Of course we can work something out. She took the scissors and cut again. I'm all right. or it had been stolen. mid-stride. I took the boy by the shoulders."You'll provide us a list of all your clients. Mother of God. In the middle of a `downward dog' when my phone rings.We stood in front of the smoking house. This fiery action had taken nerve on his part. carrying a bundle of clothes.My eyes were peeled to the side windows for any sign of activity. she pointed to a staircase. could she? Not if she had saved the baby. searing and noxious. but he was truly a killer. If it was a bomb that had gone off in the house."Police!" I shouted again. my voice. He was being wheeled into a van.I was right.Finally.""You could call it a date. Cappy was dig-ging up whatever he could on the missing au pair. Now I saw the entrance.

" I said. too. leading the unsteady woman over to an open black-and-white.I ran up to Captain Noroski. "Saved by the bell.I was right."OH. My God. For two months Fratelli had stuck his face in my office every time he was in the Hall. He directed him down the front hall. not sure. She stood in front of the bombed-out home. tried to listen above the rumble of the fire. Oh. Michelle. "A house without music. She was running away. "How can this be happening?"I knelt down in front of Dianne Aronoff and took her hand."There's no charge. "Mortie was saying. Aronoff. its humble beginnings. We had a description from Lightower's sister. Edmund was still sleeping. chewing on their grin like two oversize teenagers. "Were you inside when it went?""No. We have no idea where she is. The only motion in his face was a slight flickering in his eyes.

 Bombings usually don't involve kidnappings."You guys in the Hall can't be heroes enough on your own shift.Then I heard a muffled noise. "Why don't you go on home?" Cappy said." she said." she muttered vacantly. if I'm five minutes late. too?"Judith Hertan hesitated. I won't tell the details.It was that she never came back.That morning.I heard it again. in a pink cashmere sweater." She winked." I said again. Lindsay?" Jill chuckled back.The girl's face was white with terror.""Woulda put a bit of a damper on our margarita nights. "If anyone's holding something back. I just heard. We were staring at a different girl. Lieutenant. A fireman.I stared at the small laminated photo of Wendy Raymore's face. We headed outside.I picked up.I fumbled through my fanny pack for the cell phone." "You want to spell that out for me?" Jill snorted.

 and deep. a well-cut suit. I tried to call you at the office. She was running away." she muttered vacantly. I'd be asking'. Where the hell was it now?"I cared for her."You probably want to talk to Helene now. I saw the explo-sion. she is only six months old." he called out. Zinn?"Gerry Cates leaned toward his lawyer. He had always preached the gospel:there's always another soldier. brought back a zillion sensations."Hey. heavy and bald-ing. They were also friends.""No one's inside. chimed in. "A Nanny Is Love!""We called in when we heard about what happened. Danko was thinking as he observed the homicide scene. Clearly dead. She never came back. a fireman climbed out from the debris on the ground floor. piqued."I don't get any reading.""I was just gonna buzz Charlie Clapper.000 security gate on his place in Aspen.

 Jill.The shocked girl could barely speak. I'm afraid they're our matters now. "This is a horrible. Just seeing it brought back a swell of memories: hours and hours of learning the scales. M.The baby was screaming in the bedroom. I leaned back under the warming spray. She played the first bars of the concerto. But there was nothing. I stumbled over flaming rubble. "I'm Lieutenant Boxer. We headed outside. There was an ID tag on the strap. Shit. forcing myself out of the EMT's grasp. No one understands. Or the picture on Wendy Raymore's student ID. Lindsay. I knew they'd had to make their peace with Homi-cide being run by a woman for the first time.. I thought I knew what had happened." I said." I'd been expecting to hear the Chief; her voice surprised me. and an entire town house burned to the ground in a possible bombing. Ms.You know El Exigente. Michelle's heart jumped.

 you did good." I called. and correspondence.. Caitlin?" she called to the bawling child. Lieutenant.""Okay." her mother used to say. Hand-carved wooden shutters and a terra-cotta tile roof like on the Grand Canal. "People are always popping off at shareholder meetings. August Spies. Lieutenant. and after a cup of coffee on the deck. Financial watchdogs. Mr. These were very smart people. The beautiful." Gerry Cates shook his head and glanced at the lawyer.There's something you're not seeing. "For Caitlin. He had always preached the gospel:there's always another soldier. It did belong to the guy in the picture.A fireman made his way to me."Oh. "I'll alert the Berkeley PD. or think.I found myself in no-man's-land. But the realization that a bomb had gone off in our city.

 another door was closed. their clothes on fire. then I did.""I may not outrank you. "Lieutenant?"I turned. "Warren. "Not the upper floors. who the hell knew? My eyes went wide. and fast. Claire Washburn pulled out an old. Linds. We got you covered. She closed her eyes and played a little more. onlookers were being ringed back by the police."I don't know how you do it." Claire gave me a halfhearted smile. Edmund. and it hurt just to peek out from the protective cloth.there's been an explosion down-town! Lindsay's been hurt.I took a thick Bell Western Yellow Pages off a shelf and tossed it with a loud thump on Cappy's desk.The Marina has always been one of my favorite neighbor-hoods."He heard Malcolm's cheerless voice."Police!" I shouted again." she said with a laugh. He recognized the voice of Michelle."Mal. I hear. "You think it might piss someone off if he's selling six hundred million dollars of stock while going around the country telling everyone else it's a buy at ten?""We can't control our share price.

 Edmund was still sleeping. I want to start by promising the full coop-eration of the company. My men are just finishing the upper floor. Cut out with like six hundred million while the company sank like a cement suit. Caitlin." said Jacobi. The idea of a baby still in there. What's also doable is that anything we find in there that might not be flat-tering to X/L gets passed along to those hungry legal sharks in the D. as if embar-rassed. aren't we." I tried to pull myself up."Police!" I yelled. or can I wear my tennis shorts and Nikes?"I brushed past him. watching her." Cappy said.It was priceless and it said so much about the human con-dition.I ran up to Captain Noroski. to say the one thing in the midst of this madness that would make me cry... I just did what I thought was right.Cindy Thomas was part of my inner circle. "Ha."I've heard of investor backlash. Michelle's heart jumped. My eyebrows were singed. A real bitch on wheels." he said.

 The name rang a bell with Jacobi.He looked at the house. I heard footsteps approaching from inside.I moved over to the bodies. jumped in. A square armored truck.""Jill.She heard the sound of the front door being rattled. Then a look of panic set in.""Is that a challenge?" Cindy snickered. but the best we could get was a corporate public relations flack who said we could meet with them tomorrow at 8 A. Edmund was still sleeping."I pulled away from him. This girl had probably lost her ID."Police!" I shouted again. was a photo in a frame. My niece. Morton Lightower." the tech holding the electro-sensor said." Jacobi rolled his eyes. maybe we could work something out. The face of a good-looking man. "Saved by the bell."Jacobi exhaled."No.I crossed Alhambra. and a sickening feeling churned in my stomach. Tracchio's got a clamp on all releases until we can figure out what's going on.

 I swear." The two men took seats. Some-thing in her arms. the envelope."In the next minutes. A SWAT van pulled up alongside.' There's a name at the bottom. I hear. The house was a shabby blue Vic-torian on a street of similar row houses several blocks from the campus."Danko paused for a couple of seconds. articles and magazine covers featuring Morton Lightower's glowing face ran the length of the room. dropping to my knees. but I wasn't taking any chances. my buddy Jill came along."Edmund hummed the opening bars that Claire had just played.The shocked girl could barely speak..A girl in a T-shirt shot up in bed. "Lightower's sister says there was a six-month-old baby inside. This girl had probably lost her ID. who the hell knew? My eyes went wide. as if embar-rassed. but on that Sunday afternoon. maybe we could work something out. You know what the puppy's like when he doesn't get his exercise. Judith took out a yellow file and pushed it across the table. but I wasn't taking any chances.Michelle lowered her head into the sink and dumped a bottle of L'Or?al Red Sunset dye all over her.

I shielded my eyes."Where's the baby?" Cappy shouted.Chin led her my way.""Noted. I punched in 911."Oh." I said. It was every-where. Inside was a filled-out A Nanny Is Love! application form.""Dianne Aronoff.. Caitlin?" she called to the bawling child. It came back zilch. humanized them."Jacobi sniffed."There was a collective sigh.I started to panic again. coughing."Lieutenant? You okay?""I think so. "Isn't that the guy who owned that X/L Systems?""No idea. a division captain's crest on his helmet.. With practiced hands. I'm telling you. seemingly caught off guard. "Oh. But it can't be. "what the hell is that?"Peeking out through the strap of her exercise bra were a couple of small.

 and two professionals covered in heavy protective gear pushed past me. as if the meeting was over. taking a semi relaxed breath for the first time all day.""Jill.MORTON LIGHTOWER.Wendy."Dianne Aronoff uttered a cry of joy. the grit and soot and smell of ash chipping off my body. "He's okay?""He's at the Burn Unit at Cal Pacific. Just enough to convince myself I'm border-ing on something called in shape at thirty-six. "but this is a little much."Your boss has been murdered. If it was a bomb. and it hurt just to peek out from the protective cloth. `The media treats me like bin Laden." he said. "I'm Lieutenant Boxer. The grime of the blast was all over me.One of the charred bodies inside. honey."You up for a mochachino?" I asked.The black girl in a Cal-Berkeley sweatshirt. Claire looked around. Cappy Thomas at the office. Claire looked around. She looked stunned. Martha. I was pretty sure.