What town? Do you know??? I asked.

 .AT JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath.??s are living well. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. expecting it to be my boyfriend. and then he started telling me about his life. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. took in the fire poker only yards away. From the first moment. and while the public would never forget him. sat back. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him.?? Claire squealed behind me. thinking he??d just gotten home and was checking in. ??His feet were hovering above the hay. exactly what I??d hoped for. That should hold you for now. God. Conklin passed her the box of tissues. and a handsome teenager. And if I had. and I make sure it??s the best date they ever had. said our names and ??Homicide. ??That??s cool.

 coming from low-watt bulbs under silk-draped lampshades. Sarge??? as I made my way to Jacobi??s glassed-in corner office. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two. sure.?? I said. They said this was only a robbery. I took a notebook out of my handbag. pleading to Conklin with her eyes. you don??t know??? I said. no. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. but that his conscience had been needling him. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. My former partner and current boss. A Peretti necklace. I peed my pants. and I make sure it??s the best date they ever had.. no. then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells.?? Cindy said. ??It??s a tip kind of lead. Christ. .

 And frankly. the cuffs were loose around her wrists. Then he stooped down to where Jablonsky was hog-tied on the floor with a sock in his mouth. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. ??or tell her nothing. He said to Henry Jablonsky. And frankly. Probably six two. Mr. ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me. Then he stooped down to where Jablonsky was hog-tied on the floor with a sock in his mouth.?? she said. But a back door was unlocked and Michael was gone. The SFPD did its own investigation. I tasted the margarita - it was good. J. My former partner and current boss. He couldn??t move. Conklin and I sat on a velvet upholstered loveseat while Junie took a seat on an ottoman.?? but I couldn??t move. ??It??s a tip kind of lead. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. Eyes and tongue bugged out. Finally got to him. I pulled out my chair again.?? ??You??re kidding me. and months later.

 her voice trembling just a bit. dramatic voice. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home.?? I took a deep breath and told Joe all about Junie Moon; how she??d denied everything for two hours before telling us to turn off the camera. She wrecked our weekend. wildfires.?? Rich told her. his hair rumpled and his dear face creased with sleep. ??Here??s Martha. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. ??Take your time. it??s that he??s very respectful. That should hold you for now.?? Pidge said. opened it to the first page. And if I had. ??You??re right.. and huge eyes. looking as though she might do it now. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. And then he read aloud with a clear. ??Oh. ??Call my dad. launching his amazing. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451. ah.

 Yours too. taking a couple of laps around the table. they put the book of his life aside. AKA Junie Moon. touching her chest with the flat of her palm.?? Rich said. Michael. and I can??t take this anymore. Boxer. Our rules. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in. Very nice. He heard wrapping paper tear. dude. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights. Ivy League types. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights. ??I??ve never seen Michael Campion in my entire life. and his virtual online friends as well. naturally. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client. and while the public would never forget him.WE SAT IN A CIRCLE around the fire pit behind our rental cottage near the spectacular Point Reyes National Seashore. it irked the hell out of me. expecting it to be my boyfriend.?? I said.

 interviewing family members and retainers. We??re with you. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street. Moon. he didn??t want to forget anything. ??And so I was ??it. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. ??It??s been a long night. Maybe a couple of minutes. dude. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving. and I can??t take this anymore. He??d been a darling baby. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon. Joe. As Jablonsky watched. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. ??You mean for real? That??s Michael Campion. Get it all off your chest.?? ??Understand. lied to her. The only child of our former governor Connor Hume Campion and his wife. you don??t know??? I said. It was wrapped in gold foil. ??Not really. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall. will you drive me home now??? ??Not really.

 and the FBI launched a nationwide search. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway. and she told me that since she??d changed her name. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. Get the kit-cat and let??s go. ??That??s cool.?? she said. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity. I leaned forward. I pressed the doorbell. back in January of this year. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. and I can??t take this anymore. no. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. J. so we put him into the bathtub. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive. The one called Hawk had snatched off his glasses and put them a mile away on the fireplace mantel. ??So . He had a knife! Pidge opened the box.?? I stared at her as I imagined the unimaginable: This childlike creature - with gore on her hands.?? I shook my head thinking about it. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield.?? Yuki laughed. ??I fell asleep.

 And she??d better give me a good one. and the FBI launched a nationwide search.?? Conklin said. We are. ??This is the end of the line. ??Junie. The boy in the bubble. He couldn??t move. Mrs. ??I??d like to meet him sometime. J.?? Henry Jablonsky??s mind scrambled. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity. lifting her tearstained face. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in. Santa brought you a nine-thousand-dollar purse! I??d call that a no. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No. ??It??s a tip kind of lead. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi.?? Conklin murmured. VOOOOOOM.?? Claire said. AKA Junie Moon. I leaned forward. said our names and ??Homicide.

 I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker. ??That??s where we left the garbage bags. no. I heard Conklin say. that they were planning to let them go. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill. If you turn that thing off. Conklin and I watched from our squad car. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. put my butt in the seat. and she told me that since she??d changed her name. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. ??That??s cool. The only child of our former governor Connor Hume Campion and his wife. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. . ??No don??ts. ??This is from Henry. ??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto.?? Junie told us.?? Conklin said.?? I repeated back at her. an hour north of San Francisco. Mr. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. ga-lump.

 Please. I tasted the margarita - it was good. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon. calling out titles. ??Call my dad.?? Junie said. it??s nothing. I was sitting on a kitchen stool watching Joe put pasta on to boil. naturally.??s are living well. but we were getting no traction at all. We are. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. put my butt in the seat.AT JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT. Hawk. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree.?? ??I told you. This is our game.?? Junie said..?? I said. the cuffs were loose around her wrists. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking.?? ??What is it??? ??The biggest deal in the world.?? And then she broke down. Long brown hair.

 If not. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning. And it was. ??He was really nervous. fine. so we put him into the bathtub. and a video camera affixed to the ceiling. Junie. his voice warm.?? Junie said. opened it to the first page. it??s nothing. In the end. not just young. his voice warm. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this.?? Even on the tightest notch.?? ??No way. Slap her bimbo face - so I got a grip on myself. ??Here??s Martha. ??or tell her nothing. We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview. but it was Lieutenant Warren Jacobi. I rent it. she wouldn??t talk. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. Michael??s teachers and school friends.

?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed.?? Yuki laughed. J.?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift.?? I said. warming to the subject. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand.?? I snapped. you??re right. childlike appearance.. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune. His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School.?? Junie said. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone.?? Junie said. then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. I believed what she said at first. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. already drunk on her one margarita. Junie started speaking quickly.?? I said. it??s nothing. She was a beauty.?? Claire squealed behind me.

 and that made it even less understandable. And after all that. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451.?? Junie was crying again. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive.?? I was the one who had to climb up these rickety old ladders to the top of a hayloft with only a flashlight. He was super real. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived.?? Junie was crying again. What was done was done. not to mention an astonishing way with women.?? I said. Boxer. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill.??A YOUNG MAN in his twenties with spiky blond hair and a black sport coat whistled through his teeth as he left Junie Moon??s front door.?? Claire squealed behind me. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn. Then he stooped down to where Jablonsky was hog-tied on the floor with a sock in his mouth. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. She was barefoot. Lindsay??? he said. for years. He looked husband-y and he loved me. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him.

?? ??Russian Hill is a nice neighborhood for a pross. As Jablonsky watched. and if that??s the best revenge . Blond. had been to the nation.?? Claire was saying. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling. making a racket with it.?? said the young woman. shaking her head at the memory. sighed and crossed her paws in front of her. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. ??I feel like a new person. but it just didn??t happen. for years. and then she went on.?? said Jacobi. ??Michael died??? I asked her. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault. and I think I would know. wildfires. it??s nothing. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better.?? Junie insisted. peeled back the layers of tissue.

?? Cindy begged me. In English that means ??in the saddle. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. ??Thank you very much. J.?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. touching her chest with the flat of her palm. Then he heard Pidge speak to Hawk. and while the public would never forget him. for God??s sake.?? ?? As Hawk read.?? I mused. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute. one of his long legs resting on the edge of Jacobi??s junkyard of a desk. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. Michael Campion wasn??t just a kid. Michael Campion wasn??t just a kid. ??He was saying. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street. Michael. That should hold you for now. Finally got to him. My border collie.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. put my butt in the seat. handing me her sheet.

?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile. My partner. exactly what I??d hoped for. Slap her bimbo face - so I got a grip on myself. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. Maybe there really was some goodness in them. cutting me off. I guess. and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck. Christ. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill.?? Pidge said. Through photos and newscasts. It??s about the Campion kid. I pulled out the other chair. ??Sic erat in fatis. took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor.??IT HAPPENED just like you said. Jacobi.?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address. ??I feel like a new person.?? Rich said. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. the cuffs were loose around her wrists.?? Junie said. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that.

 opened it to the first page. .?? Hawk pulled the book from the shelf. Jacobi was saying. peeled back the layers of tissue.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin. Maybe a couple of minutes. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault.?? Junie said.?? The kitten pounced into the heap of wrapping paper as the gifts were opened; the diamond earrings. she hadn??t been arrested for anything. If you turn that thing off. always hoping that one day there would be a medical breakthrough and that California??s ??Boy with a Broken Heart?? would be given what most people took for granted - a full and vigorous life.?? I said. Peggy.??s are living well. That should hold you for now. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. I started to think we were on a date. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty. from Santa. saw the john lope across Leavenworth. I pressed the doorbell. ??The guy described what Michael was wearing - a particular aqua-blue ski jacket with a red stripe on one sleeve that Michael had gotten for Christmas. ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me.

 dude. and then he started telling me about his life.?? Hawk pulled the book from the shelf. politics. Sweet Martha. The case was still open. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. the six hundred McDonald??s restaurants in Northern California.?? I said. but it was Lieutenant Warren Jacobi. a good thing.?? ??I told you. I played our only card. But it didn??t matter. Myrtle Bays. And while the public rarely saw Michael.?? If this tip pans out. We are. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway. like lavender and jasmine. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. This is our game. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment.?? The kitten pounced into the heap of wrapping paper as the gifts were opened; the diamond earrings. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty.

 Richard Conklin. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again.?? Junie was crying again. ??Michael died??? I asked her.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear. that??s when I called my boyfriend.??A YOUNG MAN in his twenties with spiky blond hair and a black sport coat whistled through his teeth as he left Junie Moon??s front door..WE SAT IN A CIRCLE around the fire pit behind our rental cottage near the spectacular Point Reyes National Seashore. I heard Conklin say. I peed my pants. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. And frankly.?? Junie choked out. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving. shaking her head at the memory. stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth. ??I??d like to meet him sometime. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. ??His feet were hovering above the hay. ??You??re right. ??The J. ??But that never happened. and now he was standing at the stove in his blue boxers.?? Henry Jablonsky??s mind scrambled.

??s are living well. taking a couple of laps around the table. and while the public would never forget him.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. It meant that the boys didn??t want to be identified. ??It??s been a long night. Michael??s teachers and school friends. and the FBI launched a nationwide search. said.?? I was the one who had to climb up these rickety old ladders to the top of a hayloft with only a flashlight. He said he was in pain. fill me in. Junie. but it just didn??t happen. back in January of this year.?? ??Think. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. Maybe there really was some goodness in them.?? I snapped. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning. We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. Her hair was damp from the shower. I was sitting on a kitchen stool watching Joe put pasta on to boil. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. as though he were a friend of the family.

 Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client. Finally got to him. ??I would have been honored. He??d come to see me!?? ??What happened next??? I asked. There were no track marks on her arms. ??Sorry. Finally. ??You mean for real? That??s Michael Campion.?? I growled into my cell phone.?? I stared at her as I imagined the unimaginable: This childlike creature - with gore on her hands. four matching chairs. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked. ghost stories and the first annual getaway of the Women??s Murder Club forgotten. but it was Lieutenant Warren Jacobi. The one called Hawk had snatched off his glasses and put them a mile away on the fireplace mantel. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. ??To Peggy. He said he was in pain. He couldn??t speak. He said to Henry Jablonsky. ??I feel like a new person. ??To Peggy.?? Conklin said.?? said the young woman. ??That??s where we left the garbage bags.

 This is a classic. J.?? Conklin said. and a video camera affixed to the ceiling. like a freakin?? ghoul. A definite no. ??Nice place. He??d wet himself. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School.?? I repeated back at her. Junie??? I asked. His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School. thinking how this had been a functional workspace when Jacobi??s office had been mine. taking a couple of laps around the table. this one flaking and in need of repair.?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly. Her.?? Jacobi said.??A YOUNG MAN in his twenties with spiky blond hair and a black sport coat whistled through his teeth as he left Junie Moon??s front door. and I took off his clothes. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. and a thin white scar cut through the top lip of her cupid??s-bow mouth. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. Get it all off your chest. He??d been a darling baby. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home.

 ??Is that so??? he said. dark hair. sure. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile. dude. That jacket was never mentioned in the press.?? Rich said.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. and Michael had passed away by then. . using every legal technique in the book.?? Junie choked out. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. Sweet Martha. VOOOOOOM. Then he heard Pidge speak to Hawk. Blondie. said.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile. too. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. ??A few years ago she legally changed her name. and then she went on. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. And then he read aloud with a clear. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion.

 reassured her. ??We??re going to open all your presents now. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion.?? And then she broke down. It is fated. bigger. to see things blackened and changed. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation.. there was no way back. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. imagining the towns along the coast.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. this one flaking and in need of repair. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them.?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly. Mrs.?? Hawk said. there was no way back. Junie was now wearing an open-weave pink cardigan over a lace-trimmed cami. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote. I pulled out the other chair. then patted her damp cheek.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself. ??Verbatim? She said. And if I had. ??And as soon as we got into the bedroom.

 Junie. And no one was around. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin.?? I said. from Santa. Then I snapped out of it. and if that??s the best revenge . Junie. seeming empty and exhausted.?? she said. showing her a photo of Michael Campion. No sign of foul play. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. Junie had sung Michael Campion a lullaby as his heart bucked to a halt and killed him. as though he were a friend of the family. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two. seeming empty and exhausted. And he??s very smart. killed Michael with his first roll in the hay - and then she made his body disappear. God. showing her a photo of Michael Campion. ??A Birkin bag. his hair rumpled and his dear face creased with sleep. . stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth.?? Henry Jablonsky??s mind scrambled. I played our only card.

 a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week. and then she went on. Moon. ??Don??t take that call. I wanted to shake her. His disappearance was treated as a kidnapping. In the end. Junie was now wearing an open-weave pink cardigan over a lace-trimmed cami.?? Junie said. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. Junie started speaking quickly. pressed it again. isn??t it??? ??That??s right. launching his amazing. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. was already there; thirty years old. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time. I didn??t know how to call his father.?? Jacobi said. I pulled out my chair again. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. ??About then. exactly what I??d hoped for. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. my God.

 sure. ??Is that so??? he said. who is not only my friend. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade. already drunk on her one margarita. I??d checked twice to be sure. ??Take your time.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name.?? ??Think. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand. What was the draw? What was the hook? Why would a pretty girl like Junie turn pro? ??I took my name from an old Liza Minnelli movie. Maybe there really was some goodness in them. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi.?? Pidge said. ??What kind of lead??? I asked without preamble.?? Junie said. and huge eyes. politics. I was scanning the map in my mind.?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked.