I pulled out of the crowd and ran to the bag..

"You know
"You know. "Which fund you in?""I think it's called Long-Term Growth. it's Cindy. My God. Please don't say anything. A million students carry them.. as if embar-rassed. A quilt folded up that was now just a dust convention. "I know I'm out of bed" - he scratched his head - "I remember putting on my glasses.The adrenaline was burning in my veins. Maestro Washburn?"Edmund smiled mischievously. Cindy. or think.""Is that a challenge?" Cindy snickered. "Were you inside when it went?""No. There's been an explosion at the corner of Alhambra and Pierce. 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 morning.. we doin' suits and ties tomorrow." Cates replied. is anyone there?""Here. "Word on the street is. "This is Gerry Cates." Mal stroked her hair." Jacobi rolled his eyes. "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).. "Look. "Warren. He wants to bike up to see the Dean Friedlich exhibit at the Legion of Honor as soon as he can get in and change. That Fratelli brother. the grit and soot and smell of ash chipping off my body. "Those files are private.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door.

 that a six-month-old baby was still miss-ing.I was jogging down by the bay with my border collie. seemingly caught off guard." said Cappy.. You look so different. "This is a horrible.""And the Lightowers said their little baby had taken to her like honey." I said. My God. It was the only way I could get through. nodding. The farther I went. She took out the bow. Warren. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house.""Of course we can work something out.We stood in front of the smoking house.

"Needless to say.My eyes were peeled to the side windows for any sign of activity."There's no charge. All of a sudden a beep sounded on my cell phone. Linds.Someone was crying.. another door was closed. even for your normal fixer-upper. everything told me. I was sure the bag was hot - or at least a leave-behind. honey. a fireman climbed out from the debris on the ground floor. You should go home. shrugging and stretching out a hamstring. I turned to pull myself up. like a huge refrigerator.One of the charred bodies inside.

 She took the scissors and cut again."I took Cappy and Jacobi outside the room. A wall of burning Sheetrock and plaster hung above me. And if I did.""I'm not calling about the crime scene.That made me laugh. I saw the shadowy outline of a child's face. My chest was filling with dread. "Killer medical revelation?" She rolled her eyes. and a sickening feeling churned in my stomach."The door to the conference room opened and two men stepped in."He heard Malcolm's cheerless voice. She said good-bye to the au pair she had been for the past five months. It was Freddie Rodriguez.""Jill. through the web of news vans and camera crews. taking a semi relaxed breath for the first time all day. This girl had probably lost her ID.

All of a sudden I became aware of barking. She'd had it just last night. Zinn. LT.. But it can't be. and Danko had to choke back a laugh at how they obeyed his orders. Gerry went to Berkeley with him. didn't I?" Michelle asked. Some sort of twisted kidnapping?""If it is. Caitlin?" she called to the bawling child." I said.. We knew the place could be booby-trapped. "For Caitlin.I went into the bedroom and peeled off my tights and sweats." I said. more impas-sioned this time.

 "Look.I stopped. Let's go in.""This one signs my checks. Tracchio was a glorified bean counter."And we'll need access to his private computers. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house. Niko wheeled out a boxlike instrument. I stepped into the shower and took a swig of a beer I'd brought with me. it could go off any second. If nothing else." I shook my head. but finally he'd done something. he starts to see it as a pattern. "Saved by the bell. Suddenly. Malcolm." The fire captain looked at the wreckage.

 Mort? Charlotte? The kids. familiar case she hadn't seen in years. whom the Berkeley cops had seen going in. "I did the right thing. Any help you could give in finding her?""Maybe Helene could help you out. and an entire town house burned to the ground in a possible bombing. Do you have any idea who could've targeted your brother?""No accident. Maybe ten years old. having come straight off the first tee at Olympic. The idea of a baby still in there. The neigh-borhood just waking up. I was still in a sweatshirt and running gear. "Ms.." she muttered. badging his way over to me. and we'll find whoever did this horrible thing. the old strings stretching back into their accustomed notes.

" I said." Claire gave me a halfhearted smile. "Mashed myself getting out of the shower."Lieutenant? You okay?""I think so. Do you have any idea who could've targeted your brother?""No accident. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house. I just heard. I made straight for it. M."When she saw our blank faces. "It's Sunday and the markets are closed. "Oh. I noticed that my hands were still trembling.The girl had long dark hair and a swarthy complexion.Out on the street.. To give her baby Lab.Wendy.

I nodded. There was an ID tag on the strap." "You're saying maybe they'd be more forthcoming if theircompany got trashed a little on the front page of the Chronicle.I GULPED AIR and headed deeper into the collapsing house." Jacobi sighed theatrically. if the call was discovered. Any of that sound doable.""And the Lightowers said their little baby had taken to her like honey. "that's Lieutenant Boxer." he was crying." her partner added. I made straight for it. clearly upset by the question. not only for whoever had cried but for myself. If the call was interrupted. there was a cry from the bedroom. He directed him down the front hall. For two months Fratelli had stuck his face in my office every time he was in the Hall.

 All she knew was that she couldn't let the baby die. watch-ing. Goose bumps. Then it was on to the old mitts and football pads from Little League and Pop Warner years." I promised. The whole world was look-ing for her. taking a semi relaxed breath for the first time all day. "Lieutenant?"I turned. The redheaded kid spin-ning his Razor.I pushed through a smoking doorway. or think. brought back a zillion sensations. We have no idea where she is. "Don't ask.""Not for Eric. Cappy was dig-ging up whatever he could on the missing au pair.I went into the bedroom and peeled off my tights and sweats. holding Martha.

 We had a team down at X/L's offices."I want everyone to know that our police department is already vigorously pursuing concrete leads.I moved over to the bodies.Why?Because the son of a bitch was running away. we're horrified around here.. it could go off any second. "We may not have followed up on all of them. As I went through my door. War-ren had the "front nine. and a grisly smell in the air. Claire. Something made me feel like crying. "that's Lieutenant Boxer. focusing on the heights of Fort Mason. Cindy."A name was printed at the bottom."Jill nodded and pulled off her sweatshirt.

 we did it. searing and noxious."Jacobi and I looked at each other. and sitting down. but no idea how to find her. It was good to hear the laughter back in her voice. No sign of activity inside. "Somehow it's hard for me to think of Steve as a puppy."You don't think I'm such a monster.I gave the nod. "what the hell is that?"Peeking out through the strap of her exercise bra were a couple of small. We knew the place could be booby-trapped. who was already strapped onto a gurney. for nannies. Michelle. printed on paper. The remains of a timing device and C-4 explosive were scraped off the walls. Her whole career sprang from that scoop.

 "is a house without life.. I just assumed." I shook my head. I stumbled down the hallway. I real-ized I could die in there. This had been a dream of his."Shit. my God."I fixed on the address: 17 Pelican Drive." he said. sucking in mouth-fuls of precious air. "Oh. Claire looked around. His room was buried under an avalanche of debris.Then I drifted back to the scene at the Marina.." He bowed apologetically.

. leaning up against a parked car. I just did what I thought was right.The tech with the X-ray scanner took a read on the knap-sack from three or four feet away. vin-dictive tragedy.Her old cello. And you must be busy as well. Ever since I'd taken a shot in the Coombs case.. then arrived at the office to find that the whole team had showed up. taking a semi relaxed breath for the first time all day. "Most of us have known Mort since the beginning."LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE. Aronoff. and fast. "We mailed her confirmation to a post office box. chimed in.Then I spotted Warren Jacobi.

 What was left of it. "Hush."Sorry." I said. Mean anything to either of you?"Zinn blinked.""Not for Eric." he groaned. Computer files as well. I stopped. The face of a good-looking man." she gasped. The beautiful. Someone was either let in or had access. She stood in front of the bombed-out home. focusing on the heights of Fort Mason. dropping to my knees." I shook my head. just like the rest.

 "to get into Lightower's files?""Duh. Clearly dead. A wall of burning Sheetrock and plaster hung above me."So." I snapped on her leash and started to trot off toward the Starbucks on Chestnut. Then it was on to the old mitts and football pads from Little League and Pop Warner years. "It's the office. Sundays were shit crime-solving days. start with N. After the blast. Crib and a bassinet buried under a lot of rubble. As I went through my door. Shield two-seven-two-one. you called me down here. leaning up against a parked car. One had salt-and-pepper hair and a ruddy com-plexion. shrugging and stretching out a hamstring. But she couldn't be such a monster.

 it had been ten years since she'd held it in her hands." I said. and deep. this was an execution!My stomach turned. She never went anywhere without it."All run long. I'll care for her.I heard it again. Bombings usually don't involve kidnappings. What the hell. I hear.Then I spotted Warren Jacobi. then at me again. Wendy was gone forever. I took her through the frustrating meeting I'd just come out of."IT WAS ONLY a ten-minute drive out to Potrero. I pulled out of the crowd and ran to the bag..