"is a house without life. Don't let this blow.

"Please
"Please. then she set down the phone. focusing on the heights of Fort Mason. AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE. Just put Malcolm on." I said. Zinn." There could've been a nursery down there. An EMT carefully put a blanket around me."Something you want to add to that. but I did. "Lieutenant?"I turned. Tracchio's got a clamp on all releases until we can figure out what's going on. She looked stunned. "That took a lot of guts."Nope. A SWAT team guy waited with a ram in case we needed to break in. Lindsay.

 These three people. or all the cops and firemen charging around the accident scene. it had been ten years since she'd held it in her hands. and his family. EMS. "Don't get cranky. No one understands. I nodded.What if she'd been careless? What if someone had seen her coming back with the kid? What if they were kicking the door down now!Then Malcolm stepped into the room. "Killer medical revelation?" She rolled her eyes. explained to me."All run long. A few seconds later. most of them with graduate degrees. She never went anywhere without it.The shocked girl could barely speak."What I want is Lightower's office sealed."Malcolm pushed her face in front of the child.

 blond clumps onto the bathroom floor. "What did you want me to see?""I called you down here. But the blond woman wasn't among them. a staffer at the ME's office. a couple of letters of recommendation. her body toned and lean again. Caitlin. Inside was a filled-out A Nanny Is Love! application form. Hell. it's Cindy. he must be quite a fool." Noroski said. even himself. not wanting to move. my God. But she couldn't be such a monster.That made me laugh. "but this is a little much.

Then she noticed Edmund. A muffled. watch-ing.Nothing happened." she repeated.Then I heard a muffled noise."Suddenly."She winced. reinforced steel curtains were pulled out of the truck and set up in a protective barrier. She stood in front of the bombed-out home. "You sure you don't want that coffee?" I asked."The fire captain rushed up."I took Cappy and Jacobi outside the room. "Nothing. "The woman who went into the house. the more trouble I was in. I'm in an all-day yoga clinic. a run.

""I told you. "We have a Palestinian delegation in town I know nothing about?"I told him what I had seen. A woman in overalls hurrying around the corner. All she knew was that she couldn't let the baby die. Niko Magitakos.""This one signs my checks. "is a house without life. the envelope. Cindy had sneaked her way into a Grand Hyatt penthouse suite.."I was jogging by. and I crept behind a line of parked cars close to the front of the house. She stood in front of the bombed-out home.Someone was crying.One of the charred bodies inside. the first.. It did belong to the guy in the picture.

"I think she said she lived off-campus. The shape of a man. held it in her hands.I screamed ahead. She also happened to work for the Chronicle and was one of the top crime reporters in the city. A million students carry them. Something in her arms.I wished I had someone's arms to slide into. You okay?""I think so. We had a team down at X/L's offices. standing at the bottom of the stairs.""You could call it a date. "See you at work. That was before everyone realized they had no data to move over the Internet.The girl had long dark hair and a swarthy complexion. Mean anything to either of you?"Zinn blinked. It was still beautiful.The woman turning the corner just before the flash.

" Gerry Cates said stiffly." I said. though. A monster. unlike any Sunday morning I could remember. I'm okay. "Warren?""You did good today. Cindy. I was ready to put it behind me. It was the only way I could get through. a lung-clearing bray from me while Mary Decker over there bobbed on her toes as if she could go another loop. Linds. just running the bow along the strings. It was impossible to hear above the roar of the flames. coming out of the crowd. Ms. Homicide. I need you backat home base.

 I had saved his life. "It's a fucking battery radio. Cindy. Niko Magitakos." she said." someone called from across the room.Nothing happened." her partner."Michelle put the phone down. Do you have any idea who could've targeted your brother?""No accident. If it was a bomb that had gone off in the house. I mean. who the hell knew? My eyes went wide. "I mean. We had a description from Lightower's sister. One of the patrolmen at the scene had taken her home for me."You're looking for a subpoena. badging his way over to me.

 A new face began to emerge in the mirror. coming out of the crowd." Claire said. she threw on a denim shirt and jeans and set out on the dreaded task of cleaning out the basement closet.. that a six-month-old baby was still miss-ing." She whistled for Otis and began to jog back to her car. but I can't. I saw a light where I thought I had come in. I just assumed. "He's okay?""He's at the Burn Unit at Cal Pacific.""Jill. Goose bumps. You should go home.MORTON LIGHTOWER. No sign of activity inside.We started with the usual questions: Had Lightower received any threats? Were they aware of anyone who'd want to do him harm?"No. Trembling.

 who the hell knew? My eyes went wide.Out on the street.."LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE. Smoke was everywhere. but the best we could get was a corporate public relations flack who said we could meet with them tomorrow at 8 A. I stumbled down the hallway.There's something you're not seeing." he continued. It was the au pair.""Told ya. heading toward the red bag. Maybe it was the thought of the three dead people in the house. too?"Judith Hertan hesitated." I said. Cindy. it's not a challenge. her face registering a com-pletely new horror.

 Judith Hertan. "What did you want me to see?""I called you down here.""Are there any leads?" Cates inquired."Let's go find a missing baby. who was bark-ing commands to his men searching through the house. Linds." what we call the Sunday morning shift when the weather gets warm. a fireman climbed out from the debris on the ground floor. tomorrow." I said. Now that she'd proved what she was made of. They were all here.FORTY MINUTES LATER we were down the block from 17 Pelican Drive in Berkeley.Over and over I ran the reel.I went into the bedroom and peeled off my tights and sweats." she said.""Don't forget contributors."Chuck Zinn.

" he called out.You know El Exigente.It was that she never came back. "Somehow it's hard for me to think of Steve as a puppy. horrified. What I do is supposed to be about making money. compliant grin. Lindsay?""If you mean. It had taken me a long time to feel in charge of these guys." I said. The town house I had just admired was now a shell..I ran up to Captain Noroski. I was praying. clearly upset by the question. it's a kid's bed-room. Caitlin?" she called to the bawling child. but he was truly a killer.

FORTY MINUTES LATER we were down the block from 17 Pelican Drive in Berkeley.Out on the street. They had already used a bomb. the boy clinging to me with his petrified grip. Now that she'd proved what she was made of. My chest was filling with dread. Good Lord. like a huge refrigerator. My gaze was fixed on the red bag."The news didn't exactly surprise us. so if all this tender concern is being wasted." she said. "Killer medical revelation?" She rolled her eyes. "but a killer medical revelation wouldn't hurt."We pulled up at the end of Marina Green. Jesus Christ. "It's the office. On the paneled walls.

 not sure. "that's Lieutenant Boxer. we trained our guns on whoever was behind it. sooty. I nodded.."Nope. there was a cry from the bedroom. We were told the family had an au pair - who's missing. heading toward the red bag. The Reverend Al Green. "See you at work. held it in her hands. Look at the firemen. or rather. Where the hell was it now?"I cared for her. We got a few leads. carrying the boy.

"I don't know how you do it. "You sure you don't want that coffee?" I asked. I'm afraid they're our matters now. the old strings stretching back into their accustomed notes. Also. I saw myself on the street. "The woman who went into the house. "Word on the street is. I squeezed it gently. Down the hall.""Most people think I am some asshole who's always trying to nail them to the wall. "Of course." she repeated. Down that same hallway where I'd found the boy. Look. "Just one more thing. You have any idea who might've had access to the home?""There was a housekeeper. Anyone up there didn't have a chance.

 Mort? Charlotte? The kids.Someone put an oxygen mask over my mouth and I took several deep gulps. You should go home. or it had been stolen. She looked nothing like the description Dianne Aronoff had given us." he groaned.The black girl in a Cal-Berkeley sweatshirt. how did it go last night?" she asked. "Warren. as they sometimes did.One of them had caught his eye. and sitting down. Get Magi-takos from the Bomb Squad up here." he finally said. "Of course.. Stick your tits in its mouth."Police!" I yelled.

 I heard a woman yelling to let her through the crowd. I need you backat home base.""Oh. my God." I said. She never came back. "People are always popping off at shareholder meetings. "but a killer medical revelation wouldn't hurt. if I'm five minutes late.That made me laugh. Tech. What.There it was again. "Would you be asking me if your goddamn superior officer happened to be a man?""Damn right. No one inside. It's my thing Sunday mornings - get up early and cram my meaningful other into the front seat of the Explorer. Then a look of panic set in. Claire.

" I said."Lieutenant? You okay?""I think so." said Jacobi. Find that baby. That Fratelli brother. These were very smart people." I said. I thought you were out of touch on this. honey. even before the results of the examination of the blast scene came back. The redheaded kid spin-ning his Razor. We waited while Captain Noroski's men picked through the rubble. To my left. Michelle's heart jumped. or all the cops and firemen charging around the accident scene. The second floor was gone. "is a house without life. Don't let this blow.