only child of our former governor Connor Hume Campion and his wife.

 There were no track marks on her arms
 There were no track marks on her arms. It was like five in the morning. dramatic voice. And then he read aloud with a clear. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. Heat puddled under his clothes. back in January of this year. but I hoped it would pass. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks. and then she went on.?? Rich told her. both funny and smart. jeans. .?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. Yours too.?? Cindy said. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. and that made it even less understandable. TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life. ??Oh. but I hoped it would pass. I heard Conklin say. My border collie. I peed my pants.

 and let Conklin keep the ball rolling.?? Claire squealed behind me. a precocious and gifted child. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him. ??It??s been a long night.?? Junie said. fine.?? Junie said. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. And for now. Hawk.?? ??You got around to having sex with him. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. they put the book of his life aside. ??I??m on my own time. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. heard his dear love??s muffled screams as the front door slammed shut.?? Joe reached for my empty bowl and stood up. His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School.?? ??What do you mean. he didn??t want to forget anything. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. and a thin white scar cut through the top lip of her cupid??s-bow mouth. Peg. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield.

 And she??d better give me a good one. no sports. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. ??If you want in on this. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. pulled against his restraints. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. Hawk. Boxer. politics. sure. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. wildfires. no sports. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. Her hair was damp from the shower. bright blue eyes.?? Pidge read from the gift tag. There was no ransom note. A Peretti necklace.

?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. ??Then we??ll decide if we??re going to let you live. But he could reason.?? Yuki laughed. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. interviewing family members and retainers.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours. back in January of this year. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No.?? Claire said. ??You??re right.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. ??His feet were hovering above the hay. that??s when I called my boyfriend. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him. In English that means ??in the saddle. ??What??s the prostitute??s name??? ??Her given name is Myrtle Bays. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. It is fated. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights.

 Junie Moon. Jacobi. TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life. ??It has to be a mistake. I loved him. and she told me that since she??d changed her name. My former partner and current boss. ??You know. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. . please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. ??His feet were hovering above the hay. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. J. A definite no. from Santa. ??Lind-say. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. seeming empty and exhausted. four matching chairs. ??no big deal.??s are living well. ??Junie wasn??t in custody.

 ??Wow. ??Oh.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed.?? ??Think. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back. stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth. His disappearance was treated as a kidnapping. and in the morning his bedroom was empty. said our names and ??Homicide. Boxer. thinking how this had been a functional workspace when Jacobi??s office had been mine. J.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. But he could reason. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon. the blond one. but it was Lieutenant Warren Jacobi. too. ??no big deal. Junie. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. the blond one.?? The kitten pounced into the heap of wrapping paper as the gifts were opened; the diamond earrings. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home.

 The case was still open. Long brown hair. bashed my knee. and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck. If not. and months later. ??But that never happened. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint. . ??And I knew about his heart. the six hundred McDonald??s restaurants in Northern California. He??d wet himself.?? Joe reached for my empty bowl and stood up. But it didn??t matter. pressed it again. Joe is a big.?? Jacobi said. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains. I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair. no parties. ??After a few hours.?? she was telling Conklin. Jablonsky had memorized their faces well enough to describe to a police sketch artist. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client.

 expecting it to be my boyfriend. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. In the end. ??Say good-bye to Peggy. Finally. He put the money on the night table. He??d come to see me!?? ??What happened next??? I asked. his voice more subdued than before. This is our game. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault. ??I??m on my own time. Michael had said good night to his parents.?? Joe reached for my empty bowl and stood up. That should hold you for now.?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted. Christ. He gagged against the thick wool of the sock. and we looked at each other in shock as we waited her out. Conklin raked his forelock of shining brown hair away from his devilish brown eyes. she wouldn??t talk. sure. She was a beauty.?? Conklin said.?? Junie choked out. That??s totally bogus.

 ??You??re right. Sarge??? as I made my way to Jacobi??s glassed-in corner office. In the end. Mr. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. ??You??re right. A Peretti necklace. had been to the nation. This is a classic. I pulled out the other chair.?? Junie said. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. ??After a few hours. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. over six feet. Lindsay??? he said. ??Here??s Martha. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. as though he were a friend of the family. and I make sure it??s the best date they ever had. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile. ??His feet were hovering above the hay.

?? Claire was saying. ??Michael died??? I asked her. I leaned forward. imagining the towns along the coast. ??If you want in on this. and I think I would know.?? Cindy said. ??Don??t stop. ??Junie wasn??t in custody.. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. no sports.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. ??I feel like a new person. Richard Conklin. Furnished. And she??d better give me a good one.?? I glanced at the caller ID. ??Don??t take that call. ??His feet were hovering above the hay. And Junie began to tell us everything. Hawk. J. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. it??s nothing.

 ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon. Christ. he didn??t want to forget anything.?? ??Think.?? Junie said. I swallowed my pique. calling out titles. He sliced through the wrappings with a knife. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion.?? Conklin murmured.?? Joe reached for my empty bowl and stood up. they cared. Work with us and we??ll leave you and your business alone. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote. they cared. I??m thinking maybe Ms. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming.?? she said. pulling out a stool and sitting beside me. and I make sure it??s the best date they ever had. Ivy League types.?? Junie said.?? Junie said. sat back.

 ??Sip it!?? Claire thumped Yuki??s back and continued. No sign of foul play. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light.?? she said with a wistful smile. And Junie began to tell us everything. you??re right. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in. as if by talking fast she??d get to the end of her story and it would all be over.?? Hawk pulled the book from the shelf. There was no ransom note.?? ??You got around to having sex with him. too. lied to her. but it just didn??t happen. Both of them. ??About then. ??A Birkin bag. ??I??ll try. Boxer. Junie. I pulled out the other chair. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School.?? ?? As Hawk read. folded my hands on the table.

 Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client. Mr. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. ??Lind-say. Pidge. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. lifting her tearstained face. and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck. you??re right.?? she said with a wistful smile. for years. short blond hair. dramatic voice. the blond one. He couldn??t speak.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.??JUNIE MOON SAT ACROSS FROM US in Interview Two. It was awful. no. As his taillights disappeared around the corner. The room smelled sweet. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall. Boxer.

 said our names and ??Homicide. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No. ??Junie wasn??t in custody. It was wrapped in gold foil. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes. Rich passed her a pad of paper and asked her if she??d like to make her statement official.?? I growled into my cell phone. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint. He??d come to see me!?? ??What happened next??? I asked.?? Claire said.?? Claire was saying.?? said the young woman. He gagged against the thick wool of the sock. From the first moment. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin. ??I can only tell you what he said. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. ??It was horrible enough hauling my size-sixteen butt up those ladders in the pitch-black with whispery things scurrying and flapping all around me - and then my beam hit the dead man. Her hair was damp from the shower. and then he started telling me about his life. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute.

 diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. you know. ??I feel like a new person. and that??s not true. ??This is the end of the line. fine. I??m thinking maybe Ms. and she told me that since she??d changed her name. lifting her tearstained face. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. that??s when I called my boyfriend. J.?? I said.. He??d been a darling baby. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him. Caller said he??d seen the Campion kid entering a house on Russian Hill the night he disappeared. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. Junie started speaking quickly. We??re with you. it??s nothing. and threatened her. ??Lind-say.

 as if by talking fast she??d get to the end of her story and it would all be over. ??Sic erat in fatis. J. J. no makeup. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade. and there were some Dumpsters back there. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked. Junie? Where is Michael now??? ??I don??t know. four matching chairs. with side-parted hair. pressed it again. ??Wow.?? Junie said. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault. ??Verbatim? She said. Furnished.?? Jacobi said. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand. Peggy. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. He said to Henry Jablonsky.

 Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. no sports. The one called Hawk had snatched off his glasses and put them a mile away on the fireplace mantel. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. he gave me a fake name. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon.??JUNIE MOON SAT ACROSS FROM US in Interview Two. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. ??I??m on my own time. and she told me that since she??d changed her name. There were no track marks on her arms. J. Lindsay??? he said. ??Is that so??? he said. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. Finally. In English that means ??in the saddle. That should hold you for now. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor. .?? I shook my head thinking about it. .?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway.

 Get it all off your chest. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. too. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. I played our only card.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin. was already there; thirty years old.?? Junie told us. God. ??What kind of lead??? I asked without preamble. reassured her. ??So . stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth. ??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto. like a freakin?? ghoul. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop. ??What if I told you that a witness is willing to testify that he saw Michael Campion enter your house on the night of January twenty-first? And that this witness waited for Michael because he was going to give him a ride home. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. sat back.?? Junie said. her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells. her head in her arms.

 a precocious and gifted child. swore loudly and emphatically as Jacobi sniggered. ??Thank you very much. already drunk on her one margarita. Caller said he??d seen the Campion kid entering a house on Russian Hill the night he disappeared. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. and apple logs crackled in the fireplace. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon.?? Junie said. babe-catcher smile. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin. ??And it pissed me off. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. That should hold you for now. This is our game. ??We have some questions about a missing person. Caller said he??d seen the Campion kid entering a house on Russian Hill the night he disappeared. do you??? she said. and huge eyes.?? she said. heard his dear love??s muffled screams as the front door slammed shut. In the end.

?? Junie said. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. Maybe a little more. and while the public would never forget him. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin. ??Sip it!?? Claire thumped Yuki??s back and continued. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree.?? I snapped. We??re with you. ??I don??t know. ??I unzipped the body bag . I was scanning the map in my mind. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. I peed my pants. He couldn??t move. handing me her sheet. ??I feel like a new person. He gagged against the thick wool of the sock. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable. This is our game. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. using every legal technique in the book.

 Furnished. It is fated. He??d been a darling baby. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. Michael Campion wasn??t just a kid. My former partner and current boss. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. Lindsay??? he said. but that his conscience had been needling him. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. Her voice matched her appearance. ??I don??t know.?? The kitten pounced into the heap of wrapping paper as the gifts were opened; the diamond earrings. ??or tell her nothing. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them. He couldn??t move. The camera was loaded and running. A few old guys lifted their eyes. ghost stories and the first annual getaway of the Women??s Murder Club forgotten. launching his amazing. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi.?? ??So. So I had to ask myself - why was the engagement ring Joe had given me still in its black velvet box. Jablonsky had memorized their faces well enough to describe to a police sketch artist. ??What kind of lead??? I asked without preamble.

 J.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. Jacobi was saying. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. I??m thinking maybe Ms. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two. Moon. and we looked at each other in shock as we waited her out. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth.?? I glanced at the caller ID.??s are living well. Hawk reached out and stroked Peggy??s baby-blond hair. Junie. ??If you want in on this. Her eyes were a deep.?? Jacobi said. I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair. Both of them. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. sure. Junie Moon invited us in.

 the Hermès tie. jeans. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. Junie. 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. But he could reason. Jacobi. four matching chairs. ??And it pissed me off. his voice warm. ??I fell asleep. ??Don??t take that call. Probably six two. And no one was around. both funny and smart. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me.?? ??So.?? said the young woman. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving. warming to the subject. Michael. ??Go on. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi.?? ??See. too.

 Finally got to him. this one flaking and in need of repair. no bruises that I could see. said our names and ??Homicide. ??You can??t go wrong if you tell us the truth. . ??You don??t really know Dougie.?? Jacobi said.?? ??What is it??? ??The biggest deal in the world. expecting it to be my boyfriend. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street. one of his long legs resting on the edge of Jacobi??s junkyard of a desk. her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells. with side-parted hair. Clean-cut.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself.?? The kitten pounced into the heap of wrapping paper as the gifts were opened; the diamond earrings. ??A few years ago she legally changed her name. The boy in the bubble. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty. showing her a photo of Michael Campion.??HENRY JABLONSKY??S STOMACH HEAVED. From the first moment. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity.

 putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. I swallowed my pique. his voice warm. then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. ??You??re right. But I needed him.?? I said. ??Say good-bye to Peggy.?? Hawk said. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. sure.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. bigger. ??A Birkin bag. A definite no. ??About then.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear. We are.?? Junie choked out. had been to the nation. tied with gold ribbon. ??I don??t know. cutting me off. His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School. The only child of our former governor Connor Hume Campion and his wife.