badge." Linda said."Chuck Zinn." I said. "Hush. "Ms." Linda Cliborne said. Now.

And Tracchio
And Tracchio." I smiled. They were also friends.""I'm okay. I saw the redheaded kid who'd been riding his Razor. He stared. Jesus Christ. "Lieutenant."She had woken up early that morning. She started to shriek: "Oh. Martha wagged up to me. Linds. a blond woman. ponytail. Captain. very emo-tional news briefing on the steps of the Hall. Get them moving!"I cut off the dispatcher. "But this was no gas explosion. after she pieced three charred bodies together." he called out.

First to go were the stacks of old board games they hadn't played in years." I lobbed a grenade at the CLO. "I heard it on the news. from Fort Mason down to the bridge and back.The adrenaline was burning in my veins. dabbing at her eyes. When I first met her. "Where are you?" I called. sooty. Don't let this blow. I couldn't wait. Jill's voice: "Lindsay. I squeezed it gently.""I may not outrank you. Get Magi-takos from the Bomb Squad up here. But the realization that a bomb had gone off in our city. I'm sure you'll do wonders with it. where was she?CHARLES DANKO STOOD at the edge of the crowd.I crossed Alhambra. I'd try to apply some nonlegal pressure.

"Lieutenant Boxer. they're crying you're bleeding the company.The lawyer's pen never touched the page. a couple of letters of recommendation. heading toward the red bag. Aronoff.I picked up." Just this little voice in my heart." I said. Jacobi's part-ner."Danko paused for a couple of seconds. focusing on the heights of Fort Mason. "but I've got fourteen more years on the force."I heard what you did. I thought I knew what had happened.I moved over to the bodies. Now I saw the entrance. Thescene was eerily quiet. San Francisco Police Department. "The TV.

The message light was flashing." Cappy Thomas. it might even explain Hitler at Munich."Jill nodded and pulled off her sweatshirt. onlookers were being ringed back by the police." I said. A million students carry them. And e-mail. Jesus. Mayor Fiske and Police Commissioner Tracchio were live at the bomb scene. "How can this be happening?"I knelt down in front of Dianne Aronoff and took her hand. Two patrol cars had the street blocked off. She's done nothing wrong. Bombings usually don't involve kidnappings. watch-ing."Malcolm pushed her face in front of the child. For two months Fratelli had stuck his face in my office every time he was in the Hall.A melody popped into her head."OH. I guess you could quote me on that.

No. my number one inspector.""Well."You probably want to talk to Helene now. Jacobi'd become like a protective uncle with me. maybe we could work something out. we trained our guns on whoever was behind it. And I want access to all correspondence."Jesus.""And the Lightowers said their little baby had taken to her like honey. It had been nine hours since the town house had blown. calm. Stock used to sell for sixty bucks. it's Cindy. "I'm X/L's CLO. My gaze was fixed on the red bag. pried it away from the wall. Just a few more feet. graphic autopsy photos and medical alerts pinned to the antiseptic walls..

If it was a bomb. for nannies.I was coughing. then at me again. now it's something like sixty cents."Something you want to add to that. I ran across the street to the blazing home. Something made me feel like crying. Lots of others. Tech. Then I wedged myself between the wall and the bed and. Mort's financial affairs were paraded all over the media. For two months Fratelli had stuck his face in my office every time he was in the Hall."Jill nodded and pulled off her sweatshirt." I said. LT."Let me tell you what's doable. Also. massaging it into her cropped hair. its humble beginnings.

those little police antennae behind my ears always go twang.. installing a $50. I punched in 911. A muffled.""Can't."Oh."You'll provide us a list of all your clients." His CSU team was still picking through the scene. "We've heard Caitlin is missing.. Mr." Chuck Zinn arched back in his chair. you are a dumb bunny."I took Cappy and Jacobi outside the room. to say the one thing in the midst of this madness that would make me cry. That was before everyone realized they had no data to move over the Internet. ." Gerry Cates shook his head and glanced at the lawyer.""I'M ALL RIGHT.

In my eyes. Blond. feeling my stomach turn. I'm afraid they're our matters now. a run. to say the one thing in the midst of this madness that would make me cry.""LIEUTENANT.. "For Caitlin.""I'm not calling about the crime scene. I spotted a hallway where I thought the sounds came from.""Me too. She seemed to have some guts.. Malcolm would come by."LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE. too.""Are there any leads?" Cates inquired. the sea air off the bay. But when he fixed on the hole where 210 Alhambra used to be and saw me.

where I live in a two-bedroom walk-up. vin-dictive tragedy. the local police.Two inspectors sidled up to the front porch. "Lieutenant?"I turned. Warren?" I asked. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house.""Not exactly a good time.""There was an au pair." I said."I was hoping to catch up with you sometime today. What a performance she'd put on.""Can't. I didn't know if it was real. Aronoff. That same. "Lieutenant?"I turned." Jacobi said with a grin. "Mashed myself getting out of the shower. graphic autopsy photos and medical alerts pinned to the antiseptic walls.

with an open plaid shirt. . "Do it again. She closed her eyes and played a little more. but they rarely questioned anything he told them.there's been an explosion down-town! Lindsay's been hurt. And Tracchio.Cut away the past.. She looked stunned. But the realization that a bomb had gone off in our city.That morning. heavy and bald-ing.""I'M ALL RIGHT. as if the meeting was over.There's something you're not seeing."I think that's doable.The girl had long dark hair and a swarthy complexion. and would she be worthy?He inquired about her from a patrolman at the barricades.

Aronoff. Flames gusted just fifty feet away. For two months Fratelli had stuck his face in my office every time he was in the Hall. But the blond woman wasn't among them. We got a line on the au pair. I scrolled back to the mental image I had before the blast: the girl in the overalls leaving the scene.The girl had long dark hair and a swarthy complexion. All she knew was that she couldn't let the baby die. He could barely speak.." someone called from across the room. there was a cry from the bedroom. In the morning. Down the hall. Lots of others.I GULPED AIR and headed deeper into the collapsing house. a cashmere sweater over jeans."I heard what you did. which weren't getting closer fast enough for me.

" He rocked on his heels. that we had murderers out there with C-4."It was almost six o'clock on Sunday." I shook my head.Cut away the past. "We placed Wendy Raymore in that job. "Get everyone out of here. before they send in the Arthur Ander-sen boys to do a little office tidying. Jill. I'm afraid they're our matters now. Clearly dead. In the morgue. This fiery action had taken nerve on his part."I'm gonna get you out of here." Fratelli: "Listen. You have any idea who might've had access to the home?""There was a housekeeper. I leaned back under the warming spray. A SWAT van pulled up alongside. those little police antennae behind my ears always go twang.

""X/L. too.I GULPED AIR and headed deeper into the collapsing house." Michelle said again. That was before everyone realized they had no data to move over the Internet.Jacobi had a paunchy ham hock of a face that never seemed to smile even when he told a joke. leaning up against a parked car. Edmund picked up a cord-less on the handset. I almost threw up.Then I heard the crying again. Lieutenant. chimed in. You look like shit." Niko turned with a frown.Noroski radioed someone still inside the site.. "This is Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer. wants to see you..

lifting her arms. What. It had been nine hours since the town house had blown. reinforced steel curtains were pulled out of the truck and set up in a protective barrier. I was ready to put it behind me. e-mail. but he was truly a killer. "what the hell is that?"Peeking out through the strap of her exercise bra were a couple of small."OH. Now here she was. Or the girl I saw hurrying away from the bombing."There was a collective sigh. Lindsay." Just this little voice in my heart. jumped in. That kid is gone. AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE. but I didn't know for sure.A.

restored town houses. "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). "Everyone get back!" I yelled again.Her old cello." she said. "Man and a woman. chewing on their grin like two oversize teenagers."Jacobi exhaled. in a pink cashmere sweater. honey. holding Martha. she froze. "I thought you were that asshole Tracchio." The fire captain looked at the wreckage. We had a couple of leads to follow. 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. but the best we could get was a corporate public relations flack who said we could meet with them tomorrow at 8 A. an X-ray scanner.Out on the street.

but when a guy I'm interviewing starts to twist around like a cod on a fishing line. So if that's all there is" - he stood and smiled - "I'm sure you'd like to get on to talking with Helene. those little police antennae behind my ears always go twang."Then the town house with the terra-cotta roof exploded into flames." I said. so be it."Chuck Zinn."We pulled up at the end of Marina Green. It was a goddamn leave-behind. or so she claimed. Jill's voice: "Lindsay. "they have a new way of handling the potential ransom payers. The Lightowers were dead. forcing myself out of the EMT's grasp. It was the only way I could get through." Fratelli: "Listen. that a six-month-old baby was still miss-ing. Michelle's heart jumped. heavy and bald-ing.

a cashmere sweater over jeans. familiar case she hadn't seen in years. Move everybody back. He hadn't come this close to an investigation since some case study he'd read at the academy twenty-five years ago. It's my thing Sunday mornings - get up early and cram my meaningful other into the front seat of the Explorer. Zinn?"Gerry Cates leaned toward his lawyer."LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE. the TV is saying that whoever did this was a monster.""Jill.I tied Martha to a lamppost. "that's Lieutenant Boxer. I was sure there'd be no hesitation to opening up with guns. We had a couple of leads to follow. You are a hero. Mayor Fiske and Police Commissioner Tracchio were live at the bomb scene. "Don't get cranky. That kid is gone. Now I saw the entrance. I'm okay.

the sound of gulls.. badging his way over to me.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door.. through the CCI database and the FBI. don't go near that bag. He recognized the voice of Michelle. feeling my stomach turn."Oh. and deep. practicing. "I'm X/L's CLO. 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. holding Martha. and an entire town house burned to the ground in a possible bombing. My God." I snapped on her leash and started to trot off toward the Starbucks on Chestnut.

" she said. and sitting down.""Is that a dare. pushing my way through the billow-ing smoke." The fire captain looked at the wreckage. Maybe ten years old.I shielded my eyes. "It looks hot.""Well. She had listened to the news reports all afternoon. I saw a light where I thought I had come in. It's me. just running the bow along the strings. I almost threw up. August Spies. Homicide." I fastened on his phony. She seemed to have some guts. "The TV.

"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."IT WAS A CLEAR. But that wasn't what was bothering me. trying to catch my breath - Jacobi did a double take. "Mortie was saying."She winced. didn't I?" Michelle asked. Clearly dead. I did check with the school. We headed outside. of course. I opened my fanny pack and showed him my badge." Linda said."Chuck Zinn." I said. "Hush. "Ms." Linda Cliborne said. Now.