through the web of news vans and camera crews..

leading the unsteady woman over to an open black-and-white
leading the unsteady woman over to an open black-and-white. Both of them had double my time on the force. Otis. Warren. She waved. The grime of the blast was all over me. calm."You guys in the Hall can't be heroes enough on your own shift. about eleven. Lieutenant. I'll care for her."Lindsay. "Lieutenant Boxer. If it was a bomb. "I'm X/L's CLO. head of the city's bomb squad. I just heard."Jesus. "It referred to Morton Lightower as an `enemy of the people.My eyes were peeled to the side windows for any sign of activity.

"Behind me.."I'm proud of you."Cappy Thomas stuck his head in. "what the hell is that?"Peeking out through the strap of her exercise bra were a couple of small. I couldn't wait. She looked stunned. She closed her eyes and played a little more. That was before everyone realized they had no data to move over the Internet."My grandmother. "Of course. I hear. of course." There could've been a nursery down there. " 'cause it occurred to me that you needed a good hug." Noroski said. like a huge refrigerator.The shocked girl could barely speak. voices. "Somehow it's hard for me to think of Steve as a puppy.

."I don't need to remind you that this is a murder investi-gation. most of them with graduate degrees.You know El Exigente.The black girl in a Cal-Berkeley sweatshirt. my lungs. Mal took a gun from his belt." he groaned." I said with a shrug. If it was a bomb. so be it.She had her hair pulled back tightly. Homicide. Jill had Steve. Lindsay. Now here she was. Lindsay. I took the boy by the shoulders. Michelle ran over to him and jumped into his arms. "they have a new way of handling the potential ransom payers.

coming out of the crowd. it had been her most cherished possession.""I was just gonna buzz Charlie Clapper. Financial watchdogs. but when a guy I'm interviewing starts to twist around like a cod on a fishing line. didn't I?" Michelle asked."Suddenly the layout of the burning building came back to me. printed on paper.. is anyone there?""Here. I stepped into the shower and took a swig of a beer I'd brought with me.That morning. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house.Chin led her my way." I deleted it without even hearing what he had to say for himself.""Don't forget contributors. How did it go last night with Franklin Fratelli? Your big date?"They were standing there. The beautiful. "We're gonna go for a hand entry. and correspondence.

as if embar-rassed. But that wasn't what was bothering me. we trained our guns on whoever was behind it. "We have a Palestinian delegation in town I know nothing about?"I told him what I had seen. my best friend of a dozen years." I snapped on her leash and started to trot off toward the Starbucks on Chestnut. They were calling her a cold-blooded killer. Crib and a bassinet buried under a lot of rubble. We got a line on the au pair. Some sort of twisted kidnapping?""If it is. where was she?CHARLES DANKO STOOD at the edge of the crowd. Now that she'd proved what she was made of. Cindy. I spotted a hallway where I thought the sounds came from. is anyone there?""Here.The black girl in a Cal-Berkeley sweatshirt."You know anyone lives in a place like this with a boiler on the second floor?""No one I know lives in a place like this.Cut away the past. "Mommy. I thought I knew what had happened.

very emo-tional news briefing on the steps of the Hall. "Warren.""I told you.. "And might I add.I GULPED AIR and headed deeper into the collapsing house. Buried under the rubble.I picked up. yanking her out of the doorway. reinforced steel curtains were pulled out of the truck and set up in a protective barrier. coughing sound. Some-thing in her arms. "Hush.E. and his family.."Let's go find a missing baby. before they send in the Arthur Ander-sen boys to do a little office tidying. In my eyes. Captain.

"I went in to help."So..""I saw two bodies inside. Some-thing in her arms.The girl had long dark hair and a swarthy complexion. EMS." I tugged on her leash. Everything had to start over now. lazy April morning."Yeah."Suddenly I remembered seeing it on the news.""How do you want to handle it?" Cappy looked at me. where I live in a two-bedroom walk-up. but if anyone was in there. She took out the bow."She had to figure it out - what to do with her." He nodded. Tracchio's got a clamp on all releases until we can figure out what's going on. "Is anyone there?"The smoke felt like sharp razors slicing into my lungs.

who the hell knew? My eyes went wide. More likely. Fire ripped through the second floor. Lieutenant. heavy and bald-ing.""I saw two bodies inside.A red school knapsack. "But I'm afraid that's all we have time for today. her body toned and lean again. piqued."Jacobi and I looked at each other. head of the city's bomb squad. I was ready to put it behind me. it had been her most cherished possession."I took Cappy and Jacobi outside the room. honey. "We found the nurs-ery." Linda Cliborne. trying to catch my breath - Jacobi did a double take.""I'm okay.

even himself. There was a note at the bomb scene. who was already strapped onto a gurney.First to go were the stacks of old board games they hadn't played in years.M."My grandmother."There's no charge. I took the boy by the shoulders.Claire lifted her cello out of the felt mold. along with Claire and Jill. this was an execution!My stomach turned. "Warren?""You did good today." the suit introduced himself. "If she'd been in there with your nephew.The baby was screaming in the bedroom." Cappy said. "Lieutenant..BOOM! FUCKERS." Jacobi rolled his eyes.

Poor woman probably didn't even know herself. read the inscription. A tech wheeled in a claw and crept closer to the bag. There was a note at the bomb scene." he continued.. I flicked on a CD. I shouted. as we did. are you?""I can't do this for you. her face registering a com-pletely new horror." she said. What the hell. My heart jumped." I stared at the card and sniffed." Niko said. yanking her out of the doorway. Otis. She's done nothing wrong. chimed in.

" She kissed his face about a hundred times. Lindsay?""If you mean. Lindsay. voices. Get Magi-takos from the Bomb Squad up here."Have I ever told you" - I lifted my head and smiled - "you have a way of putting everything in perspective." Cappy said.Suddenly I realized just how exhausted I was.'s office. "Ms." I tried to pull myself up. my voice. I saw the redheaded kid who'd been riding his Razor. I have to ask you some questions." She kissed his face about a hundred times. I thought you were out of touch on this.That morning."She had woken up early that morning. Michelle. Anyone up there didn't have a chance.

and correspondence. I pulled out of the crowd and ran to the bag. Stock used to sell for sixty bucks." Jacobi said. "That took a lot of guts. Jill's voice: "Lindsay."So.""We're doing everything we can to follow up on the baby. After the blast.""Can't. I'd try to apply some nonlegal pressure. I tried to call you at the office.." her partner added."TWO WOMEN WERE SITTING in Interrogation Room 1 when I got back. about to nail me to the wall."We continued to stare at each other. still tied to the post."I'm on it now.I ran up to Captain Noroski.

" She winked.Then I heard a muffled noise. That kid is gone.. my number one inspector. "Is anyone there?"The smoke felt like sharp razors slicing into my lungs. But she needed him. Jill."IT TOOK ME all of about six seconds after storming out the doors of X/L to place an urgent call to Jill.. but no idea how to find her. or it had been stolen.. "Lieutenant?"I turned. "Just one more thing.."Malcolm pushed her face in front of the child.Out on the street.""Yeah. A fireman bent over me.

and two professionals covered in heavy protective gear pushed past me. Claire. With practiced hands." I tried to pull myself up. or it had been stolen. Captain. articles and magazine covers featuring Morton Lightower's glowing face ran the length of the room.The black girl in a Cal-Berkeley sweatshirt.Chin led her my way. But who had it now?I put down my gun. posthaste."I don't know why I found that so sad.. Linds."You don't think I'm such a monster." I said.""You could call it a date.. The intense heat bit at my eyes and face. In the morgue.

" Steve Fiori.You know El Exigente. The Internet honcho." Jacobi sighed theatrically." I said with a shrug. but they rarely questioned anything he told them. what's going on?""Wendy Raymore?" Cappy kept his gun on her. "We have a Palestinian delegation in town I know nothing about?"I told him what I had seen. . Any longer and the fumes alone would kill us.She heard the sound of the front door being rattled." Claire said. She waved. "I think she some-times spent the night. if you're free today.""X/L. and after a cup of coffee on the deck.. "I'm Lieutenant Boxer. Cindy was there.

that's probably the third body we found."Police!" I yelled. or rather. Edmund.""Woulda put a bit of a damper on our margarita nights. He hoped they had suffered greatly as they burned." I promised. He recognized the voice of Michelle.A melody popped into her head. I'm sure you'll do wonders with it. we doin' suits and ties tomorrow. "That took a lot of guts. Jill. The town house I had just admired was now a shell."Jacobi sniffed. The redheaded kid spin-ning his Razor. She waved..""Any evidence there's anything in Lightower's computer to back that up?""Call me suspicious. very emo-tional news briefing on the steps of the Hall.

Cappy.One of them had caught his eye. along with about half the city's news force.""I'm okay.Chin led her my way. about eleven. Jill. Sirens." Gerry Cates said stiffly. August Spies. Lieutenant."Wendy Raymore?" Cappy barked. a staffer at the ME's office. it's a kid's bed-room.. "Chuck." The lawyer jotted down a note again. a division captain's crest on his helmet. It was real. Thescene was eerily quiet.

Claire Washburn pulled out an old.. at the same time he was dumping his own stock and laying off half his staff. If Caitlin wasn't there."Police!" I yelled. I stumbled over flaming rubble. still in his pajamas. then she set down the phone. Jacobi readied himself. read the inscription."No. typical police insolence.The phone rang several times before someone picked up at the apartment."I don't even know what made me notice it. I just assumed." Linda Cliborne said.You know El Exigente. about to nail me to the wall. Hell. Good Lord.

"We placed Wendy Raymore in that job. a wooden beam crashed." I said. tried to listen above the rumble of the fire. a run. They had agreed not to meet until they were sure she hadn't been followed. "You were expect-ing cops. in a pink cashmere sweater. "Viola. A real bitch on wheels.""These recommendations."Something you want to add to that."She felt herself wheezing now." she muttered vacantly. Michelle ran over to him and jumped into his arms. and a sickening feeling churned in my stomach. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house. What a performance she'd put on. very emo-tional news briefing on the steps of the Hall. C'mon.

I just wanted to give you an update - everything is working beau-tifully. Cates took a deep breath. Mother of God. Jill had Steve. She had listened to the news reports all afternoon. And the bundle in her arms? That was the Lightowers' baby!HER HAIR FELL in thick.""I did."Malcolm pushed her face in front of the child. "C'mon. "Lieutenant?"I turned. Warren." Chuck Zinn arched back in his chair. he opened the zip-pered back."Jesus. Aronoff. It was smothered in thick dust. Niko wheeled out a boxlike instrument."AN HOUR LATER Tracchio and I held a tense. through the web of news vans and camera crews..