extremely strong. I stood there for a long time.

Just like that
Just like that.The following morning I dropped the kids at summer school on my way to the airport. ??You forgot that you used to walk barefoot.??That??s why we let you embarrass us to death in front of our school and all our friends.I arrived at Betseys house in Woodbridge. do you believe this shit!?? Sampson yelled and pounded the wall of the van.The cell phone rang again before I got to the car.??Another loud growl - and this time it was really close. I could still see her face. They??re usually good to be around. Sometimes he just cursed at me for several minutes; this morning. Patricia Cameron.How could this have happened? What did it mean? I saw Betsey??s small body sprawled on the hardwood floor and I went cold. Then I spotted the tell-tale holster under her jacket. to say the least.Less than fifty minutes later. ??You forgot that you used to walk barefoot. We??ve got a wire tap and should be able to trace the call immediately. in fact.They had been killing together for five years. almost perfect. She??s almost a hundred years old. It??s going around. some animals are homodents. My mistake. ??C??mon! Let??s go.?? Jamilla said.

 I tried to listen to both conversations. not the middle of Montana. right. ??What??s the saying -??catch a tiger. ??We??ll see about that. though. or ethics.The second one brutally murdered in two years. The irony stung.I didn??t see anyone waiting. So why are you still playing the dating game??? I understood exactly what Elizabeth meant. Where the hell was the Mastermind calling from???I think we have a fix on him. Birds took flight from a nearby cypress oak.??Don??t get used to it. probably six-two. They had instructed the boys that the outside world was not only dangerous but wrong. bouncing like a wet ball.??No.?? /! also like children. but ever since I became liaison between the Bureau and the DC police. Let??s move it. Alex. How??s that for showing you the sights of San Francisco???I shook my head and grinned. but then.7 she said.??Stop! Stop! Stop!??Amazingly the tiger stopped.They were invincible.

I knew instantly that the murder had happened in there. forty?????Forty-two. do you believe this shit!?? Sampson yelled and pounded the wall of the van. I jumped. I think they found Dr Pang just a little strange. FBI headquarters.Less than fifty minutes later. the signal is roaming again. Kyle went on to tell me more than I wanted to hear about the similarities connecting the awful murders in San Francisco to the one I had investigated in DC.??I??m not exactly sure where to start. you??ve got to make them last. ??How about I kill your grandmother and your three kids tonight? I know where they are. Get real. I wanted to turn away. and she was still in great shape.I made my own notes based on hers: it was my kind of shorthand and I used it on every case I worked.??Damon and Jannie chorused. ??Ecstasy.??No. but not overly so. You have all those big.??All right. This is not true of large cats. The teeth of tigers have been adapted for their feeding habits. I??m a decent plumber. I haven??t seen anything remotely like it. to say the least.

 I hated taking his calls. worse than anything else. Blazing red eyes stared down at her. but for now it was a gorgeous sight. Patricia Cameron? There have been two murders in San Francisco that match up. He attacked the tiger??s vulnerable creamy-white underside. Nice smile. I didn??t see them anywhere in the bedroom. I could see that Sandy had been crying.??Jamilla Hughes smiled again. They would help.?? the FBI techie complained. and all that blood. She??d been a cross-country star at Pepperdine University. ??How about I kill your grandmother and your three kids tonight? I know where they are. Detective?You should/said the Mastermind. or any of the other bullshit inhibitions taught in the civilized world. She was wearing jeans. she managed to pull herself up. doing sixty or seventy on the city streets. Then everyone inside the van groaned and cursed. the J. too.Her boyfriend for the past year didn??t answer.Actually. Okay. Also cut with sharp object.

 He was laughing maniacally. Soon he would have no false morals. imitating Nana??s wicked cackle. Dr fang. my educated guess. I haven??t seen anything remotely like it. however. I don??t remember who. I think. I shook my head in disgust. Male actually died from bites!!! Female bitten - but not as severely. I thought so. The police.The cell phone rang again before I got to the car. ??There aren??t any cats in this park??? Davis asked. they take a lot. ??You didn??t have to do this. but not overly so. She had been hung by her feet from a hotel room lighting fixture. and I was pretty sure that Elizabeth would agree. and I??m always videotaping them. If that didn??t happen.The cat pounced quickly.??I will be home for Damon??s concert on Saturday. ??C??mon. and Dr Rang continued. As William stared off at the foothills.

 She had been hung by her feet from a hotel room lighting fixture. I??m having dinner with an attractive. She loves to cook. I heard a machine-filtered voice and it cut right through me. So was Michael. Jamilla Hughes and I were inside the morgue at San Francisco??s famed Hall of Justice. and right as he was pouring a steaming cup of coffee for Elizabeth. Cross my heart.?? the Mastermind said. its lithe. Moisture jumped off her close-cropped reddish-brown hair. as long as it was consensual. seeming to paint the lawn and front porch with bright. Alex. I could still see her face. I looked around for Inspector Jamilla Hughes. So I took an extra few while I could get them. which released his head.??Well. and that was very fast. high-pitched and musical. They were catching up to her. Elizabeth put her hand lightly on top of mine. They were suspected of much more serious crimes. Called petechiae by the ME.?? I answered. Also.

 where or how I got up the nerve. So did I.?? she said. and many others in the commune. relaxed cadence. Alex. but the lawyer has to give him his soul and the soul of everybody in hisfamily. I heard a machine-filtered voice and it cut right through me. but at least it stopped her fall.??Actually. Maybe he??s on a cell phone in a car. The man screamed. He??d used a knife.?? one of them whispered against Martha??s ear. The sound was almost unearthly. We??ve got a wire tap and should be able to trace the call immediately. Okay. Hey! Hey! Hey!?? She waved her good arm and shouted at the top of her voice.?? the FBI techie complained. Could be semen.I forced myself to walk down a long hallway that led from the living room to the back of the house.?? It??s much worse. The canines are used to tear food. and then they take a little more. I wanted to yell at him.As I stood in the bedroom. but my insides were already tied up in knots.

 and gave Dr Pang a pat on the back.????Yeah. Gaining ground fast. threatening phone calls to me every morning for over a week.??The kids laughed and so did I. Detective.William was twenty.I arrived at Betseys house in Woodbridge. Okay.Suddenly the FBI van stopped; it was chaos inside.????You missed quite a few already. He didn??t even bother to say hello. one of their favorite things in San Francisco. and that sweet face. however. ??In contrast to humans. and I??m relatively sure the attacker was. Shestumbled over a pointy rock and cartwheeled down a steep hill. Her grip was strong. but at least it stopped her fall. Detective.?? Inspector Hughes said.??! promised.?? Kyle laughed.??Walter Lee nodded. They were incredibly strong. We??re picking up different locations.

 Both of them were. You don??t sound too good. I??m off duty tonight. You don??t sound too good. The van was really clipping along. She was a little afraid now. I didn??t see them anywhere in the bedroom. ??You forgot that you used to walk barefoot. and that sweet face.??Stop! Stop! Stop!??Amazingly the tiger stopped. grabbing onto flesh with his teeth. I could still see her face. showing off some of the whitest teeth she had ever seen. She was probably in her mid-thirties. another Class IV. We??re real close. I can cook if I have to. But Davis had been attacked by something vicious. Then he hung up on me.??said Martha Wiatt. I don??t necessarily disagree. Patricia Cameron had died of blood loss. She did triathlons for fun.When he was finished. I just couldn??t leave her like this. right? Listen to this one. You can??t get away from me.

????Such as?????Such as picking a great spot for dinner. ??What??s happening now??? I asked the agent in charge. She was a friend of Betsey??s. now it??s back in the city. Birds took flight from a nearby cypress oak. It??s you I want. said that??American children suffer too much mother and too little father.??I have a big concert on Saturday.??My boyfriend is hurt. Alex. important cases notched on your belt.So why did somebody need all that blood?I was still thinking about the strange. and that was probably good. that settled any future debate about who was in better shape.?? he grunted.??Big Dawg??was a pet expression they used for everything over-sized - from jet-liners. I hated taking his calls.??Got you. she was pretty sure she??d broken her right arm. ??Alex Cross. I saw the Washington Convention Center on the right. it??s exactly what I came out here to see. won??t we. ??That was the old me. Ever. and obviously serious about the job he had taken on. I noted that a businessman near the gate was reading The Examiner.

 didn??t you?You think he can stop me? John Sampson doesn??t have a chance against me. incredibly graceful and athletic. which serve different functions.??William Alexander stood off in the distance. I haven??t seen anything remotely like it. Davis. I called Sampson in Washington and he picked up on the second ring. to very large canines.??said Martha Wiatt. c??mon. Her chin struck the pavement. Alex?You seem a little distracted. So I took an extra few while I could get them. butchered Betsey??s. trying to figure out something coherent about Betsey??s murder. but he was grinning. we??d better hurry. He was already six feet three and a hundred-eighty-five pounds. He??s a good friend of the medical examiner. You can??t get away from me. ??Okay. ??You can relax.The young blond male didn??t even try to resist. it was a tiger.??Well. Inspector Hughes?? preliminary crime-scene notes were precise and detailed. ??I was just thinking about the murder in DC/I told her.

 ??This ;s your last ride to school. Then she thought she heard footsteps. The similarities to the California murders were too striking to ignore. and wished she hadn??t. athletic-looking butt.??! said. water buffalo.?? Our waiter returned. The beauty and the solitude. male tiger was making a chuffing sound. Enjoying our little breakfast club.?? I said.??Oh. but I didn??t have any trouble rinding it. MarthaV Davis shouted. ??Let??s leave it.??Stop! I need help!?? The white van sped straight for her. She had lost nearly seventy percent of her blood supply. I??m ready to talk about the nature of the bites now.?? ??Well.I took a deep breath and walked inside. ??He??s living up to his name. I looked around for Inspector Jamilla Hughes. imitating Nana??s wicked cackle. A runner and a large dog???Let??s get out of these woods. very nice. mmm.

 Her grip was strong. or so she says. What had happened to him? She had to get help. trying to steady the receiver against my chin and ear. Then everyone inside the van groaned and cursed. Each jaw contains six pointed cutting teeth; two very sharp. I??m not exactly sure when. How??s that for showing you the sights of San Francisco???I shook my head and grinned. Where the hell was the Mastermind calling from???I think we have a fix on him. or ethics. and gave Dr Pang a pat on the back.??I spoke in a low voice. The casts should be ready in a day or two. We were having dinner at Marcel??s in Foggy Bottom.??Jamilla Hughes smiled again. I only thought that it did. She was probably in her mid-thirties. I had my marching orders and I planned to keep my promises from now on. male tiger was making a chuffing sound. and a really big and painful one. Has to be. He worked behind a desk.??because that??s what you are.??Damon and Jannie chorused. I used to walk five miles through tobacco fields to school. too.??Are you sure? That doesn??t seem possible.

?? I said before I let them go off to school. You??re next. ??You didn??t have to do this. Casanova. Where the hell was the Mastermind calling from???I think we have a fix on him. the freedom to do anything he wanted to do.I took a deep breath and walked inside. Rumor had it that she was an attractive black woman.Martha kicked up her pace a notch.??I love you two. she??s much. She smiled ruefully and shook her head. Alex. though God knows. This is getting a little spooky. too. She had been hung by her feet from a hotel room lighting fixture. massive drug-takers.????That??s excellent.????Yeah.Suddenly the FBI van stopped; it was chaos inside. you know. Dr Cross.??! promised. My mistake. Having some fun at your expense. She straddled the double center lines and felt like a total madwoman.

 Daddy. then her neck. She was wearing jeans. I had a version of the same question.??My boyfriend is hurt. The master bedroom was situated at the end of the hall. and then they take a little more. She was probably in her mid-thirties. to very large canines. and that was probably good.??The bastard had been making obscene. He had already studied photographs of the bite areas which had been taken at the crime scene. ??Let??s leave it.When he was finished. staring into the distance at the rich. The lawyer stares at the devil and asks. Davis.??Damon reminded me. ??C??mon! Let??s go. Martha rationalized that she had to get help. I was planning to catch him. They were like sharpened knives. high-pitched and musical.It was him again.?? ??Alien. do the dishes. Also cut with sharp object.

 There were lots of humans. Elizabeth put her hand lightly on top of mine. John Sampson. You can add that to the file on my so-called reputation. Female lost over 40% of her blood. Alex?You seem a little distracted.??Your crime-scene notes brought it all back to me. I haven??t seen anything remotely like it. I??m on my way back to Washington right now. At poor.Because he??s the Mastermind. please stop. and the dental expert. but most of all gut-wrenching. Alex?You seem a little distracted. I can cook if I have to. ??Everything okay there??? I gasped. you??re impressive.I didn??t see anyone waiting. incomparable. The FBI and EMS were already there. Oh Jesus. good.Immortal. eerily quiet. Of course. so I began to look for signs directing me to public transportation.

 We had him. I was definitely the first one to blink. Hey! Hey! Hey!?? She waved her good arm and shouted at the top of her voice.??Jamilla. Then he pounced. TWO MURDERED.????That sounds like cheap-shot female chauvinism to me. I don??t remember who.????You missed quite a few already. You solved Jack and Jill.I arrived at Betseys house in Woodbridge. I wanted to turn away. Her chin struck the pavement. She was wearing jeans. Martha had known that all along.?? Martha said in a steady. ??This is terrific of you to help. Helen Folasade Adu - Sade - was singing softly on the CD. The beauty and the solitude.Her boyfriend for the past year didn??t answer. ??He??s a veterinary dental expert from the Animal Medical Center in Berkeley. Also.Her boyfriend for the past year didn??t answer. I caught Jamilla??s eye. What had happened to him? She had to get help. ??I was just thinking about the murder in DC/I told her.??The Big Dawg!?? she kidded Davis as they jogged up a steep hill that held a stellar view of the stunning suspension bridge connecting San Francisco to Marin County.

 Day by day he left behind the shabby baggage of his past life. The van said ??Red Cross?? on its hood.Just like that. I wouldn??t miss your concert.?? I ended the call with Sampson and sprinted full out toward my old Porsche. I didn??t want to answer. Maybe he??s on a cell phone in a car. humans are heterodonts; that is. do you remember a case you and I worked about fourteen months ago? A runaway girl was found hung from a lighting fixture in her hotel room. able to clamp down hard enough to crush bone. He??d used a knife. He was getting closer to the truth.The cat pounced quickly. We??re real close. the J. Casanova. I heard a machine-filtered voice and it cut right through me. important cases notched on your belt. that beautiful bridge.??I love this run. But you won??t be fast enough.??That??s why we let you embarrass us to death in front of our school and all our friends.The second one brutally murdered in two years. he marveled at the concept of the unbridled mind. too.????I can already taste a dos Equis. I can cook if I have to.

??the Mastermind said.She heard screams behind her and looked back - but she couldn??t see Davis anymore.Another one of my partners was dead. Most important would be our canines. Alex. as long as it was consensual.??Everything??s fine. deer.United States Army Lieutenant Martha Wiatt and her boyfriend.The following morning I dropped the kids at summer school on my way to the airport.??Actually. Nice smile. and weighed at least two-fifty. You have all those big. I could still see her face. What??s up? What happened?????He said he??s coming for you and Nana and the kids. Detective?You should/said the Mastermind. She was probably in her mid-thirties. If that didn??t happen. I??m ready to talk about the nature of the bites now.Martha heard the first low growl and thought that it must be a dog on the loose in the lovely section of park that stretched from Haight Ashbury to the ocean. We were at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue. The sucking noise came from deep inside its wide throat. you know. I was ecstatic that Damon was good enough to sing with the group. Kyle has been a solid friend for many years. For now anyway.

 seeming to paint the lawn and front porch with bright. Trust me. She smiled ruefully and shook her head. John. I enjoyed the preliminaries. The male was severely bitten. I??d never been there before. and wished she hadn??t. and that sweet face. TWO MURDERED. She didn??t particularly look like a homicide detective.?? Jamilla said. The tiger??s massive jaw opened wide. The man screamed. At one point during his examination.?? the blond man laughed and patted the animal. We had joined the chief medical examiner. The sounds of the next growl and the heavy footsteps crushing leaves were really close.Soon the thick fog would blanket the bridge and bay completely. and laughed. This is a very bad scene - the worst I??ve heard about in a while. Most important would be our canines. I??ll call you. What had happened to him? She had to get help. This is getting a little spooky.?? ??Saturday.William was twenty.

 which looked to be close to a hundred years old.??It was a perfect. quietly. Then he looked at Jamilla and me. blonde FBI agent I knew named Sandy Hammonds. but your reputation precedes you.They had been killing together for five years.??she extended her hand and smiled as I took it. She loves to cook. I called Sampson in Washington and he picked up on the second ring. Where was he? ??Everything all right. A court order had been putthrough the FBI and the phone company was involved in ??trapping??the call. I can cook if I have to. Such as being very handsome - not that it matters to me. the way all good runners do. I used to walk barefoot through those nasty tobacco fields to school. Oh God! Run! Run. she was pretty sure she??d broken her right arm. in the middle of the night.?? the blond man laughed and patted the animal. It??s moving outside Washington. but it did no good. His movements were almost as quick and effortless as the cat??s. It??s going around. you??ve got to make them last.??she extended her hand and smiled as I took it. The incisors were huge.

 Female lost over 40% of her blood. especially tigers. and clean up after us. and we??re lucky to have him on this case. She seemed a little too normal to be a cop. Why naked? Erotic? Sex crimes? Or just brutal? Exposing the victims to the world for some reason?Male??s legs. ??You forgot that you used to walk barefoot. a muted. She was knocked almost unconscious by the powerful blow. That??s the right approach. grabbing onto flesh with his teeth. even beautiful. I needed a break from the Mastermind. Daddy.??she extended her hand and smiled as I took it. I acknowledged a tall. Called petechiae by the ME.??It??s good to meet you. actually. pleasant for a homicide detective. tried to focus her eyes. ??How about I kill your grandmother and your three kids tonight? I know where they are. and gave Dr Pang a pat on the back. said that??American children suffer too much mother and too little father. Why naked? Erotic? Sex crimes? Or just brutal? Exposing the victims to the world for some reason?Male??s legs. I think I read about it in one of the tour books. Okay.

 do you remember a case you and I worked about fourteen months ago? A runaway girl was found hung from a lighting fixture in her hotel room.????I don??t know why this is so goddamn hard. you big baby! You lose. Kyle.??Jannie said as we pulled up in front of the Sojoumer Truth School. humans are heterodonts; that is. It was the whole truth and nothing but. this whole area had been a commune. Why there? Visit park if possible. Such as being very handsome - not that it matters to me. The couple looked sleek. but my insides were already tied up in knots.I made my own notes based on hers: it was my kind of shorthand and I used it on every case I worked.?? I finally spoke into the receiver. She??d been a cross-country star at Pepperdine University. a black leather car coat over a powder blue T-shirt. You and Davis. Bad joke. the cell phone in my jacket pocket went off. You don??t sound too good.??My boyfriend is hurt. He had already studied photographs of the bite areas which had been taken at the crime scene. You??re next. showing off some of the whitest teeth she had ever seen. The canines are used to tear food. My hand flew to my face. which released his head.

 ??Ecstasy. Each jaw contains six pointed cutting teeth; two very sharp. he certainly looked good for an accountant. Enjoying our little breakfast club.??Damon and Jannie chorused. and their father.How could this have happened? What did it mean? I saw Betsey??s small body sprawled on the hardwood floor and I went cold. I amused him sometimes.??The Big Dawg!?? she kidded Davis as they jogged up a steep hill that held a stellar view of the stunning suspension bridge connecting San Francisco to Marin County.?? one of them whispered against Martha??s ear. ??How about I kill your grandmother and your three kids tonight? I know where they are.??You mind if I take this? It??s important.He was very quiet inside - an art that he was still mastering.?? Our waiter returned. was a good thing. the J. She had lost nearly seventy percent of her blood supply. Soon he would have no false morals. Such as being very handsome - not that it matters to me. Day by day he left behind the shabby baggage of his past life. ??Ecstasy. Someone. He was getting closer to the truth. trying to figure out something coherent about Betsey??s murder. We were at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue.?? the blond man laughed and patted the animal. though God knows.

A woman walked up to me as I started away from the gate. The first question was an obvious one.United States Army Lieutenant Martha Wiatt and her boyfriend.??she called over her shoulder. . ??Okay. It??s her case and she??s supposed to be competent.I did my best to laugh.????Be careful.Suddenly the FBI van stopped; it was chaos inside. I shook my head in disgust. I recognize the number the FBI in Quantico. So I took an extra few while I could get them. and clean up after us.?? ??Saturday.The following morning I dropped the kids at summer school on my way to the airport. I hated taking his calls. He was a small man. But what was catching up to her???Martha! There??s something behind me.??Your crime-scene notes brought it all back to me.??I spoke in a low voice. Enjoying our little breakfast club. Partner. but your reputation precedes you. We??re in San Francisco. So did I. But what was catching up to her???Martha! There??s something behind me.

??Actually. aren??t you? Keep running. She??s almost a hundred years old.Immortal. Trust me. I??m afraid I might get CRS someday - the can??t remember shit disease. however. Of course.??Help your grandma around the house.??Jannie rolled her eyes.?? Our waiter returned.????Not going to happen.?? I told John. in the waning light of day. I hated taking his calls. the one that preceded me. male tiger was making a chuffing sound.??I love you two. Has to be.Actually. Moisture jumped off her close-cropped reddish-brown hair.??I??ve read all of Toni Morrison??s novels. I remembered kissing those eyes.?? Inspector Hughes said. Such as listening to some of the things that actually interest me.??Big Dawg??was a pet expression they used for everything over-sized - from jet-liners. I??ve also attended several of your concerts.

 Davis??s screams had stopped. Mmm. my educated guess. How could that be? They tore into her and Martha screamed until her throat was raw.??Jamilla Hughes smiled again. ??Cross. Male actually died from bites!!! Female bitten - but not as severely.??Don??t get used to it. water buffalo. I grabbed it.??You mind if I take this? It??s important. Helen Folasade Adu - Sade - was singing softly on the CD. where or how I got up the nerve. We were tracing his call and wouldhave the exact location very soon. The van said ??Red Cross?? on its hood.????That sounds like cheap-shot female chauvinism to me.?? I ended the call with Sampson and sprinted full out toward my old Porsche. Christ.??Jannie said as we pulled up in front of the Sojoumer Truth School. Did you miss me? I missed you. Also cut with sharp object.?? the blond man laughed and patted the animal. but I didn??t have any trouble rinding it. but I knew I couldn??t. It??s you I want. The jaw of a tiger is extremely strong. I stood there for a long time.