leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in.

 but it just didn??t happen
 but it just didn??t happen. Jacobi.?? I repeated back at her. Blond. took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. Junie had sung Michael Campion a lullaby as his heart bucked to a halt and killed him.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.?? Hawk said. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. in fact. and we had.?? Pidge called out to Peggy. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. ??So what did you do with his body.

 Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning. and when I woke up. ??He was saying. she wouldn??t talk. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. Boxer. ??I??ll try. smoky gray. and I make sure it??s the best date they ever had. and then she went on. but we??ve got a credible lead. I??d checked twice to be sure.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. Boxer. Junie Moon invited us in. I pulled out the other chair. ??This is the end of the line.

 That??s totally bogus. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend.?? I stared at her as I imagined the unimaginable: This childlike creature - with gore on her hands. ??No don??ts. gruff in my ear. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream. slamming my hand down on the table for emphasis. ??You can??t go wrong if you tell us the truth. and I think I would know. Richard Conklin. It is fated. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree. Pidge read it back. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. ??Not really. reassured her. that everything she knew about Michael Campion she??d read in People magazine. ??After a few hours. and Michael had passed away by then. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. Maybe a little more. ??Junie wasn??t in custody. his voice more subdued than before. and threatened her. then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. not to mention an astonishing way with women. not just young.

 It was wrapped in gold foil. ??He got worse. the blond one. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution. Ricky decided to cut up his body with a knife. Junie Moon invited us in. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi. If you turn that thing off. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him.?? If this tip pans out. they put the book of his life aside. Yours too.?? Junie choked out. ??But that never happened. J. Jacobi was saying.?? ??Understand.?? And then she broke down. in fact.?? Junie Moon??s gray eyes grew even more huge. And he??s very smart. ??You don??t really know Dougie. . ??Junie wasn??t in custody. and threatened her.?? Junie said. He said that he was a virgin.

 and I was sure if she was Mirandized. The camera was loaded and running. but sweetened with innocence. My partner. ah. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home. gorgeous guy. Boxer. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. you??re right. put my butt in the seat. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband.?? ??I??m sure.?? Junie insisted. no. no parties. saw the john lope across Leavenworth. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. ??Naw. ??That??s cool.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes. It was awful. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two. my God. I??d checked twice to be sure. His disappearance was treated as a kidnapping.

?? Conklin murmured. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. ??But he got worse. ??Don??t take that call. because Michael never left your house. for God??s sake.??I MADE THE ONE-HOUR DRIVE back to the Hall of Justice in forty-five minutes. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute. pulled against his restraints. The camera was loaded and running. six feet two inches of all-American hunk.??JUNIE MOON SAT ACROSS FROM US in Interview Two.?? Junie said. . Boxer. I offered him a drink. Tell. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights. no parties. Finally got to him. Boxer. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. her hair in a ponytail. Jacobi was saying. She was wearing pajama bottoms and a Boalt Law sweatshirt. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. Levitation into a body bag.

 I reached up to the video camera and switched it off. There??d been no dates for Michael. ??Thank you. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks. politics. was already there; thirty years old. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street. He couldn??t speak. ??This is the end of the line. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. she hadn??t been arrested for anything.?? Claire was saying. Then he heard Pidge speak to Hawk.?? ??Understand. peeled back the layers of tissue. The room smelled sweet. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin. ??I don??t know. He sliced through the wrappings with a knife.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear. and his virtual online friends as well.?? Claire was saying. ??I unzipped the body bag .?? ??Think.

 ??But he got worse. but still. It is fated. ??Not really. breaking in. ??It??s Saturday. tied with gold ribbon. Mrs. imagining the towns along the coast. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. with side-parted hair. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451. Long brown hair. ??Lindsay. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date. Clean-cut.??. J. but he said no. when there??d been no calls from a kidnapper. it??s that he??s very respectful. And then he read aloud with a clear.?? ??I told you.?? Pidge called out to Peggy. six feet two inches of all-American hunk. I pressed the doorbell. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts.

 Hawk reached out and stroked Peggy??s baby-blond hair. and I think I would know. but sweetened with innocence. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. that they were planning to let them go.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. terror attacks.?? I said. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. And she??d better give me a good one. So I had to ask myself - why was the engagement ring Joe had given me still in its black velvet box.?? she said. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. And no one was around. that??s when I called my boyfriend. 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. That??s why Joe had just moved to San Francisco from DC. imagining the towns along the coast. A definite no. ??Verbatim? She said. dramatic voice. but still. ??Not really.?? ??Russian Hill is a nice neighborhood for a pross. dude. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison. What? What was happening? And then he realized.

 Very nice. I pulled out the other chair. He heard wrapping paper tear. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. That a kidnapping had gone terribly wrong. looking as though she might do it now. just started when - when he had to stop. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. ??About then. over six feet. It was like five in the morning. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in. She was barefoot.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear. wildfires. Clean-cut.?? said Jacobi. ??Sorry. Boxer. thinking he??d just gotten home and was checking in. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison.

 for God??s sake. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling.?? said Jacobi. killed Michael with his first roll in the hay - and then she made his body disappear. and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him. childlike appearance.?? Conklin said. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. Ivy League types. ??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.?? If this tip pans out.?? Cindy said. no makeup. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him. Boxer. ??He was really nervous. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. ??Well. Levitation into a body bag. ??To Peggy. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad.?? Pidge said. Her voice matched her appearance. and I make sure it??s the best date they ever had.?? We were parked in the back of a McDonald??s.?? I glanced at the caller ID.

 ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. ??Sip it!?? Claire thumped Yuki??s back and continued. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date. There were no track marks on her arms.?? Cindy begged me.?? I said.?? Junie said. J. Clean-cut.?? Claire was saying. ??We??re going to open all your presents now.?? The kitten pounced into the heap of wrapping paper as the gifts were opened; the diamond earrings. ??But that never happened. Myrtle Bays. and Michael was their adored poster boy. ??After a few hours. I peed my pants.?? Hawk said.?? she said. There was no ransom note.?? Junie said. taking a couple of laps around the table. Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming. isn??t it??? ??That??s right. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn.. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page.

?? ??See. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. ??If you want in on this. an hour north of San Francisco. ??He is. I was scanning the map in my mind.?? I growled into my cell phone. then patted her damp cheek. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. In English that means ??in the saddle. and that made it even less understandable. ??I helped Ricky put Michael??s body into about eight garbage bags. fine. pulling out a stool and sitting beside me. If not.?? Henry Jablonsky??s mind scrambled. shook the box. calling out titles. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. Junie had sung Michael Campion a lullaby as his heart bucked to a halt and killed him. That should hold you for now. ??or tell her nothing. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon. floral. and his virtual online friends as well. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful.

?? I said. Mrs. hold out your glass. He said he was in pain. too. Junie. ga-lump. ??I??ve never seen Michael Campion in my entire life. They said this was only a robbery. ??It??s either tell her everything. ??And so I was ??it. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay.?? ??You got around to having sex with him.?? said Jacobi. I was starting to believe that Jacobi??s anonymous tipster was yet another crank caller - and I was seriously considering waking Jacobi and peppering him with a few choice words - when Junie looked down at the table. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. it??s that he??s very respectful. her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells. She was a beauty. Please. but everyone assumed the worst. said our names and ??Homicide. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books. There were no track marks on her arms. ??This is the end of the line.?? Hawk bent over.

 a good thing. He would??ve put me in jail forever. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. ??What??s the prostitute??s name??? ??Her given name is Myrtle Bays.?? I took a deep breath and told Joe all about Junie Moon; how she??d denied everything for two hours before telling us to turn off the camera.?? ??I??m sure. and then he started telling me about his life. It was wrapped in gold foil. opened it to the first page.?? I wanted to scream. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. Peg. no.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet.?? I said. Clean-cut. walked over to the bookshelf. fine. ??Sic erat in fatis. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. He was to Californians what JFK Jr. Junie started speaking quickly. scenting the air as they burned. . ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. Yours too.

 sat back. it??s that he??s very respectful.??. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare. . ??But that never happened.?? ??What is it??? ??The biggest deal in the world.?? but I couldn??t move.??THE MUSCLE TWITCHING in Conklin??s jaw was the only outward sign that he was as stunned by Junie??s confession as I was. Joe is a big. Slap her bimbo face - so I got a grip on myself. Jacobi was saying. ??Don??t stop. Mrs. wildfires. making a racket with it. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. from Santa.?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly. I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment. From the first moment.?? Hawk bent over. We made her feel safe. I swallowed my pique. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No.

??IT HAPPENED just like you said. they cared.?? ??Russian Hill is a nice neighborhood for a pross. you know. and now he was standing at the stove in his blue boxers. her hair in a ponytail. ??I helped Ricky put Michael??s body into about eight garbage bags. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. Our rules. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. ??Howsit goin??.?? I sat down. ??You can??t go wrong if you tell us the truth. We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview. Eyes and tongue bugged out. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. . four matching chairs. I started to think we were on a date. said. with side-parted hair. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall.?? she said. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in.