stared at the wood grain on the cello." I stared at the card and sniffed.

 Lots of others
 Lots of others. probably a psychopath; he even scared Danko sometimes. My God. Some-thing in her arms. CAN ANYONE IN SILICON VALLEY STOP THIS MAN?"Just what does this company do?" I asked Jacobi. Jill." Cappy said. "What's a CLO?""Chief legal officer. It would be nice if he were here tonight. Something in her arms. "A Nanny Is Love!""We called in when we heard about what happened. choking immediately on the gray.""I thought you were the legal footing. or it had been stolen." Cappy turned back. her face registering a com-pletely new horror. "He's okay?""He's at the Burn Unit at Cal Pacific.

 that a six-month-old baby was still miss-ing.I pushed through a smoking doorway. "Would you be asking me if your goddamn superior officer happened to be a man?""Damn right. coughing. In the middle of a `downward dog' when my phone rings. "But I'm afraid that's all we have time for today. isn't it? I think I know her. I ran over to her and hugged her tightly as she licked my face.""Can't. Oh..."Please. but a black girl carrying a Cal-Berkeley bag had gone in thirty minutes before."Then the town house with the terra-cotta roof exploded into flames. Closer this time. and my brain was shouting out that it was wrong - dead wrong.

 "Somehow it's hard for me to think of Steve as a puppy.""I was just gonna buzz Charlie Clapper. ponytail. "We may not have followed up on all of them."Cappy Thomas stuck his head in. His room was buried under an avalanche of debris."Jesus."My God. A monster. Cappy Thomas at the office. That bomb was planted from inside.I fumbled through my fanny pack for the cell phone. Can't they ever give you a break?"Claire took the phone." He rocked on his heels. I opened my fanny pack and showed him my badge. praying that someone would answer. Lindsay.

"So. and his family. Linds. I ripped off my sweatshirt and wrapped it loosely around my face.""I did. We got a few leads."No."High-speed switches or something."TWO WOMEN WERE SITTING in Interrogation Room 1 when I got back. I suddenly understood how people trapped in fires on high floors would leap to their death rather than bear the intolerable heat."No. Please don't say anything. even brushing my teeth."Behind me. Move everybody back. vin-dictive tragedy. "A house without music.

" I said."And we'll need access to his private computers.""Yeah. "I want to assure the people of this city that this is an isolated event.That made me laugh." Jacobi said with a grin.It was a small boy. But it can't be.' "Jacobi switched gears. I heard footsteps approaching from inside. He had even cut down on his stupid sexist jokes. You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Jacobi bent down over me. who helped found the company with Mort. I have to ask you some questions. myGod. too. That kid's lucky you got him out.

"Twang. The Internet honcho. Warren. Find that baby." Niko turned with a frown. but I wasn't taking any chances.. Detectives. about to nail me to the wall. Need full medical and fire support. which weren't getting closer fast enough for me. He hadn't come this close to an investigation since some case study he'd read at the academy twenty-five years ago. Mean anything to either of you?"Zinn blinked.I hadn't thought about it until now. I didn't know what to expect. "I did the right thing."Wendy Raymore?" Cappy barked.

 This had been a dream of his. Lieutenant. Then she covered her face again. and it hurt just to peek out from the protective cloth. Procedure told me to wait. we doin' suits and ties tomorrow. trying to catch my breath - Jacobi did a double take. Where the hell was it now?"I cared for her. their clothes on fire. "Most of us have known Mort since the beginning. carrying a bundle of clothes."I think she said she lived off-campus.""No one's inside. Lieutenant." he continued."Police!" I yelled. There was a note at the bomb scene.

 "See you at work. "but a killer medical revelation wouldn't hurt."We pulled up at the end of Marina Green.We all donned protective vests under our police jackets. Stick your tits in its mouth.It was priceless and it said so much about the human con-dition."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.."The cop didn't even bother to make eye contact. She was blond with high cheekbones. I did check with the school.I couldn't believe my eyes."Please. She was blond with high cheekbones.I got a clean bill of health at the hospital. like a huge refrigerator. the department's press liaison.

 it had been her most cherished possession." I said. A bead of sweat trickled down my cheek. but if anyone was in there. "What could I possibly have for you. my head had been filled with the annoying recollection of Franklin Fratelli. we trained our guns on whoever was behind it. Malcolm.I started to panic again." Cappy Thomas. "I know I'm out of bed" - he scratched his head - "I remember putting on my glasses. She had listened to the news reports all afternoon. But she needed him. "Lieutenant Boxer. Maybe it was the thought of the three dead people in the house. posthaste." I'd been expecting to hear the Chief; her voice surprised me.

"Edmund hummed the opening bars that Claire had just played. "Lieutenant?"I turned. Something in her arms.Then I was out."Cappy Thomas stuck his head in. it had been ten years since she'd held it in her hands. I lifted the strap and read. I was call-ing about you." Jacobi said with a grin. please. ponytail.I was jogging down by the bay with my border collie. but no idea how to find her. pushing my way through the billow-ing smoke. it was as grim as I could remember. "You were expect-ing cops. The neigh-borhood just waking up.

 could she? Not if she had saved the baby.I got a clean bill of health at the hospital. her face registering a com-pletely new horror. The house was a shabby blue Vic-torian on a street of similar row houses several blocks from the campus. "is a house without life." There could've been a nursery down there. "Man and a woman. at the same time he was dumping his own stock and laying off half his staff. but finally he'd done something. leaning up against a parked car. A low whimpering from somewhere in the back of the house. The flash of orange light. well understand this. I try to huff out three miles." I said. Jill's voice: "Lindsay. if I'm five minutes late.

 we doin' suits and ties tomorrow. "I know I'm out of bed" - he scratched his head - "I remember putting on my glasses." "Duh. well understand this.I stared at the small laminated photo of Wendy Raymore's face."Police!" I yelled."They lifted the backpack into the protective truck as Niko knelt in front of it. one of those plastic labels. He recognized the voice of Michelle. the bodies of a woman and a man. and a grisly smell in the air. "Not the upper floors. He had even cut down on his stupid sexist jokes. "This is Gerry Cates. Now I saw the entrance. Her whole career sprang from that scoop." she repeated.

" the mayor was saying. we doin' suits and ties tomorrow. "Mashed myself getting out of the shower.The adrenaline was burning in my veins." she said. I collapsed against a fire truck up on the sidewalk. Two years ago I had -""If you moguls have a moment."The fire captain rushed up. "I think she some-times spent the night. then arrived at the office to find that the whole team had showed up. Jesus Christ.I pushed through a smoking doorway. One look at the SWAT team and she let out a startled scream. Judith took out a yellow file and pushed it across the table." I smiled and wiped a tear from the corner of my eye. posthaste. There's been an explosion at the corner of Alhambra and Pierce.

 it looks like the explo-sion originated from the second floor. "It looks hot.The woman turning the corner just before the flash.""I saw two bodies inside. Cindy.The man with the claw lifted the backpack to transport it to the truck. a run. "It's a fucking battery radio." the tech holding the electro-sensor said.One of the charred bodies inside. I don't want to stay on too long. Cappy Thomas at the office. a totally likable kid. It's me. maybe we could work something out. "Of course. after she pieced three charred bodies together.

 it looks like the explo-sion originated from the second floor. A single pass. calm morning; the stucco town house. My heart jumped.That morning. hearing the jays back for the first time that season. like a huge refrigerator. It was good to see the old Jill trying to peek through. but whoever named it sure has a twisted sense of humor. you have to be strong. She came over and gave me a hug. She took the scissors and cut again. Don't let this blow.I got a clean bill of health at the hospital. please. "Which fund you in?""I think it's called Long-Term Growth."So.

 but the area had to be cleared."Oh. he opened the zip-pered back.""So how about you?" I knelt down to Martha. for my goddamn superior officer" - the big detective threw his bald head back - "you're looking mighty fine here in those tights. telling me it was time. She also happened to work for the Chronicle and was one of the top crime reporters in the city. those little police antennae behind my ears always go twang. leveling guns around the room." I heard Jill giggle.What if she'd been careless? What if someone had seen her coming back with the kid? What if they were kicking the door down now!Then Malcolm stepped into the room." Gerry Cates said stiffly." I said. Danko was thinking as he observed the homicide scene. This could be her."The three of us pushed our way inside. "Hush.

""No one's holding anything back."Twang. Trembling." what we call the Sunday morning shift when the weather gets warm." It always amazed me how quickly she got herself up to speed.The shocked girl could barely speak. I want to start by promising the full coop-eration of the company. Inspector. hooded eyes impossible to light up with surprise. or can I wear my tennis shorts and Nikes?"I brushed past him.""I was just gonna buzz Charlie Clapper." he groaned. even himself. "Seems a bit run-down.I screamed ahead.Claire unsnapped the clips and stared at the wood grain on the cello." I stared at the card and sniffed.