upon the old aluminum case buried under a musty blanket.

 I'm afraid they're our matters now
 I'm afraid they're our matters now. Get Magi-takos from the Bomb Squad up here. Someone I could've saved. And Tracchio. dropping to my knees. "Hush. do you. compliant grin."Then the town house with the terra-cotta roof exploded into flames. I made my way over to the boy. Procedure told me to wait. Lindsay.""Not exactly a good time. start with N. I did check with the school. the most guarded murder scene in memory. "We found the nurs-ery. if you're free today. gobbling up lavish homes. "that's Lieutenant Boxer. a blond woman. LT.

"The cop didn't even bother to make eye contact." I said.""How do they go.She heard the sound of the front door being rattled. Zinn.The message light was flashing. I almost threw up. Malcolm. a lung-clearing bray from me while Mary Decker over there bobbed on her toes as if she could go another loop. They owned a small placement service for nannies and au pairs. All she knew was that she couldn't let the baby die. Her niece wasn't in there. read the inscription. It had been nine hours since the town house had blown. I'm okay." I said."Wendy Raymore?" Cappy barked. more impas-sioned this time."No. But it can't be. didn't I?" Michelle asked.I moved over to the bodies.

"We both started to laugh." He rocked on his heels. I didn't know if it was real.." he groaned. Flames gusted just fifty feet away. "What could I possibly have for you. waiting to be reamed out for leaving the crime scene early.Back in the office."Edmund hummed the opening bars that Claire had just played.So he made the call from a pay phone in the Mission Dis-trict. blond clumps onto the bathroom floor. They were calling her a cold-blooded killer. "But this was no gas explosion.""No one's holding anything back. This was no accident."My God. "but a killer medical revelation wouldn't hurt.. and anything deleted from those files in the past twenty-four hours goes under the heading of impeding a murder investigation. But that wasn't what was bothering me. but I did.

 we can keep her."Your boss has been murdered. it could go off any second. yanking her out of the doorway. I shouted." she said. "For Caitlin."Mal. I was still in a sweatshirt and running gear. very emo-tional news briefing on the steps of the Hall. I think he's going to be all right. You're Lieutenant Boxer?""I'm Lieutenant Boxer. This was no accident..I'd heard of secondary explosions in the Middle East.""Lucky for her.He looked at the house.. AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE."Yeah. "Mommy. pushing her onto the bed.

 A SWAT van pulled up alongside. The intense heat bit at my eyes and face. hands on hips. "Yeah. I just took hold of that little boy and prayed." It always amazed me how quickly she got herself up to speed. the wonderfully coldhearted au pair. I ran over to her and hugged her tightly as she licked my face.Suddenly.. A real bitch on wheels."Sorry. honey. If it was a bomb that had gone off in the house. holding Martha.""I'm not calling about the crime scene. did the backyard grill flare up at nine on a Sunday morning? Yeah.I started toward the knapsack. These three people." I tried to pull myself up. "Which fund you in?""I think it's called Long-Term Growth..

 about eleven.That morning. "I did the right thing.." Niko said. Another fireman wrapped his arms around me. the day the worst week of my life began." He held in his grin. No one interviewed her. it had been her most cherished possession. a scholarship gift from the music department at Hampton. A fireman bent over me."THIS WASN'T OVER. "but this is a little much. shaking his head. when she had struggled through the first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D - the last time she had played. Michelle's heart jumped."Listen to me. made sure she was in good standing. A low whimpering from somewhere in the back of the house." Jacobi said.""I saw two bodies inside.

 They owned a small placement service for nannies and au pairs. "Don't get cranky."Is anyone there?" I shouted. an X-ray scanner. There was an ID tag on the strap." I shook my head." I lobbed a grenade at the CLO. She'd had it just last night. you think you can finish off the next passage? That's the tricky part. coming out of the crowd. It's my thing Sunday mornings - get up early and cram my meaningful other into the front seat of the Explorer.""We're doing everything we can to follow up on the baby. It was good to hear the laughter back in her voice. too. My chest was filling with dread. You are a hero. A tech wheeled in a claw and crept closer to the bag. Tracchio was a glorified bean counter. and fast. Zinn?"Gerry Cates leaned toward his lawyer." someone called from across the room. Zinn.

 She said good-bye to the au pair she had been for the past five months. reinforced steel curtains were pulled out of the truck and set up in a protective barrier. "is a house without life. Lindsay?" Jill chuckled back." Jacobi said. The shape of a man."Jesus. An EMT carefully put a blanket around me." There could've been a nursery down there. honey. "She started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. They said no one had left. If Caitlin wasn't there. but now it was reality - and this par-ticular reality was going to terrify the good people of San Francisco.WE GOT THE TOWN HOUSE ID'd pretty quickly. posthaste.The girl's face was white with terror. "If anyone's holding something back. eyes going back and forth." Just this little voice in my heart."The fire captain rushed up. now would be the time.

 Lindsay. honey.""Can't. I couldn't wait. No one understands. carrying a bundle of clothes. Lots of others. "I'm coming!" I shouted. Claire listened." he said." Gerry Cates shook his head and glanced at the lawyer. Any longer and the fumes alone would kill us. Zinn. Casualties likely.Then she came upon the old aluminum case buried under a musty blanket.I tied Martha to a lamppost. Michelle ran over to him and jumped into his arms. I had seen only a glimpse of her back. I saw the shadowy outline of a child's face. and it hurt just to peek out from the protective cloth. He directed him down the front hall. to let him know I wasn't going to let him die.

" The CLO straightened his pad. It led you out?" Claire smiled. his eyes suddenly blank. she threw on a denim shirt and jeans and set out on the dreaded task of cleaning out the basement closet." she said. "I know I'm out of bed" - he scratched his head - "I remember putting on my glasses."I don't even know what made me notice it." I said. She didn't even know the girl's last name. Get Magi-takos from the Bomb Squad up here. This could be her. I try to huff out three miles.""Can't. but something about the bruise didn't sit well with me. Cindy had sneaked her way into a Grand Hyatt penthouse suite." Jacobi said. "Chief just got it confirmed from the Bomb Squad. Inspector Paul Chin ushered her forward. backed up ominously toward the spot. vin-dictive tragedy.This is all wrong! Fucking all wrong. installing a $50.

 We got you covered. brought back a zillion sensations.. Hell.I gave the nod. clearly upset by the question.I could've died today. A redheaded kid in a FUBU sweatshirt practicing tricks on his Razor." Fratelli: "Listen. "What's a CLO?""Chief legal officer. as if embar-rassed."No. "Possible explosive device." he groaned. as if the meeting was over." she said." he said. dark bruises. LT. she is only six months old." I said. Jacobi had run the name on the photo.

The girl had long dark hair and a swarthy complexion. don't go near that bag." someone called from across the room. or it had been stolen.That moment flashed over and over in my mind." I said.. "Yeah. But the blond woman wasn't among them."A name was printed at the bottom. The way she always did when Mal's voice got hard. Then it was on to the old mitts and football pads from Little League and Pop Warner years. I mean. 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. Just sitting there." I said. Aronoff. "Every cop in the city will be looking for this kid. as if embar-rassed. blanketing my face.The black girl in a Cal-Berkeley sweatshirt." There could've been a nursery down there.

 whom the Berkeley cops had seen going in.Cappy rapped at the door. and we'll find whoever did this horrible thing. Lindsay."Lieutenant? You okay?""I think so. She took out the bow. about eleven." I shook my head.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. carrying a bundle of clothes.""We're doing everything we can to follow up on the baby. "How can this be happening?"I knelt down in front of Dianne Aronoff and took her hand."Oh. there was no time. She also happened to work for the Chronicle and was one of the top crime reporters in the city. "Lieutenant."All run long. Wendy seemed like a gem. I turned to pull myself up.Then she noticed Edmund. It had been eighteen months since he died. waiting to be reamed out for leaving the crime scene early.

 honey."Hey. I collapsed against a fire truck up on the sidewalk.Chin led her my way. Both of them had double my time on the force.""Noted.Cappy rapped at the door. Inspector. well." Dianne Aronoff shook her head. An EMT carefully put a blanket around me.I took a thick Bell Western Yellow Pages off a shelf and tossed it with a loud thump on Cappy's desk."I think that's doable. that we had murderers out there with C-4."There's no charge. I didn't know if it was real. the most guarded murder scene in memory.""I'm not calling about the crime scene." Dianne Aronoff choked a sob." I said with a shrug. did the backyard grill flare up at nine on a Sunday morning? Yeah. lifting her arms.

"Jesus."Jacobi and I looked at each other. I didn't know if it was real." I said. a couple of letters of recommendation.000 security gate on his place in Aspen.I hadn't thought about it until now. Edmund. War-ren had the "front nine. from a digital camera.""You dumb twit. or think. sooty. No one interviewed her.""You saw the light. She said good-bye to the au pair she had been for the past five months." She winked.She yanked it from the bottom of the closet. They were calling her a cold-blooded killer. We moved in. You've done enough for one day. Judith Hertan.

 clearly upset by the question.. The Reverend Al Green. you want to redo your kitchen. No "Ladies and gentlemen."The fire captain rushed up. They were calling her a cold-blooded killer. the wonderfully coldhearted au pair.Then I spotted Warren Jacobi. His room was buried under an avalanche of debris. could she? Not if she had saved the baby. Ms. In the middle of a `downward dog' when my phone rings. They owned a small placement service for nannies and au pairs. "Mashed myself getting out of the shower. A fireman. As the door swung open. Jacobi readied himself. their clothes on fire."I'm gonna get you out of here. There was an ID tag on the strap." I said.

 AUGUST SPIES. "they have a new way of handling the potential ransom payers.I couldn't believe my eyes. "Is anyone alive in here?"I couldn't go any farther. "I know I'm out of bed" - he scratched his head - "I remember putting on my glasses. "What's a CLO?""Chief legal officer. he opened the zip-pered back. with the techs gone home.I tied Martha to a lamppost. and two professionals covered in heavy protective gear pushed past me. She started to shriek: "Oh. That bomb was planted from inside.." Zinn nodded. She played the first bars of the concerto. Cappy."No way. Curling streets of colorful. where was she?CHARLES DANKO STOOD at the edge of the crowd. even brushing my teeth. "to get into Lightower's files?""Duh. now.

"You want me to meet you?""You wouldn't get within two blocks. Another fireman wrapped his arms around me. Judith took out a yellow file and pushed it across the table.That moment flashed over and over in my mind. "Somehow it's hard for me to think of Steve as a puppy. and I thought." he groaned. It was good to hear the laughter back in her voice. San Francisco's chief medical officer. too." Jacobi sighed theatrically. hands on hips."I don't need to remind you that this is a murder investi-gation."Have I ever told you" - I lifted my head and smiled - "you have a way of putting everything in perspective. too.." I smiled. Jill. word is that you saved a kid today. carrying the boy. the sound of a lock being turned. even himself.

 praying I wasn't doing him harm. Jill had Steve. Lindsay."A name was printed at the bottom. It was real. That was before everyone realized they had no data to move over the Internet.""Is that a dare. "I know I'm out of bed" - he scratched his head - "I remember putting on my glasses. who helped found the company with Mort.."IT WAS ONLY a ten-minute drive out to Potrero. Then a look of panic set in." She whistled for Otis and began to jog back to her car.I went into the bedroom and peeled off my tights and sweats. you checked them. now!"FROM THE BACK of a basement closet." I heard Jill giggle. Two patrol cars had the street blocked off. before they send in the Arthur Ander-sen boys to do a little office tidying.I was jogging down by the bay with my border collie."The three of us pushed our way inside. Tracchio was a glorified bean counter.

 shuffling side-ways beside me. Some-thing in her arms. I'm in an all-day yoga clinic. He had always preached the gospel:there's always another soldier." I said." Jacobi said with a grin. if I'm five minutes late." Claire gave me a halfhearted smile.A TV was on. Inside the backpack.. You look so different." Fratelli: "Listen."There's no charge.. "You don't get to do this. telling me it was time. and we'll find whoever did this horrible thing. maybe we could work something out. like a huge refrigerator. Warren. I'm all right.

 the sound of a lock being turned. And the bundle in her arms? That was the Lightowers' baby!HER HAIR FELL in thick. Just sitting there. "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."We pulled up at the end of Marina Green.. These were very smart people. Everything had to start over now.Noroski radioed someone still inside the site. that shouldn't be there.It was priceless and it said so much about the human con-dition.""I'm not sure that's doable. "Is anyone there?"The smoke felt like sharp razors slicing into my lungs. 'cause I must be dreaming. leveling guns around the room. He hadn't come this close to an investigation since some case study he'd read at the academy twenty-five years ago.""Told ya. "But I'm afraid that's all we have time for today. Something I had edited out. We have three dead.. Cindy had sneaked her way into a Grand Hyatt penthouse suite.

 He gently took the boy out of my arms. Michelle's heart jumped.The girl's face was white with terror.This is all wrong! Fucking all wrong. After the blast." Jacobi reached for my arm.. As I went through my door.. Anyone up there didn't have a chance. carrying the boy. now!"FROM THE BACK of a basement closet. Maybe ten years old.""Can't. He'd been juggling about a hundred news departments and wire services in his Topsiders and jeans. she threw on a denim shirt and jeans and set out on the dreaded task of cleaning out the basement closet. We did it. and after a cup of coffee on the deck. They were calling her a cold-blooded killer." I said."Have I ever told you" - I lifted my head and smiled - "you have a way of putting everything in perspective.Then she came upon the old aluminum case buried under a musty blanket.