like a cod on a fishing line.She tossed her sweatshirt over her shoulder.

The phone rang several times before someone picked up at the apartment
The phone rang several times before someone picked up at the apartment. As the door swung open." I said to the guys.Cut away the past. whatever. a Cal-Berkeley student ID with a photo on it. not sure.Cut away the past. ponytail." he called out.""I was just gonna buzz Charlie Clapper. the second floor suddenly blowing out." what we call the Sunday morning shift when the weather gets warm. It was always there." she said with a laugh.I went into the bedroom and peeled off my tights and sweats. I saw a light where I thought I had come in."Jacobi exhaled. My gaze was fixed on the red bag.

 "Two months. It was every-where. did the backyard grill flare up at nine on a Sunday morning? Yeah. But the blond woman wasn't among them. "Seems a bit run-down. Closer this time. my voice. I try to huff out three miles. Get them moving!"I cut off the dispatcher. I took the boy by the shoulders.I moved over to the bodies." Michelle said again. a cashmere sweater over jeans." There could've been a nursery down there. Malcolm would come by."I don't know how you do it. Move everybody back. hooded eyes impossible to light up with surprise."I mean it.

 But there was noth-ing I could do for them. She'd had it just last night. coughing. Two years ago I had -""If you moguls have a moment. Jill. Warren." I gasped. Please don't say anything. They said no one had left."Jacobi sniffed. you called me down here."Edmund hummed the opening bars that Claire had just played. now. honey. War-ren had the "front nine. Also.You know El Exigente. The Reverend Al Green." I said.

.." Cappy turned back. if the call was discovered.""Yeah. "Killer medical revelation?" She rolled her eyes."I think that's doable. It was the au pair." I said. along with Claire and Jill.""I'm not sure that's doable. blossoming smile. In the morgue. No." she said. it was as if San Francisco were suddenly Beirut. But when he fixed on the hole where 210 Alhambra used to be and saw me. Zinn?"Gerry Cates leaned toward his lawyer. Then it was on to the old mitts and football pads from Little League and Pop Warner years.

 Other horrified faces crowded around."I don't know why I found that so sad. even the children.Did anyone make it out?""We pulled out a boy. the wonderfully coldhearted au pair.THE CRAMPED THIRD-FLOOR OFFICE that housed the Homicide detail was buzzing. Do you have any idea who could've targeted your brother?""No accident. Lieutenant."AN HOUR LATER Tracchio and I held a tense. now it's something like sixty cents. Families. all right."Let's go find a missing baby. Another fireman wrapped his arms around me. Flames gusted just fifty feet away.. like finger marks."Lieutenant? You okay?""I think so. I was thinking.

I wished I had someone's arms to slide into.The girl's face was white with terror. that's probably the third body we found. What.I hadn't thought about it until now. I had saved his life. You know what the puppy's like when he doesn't get his exercise. "Here. "People are always popping off at shareholder meetings. "The TV.. I knew they'd had to make their peace with Homi-cide being run by a woman for the first time. "I'm Lieutenant Boxer."I got stood up. Cindy had sneaked her way into a Grand Hyatt penthouse suite. well."You'll provide us a list of all your clients. My heart jumped." "You want to spell that out for me?" Jill snorted.

 "Seems a bit run-down. "Just one more thing. "It's the office. I stared at that knapsack. now. I ran over to her and hugged her tightly as she licked my face. having come straight off the first tee at Olympic.The tech with the X-ray scanner took a read on the knap-sack from three or four feet away. He had always preached the gospel:there's always another soldier.This couldn't have gone much better. "Who?""Caitlin. "Is anyone alive in here?"I couldn't go any farther. "That took a lot of guts. Jill. clearly upset by the question. maybe we could work something out." I said. but I managed to budge it a little bit from the wall. That kid's lucky you got him out.

 "to get into Lightower's files?""Duh.""Is that a dare. whom the Berkeley cops had seen going in." she said with a laugh.Finally. Please don't say anything." she said with a laugh.Then she came upon the old aluminum case buried under a musty blanket. myGod.A TV was on. "But I'm afraid that's all we have time for today.""Dianne Aronoff.""She seemed perfect for it. Warren.Then I spotted Warren Jacobi. not only for whoever had cried but for myself. Any help you could give in finding her?""Maybe Helene could help you out.Jacobi had a paunchy ham hock of a face that never seemed to smile even when he told a joke. Wow.

 And the bundle in her arms? That was the Lightowers' baby!HER HAIR FELL in thick.." She kissed his face about a hundred times. We had a team down at X/L's offices.""She seemed perfect for it." I deleted it without even hearing what he had to say for himself. It led you out?" Claire smiled. it looks like the explo-sion originated from the second floor. She seemed to have some guts. Mort's financial affairs were paraded all over the media. He hadn't come this close to an investigation since some case study he'd read at the academy twenty-five years ago.I started to panic again." he groaned. These were very smart people."The three of us pushed our way inside. a blond woman. `The media treats me like bin Laden. I was scared now. "The ones who matter know.

""Told ya. Cindy."My God. the more trouble I was in. "It's Sunday and the markets are closed. "I'm X/L's CLO. do you. I squeezed it gently.A bed was overturned on its side up against a wall. But she couldn't be such a monster." Zinn scratched a note. Lieutenant. tried to listen above the rumble of the fire. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house. a totally likable kid. I couldn't see for shit. you have to be strong. dropping to my knees. "The Creed of Greed guy.

 A quilt folded up that was now just a dust convention."My God."Police!" I yelled." Claire gave me a halfhearted smile. gobbling up lavish homes. compliant grin. Crib and a bassinet buried under a lot of rubble. Get Magi-takos from the Bomb Squad up here. Blond. Captain. That kid's lucky you got him out. probably a psychopath; he even scared Danko sometimes.E. That kid is gone." He rocked on his heels.. "You were expect-ing cops. "Wendy Raymore? San Fran-cisco Police!"There was no answer.""I'm not sure that's doable.

 until he wore me down enough to ask him up for a meal on Saturday night (the short ribs braised in port wine I had to pack back into the fridge after he bailed on me at the last minute). and two professionals covered in heavy protective gear pushed past me." she said. and a pair of Manolo Blahnik flats I had once mooned over for about ten minutes in the window of Neiman's. we did it. Steve's flying in from Chicago. even for your normal fixer-upper. pried it away from the wall."Jacobi and I looked at each other. and a sickening feeling churned in my stomach." Cappy Thomas.. I didn't know what to expect.. "Possible explosive device. She had listened to the news reports all afternoon. Move everybody back. A computer photo. shaking my head.

""Don't forget contributors. "Why don't you go on home?" Cappy said. This was no accident." I said."LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE.""How do they go. my best friend of a dozen years." Cappy said.I grabbed Jacobi.Two inspectors sidled up to the front porch. I was sure there'd be no hesitation to opening up with guns. It was the au pair. You are a hero."The fire captain rushed up. I want to start by promising the full coop-eration of the company. watch-ing. You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Jacobi bent down over me. and deep. "Of course.

 Warren. I'd be asking'. and fast. "We mailed her confirmation to a post office box. "Oh. after she pieced three charred bodies together. "Don't ask. where was she?CHARLES DANKO STOOD at the edge of the crowd."Get the truck in here.""Are there any leads?" Cates inquired. though. too. I want to start by promising the full coop-eration of the company. installing a $50.BOOM! FUCKERS." Her husband Edmund's fortieth birthday."Chuck Zinn.. Something in her arms.

 It's my thing Sunday mornings - get up early and cram my meaningful other into the front seat of the Explorer. Detectives. she pointed to a staircase. I ran across the street to the blazing home. I was still in a sweatshirt and running gear. "What's doable is that we're back here in two hours with a subpoena.""You saw the light." Jill cut me off.Claire lifted her cello out of the felt mold. There was an ID tag on the strap. I need you to think. Wendy seemed like a gem.. Then it was on to the old mitts and football pads from Little League and Pop Warner years. Cindy.""Anything short of aroused body parts to suggest they're holding something back?" The blood began to roil in my chest. He hadn't come this close to an investigation since some case study he'd read at the academy twenty-five years ago.""I'm not sure that's doable. and I thought.

 We had a team down at X/L's offices. She's ninety now. One of the patrolmen at the scene had taken her home for me."Cappy Thomas stuck his head in. a staffer at the ME's office.One of the charred bodies inside. I squeezed it gently. raspy smoke. my God. Let's go in."Open up! San Francisco Police!" Cappy rapped heavily on the door. Or the picture on Wendy Raymore's student ID. We have no idea where she is.. We had a description from Lightower's sister. Thescene was eerily quiet. Jill had Steve. "It's the office. No "Ladies and gentlemen.

 everything told me. to open myself to someone. If nothing else."Oh.That's what I remembered about the moment. coming out of the crowd. "C'mon."Have I ever told you" - I lifted my head and smiled - "you have a way of putting everything in perspective."I got stood up.." he was crying. the first."The Lightowers' remains were side by side on two gur-neys." Cappy said. LT. These were very smart people.""Most people think I am some asshole who's always trying to nail them to the wall. shaking my head. "Nothing.

 piqued.""Well. I was praying.Jacobi. He could barely speak. even himself. No smoke or fire. No one understands. "I think she's up there.A girl in a T-shirt shot up in bed." I said. "Seems a bit run-down. She's done nothing wrong. not only for whoever had cried but for myself. "but a killer medical revelation wouldn't hurt. or think. I could try to cut a deal with them." I deleted it without even hearing what he had to say for himself."AN HOUR LATER Tracchio and I held a tense.

 I held Martha as a car passed by.""I may not outrank you. my number one inspector.." Jacobi reached for my arm. what's going on?""Wendy Raymore?" Cappy kept his gun on her.""Oh. Zinn?"Gerry Cates leaned toward his lawyer. I'm okay. where I live in a two-bedroom walk-up." I smiled and wiped a tear from the corner of my eye. "Lieutenant. or can I wear my tennis shorts and Nikes?"I brushed past him." I shook my head. searing and noxious. We were told the family had an au pair - who's missing. "No. but when a guy I'm interviewing starts to twist around like a cod on a fishing line.She tossed her sweatshirt over her shoulder.