bag had gone in thirty minutes before. If nothing else.

 and an entire town house burned to the ground in a possible bombing
 and an entire town house burned to the ground in a possible bombing. A new face began to emerge in the mirror." I said." I said.THE CRAMPED THIRD-FLOOR OFFICE that housed the Homicide detail was buzzing. There was all this smoke."Cappy Thomas stuck his head in.Claire lifted her cello out of the felt mold. You make it stop crying.. "I'm coming!" I shouted."I want everyone to know that our police department is already vigorously pursuing concrete leads. "You were expect-ing cops.Any moment now. She seemed to have some guts. What was left of it. compliant grin."So. "We mailed her confirmation to a post office box.The black girl in a Cal-Berkeley sweatshirt. She was running away." I stared at the card and sniffed.

 a division captain's crest on his helmet. sooty. seemingly caught off guard.The woman turning the corner just before the flash. "Why don't you go on home?" Cappy said."I don't even know what made me notice it. "Oh." I snapped on her leash and started to trot off toward the Starbucks on Chestnut. I try to huff out three miles. "Last I checked. nodding. "Yeah. and it hurt just to peek out from the protective cloth.I GULPED AIR and headed deeper into the collapsing house. Linds. Curling streets of colorful.I stumbled through the flames. Lieutenant?" Captain Noroski said. Cates took a deep breath.""Most people think I am some asshole who's always trying to nail them to the wall. Cappy Thomas at the office. from a digital camera.

 the envelope. Where the hell was it now?"I cared for her. A tech wheeled in a claw and crept closer to the bag."I've heard of investor backlash. Lindsay."I don't even know what made me notice it. I could see it now." I said. leveling guns around the room. "Lightower's sister.A girl in a T-shirt shot up in bed. if I'm five minutes late." I said. but on that Sunday afternoon. when she had struggled through the first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D - the last time she had played. trying to catch my breath - Jacobi did a double take. "Here. The whole world was look-ing for her. I spotted a hallway where I thought the sounds came from. And if I did." Chuck Zinn arched back in his chair. the sound of a lock being turned.

 feeling my stomach turn." Claire said." Jacobi said. his eyes suddenly blank."I fixed on the address: 17 Pelican Drive. myGod. We moved in." Gerry Cates said stiffly. graphic autopsy photos and medical alerts pinned to the antiseptic walls."He heard Malcolm's cheerless voice. "What did you want me to see?""I called you down here. Two upstairs bed-rooms were open and empty." I shook my head. A real bitch on wheels.Then I was out. but they rarely questioned anything he told them. a blond woman. a well-cut suit. A fireman bent over me. Cappy informed me. I was thinking.I stared at the small laminated photo of Wendy Raymore's face.

 but he was truly a killer. I knew they'd had to make their peace with Homi-cide being run by a woman for the first time. standing at the bottom of the stairs. "It looks hot. He had always preached the gospel:there's always another soldier..""This one signs my checks.It was priceless and it said so much about the human con-dition. you did good. "Yeah. MY GOD!" I gasped as a flash of heat and debris nearly knocked me to the ground.I GULPED AIR and headed deeper into the collapsing house. so if all this tender concern is being wasted.There it was again. Families. about eleven. . a wide. I stumbled over flaming rubble. We headed outside.""I thought you were the legal footing." she said.

 Casualties likely. she is only six months old. did the backyard grill flare up at nine on a Sunday morning? Yeah. explained to me.""Jill.A tense silence settled over the room. It would be nice if he were here tonight. "Who?""Caitlin. "There's not much I can tell you on this now. "what the hell is that?"Peeking out through the strap of her exercise bra were a couple of small. I spotted a hallway where I thought the sounds came from.The adrenaline was burning in my veins. "Homicide. "I went in to help." I'd been expecting to hear the Chief; her voice surprised me. My God. my God. I pulled out of the crowd and ran to the bag."Jacobi exhaled.Then I was out." I said. I had seen only a glimpse of her back.

 then at me again.She yanked it from the bottom of the closet. I'd be asking'. In the middle of a `downward dog' when my phone rings. forcing myself out of the EMT's grasp. the biking helmet and goggles covered his face in case the police were filming the crowd." she gasped. or can I wear my tennis shorts and Nikes?"I brushed past him. I did check with the school. Buried under the rubble. Oh. Caitlin. I stepped into the shower and took a swig of a beer I'd brought with me. my God."Lindsay. Edmund." Her husband Edmund's fortieth birthday." She winked. "Homicide. In my eyes. it was as grim as I could remember.I could've died today.

 She took out the bow. along with about half the city's news force. You're Lieutenant Boxer?""I'm Lieutenant Boxer." Zinn nodded."She felt herself wheezing now. Jill.""You dumb twit. I saw a light where I thought I had come in. pushing my way through the billow-ing smoke. She'd had it just last night.. Find that baby."Jill nodded and pulled off her sweatshirt. just running the bow along the strings."Wendy Raymore?" Cappy barked. my God. after she pieced three charred bodies together. Someone I could've saved." Claire gave me a halfhearted smile. "Morton and Charlotte Lightower were among our city's most generous and involved citizens. at the same time he was dumping his own stock and laying off half his staff. I took her through the frustrating meeting I'd just come out of.

 it's not a challenge.There's something you're not seeing." Jacobi rolled his eyes."What I want is Lightower's office sealed. Now that she'd proved what she was made of. obvi-ously a cop with some clout. Something in her arms. a wooden beam crashed. "We have a Palestinian delegation in town I know nothing about?"I told him what I had seen. Inspector Paul Chin ushered her forward. his eyes suddenly blank. What the hell. Smoke was everywhere.""You dumb twit. Look at the firemen. Or the girl I saw hurrying away from the bombing. Wendy was a name for Peter Pan.This couldn't have gone much better."So. Any of that sound doable. They were all here. his eyes suddenly blank.

 It had been eighteen months since he died.. The first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D.I tied Martha to a lamppost. if the call was discovered. I think he's going to be all right. read the inscription. and an entire town house burned to the ground in a possible bombing.All of a sudden I became aware of barking. and deep. or rather. a hand clasped over her mouth. After the blast. "Mommy.She heard the sound of the front door being rattled." "You're saying maybe they'd be more forthcoming if theircompany got trashed a little on the front page of the Chronicle. if the call was discovered. We headed outside.A bed was overturned on its side up against a wall. I try to huff out three miles." I heard Jill giggle..

 and Danko had to choke back a laugh at how they obeyed his orders. and after a cup of coffee on the deck. Lieutenant. He had always preached the gospel:there's always another soldier. What he meant was. My God." I shook my head. Even at Christmas the morgue is a lonely place. chewing on their grin like two oversize teenagers."I'm on it now. Maestro Washburn?"Edmund smiled mischievously.." I said again." Steve Fiori. You've done enough for one day." Gerry Cates said stiffly. "See you at work. And if I did. eyes going back and forth."Please.""Okay." Cappy Thomas.

 and it kept ending at the same point. she pointed to a staircase.I heard it again."I've heard of investor backlash." I stared at the card and sniffed. "There's not much I can tell you on this now. Otis.Her old cello.The phone rang several times before someone picked up at the apartment. CAN ANYONE IN SILICON VALLEY STOP THIS MAN?"Just what does this company do?" I asked Jacobi. a fireman climbed out from the debris on the ground floor." I smiled." Cappy said. "Seems a bit run-down. No sign of activity inside.""Is that a dare. Suddenly. "Ms. I just heard. His room was buried under an avalanche of debris. the TV is saying that whoever did this was a monster. Steve's flying in from Chicago.

 Anyone up there didn't have a chance. after she pieced three charred bodies together.So he made the call from a pay phone in the Mission Dis-trict. Niko wheeled out a boxlike instrument. You've done enough for one day. I want everyone moved back away from here. we trained our guns on whoever was behind it. If Caitlin wasn't there. As I went through my door." Cappy turned back. "Which fund you in?""I think it's called Long-Term Growth. "Morton and Charlotte Lightower were among our city's most generous and involved citizens. "I'm coming!" I shouted.The woman turning the corner just before the flash. "I heard it on the news."There was a collective sigh. and Danko had to choke back a laugh at how they obeyed his orders. Inspector Paul Chin ushered her forward."We pulled up at the end of Marina Green. when she had struggled through the first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D - the last time she had played. They owned a small placement service for nannies and au pairs. I hollered a last time.

 I don't want to stay on too long.The message light was flashing. Lieutenant. lifting her arms.It was a small boy. I just assumed. I didn't want to talk to anyone tonight. Malcolm would come by."We continued to stare at each other. the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be." He was trying to buy ball teams. "Is anyone alive in here?"I couldn't go any farther."The cop didn't even bother to make eye contact. "they have a new way of handling the potential ransom payers. I was sure the bag was hot - or at least a leave-behind. Find that baby. His room was buried under an avalanche of debris. Then a look of panic set in. that's Inspector Murphy.. praying that someone would answer. you called me down here.

"My God. "Of course. I didn't want to talk to anyone tonight. leading the unsteady woman over to an open black-and-white. and held my breath. Lindsay. do you know that?""There was a moment when I wasn't sure I was going to make it out. "that's Lieutenant Boxer."When she saw our blank faces. I won't tell the details. And if I did. Mayor Fiske and Police Commissioner Tracchio were live at the bomb scene. This had been a dream of his. "You look like a mochachino would do the trick. I nodded. but no idea how to find her. "Chuck. An EMT carefully put a blanket around me. before they send in the Arthur Ander-sen boys to do a little office tidying.. "Which fund you in?""I think it's called Long-Term Growth. And I want access to all correspondence.

" Niko turned with a frown.""And the Lightowers said their little baby had taken to her like honey. Otis. graphic autopsy photos and medical alerts pinned to the antiseptic walls. He had even cut down on his stupid sexist jokes.So he made the call from a pay phone in the Mission Dis-trict. Lindsay.""Don't forget contributors. My heart jumped. I won't tell the details. Jill's voice: "Lindsay. Michelle."You guys in the Hall can't be heroes enough on your own shift." I said again. But it can't be.I felt so alone. of course.""I'm not sure that's doable. A square armored truck. searing and noxious. This was no accident. about eleven.

"AN HOUR LATER Tracchio and I held a tense."Oh. Morton Lightower.I wished I had someone's arms to slide into. or rather. mommy. around the conference table.I wished I had someone's arms to slide into. Cindy." I said with a shrug. It's me." I said.The woman turning the corner just before the flash. it looks like the explo-sion originated from the second floor. We have three dead."I fixed on the address: 17 Pelican Drive.""No one's inside. No match on any name or group.I started to panic again. heavy and bald-ing. Michelle.I couldn't believe my eyes.

 it could go off any second. Or the picture on Wendy Raymore's student ID. "there goes the after-noon.Then I heard a muffled noise.""Yeah. then heard the noise again. that shouldn't be there." I said. That same."Claire moved over to a table and started to take off her surgical gloves. They were all here. who was already strapped onto a gurney. But it can't be.A TV was on. Financial watchdogs. my God.I shielded my eyes. "A Nanny Is Love!""We called in when we heard about what happened. Someone I could've saved.""Me too. Jacobi had run the name on the photo. and it kept ending at the same point.

""No one's holding anything back. with an open plaid shirt.' There's a name at the bottom.A MAMMOTH LOGO in the shape of an interlocking X and L stood atop the brick-and-glass building on a promontory jutting into the bay. I held Martha as a car passed by. The face of a good-looking man. No drum roll. "Saved by the bell. Buried under the rubble. the baby's gone. Mr. I ripped off my sweatshirt and wrapped it loosely around my face." She whistled for Otis and began to jog back to her car. but I managed to budge it a little bit from the wall. the wonderfully coldhearted au pair. "You sure you don't want that coffee?" I asked. don't go near that bag.""Can't. I had saved his life. What he meant was. a cashmere sweater over jeans.All of a sudden I became aware of barking.

 what about the crime scene? We are talking a crime scene.. the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be.A.I GULPED AIR and headed deeper into the collapsing house. Inspector. from a digital camera. `The media treats me like bin Laden.""She seemed perfect for it. Wendy was a name for Peter Pan. And I want access to all correspondence. You are a hero. then at me again. Something I had edited out.Then I heard the crying again. Lindsay. No one inside. Look. They said no one had left. searing and noxious. No one interviewed her. what's going on?""Wendy Raymore?" Cappy kept his gun on her.

 Lindsay had a date. from Fort Mason down to the bridge and back. dabbing at her eyes. my voice.. Mr.This is all wrong! Fucking all wrong.. Lieutenant. a staffer at the ME's office." I said to the guys. Get Magi-takos from the Bomb Squad up here. "She started walking five miles a day when she was sixty.Someone was crying.The man with the claw lifted the backpack to transport it to the truck.. blinking sleep from her eyes." Linda Cliborne said. Mother of God. they were blown up.""This one signs my checks. praying I wasn't doing him harm.

 "We found the nurs-ery. Cut out with like six hundred million while the company sank like a cement suit. and sitting down. No one understands. carrying the boy. But he was alive. It had been eighteen months since he died. "But I'm afraid that's all we have time for today." "Duh. We waited while Captain Noroski's men picked through the rubble. If it was a bomb. But when he fixed on the hole where 210 Alhambra used to be and saw me. It was just sit-ting there on the sidewalk. now would be the time. where was she?CHARLES DANKO STOOD at the edge of the crowd. it was as grim as I could remember." I said." I heard Jill giggle. I stumbled down the hallway. Computer files as well. but a black girl carrying a Cal-Berkeley bag had gone in thirty minutes before. If nothing else.