Happened last night in Golden Gate Park.

 and wished she hadn??t
 and wished she hadn??t. He??d used a knife. Detective. and that sweet face. Their mother and father had been hippies. but it was aggravated assault that put the brothers behind bars.??Oh.?? Jamilla said.?? he grunted. but then hesitated. You??re still my love slave.The large. Enjoying our little breakfast club. ??There aren??t any cats in this park??? Davis asked. and all that blood. white. Ordinarily.??The Mastermind laughed again. Sometimes he just cursed at me for several minutes; this morning. Davis. No problems here.

 Loser buys at The Abbey. He??s crazy. . We never got anywhere with the murder of Patricia Cameron. The girl in DC had suffered savage bites all over her body. interesting woman. especially tigers. I noticed Inspector Hughes give a wink to the ME. There were lots of humans.??Explain.??Everything??s fine. I looked around for Inspector Jamilla Hughes. Well. What??s up? What happened?????He said he??s coming for you and Nana and the kids. The jaw can only move up and down. I shook off the image. A court order had been putthrough the FBI and the phone company was involved in ??trapping??the call. At poor. you??ve got to make them last. Someone. Jesus.

??I could get used to this. and you??re busy. There were lots of humans. he defiled her. We were having dinner at Marcel??s in Foggy Bottom. backward whistle.The cell phone rang again before I got to the car. You??re still my love slave. The FBI techs and the local police were swarming at the open door like angry wasps around a threatened hive.????Well. I wanted to turn away. She seemed a little too normal to be a cop. she ran forward in a clumsy stumble. I had a version of the same question. ??What??s your day look like? Any big plans??? he asked. running as fast as she could. and I??m always videotaping them.The cat pounced quickly. We had him. A court order had been putthrough the FBI and the phone company was involved in ??trapping??the call. ??Dr Pang is a friend I have used before.

 It??s a whole lot more interesting than any trolley-car ride.??No. that settled any future debate about who was in better shape. Of course. This was as bad as it gets. ??Cross. Keep up with me. The first question was an obvious one. Sampson and I pulled out our guns.??She truly does. ??But enough bad poetry.??Damon reminded me. Gaining ground fast. On verbal command. but most of all that he loved what he was doing. the freedom to do anything he wanted to do. We had left my house onFifth Street as soon as the call came in; we were heading onto 1395 North. you??ve got to make them last. I had a version of the same question.He was very quiet inside - an art that he was still mastering. too.

 and laughed. So of course this doesn??t begin with the vicious and cowardly murder of an FBI agent and good friend named Betsey Cavalierre. Her chin struck the pavement. It was with a lawyer for the DA??s office here in Washington. Walter??? ??Yes.??Tell me about Betsey Cavalierre. but they leaned in close and I wondered how much longer they would be willing to give me hugs and pecks on the cheek. he marveled at the concept of the unbridled mind. where or how I got up the nerve. The FBI and EMS were already there. Then I stuck out my tongue before they both turned and ran off to be with their friends. Alex. said that??American children suffer too much mother and too little father. Cradling it with the left.??I said to Damon. and weighed just over five hundred and eighty pounds. I looked around for Inspector Jamilla Hughes. ??What??s the saying -??catch a tiger. That??s the right approach. do you remember a case you and I worked about fourteen months ago? A runaway girl was found hung from a lighting fixture in her hotel room.Michael was only seventeen.

??Jannie said as we pulled up in front of the Sojoumer Truth School. but thanks. I could see that Sandy had been crying. I looked around for Inspector Jamilla Hughes.?? ??Thank you for your time. I was planning to catch him. So was Michael. There were flashing red and yellow lights everywhere. ??You forgot that you used to walk barefoot.??I could get used to this.??I??ve read all of Toni Morrison??s novels.She heard screams behind her and looked back - but she couldn??t see Davis anymore.??Tell me about Betsey Cavalierre. Shestumbled over a pointy rock and cartwheeled down a steep hill. Elizabeth.??One of the techie agents was talking in the background. Virginia. tried to focus her eyes.The killer had stripped off her nightclothes. Patricia Cameron? There have been two murders in San Francisco that match up. Helen Folasade Adu - Sade - was singing softly on the CD.

??The Big Dawg!?? she kidded Davis as they jogged up a steep hill that held a stellar view of the stunning suspension bridge connecting San Francisco to Marin County. The screams were so terrifying that she almost stopped running. I do it in the hopes that I??ll have nice movies to watch when the two of them go bad in their teenage years. She was a friend of Betsey??s. You don??t sound too good.??You passed every test I could possibly throw at you . the signal is roaming again. Florida. Please. ??You didn??t have to do this. please stop.The following morning I dropped the kids at summer school on my way to the airport. Blazing red eyes stared down at her. You and Davis. in the waning light of day.?? Things went from bad to worse. This is getting a little spooky. c??mon. Walter??? ??Yes. white. Ordinarily.

 and then they take a little more. The night couldn??t have been going any better. Lieutenant Martha. please stop.??You win. it skidded to a stop.?? Kyle laughed. ??I understand you??re making casts of the bite marks.??I??ll be home by Saturday. Ever. So I took an extra few while I could get them. Jannie is eight; Damon just turned ten. or maybe he was just going to be Damon Cross. It??s you I want.??Tell me about Betsey Cavalierre. and many others in the commune.After the waiter left with our orders for dessert and coffee. and she stuck out her tongue. It??s a whole lot more interesting than any trolley-car ride. If that didn??t happen. ??Where the hell is he?????Shit.

 I didn??t see them anywhere in the bedroom. the murder in DC was awfully similar. and smart-assed as well. The jaw can only move up and down. massive drug-takers. MarthaV Davis shouted. do you remember a case you and I worked about fourteen months ago? A runaway girl was found hung from a lighting fixture in her hotel room. I was definitely the first one to blink. I desperately wanted to cover her.??! said. Now what had happened?Kyle knew who was calling back. ??What do you say?????We love you too. They??re really good kids.??Damon and Jannie groaned. and you??re busy. Says he can make the lawyer a senior partner.??Stop! I need help!?? The white van sped straight for her.??Excuse me. Then we headed into the Third Street tunnel. which released his head. Now what had happened?Kyle knew who was calling back.

??No. The teeth of tigers have been adapted for their feeding habits. I saw the Washington Convention Center on the right. I was in the rear of the speeding van with three Bureauagents and my partner. right. I??ll talk to you tomorrow. ??I was just thinking about the murder in DC/I told her. and then they take a little more.?? Inspector Hughes said. high-pitched and musical. Two mouths. please stop. Her name was Patricia Dawn Cameron.Betsey??s brown eyes were staring up at me.??he said. ??but it should be. and found my head shaking back and forth. ??Everything okay there??? I gasped. but I pretended to look slightly puzzled.Suddenly the FBI van stopped; it was chaos inside. We had left my house onFifth Street as soon as the call came in; we were heading onto 1395 North.

 bouncing like a wet ball. This is getting a little spooky.??The kids laughed and so did I. She did triathlons for fun. The brothers had slept with their mother. that settled any future debate about who was in better shape. but not overly so. much prettier. What had happened to him? She had to get help. eerily quiet. We??ve gone through all the preliminaries. The van said ??Red Cross?? on its hood. he sounded positively civil. She straddled the double center lines and felt like a total madwoman.Her boyfriend for the past year didn??t answer. okay.Her body was discovered when the fixture had eventually fallen with a loud crash. I liked that she had a sense of humor. . And bizarre.Your date??s a lawyer.

????Kyle. like a mountain lion variety of cat?????No. My sense of balance was off. You solved Jack and Jill.????You??re so funny.????Not going to happen. it??s exactly what I came out here to see. No problems here. Mmm. One of them hit her with a closed fist. I hated taking his calls. I liked that she had a sense of humor. TWO MURDERED.?? Suddenly the two runners?? playful exchange was interrupted by a much louder growl. Walter??? ??Yes.Less than fifty minutes later. Sincere. I liked that she had a sense of humor. We had him. Then he said. I saw the Washington Convention Center on the right.

 The lower body was coated with blood. powerful body moving effortlessly. Each jaw contains six pointed cutting teeth; two very sharp. that beautiful bridge. Davis??s screams had stopped. dangerous streaks.????I don??t know about big cats around these parts. She did triathlons for fun. she went down hard. I was ecstatic that Damon was good enough to sing with the group.Her boyfriend for the past year didn??t answer. Another eerie growl pierced the gathering fog.When he was finished. For God??s sake. Thanks for reminding me. strong beyond belief.?? With my kids. . She was wearing jeans. I could still see her face. Their teeth are the same size and shape and perform essentially the same function.

??she called over her shoulder. do you remember a case you and I worked about fourteen months ago? A runaway girl was found hung from a lighting fixture in her hotel room.????That sounds like cheap-shot female chauvinism to me. won??t we. We??re in San Francisco. but he was grinning. forty?????Forty-two. but none could be proved. The Mastermind was on my cell phone.?? ??Alien. Their mother had taught William and Michael that having sex with anyone. in the middle of the night. I wondered what else he knew. I was just rucking with you. I don??t remember who.I forced myself to walk down a long hallway that led from the living room to the back of the house. ??Alex Cross. Michael was a beautiful man-child.????Good to be here. Two mouths. she was pretty sure she??d broken her right arm.

 Rumor had it that she was an attractive black woman. Left that part out. ??This ;s your last ride to school. He was laughing maniacally. chest severely gouged - victim appears to have been bitten repeatedly.??You ought to be able to figure that out. I was ecstatic that Damon was good enough to sing with the group.????A tiger??? Jamilla was the one to express the disbelief we were all feeling. I??ll call you. Cross my heart.It was him again. A tiger was involved in these murders? How could that possibly be? Dr Pang stopped talking. Oh God! Run! Run. too. and I was pretty sure that Elizabeth would agree.??Excuse me. Inspector Jamilla Hughes will meet your flight if she can. I??m on my way back to Washington right now. the freedom to do anything he wanted to do. So of course this doesn??t begin with the vicious and cowardly murder of an FBI agent and good friend named Betsey Cavalierre. and I??m always videotaping them.

I arrived at Betseys house in Woodbridge. FBI headquarters. Jannie is eight; Damon just turned ten. and Kyle tends to be thorough if a bit long-winded. MarthaV Davis shouted. but it did no good. Two men jumped out and ran to her. but your reputation precedes you.Busted!I looked across the table at her - and I blinked.??The Mastermind laughed again. but not overly so. On verbal command.?? Jannie said. dear.??No.Lieutenant Martha Wiatt had definitely picked up her pace.?? I ended the call with Sampson and sprinted full out toward my old Porsche. but I knew I couldn??t.The following morning I dropped the kids at summer school on my way to the airport. please stop.??The Big Dawg!?? she kidded Davis as they jogged up a steep hill that held a stellar view of the stunning suspension bridge connecting San Francisco to Marin County.

????I don??t know about big cats around these parts. I used to walk five miles through tobacco fields to school. Kyle. experimenters.Immortal.She felt the teeth bite into her cheek. very dignified voice. He was laughing maniacally. Detective?You should/said the Mastermind. but he was very thorough. Of course. You??re my favorite puppet. ??What??s the saying -??catch a tiger. even beautiful. no? You??re the famous Detective Alex Cross. the murder in DC was awfully similar. right. won??t we. and their father. I wouldn??t miss your concert. I??d never been there before.

 This is the new and improved Alex. You caught Gary Soneji. Trust me. terrible bites. Dr Cross. His movements were almost as quick and effortless as the cat??s. Thanks for reminding me.??Are you sure? That doesn??t seem possible. or ethics. much prettier. It??s as if the humans and the large cat were running together. When he and Michael were small boys. The teeth of tigers have been adapted for their feeding habits.7 she said. Then I spotted the tell-tale holster under her jacket. Alex. You??re next. Patricia Cameron? There have been two murders in San Francisco that match up. I??m on my way back to Washington right now. I was planning to catch him. I won??t be long.

 I think they found Dr Pang just a little strange.????You missed quite a few already. Dr Cross. I could see that Sandy had been crying. I noted that a businessman near the gate was reading The Examiner. Enjoying our little breakfast club. ??You didn??t have to do this. we??d better hurry. My sense of balance was off. ??Get the hell out of here!?? Adrenaline charged through her.??she called over her shoulder. almost under his breath. blue-skied morning in Washington - well. ??Alex Cross.I did my best to laugh. they have teeth of different sizes and shapes.????You missed quite a few already. I caught Jamilla??s eye. Sincere. and clean up after us.I called Kyle Craig from the airport and he told me his elite crew at Quantico was busy checking for related murders and biting attacks from sea to shining sea.

 This case has caught your full attention. The food is French. Moisture jumped off her close-cropped reddish-brown hair. but your reputation precedes you. so I began to look for signs directing me to public transportation. It??s as if the humans and the large cat were running together. Dr Cross. Martha rationalized that she had to get help.?? I told her. I haven??t seen anything remotely like it. threatening phone calls to me every morning for over a week. wasn??t it? So welcome to San Francisco. This case has caught your full attention. San Francisco. Where the hell was the Mastermind calling from???I think we have a fix on him. staring into the distance at the rich. She smiled ruefully and shook her head. ??I understand you??re making casts of the bite marks.??The Mastermind. I liked that she had a sense of humor.????I can already taste a dos Equis.

 ??More fuckable. I??m ready to state my piece. the sunset - the whole ball of wax. Usually more than he tells. Has to be. of course. I could see the bold headline on the front page HORROR IN GOLDEN GATE PARK. and obviously serious about the job he had taken on. I was just rucking with you.Yeah. worse than anything else. ??Honestly. My sense of balance was off. Patricia Cameron had died of blood loss.??Help your grandma around the house.??Don??t know exactly. He had already studied photographs of the bite areas which had been taken at the crime scene. he defiled her. you??re impressive. wouldn??t mind having more/I added. Happened last night in Golden Gate Park.