it could go off any second..I screamed ahead.

 August Spies
. August Spies.Why?Because the son of a bitch was running away.. is anyone there?""Here.""There was an au pair. more impas-sioned this time. LT." she said. the second floor suddenly blowing out. They were calling her a cold-blooded killer. not the real world. This could be her. No. The farther I went. I shouted. coughing. A tech wheeled in a claw and crept closer to the bag. praying I wasn't doing him harm.""There was an au pair. "but this is a little much. The only motion in his face was a slight flickering in his eyes. Before she realized she would never be a Yo-Yo Ma and headed to med school. No sign of activity inside. Other horrified faces crowded around." She kissed his face about a hundred times. But no baby. waiting to be reamed out for leaving the crime scene early.

 It led you out?" Claire smiled. Inspector Paul Chin ushered her forward. My God. where was she?CHARLES DANKO STOOD at the edge of the crowd.. Edmund. Please don't say anything. my God. If Caitlin wasn't there. Get Magi-takos from the Bomb Squad up here. but the feel came back to her. Someone I could've saved."Oh. it's Cindy."The Lightowers' remains were side by side on two gur-neys. a wooden beam crashed." she said."She winced." Dianne Aronoff shook her head."The door to the conference room opened and two men stepped in. Move everybody back. The neigh-borhood just waking up. Mort's secretary.""How do you want to handle it?" Cappy looked at me. A residence. I don't want to stay on too long. No one else had been found in the house. now.

 Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house." He bowed apologetically. "Viola. A SWAT team guy waited with a ram in case we needed to break in. "Chuck. of course. a blond woman. and two professionals covered in heavy protective gear pushed past me. It was always there. "It referred to Morton Lightower as an `enemy of the people."Suddenly the layout of the burning building came back to me. Malcolm would come by. Jesus. I'm not screw-ing around."Twang."Then the town house with the terra-cotta roof exploded into flames. "to get into Lightower's files?""Duh. My heart jumped. didn't I?" Michelle asked. watch-ing. Maybe it was the thought of the three dead people in the house. Hell. My chest was filling with dread.Michelle lowered her head into the sink and dumped a bottle of L'Or?al Red Sunset dye all over her. "We've heard Caitlin is missing."All run long."Oh." Gerry Cates shook his head and glanced at the lawyer.

""Are there any leads?" Cates inquired. I heard a woman yelling to let her through the crowd. What I do is supposed to be about making money.The phone rang several times before someone picked up at the apartment. I'm in an all-day yoga clinic. It was the au pair.000 security gate on his place in Aspen.She tossed her sweatshirt over her shoulder.I felt so alone. brought back a zillion sensations. and sitting down. honey. feeling my stomach turn."You'll provide us a list of all your clients. Everything had to start over now. "Oh. Cindy.Claire unsnapped the clips and stared at the wood grain on the cello. I saw the shadowy outline of a child's face. and fast. All she knew was that she couldn't let the baby die. "Think I own a few shares in that piece of shit they call my retirement fund." Cappy Thomas. C'mon. "Not the upper floors.The girl's face was white with terror. "She started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. what about the crime scene? We are talking a crime scene.

 Edmund picked up a cord-less on the handset. Unless you wanna go inside and look around again yourself. 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. well. No one interviewed her. Lindsay?""If you mean. The neigh-borhood just waking up. or rather. the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be. I just took hold of that little boy and prayed. leveling guns around the room. Claire. the local police. Jacobi's part-ner. to say the one thing in the midst of this madness that would make me cry."Mal. Just a few more feet. you want to redo your kitchen. "Ha. a blond woman. "I thought you'd understand."When she saw our blank faces.""Me too." Fratelli: "Listen. Sundays were shit crime-solving days. Jill."Suddenly. blanketing my face.

"I don't know how you do it.." Jacobi said. Something I had edited out."Police!" I shouted again. But who had it now?I put down my gun. "What could I possibly have for you. Judith took out a yellow file and pushed it across the table. of course."Jill. Stick your tits in its mouth. shaking his head. "Charlotte Lightower was pregnant. M. Another fireman wrapped his arms around me. a run. It was 11:45. Financial watchdogs. "What's doable is that we're back here in two hours with a subpoena. whatever you found wouldn't make it through arraignment."Malcolm pushed her face in front of the child."Yeah. I could hardly bear the pain of the blistering heat on my face. "What could I possibly have for you." he called out. The neigh-borhood just waking up. Fire ripped through the second floor. didn't I?" Michelle asked.

" There could've been a nursery down there. clearly upset by the question. then at me again. then I did. how did it go last night?" she asked..I'd heard of secondary explosions in the Middle East. Some-thing in her arms. a blond woman." Cappy said. if someone happened to be on the scene. "Two months. he opened the zip-pered back.""Not for Eric. her face registering a com-pletely new horror. my eye drifting to a beautiful three-story town house I always passed and admired. did the backyard grill flare up at nine on a Sunday morning? Yeah. a totally likable kid.E. I think I'd better check our legal footing before I can agree to that.""Anything short of aroused body parts to suggest they're holding something back?" The blood began to roil in my chest.""I heard there was a baby stolen out of the house. Lieutenant?" Captain Noroski said. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house. and it kept ending at the same point. What. whatever. leaning up against a parked car.

 We have no idea where she is." I called. San Francisco's chief medical officer. I thought you were out of touch on this. But there was nothing. where I live in a two-bedroom walk-up. who helped found the company with Mort. Two upstairs bed-rooms were open and empty.." the mayor was saying. for nannies. "Unfortunately.""Well. she pointed to a staircase. You've done enough for one day. as they sometimes did. too. "Mashed myself getting out of the shower. Computer files as well. Anyone up there didn't have a chance.Then I drifted back to the scene at the Marina. I saw a light where I thought I had come in." Zinn nodded. feeling my stomach turn."Dianne Aronoff uttered a cry of joy. I didn't know if I was telling the truth. "C'mon. And my mouth tasted the bitter smoke of the blast.

 the baby's gone." Cappy turned back. Warren. He was being wheeled into a van.. No match on any name or group." I stared at the card and sniffed. printed on paper. Tracchio's got a clamp on all releases until we can figure out what's going on. still tied to the post. We had a team down at X/L's offices. This was no accident.I took a thick Bell Western Yellow Pages off a shelf and tossed it with a loud thump on Cappy's desk. She looked nothing like the description Dianne Aronoff had given us. Something made me feel like crying."Listen to me. She took out the bow. Something made me feel like crying. Everyone was being so good. "Viola.She tossed her sweatshirt over her shoulder."Shit. Caitlin?" she called to the bawling child. but I did. Mean anything to either of you?"Zinn blinked. which weren't getting closer fast enough for me. with an open plaid shirt.Then I drifted back to the scene at the Marina.

"The cop didn't even bother to make eye contact. as if embar-rassed. Inspector Paul Chin ushered her forward. " 'cause it occurred to me that you needed a good hug. "Lightower's sister says there was a six-month-old baby inside.Then she came upon the old aluminum case buried under a musty blanket.Someone was crying. Another fireman wrapped his arms around me. holding Martha. And Tracchio.. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house. nodding. start with N. "Unfortunately. pried it away from the wall. Just enough to convince myself I'm border-ing on something called in shape at thirty-six.""No one's inside. now. You look like shit."IT WAS A CLEAR. Get them moving!"I cut off the dispatcher." Jacobi said. and after a cup of coffee on the deck." Claire said." she repeated.. "Chuck.

 and would she be worthy?He inquired about her from a patrolman at the barricades. onlookers were being ringed back by the police. No sign of activity inside."I think she said she lived off-campus."There's no charge.Then she came upon the old aluminum case buried under a musty blanket."AN HOUR LATER Tracchio and I held a tense.. She'd had it just last night. raspy smoke.So he made the call from a pay phone in the Mission Dis-trict. She was cheerful and attractive.""Don't forget contributors. well understand this. through the web of news vans and camera crews.Did anyone make it out?""We pulled out a boy."There's no charge. calm. That Fratelli brother. A real bitch on wheels. I tried to call you at the office. now. And if I did."Get the truck in here. Just enough to convince myself I'm border-ing on something called in shape at thirty-six. leading the unsteady woman over to an open black-and-white. not wanting to move. dabbing at her eyes.

 What he meant was. it's a kid's bed-room.""Is that a dare. The remains of a timing device and C-4 explosive were scraped off the walls. "Get everyone out of here. but a black girl carrying a Cal-Berkeley bag had gone in thirty minutes before. Martha. They owned a small placement service for nannies and au pairs. didn't I?" Michelle asked. I shouted. Lindsay?" Jill chuckled back. but something about the bruise didn't sit well with me."Edmund hummed the opening bars that Claire had just played."LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE. My men are just finishing the upper floor. and a sickening feeling churned in my stomach. Where the hell was it now?"I cared for her. "Seems a bit run-down.One of the charred bodies inside." Zinn nodded.I couldn't believe my eyes.""Definite bombing. obvi-ously a cop with some clout..We all donned protective vests under our police jackets. It had taken me a long time to feel in charge of these guys. A SWAT van pulled up alongside." I said.

 blown to pieces. now. That was before everyone realized they had no data to move over the Internet. They had agreed not to meet until they were sure she hadn't been followed. it was Martha. On the paneled walls."Sorry. I saw the explo-sion. "I'm X/L's CLO." I said. I turned to pull myself up. We had her college ID.""These recommendations. then I did."LET THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE BE HEARD. But the realization that a bomb had gone off in our city." Cappy turned back. shuffling side-ways beside me. and a grisly smell in the air." He nodded. it might even explain Hitler at Munich."This isn't the au pair. The first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D.The girl had long dark hair and a swarthy complexion. Other horrified faces crowded around. "Morton and Charlotte Lightower were among our city's most generous and involved citizens. A computer photo. She fumbled around her purse for her inhaler.

 Edmund was still sleeping..A TV was on. Please don't say anything. Inspector. We were staring at a different girl. with an open plaid shirt.The kid with the Razor was there. And the bundle in her arms? That was the Lightowers' baby!HER HAIR FELL in thick."Then the town house with the terra-cotta roof exploded into flames. Someone was either let in or had access. but something about the bruise didn't sit well with me. articles and magazine covers featuring Morton Lightower's glowing face ran the length of the room. A single pass. But there was noth-ing I could do for them."Claire moved over to a table and started to take off her surgical gloves. "C'mon."Suddenly I remembered seeing it on the news.""I saw two bodies inside..I couldn't believe my eyes. "The woman who went into the house. Cindy. and held my breath. I thought I knew what had happened. in a pink cashmere sweater."Then the town house with the terra-cotta roof exploded into flames. or it had been stolen.

 I didn't know what to expect. Families." Jill cut me off. They owned a small placement service for nannies and au pairs. Linds. Mal. A new face began to emerge in the mirror." I smiled. Homicide. you want to redo your kitchen. Lindsay. and a sickening feeling churned in my stomach."In the next minutes. The face of a good-looking man. I thought you were out of touch on this. Any help you could give in finding her?""Maybe Helene could help you out. vin-dictive tragedy." I tugged on her leash. What the hell. Morton Lightower. Some-thing in her arms. the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be. this was an execution!My stomach turned.Wendy. "Wendy Raymore? San Fran-cisco Police!"There was no answer.."Lindsay.I GULPED AIR and headed deeper into the collapsing house.

Did anyone make it out?""We pulled out a boy."In the next minutes.I couldn't believe my eyes. Something made me feel like crying. then arrived at the office to find that the whole team had showed up. not wanting to move. Inside was a filled-out A Nanny Is Love! application form." Steve Fiori. A redheaded kid in a FUBU sweatshirt practicing tricks on his Razor. grinning.. badging his way over to me. nodding.I'd heard of secondary explosions in the Middle East." Michelle said again. Wish I could talk about them.. mid-stride. "Charlotte Lightower was pregnant. It was the au pair. you are a dumb bunny. held it in her hands. On the paneled walls.Then I drifted back to the scene at the Marina.. the grit and soot and smell of ash chipping off my body. forcing myself out of the EMT's grasp..

 myGod. Her whole career sprang from that scoop. she pointed to a staircase."She had to figure it out - what to do with her. not the real world. The intense heat bit at my eyes and face. The farther I went. I didn't know what I was going to do yet. I just assumed." Just this little voice in my heart. The Berkeley PD had the house under surveil-lance. My God."We continued to stare at each other. like finger marks. those little police antennae behind my ears always go twang. she is only six months old.I got a clean bill of health at the hospital."Needless to say. I ripped off my sweatshirt and wrapped it loosely around my face. their clothes on fire. Inspector. That same. As I went through my door. his eyes suddenly blank. with an open plaid shirt."Jill nodded and pulled off her sweatshirt. And I want access to all correspondence.I screamed ahead.

 its humble beginnings."You probably want to talk to Helene now. where was she?CHARLES DANKO STOOD at the edge of the crowd. They were all here. but I managed to budge it a little bit from the wall. forcing myself out of the EMT's grasp. I saw a light where I thought I had come in.. What he meant was.""Not exactly a good time. "Would you be asking me if your goddamn superior officer happened to be a man?""Damn right. the biking helmet and goggles covered his face in case the police were filming the crowd. next to the standard clock radio." I said again." I said again. What a performance she'd put on.. We had a description from Lightower's sister. It was always there.""There was an au pair. This girl had probably lost her ID. I'm all right. as they sometimes did.."Jacobi sniffed. then I did. anyway.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door.

"The three of us pushed our way inside.Finally. dropping to my knees. "I went in to help. My God.I got a clean bill of health at the hospital. "You could call Baghdad a vacation spot. "Who?""Caitlin. But I'm okay. Down that same hallway where I'd found the boy. we did it.."This isn't the au pair. Then she covered her face again." I said.I picked up. "Lightower's sister says there was a six-month-old baby inside.It was that she never came back. of course. Tracchio's got a clamp on all releases until we can figure out what's going on."I was jogging by."Suddenly. "Where are you?" I called. But it can't be." she said. but on that Sunday afternoon. Cappy Thomas at the office. Cates took a deep breath.

 I heard a woman yelling to let her through the crowd. or can I wear my tennis shorts and Nikes?"I brushed past him. gobbling up lavish homes."Mal. humanized them. my voice. where was she?CHARLES DANKO STOOD at the edge of the crowd. We got a few leads. No sign of activity inside. He had always preached the gospel:there's always another soldier. could she? Not if she had saved the baby. Zinn?"Gerry Cates leaned toward his lawyer."Use everything. a Cal-Berkeley student ID with a photo on it." I said. it's Cindy.Not with everything that had just gone on. I tried to call you at the office. watch-ing. We waited while Captain Noroski's men picked through the rubble.I turned away and crouched down to shield Martha as the oven like shock waves from the explosion passed over us."They lifted the backpack into the protective truck as Niko knelt in front of it. then she set down the phone. It was always there.A tense silence settled over the room."Chuck Zinn.""Okay." Just this little voice in my heart.

 And Tracchio. shouting into his handheld.""Any evidence there's anything in Lightower's computer to back that up?""Call me suspicious. "I can taste that mochachino." I snapped on her leash and started to trot off toward the Starbucks on Chestnut. But I'm okay."Is anyone there?" I shouted. I'm telling you.Cut away the past."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. there was a cry from the bedroom. but I did.' "Jacobi switched gears."My God. Sounded a little off. my lungs.""Okay." Zinn scratched a note. 'cause I must be dreaming..""Yeah. They were also friends. I spotted a hallway where I thought the sounds came from. "to get into Lightower's files?""Duh. A residence. . where I live in a two-bedroom walk-up."In the next minutes.

" Jacobi reached for my arm. She looked nothing like the description Dianne Aronoff had given us. That Fratelli brother. The Berkeley PD had the house under surveil-lance. On Sunday. my number one inspector."You want me to meet you?""You wouldn't get within two blocks.""I thought you were the legal footing. Ever since I'd taken a shot in the Coombs case. waiting to be reamed out for leaving the crime scene early. "We may not have followed up on all of them. Two upstairs bed-rooms were open and empty." Her husband Edmund's fortieth birthday. And e-mail. I had seen only a glimpse of her back. My heart jumped. very emo-tional news briefing on the steps of the Hall."Police!" I shouted again."Let's go find a missing baby. Warren?" I asked. She'd had it just last night." Jacobi reached for my arm. my best friend of a dozen years. Down the hall." "You want to spell that out for me?" Jill snorted. didn't I?" Michelle asked."Chuck Zinn."TWO WOMEN WERE SITTING in Interrogation Room 1 when I got back.

"Listen to me. about eleven. aren't we.I was jogging down by the bay with my border collie.A."IT TOOK ME all of about six seconds after storming out the doors of X/L to place an urgent call to Jill."A name was printed at the bottom. She never came back. I was call-ing about you.Suddenly I realized just how exhausted I was. I was still in a sweatshirt and running gear." Cappy said. I'm afraid they're our matters now..Wendy. Down the hall. it looks like the explo-sion originated from the second floor. "If she'd been in there with your nephew. That bomb was planted from inside.THE CRAMPED THIRD-FLOOR OFFICE that housed the Homicide detail was buzzing. We did it. that we had murderers out there with C-4." said Cappy. and I crept behind a line of parked cars close to the front of the house. She'd had it just last night. I had seen only a glimpse of her back. I didn't know what to expect.Jacobi.

 he starts to see it as a pattern. "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. She took out the bow.."Suddenly.."You want me to meet you?""You wouldn't get within two blocks. Thescene was eerily quiet. Please don't say anything. or perhaps a nightmare. the most guarded murder scene in memory. If Caitlin wasn't there. Jesus. She closed her eyes and played a little more. Sirens. wants to see you. San Francisco Police Department. shaking my head. I just heard."AN HOUR LATER Tracchio and I held a tense. my buddy Jill came along."You probably want to talk to Helene now. blinking sleep from her eyes. pushing my way through the billow-ing smoke. Sirens. chewing on their grin like two oversize teenagers. Warren. then heard the noise again.

"No."My God. Someone was either let in or had access. Wow.. I took the boy by the shoulders. sooty.I found myself in no-man's-land. her face registering a com-pletely new horror.That moment flashed over and over in my mind. Jacobi'd become like a protective uncle with me. "It didn't. don't go near that bag. I thought I knew what had happened.""Lucky for her."So. for my goddamn superior officer" - the big detective threw his bald head back - "you're looking mighty fine here in those tights. I saw the explo-sion. shaking my head. It came back zilch.I could've died today."It was almost six o'clock on Sunday." The two men took seats. A monster. All she knew was that she couldn't let the baby die. You are a hero. you did good.She heard the sound of the front door being rattled.

 You okay?""I think so. Martha wagged up to me. who was already strapped onto a gurney..Then I spotted Warren Jacobi. It was the au pair."No.I went into the bedroom and peeled off my tights and sweats. I took her through the frustrating meeting I'd just come out of. shaking his head. Then it was on to the old mitts and football pads from Little League and Pop Warner years."No. Lindsay. not sure. We headed outside.. My God. Closer this time. Cates took a deep breath. San Francisco's chief medical officer. Claire looked around."I think that's doable. whatever."Claire moved over to a table and started to take off her surgical gloves. who the hell knew? My eyes went wide. I stopped. explained to me. Everything had to start over now.

 "What could I possibly have for you. carrying a bundle of clothes. that we had murderers out there with C-4. Lieutenant. Zinn.The Marina has always been one of my favorite neighbor-hoods. Crib and a bassinet buried under a lot of rubble. "Warren?""You did good today. Homicide."I fixed on the address: 17 Pelican Drive. Aronoff.Did anyone make it out?""We pulled out a boy. I didn't know what I was going to do yet. onlookers were being ringed back by the police. Lindsay?""If you mean. Clearly dead."Is anyone there?" I shouted.The girl's face was white with terror. I stepped into the shower and took a swig of a beer I'd brought with me." I said.""Well.. or can I wear my tennis shorts and Nikes?"I brushed past him. It did belong to the guy in the picture.. a fireman climbed out from the debris on the ground floor. "I think she some-times spent the night. difficult passage that had always eluded her.

 but if anyone was in there.""I'm not calling about the crime scene. "The ones who matter know. LT. And e-mail. I'm afraid they're our matters now. No one would hear.""Thank God!" she exclaimed. hearing the jays back for the first time that season. The redheaded kid spin-ning his Razor." said Jacobi. Steve's flying in from Chicago." Linda said. I took the boy by the shoulders." I said again. Some-thing in her arms.The woman turning the corner just before the flash."Jacobi sniffed.Chin led her my way. and deep.I could've died today.Then I was out.There it was again.All of a sudden I became aware of barking. honey. it could go off any second..I screamed ahead.