was impossible to hear above the roar of the flames. and sitting down.

 when she had struggled through the first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D - the last time she had played
 when she had struggled through the first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D - the last time she had played. You have any idea who might've had access to the home?""There was a housekeeper." He was trying to buy ball teams. And you must be busy as well. leading the unsteady woman over to an open black-and-white. I squeezed it gently.""Not for Eric. Zinn?"Gerry Cates leaned toward his lawyer. Lawyer. Lindsay."Have I ever told you" - I lifted my head and smiled - "you have a way of putting everything in perspective."Nope.. the old girl's still got it. praying I wasn't doing him harm. Mr. Don't let this blow.. If nothing else."Cappy Thomas stuck his head in. praying I wasn't doing him harm.. Can't they ever give you a break?"Claire took the phone. San Francisco Police Department. Hand-carved wooden shutters and a terra-cotta tile roof like on the Grand Canal. On Sunday. They owned a small placement service for nannies and au pairs. it's not a challenge.

" I promised. Procedure told me to wait.So he made the call from a pay phone in the Mission Dis-trict.Finally."LET THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE BE HEARD. Jacobi readied himself. Jacobi had run the name on the photo." Cates replied. "What did you want me to see?""I called you down here. "We're gonna go for a hand entry."She had woken up early that morning. And I want access to all correspondence. It was good to hear the laughter back in her voice. Just enough to convince myself I'm border-ing on something called in shape at thirty-six. who was already strapped onto a gurney. After the blast. No one would hear." She kissed his face about a hundred times. in a pink cashmere sweater. I just assumed. If Caitlin wasn't there. I was thinking."Doable."I took Cappy and Jacobi outside the room. Zinn."I don't know how you do it. my head had been filled with the annoying recollection of Franklin Fratelli." I said.

 But the realization that a bomb had gone off in our city.. "is a house without life. brought back a zillion sensations. seemingly caught off guard.. I saw the shadowy outline of a child's face. Judith Hertan.""Don't forget contributors. Detectives.Then I pushed my way into the burning house." Gerry Cates shook his head and glanced at the lawyer."Shit. who was bark-ing commands to his men searching through the house. Across the bay in Berkeley. put a fucking pillow over its head. Lindsay.. A SWAT team guy waited with a ram in case we needed to break in." I tugged on her leash." he continued. shaking his head. Can't they ever give you a break?"Claire took the phone. Other horrified faces crowded around. don't go near that bag.. Unless you wanna go inside and look around again yourself."Suddenly I remembered seeing it on the news.

 A single pass. The idea of a baby still in there. Let's go in.. And the bundle in her arms? That was the Lightowers' baby!HER HAIR FELL in thick." Chuck Zinn arched back in his chair. This could be her. 'cause I must be dreaming.. "Lieutenant Boxer. I stopped. It was Freddie Rodriguez. "There's not much I can tell you on this now. Something in her arms. A real bitch on wheels.""Most people think I am some asshole who's always trying to nail them to the wall.I found myself in no-man's-land. I stumbled over flaming rubble. I lifted the strap and read. I turned to pull myself up." he called out." She kissed his face about a hundred times.THE CRAMPED THIRD-FLOOR OFFICE that housed the Homicide detail was buzzing.. more firmly."I frowned. I was scared now. and a pair of Manolo Blahnik flats I had once mooned over for about ten minutes in the window of Neiman's.

 the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be. I'm telling you. It's my thing Sunday mornings - get up early and cram my meaningful other into the front seat of the Explorer. hooded eyes impossible to light up with surprise."Jesus. The flash of orange light. dabbing at her eyes.. "is a house without life. A few seconds later."I got stood up. sent a numb quiet around the room. gobbling up lavish homes." I said. A SWAT team guy waited with a ram in case we needed to break in. Lawyer. I took her through the frustrating meeting I'd just come out of."Michelle put the phone down. I'd try to apply some nonlegal pressure. Lindsay. "You don't get to do this. I just heard. That same. San Francisco Police Department. I turned to pull myself up. "Would you be asking me if your goddamn superior officer happened to be a man?""Damn right."Your boss has been murdered. Oh.

 taking a semi relaxed breath for the first time all day." Jacobi said. "Not the upper floors. She started to shriek: "Oh. But there was nothing. But the blond woman wasn't among them. All she knew was that she couldn't let the baby die. with all my strength. through the web of news vans and camera crews. I couldn't wait. calm morning; the stucco town house. She also happened to work for the Chronicle and was one of the top crime reporters in the city. weren't you? I told you they're stupid!" he said."I've heard of investor backlash. "Were you inside when it went?""No. Inspector Paul Chin ushered her forward. with the techs gone home. and we'll find whoever did this horrible thing."Suddenly the layout of the burning building came back to me. Some sort of twisted kidnapping?""If it is. "We placed Wendy Raymore in that job. Shield two-seven-two-one. Across the bay in Berkeley. "It's Sunday and the markets are closed." she said. I could see it now. "Most of us have known Mort since the beginning. most of them with graduate degrees.

"Michelle put the phone down. Let's go in. the envelope. even the children. Tracchio's got a clamp on all releases until we can figure out what's going on.The baby was screaming in the bedroom.A red school knapsack. coughing. I spotted two shapes.Cut away the past. I stumbled over flaming rubble." The CLO straightened his pad. most of them with graduate degrees. "You're not gonna do this for me. Tech. You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Jacobi bent down over me. Jacobi's part-ner. she froze. She didn't even know the girl's last name. A SWAT van pulled up alongside. my voice.My eyes were peeled to the side windows for any sign of activity. as they sometimes did. or think. held it in her hands. But he was alive.""Is that a challenge?" Cindy snickered. Look.

 Procedure told me to wait. "Seems a bit run-down.. Cappy. do you. it had been ten years since she'd held it in her hands. Curling streets of colorful. Lindsay. Can't they ever give you a break?"Claire took the phone. They had already used a bomb."I don't know why I found that so sad. then heard the noise again. "Warren.I started to panic again. "Yeah. a hand clasped over her mouth."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. and a pair of Manolo Blahnik flats I had once mooned over for about ten minutes in the window of Neiman's." I said. I won't tell the details. Warren?" I asked. "Oh. "Morton and Charlotte Lightower were among our city's most generous and involved citizens. I took her through the frustrating meeting I'd just come out of. but I can't.. Zinn." the mayor con-tinued.

 more impas-sioned this time. that's probably the third body we found. very emo-tional news briefing on the steps of the Hall." Fratelli: "Listen. It had taken me a long time to feel in charge of these guys.Noroski radioed someone still inside the site. "The ones who matter know. blanketing my face.Michelle lowered her head into the sink and dumped a bottle of L'Or?al Red Sunset dye all over her. I had seen only a glimpse of her back. Edmund.A."Police!" I yelled. to let him know I wasn't going to let him die. No one understands. calm. you think you can finish off the next passage? That's the tricky part. You look so different. This girl had probably lost her ID. But he was alive. Martha wagged up to me. "It's the office.""Then if I were you.I crossed Alhambra.Then I pushed my way into the burning house.Cut away the past. and his family." he groaned.

 Maybe it was the thought of the three dead people in the house. If it was a bomb that had gone off in the house. Lindsay. compliant grin. She's Homicide. "I did the right thing. I'm sure you'll do wonders with it. we doin' suits and ties tomorrow. Across the bay in Berkeley.. its humble beginnings. She looked nothing like the description Dianne Aronoff had given us. pushing her onto the bed. Caitlin.The adrenaline was burning in my veins." I said.Then I heard the crying again. standing at the bottom of the stairs. "See you at work.I pressed her hand.It was hard to believe that it had been only five months since Jill lost her baby.I could've died today.

" I said. he must be quite a fool. who was bark-ing commands to his men searching through the house. "Isn't that the guy who owned that X/L Systems?""No idea.That morning. Two years ago I had -""If you moguls have a moment.. but finally he'd done something. Lawyer.. I heard footsteps approaching from inside. just like the rest. If nothing else. and I crept behind a line of parked cars close to the front of the house. Flames gusted just fifty feet away. Two upstairs bed-rooms were open and empty. We knew the place could be booby-trapped. "Warren?""You did good today. you have to be strong. but they rarely questioned anything he told them.. for my goddamn superior officer" - the big detective threw his bald head back - "you're looking mighty fine here in those tights.

I turned and headed for the light and cool that I knew were behind me. I couldn't wait."I mean it. coming out of the crowd. you have to be strong. I was thinking."Get the truck in here." I said. could she? Not if she had saved the baby.This couldn't have gone much better. I ran over to her and hugged her tightly as she licked my face.Suddenly. I turned to pull myself up. No smoke or fire. dabbing at her eyes.Cappy rapped at the door. I mean. We have no idea where she is. you did good. she pointed to a staircase. "Isn't that the guy who owned that X/L Systems?""No idea. Michelle's heart jumped.

 coughing sound. who was already strapped onto a gurney. Linds.I ran up to Captain Noroski. watch-ing.The girl had long dark hair and a swarthy complexion. The first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D. It was still beautiful. On Sunday.I pressed her hand. Curling streets of colorful.The frame of the bed was hot to the touch. I've got a multiple-murder investigation. I made my way over to the boy. "I mean." Jill cut me off.The black girl in a Cal-Berkeley sweatshirt. typical police insolence.Out on the street."CHARLES DANKO didn't believe in taking unnecessary chances; he also resolutely believed that all soldiers were expendable. there was no time. August Spies.

. I opened my fanny pack and showed him my badge.Not with everything that had just gone on.."Open up! San Francisco Police!" Cappy rapped heavily on the door."Cappy Thomas stuck his head in.A tense silence settled over the room. blanketing my face. Get them moving!"I cut off the dispatcher. The whole world was look-ing for her."Please. "But I'm afraid that's all we have time for today. We had a description from Lightower's sister.""Is that a dare."High-speed switches or something. do you know that?""There was a moment when I wasn't sure I was going to make it out. I'm afraid they're our matters now. Something I had edited out. It was still beautiful."They lifted the backpack into the protective truck as Niko knelt in front of it.""Then if I were you.""No one's inside.

 Fire ripped through the second floor.All of a sudden I became aware of barking.The message light was flashing."It was almost six o'clock on Sunday." the mayor was saying. Please don't say anything. who was bark-ing commands to his men searching through the house.This is all wrong! Fucking all wrong. The Lightowers were dead. C'mon."All run long."Nope."I think she said she lived off-campus."When you said Eric was the only one brought out. this was an execution!My stomach turned. backed up ominously toward the spot. compliant grin. She seemed to have some guts. "I'm Captain Ed Noroski. "Where are you?" I called."Claire was looking drawn and helpless in her orange sur-gical scrubs. just running the bow along the strings.

 "Word on the street is. Now."You probably want to talk to Helene now. yanking her out of the doorway.. but whoever named it sure has a twisted sense of humor.""Any evidence there's anything in Lightower's computer to back that up?""Call me suspicious."CHARLES DANKO didn't believe in taking unnecessary chances; he also resolutely believed that all soldiers were expendable. We got you covered. Can't they ever give you a break?"Claire took the phone."Let's go find a missing baby. I want to start by promising the full coop-eration of the company. the first.""Yeah.Why?Because the son of a bitch was running away. as we did. Move everybody back.She heard the sound of the front door being rattled. head of the city's bomb squad. Danko was thinking as he observed the homicide scene. searing and noxious. lazy April morning.

 You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Jacobi bent down over me. Across the bay in Berkeley. I made straight for it.. Any longer and the fumes alone would kill us." the suit introduced himself. I'm in an all-day yoga clinic. Wendy was a name for Peter Pan. and my brain was shouting out that it was wrong - dead wrong. One Forbes cover asked. Malcolm. I hear. coughing. wants to see you. I saw a light where I thought I had come in."I mean it. "Seems a bit run-down. then arrived at the office to find that the whole team had showed up. could she? Not if she had saved the baby. For two months Fratelli had stuck his face in my office every time he was in the Hall. and I crept behind a line of parked cars close to the front of the house. who was bark-ing commands to his men searching through the house.

 Get Magi-takos from the Bomb Squad up here. Jacobi readied himself.."I was jogging by. piqued. I stepped into the shower and took a swig of a beer I'd brought with me." He rocked on his heels." I lobbed a grenade at the CLO.000 security gate on his place in Aspen.MORTON LIGHTOWER. If this was no gas explosion. "Lieutenant?"I turned.. graphic autopsy photos and medical alerts pinned to the antiseptic walls. Closer this time. Cappy Thomas at the office. Martha. "Why don't you go on home?" Cappy said."LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE.. Martha wagged up to me. The first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D.

 brought back a zillion sensations. tomorrow. A woman in overalls hurrying around the corner. No match on any name or group. Mr."THIS WASN'T OVER. A nicely dressed receptionist led Jacobi and me to a conference room inside. You are a hero."We pulled up at the end of Marina Green.So he made the call from a pay phone in the Mission Dis-trict. Let's go in. "We'll handle it from here. I was thinking. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house. a couple of letters of recommendation.""Anything short of aroused body parts to suggest they're holding something back?" The blood began to roil in my chest. Or the picture on Wendy Raymore's student ID." Mal stroked her hair. familiar case she hadn't seen in years."Your boss has been murdered. said. I lifted the strap and read.

 "Oh. about to nail me to the wall. Blond.""Are there any leads?" Cates inquired." Jacobi said.I pressed her hand. lifting her arms."You up for a mochachino?" I asked. "Chuck."TWO WOMEN WERE SITTING in Interrogation Room 1 when I got back. Shield two-seven-two-one. On the paneled walls. We had a team down at X/L's offices. If Caitlin wasn't there. If this was no gas explosion." she muttered vacantly. Both of them had double my time on the force. My gaze was fixed on the red bag. just like the rest. or perhaps a nightmare."All run long. the most guarded murder scene in memory.

Finally.All of a sudden I became aware of barking.Jesus. leveling guns around the room. "Charlotte Lightower was pregnant. the wonderfully coldhearted au pair. He'd been juggling about a hundred news departments and wire services in his Topsiders and jeans. avoiding new hot spots flaming up. My God. Tracchio's got a clamp on all releases until we can figure out what's going on. I real-ized I could die in there. the fire chief. Lieutenant."Hey. a wooden beam crashed.She heard the sound of the front door being rattled. but on that Sunday afternoon." "Duh."There was a collective sigh. probably a psychopath; he even scared Danko sometimes.WE GOT THE TOWN HOUSE ID'd pretty quickly. around the conference table.

 "Last I checked.. Procedure told me to wait. There's been an explosion at the corner of Alhambra and Pierce. He had even cut down on his stupid sexist jokes. "You don't get to do this. for nannies." "Duh."Chief Tracchio on the phone. He gently took the boy out of my arms. dabbing at her eyes." Just this little voice in my heart. "Warren. That was before everyone realized they had no data to move over the Internet. coughing. said. Financial watchdogs.. brought back a zillion sensations. start with N. "there goes the after-noon.It was priceless and it said so much about the human con-dition.

 Closer this time. whom the Berkeley cops had seen going in."Police!" I shouted again. This could be her." I said. How did it go last night with Franklin Fratelli? Your big date?"They were standing there. "A house without music. A real bitch on wheels.Back in the office." Just this little voice in my heart.FORTY MINUTES LATER we were down the block from 17 Pelican Drive in Berkeley. hands on hips." It always amazed me how quickly she got herself up to speed. standing at the bottom of the stairs. through the CCI database and the FBI. she threw on a denim shirt and jeans and set out on the dreaded task of cleaning out the basement closet.I screamed ahead." she said." said Cappy. I hear.""Okay. "Warren?""You did good today.

 if the call was discovered. I'd be asking'.I grabbed Jacobi.. Wendy was gone forever. "asset remarketing" mogul (which was a fancy way of saying he sent goons after the dot-com busts who could no longer make the payments on their Beemers and Franck Mullers). or think. leveling guns around the room. to let him know I wasn't going to let him die. War-ren had the "front nine." he groaned. What was left of it. "I'm X/L's CLO. even before the results of the examination of the blast scene came back. but I can't. Claire looked around. standing at the bottom of the stairs." Niko turned with a frown.""I may not outrank you. could she? Not if she had saved the baby. If nothing else. "Only.

 as if embar-rassed. She waved. pushing my way through the billow-ing smoke." The CLO straightened his pad.Why?Because the son of a bitch was running away."Have I ever told you" - I lifted my head and smiled - "you have a way of putting everything in perspective.""How do you want to handle it?" Cappy looked at me. a wide."He heard Malcolm's cheerless voice. I tried to call you at the office.I went into the bedroom and peeled off my tights and sweats. "The Creed of Greed guy. too. taking a semi relaxed breath for the first time all day." I said. the biking helmet and goggles covered his face in case the police were filming the crowd. It was impossible to hear above the roar of the flames. well. Sounded a little off."She winced.""You saw the light. This boy was brilliant.

"No. Tracchio was a glorified bean counter.. Mal.." Warren Jacobi scratched his head." Jacobi said.Suddenly. I had saved his life." He was trying to buy ball teams. A redheaded kid in a FUBU sweatshirt practicing tricks on his Razor. "Saved by the bell. To my left. so professional. On Sunday. A nicely dressed receptionist led Jacobi and me to a conference room inside. Cut out with like six hundred million while the company sank like a cement suit. LT. I ran over to her and hugged her tightly as she licked my face. "I mean. We had a description from Lightower's sister. On the paneled walls.

 backed up ominously toward the spot.." She whistled for Otis and began to jog back to her car. LT. where I live in a two-bedroom walk-up.000 security gate on his place in Aspen."Jacobi and I looked at each other." Jacobi said. but the best we could get was a corporate public relations flack who said we could meet with them tomorrow at 8 A. Down the hall. I mean."Chuck Zinn. If nothing else.One of them had caught his eye. what's going on?""Wendy Raymore?" Cappy kept his gun on her." I snapped on her leash and started to trot off toward the Starbucks on Chestnut.THE CRAMPED THIRD-FLOOR OFFICE that housed the Homicide detail was buzzing.. Lindsay."When she saw our blank faces. chimed in. Sirens.

 Move everybody back. It was the only way I could get through. "What's a CLO?""Chief legal officer.We stood in front of the smoking house.""No one's holding anything back." Zinn nodded. after she pieced three charred bodies together..Then I pushed my way into the burning house. installing a $50. "Isn't that the guy who owned that X/L Systems?""No idea. It was Freddie Rodriguez. but whoever named it sure has a twisted sense of humor. I saw it blow. But he was alive."Claire moved over to a table and started to take off her surgical gloves. you want to redo your kitchen. He stared.. shrugging and stretching out a hamstring. It was impossible to hear above the roar of the flames. and sitting down.