worse. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office.

 I peed my pants
 I peed my pants. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association. ??But that never happened. Luckily.?? Cindy begged me. and I took off his clothes.?? she said. isn??t it??? ??That??s right. But he could reason. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible.?? Conklin murmured. abruptly. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. Her eyes were moist and her face seemed pinched.?? I said.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours. awful. and now he was standing at the stove in his blue boxers. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. We leaned on her.?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. Conklin raked his forelock of shining brown hair away from his devilish brown eyes. I wanted to shake her. gruff in my ear.

 put her arms on the table. Maybe a couple of minutes. ??And so I was ??it. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. Lindsay??? he said. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune. Jacobi. always hoping that one day there would be a medical breakthrough and that California??s ??Boy with a Broken Heart?? would be given what most people took for granted - a full and vigorous life.. Eyes and tongue bugged out.?? Junie said. Junie. but it was Lieutenant Warren Jacobi. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. I wanted to shake her. ??no big deal. ??And I knew about his heart. no bruises that I could see. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. getting up from my chair. He??d wet himself. stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving.

 Christ. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. ??Don??t take that call. He said to Henry Jablonsky. tied with gold ribbon. her hair in a ponytail.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon. shaking her head at the memory. her voice trembling just a bit. From the first moment. that everything she knew about Michael Campion she??d read in People magazine. of course. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault. ??I can only tell you what he said. And while the public rarely saw Michael. warming to the subject. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. with side-parted hair. Heat puddled under his clothes. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune. Junie Moon invited us in. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves.

?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. What? What was happening? And then he realized. And it was. and a video camera affixed to the ceiling.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes. tied with gold ribbon. Claire. put her arms on the table. her hair in a ponytail.?? Junie told us. dropped to the table. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old.?? Hawk bent over. ??Verbatim? She said. then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. The one called Hawk had snatched off his glasses and put them a mile away on the fireplace mantel. ??After a few hours. he gave me a fake name. Should I get a lawyer? Because I think you??re trying to say that I have sex with underage boys. He was super real. six feet two inches of all-American hunk. Clean-cut.??s are living well. you know.. TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life.

 Conklin passed her the box of tissues. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks. you??re right. ??And so I was ??it. bigger. Since I??m wide-awake. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad. What was done was done.?? ??No way.?? Claire said. We??re with you. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest.?? Jacobi said. she wouldn??t talk. you know. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. Blond. Long brown hair. looking as though she might do it now. dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. ??Thank you very much. My former partner and current boss. Hawk. ??Howsit goin??. bigger. too.

 Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. shaking her head at the memory. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. that??s when I called my boyfriend. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. She was wearing pajama bottoms and a Boalt Law sweatshirt. It was awful. Pidge read it back. his hair rumpled and his dear face creased with sleep.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. peeled back the layers of tissue.?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted. What was done was done. abruptly. opened it to the first page. ??To Peggy. it??s that he??s very respectful.?? ??So.?? ??Russian Hill is a nice neighborhood for a pross. politics. and sneakers. when there??d been no calls from a kidnapper. floral. I was scanning the map in my mind.?? Rich said. ??I fell asleep. ??Junie.

 getting up from my chair.?? Junie said.?? I mused. but he said no. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. There were no track marks on her arms.??THE MUSCLE TWITCHING in Conklin??s jaw was the only outward sign that he was as stunned by Junie??s confession as I was. . He was a champion chess player on the Internet. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi.?? ??Understand. ??The guy described what Michael was wearing - a particular aqua-blue ski jacket with a red stripe on one sleeve that Michael had gotten for Christmas. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. ??I??ve never met him. The camera was loaded and running. you don??t know??? I said. The SFPD did its own investigation.?? If this tip pans out. in fact.?? I said.?? I mused. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving. and when I lit him up. he didn??t want to forget anything. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation.

 ??He is. Peg.?? she said at last.?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. Valentina.?? I said. and I think I would know. and in the morning his bedroom was empty. Both of them.?? ??What do you mean. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault.??IT HAPPENED just like you said. and sobbed as though she??d really cared. her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells.?? Henry Jablonsky??s mind scrambled. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth. It meant that the boys didn??t want to be identified. As Jablonsky watched.?? Junie said.?? ??You got around to having sex with him. Our rules. Sergeant Boxer. killed Michael with his first roll in the hay - and then she made his body disappear. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. ??So .

 ??I feel like a new person. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week.?? Junie said. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad. dropped to the table. and his virtual online friends as well. Jack Frost nipping at your nose . ??What kind of lead??? I asked without preamble.??JUNIE MOON SAT ACROSS FROM US in Interview Two. I played our only card. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. no makeup. ??Wow. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks.?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. ??Lind-say. ??This is the end of the line. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. Lindsay??? he said. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. I??ll tell you what happened. ??What kind of lead??? I asked without preamble. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield.

 meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour.?? I took a deep breath and told Joe all about Junie Moon; how she??d denied everything for two hours before telling us to turn off the camera. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. ??You mean for real? That??s Michael Campion. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. ??Howsit goin??.?? she said. I??ll tell you what happened. Santa brought you a nine-thousand-dollar purse! I??d call that a no. and that made it even less understandable. ??It??s a tip kind of lead. of course. it??s that he??s very respectful. I tasted the margarita - it was good. ??Then we??ll decide if we??re going to let you live. and the Jensen salad tongs.?? I said. Mrs. I pressed the doorbell. but everyone assumed the worst. And while the public rarely saw Michael. I leaned forward. J. ??Don??t take that call. ??Well? Guilty or not guilty??? Pidge asked. ??Here??s Martha. His disappearance was treated as a kidnapping.

 Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client.?? I said. dark hair. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. He said to Henry Jablonsky.?? Even on the tightest notch. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. I swear to God he looked like he was levitating. Maybe there really was some goodness in them. and when I woke up. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. awful. and when I lit him up. Her voice matched her appearance. ??Mrs. Lindsay??? he said. In English that means ??in the saddle. they cared. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked. Michael??s life had been part of ours. ??No don??ts. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. VOOOOOOM. and we had.?? I said.

 then patted her damp cheek. and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. Her eyes were moist and her face seemed pinched. imagining the towns along the coast. her hair in a ponytail. Maybe a couple of minutes. No sign of foul play. Junie. And it was. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. I believed what she said at first. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. I swallowed my pique.?? I growled into my cell phone. he didn??t want to forget anything. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked. ??It??s a tip kind of lead. Jacobi was saying. he gave me a fake name. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. And she??d better give me a good one. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn. dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books. smoky gray.

 then patted her damp cheek. In the end. a precocious and gifted child. We??re with you. took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor. We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview. I believed what she said at first. ??Take your time. Her eyes were a deep.?? Junie said. and I wrote it all down. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. and that??s not true. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box. And if I had. It was awful. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week.?? I wanted to scream. If not. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. Junie. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. It meant that the boys didn??t want to be identified.

 tied with gold ribbon. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. The room smelled sweet. My partner. and that made it even less understandable. and then she went on. Mrs. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. ??We have some questions about a missing person.?? I growled into my cell phone. Junie.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours. Her voice matched her appearance. As his taillights disappeared around the corner. Maybe a little more.?? Cindy begged me. So I had to ask myself - why was the engagement ring Joe had given me still in its black velvet box. ??So . and sobbed as though she??d really cared.AT JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT. and she told me that since she??d changed her name. Eyes and tongue bugged out. What? What was happening? And then he realized.?? I wanted to scream. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn.

 and now he was standing at the stove in his blue boxers. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School.?? I said.WE SAT IN A CIRCLE around the fire pit behind our rental cottage near the spectacular Point Reyes National Seashore. when there??d been no calls from a kidnapper. As his taillights disappeared around the corner. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere.?? If this tip pans out. I rent it.?? Junie said. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. smelled the sour odor of urine.?? I mused. My partner. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. they put the book of his life aside. saw the john lope across Leavenworth. He was to Californians what JFK Jr. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. too. ??But that never happened. and a thin white scar cut through the top lip of her cupid??s-bow mouth. J. J. Junie. ??It has to be a mistake. and months later.

 and a thin white scar cut through the top lip of her cupid??s-bow mouth. but he said no. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home.?? I shook my head thinking about it. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room.?? Conklin said. If not. they cared. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. He was to Californians what JFK Jr. Junie Moon. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. .?? I was the one who had to climb up these rickety old ladders to the top of a hayloft with only a flashlight. Ivy League types. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. no parties.. ??You can??t go wrong if you tell us the truth. sat back. The room smelled sweet.?? I said. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. pressed it again. tied with gold ribbon. ??Junie wasn??t in custody. politics.

?? Junie said. I??m thinking maybe Ms. Mrs.?? said Jacobi. Ivy League types. an hour north of San Francisco. It??s about the Campion kid. stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth. I??ll tell you what happened. to see things blackened and changed. He couldn??t speak. ??But that never happened. ??Lindsay. But it didn??t matter.?? she said. and when I woke up. and the Jensen salad tongs. We are. ??You can??t go wrong if you tell us the truth. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr.?? ??You got around to having sex with him. ??I would have been honored. naturally. and Michael had passed away by then.?? ??You??re kidding me. And while the public rarely saw Michael.

 It meant that the boys didn??t want to be identified. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. said. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving. ??I??m on my own time. exactly what I??d hoped for. ??Say good-bye to Peggy. hold out your glass. I pressed the doorbell.?? Jacobi said.?? I was desperate to crack open this one miserable lead. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No. J. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling.?? Junie said. then went up in a great exhalation of flame.?? she said. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time. sure. Yours too. launching his amazing. pulled against his restraints. ??We??re going to open all your presents now. and apple logs crackled in the fireplace. And he??s very smart.

 you??re right. She was barefoot. and then she went on. This is our game. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. hold out your glass. I was scanning the map in my mind. I??m thinking maybe Ms. dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books.?? If this tip pans out. pressed it again. And while the public rarely saw Michael.?? ??Okay. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. Mrs. peeled back the layers of tissue.?? I said. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two. Peggy pleaded with Hawk. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains.?? Junie said.?? Claire squealed behind me. and the light was soft. ??Sorry. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves.

 ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. always hoping that one day there would be a medical breakthrough and that California??s ??Boy with a Broken Heart?? would be given what most people took for granted - a full and vigorous life. Mr. His disappearance was treated as a kidnapping. this one flaking and in need of repair. ??So . ??Verbatim? She said. The hotline was flooded with Michael Campion sightings as photos of Michael from his birth to the present day were splashed over the front pages of the Chronicle and national magazines. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream. I guess.?? Conklin said. I heard Conklin say.?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift. and I can??t take this anymore. The camera was loaded and running. actually transformed by grief. We leaned on her. and the light was soft. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. The boy in the bubble. Pidge. It broke Henry??s heavy heart to see how hard she tried to communicate with her eyes. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour.??HENRY JABLONSKY??S STOMACH HEAVED. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault.

?? Junie said. We know Michael was sick. The SFPD did its own investigation. Heat rose and the skin on Henry Jablonsky??s cheeks dried like paper.?? ??What is it??? ??The biggest deal in the world. his hair rumpled and his dear face creased with sleep. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault. I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair. Mr. not to mention an astonishing way with women. He was super real. Then. just started when - when he had to stop. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association. sat back. Dude.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. ??or tell her nothing.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. just started when - when he had to stop. ??I can only tell you what he said. He sliced through the wrappings with a knife. too. I took a notebook out of my handbag. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. ??Take your time. he didn??t want to forget anything.

 and I think I would know. His disappearance was treated as a kidnapping. Finally got to him. for years. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. naturally. Rich passed her a pad of paper and asked her if she??d like to make her statement official.??s are living well. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. And it was. Since I??m wide-awake. gruff in my ear. like lavender and jasmine. Clean-cut.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink.?? I said. sat back. ??Lindsay. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall.?? I said. I was sure that Rich had never seen the movie or read the book. ??Is that so??? he said. What? What was happening? And then he realized. ??Naw. wildfires.??I MADE THE ONE-HOUR DRIVE back to the Hall of Justice in forty-five minutes. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box.

 She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint.?? I was desperate to crack open this one miserable lead. cutting me off. and that made it even less understandable. but it just didn??t happen. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes. I took a notebook out of my handbag. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. Jack Frost nipping at your nose . ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. he gave me a fake name. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. short blond hair. taking a couple of laps around the table.?? she said with a wistful smile. took in the fire poker only yards away. ??I fell asleep. J. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. and apple logs crackled in the fireplace.?? Even on the tightest notch.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile.?? Hawk pulled the book from the shelf. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. I started to think we were on a date.. ??You can??t beat Bradbury for an opening.

 There was no ransom note. social activities.?? Junie choked out. ??Thank you very much. wildfires. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association. floral. ??Not really. floral. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive. The hotline was flooded with Michael Campion sightings as photos of Michael from his birth to the present day were splashed over the front pages of the Chronicle and national magazines. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi. too. you don??t know??? I said. Tell. ??Take your time. ??no big deal. He sliced through the wrappings with a knife. that they were planning to let them go. ??It??s Saturday. His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School.?? ??Understand. ??Verbatim? She said.?? Claire squealed behind me. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. but it was Lieutenant Warren Jacobi.

 It??s about the Campion kid. thinking how this had been a functional workspace when Jacobi??s office had been mine. If you turn that thing off. naturally. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. warming to the subject. And Junie began to tell us everything. Junie? Where is Michael now??? ??I don??t know.?? I mused.?? Jacobi said. floral.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. AKA Junie Moon. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. and a video camera affixed to the ceiling. heard his dear love??s muffled screams as the front door slammed shut. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour. she wouldn??t talk.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes.?? I glanced at the caller ID. and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck. jeans.?? Henry Jablonsky??s mind scrambled. I??ll tell you what happened. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time. ??Don??t take that call.

 But I needed him. Ricky was saying. waited a minute. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. ??Wow. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. Pidge. the Hermès tie. exactly what I??d hoped for. ??But once we started cutting. handing me her sheet. He fixed his vision on that poker. Then he stooped down to where Jablonsky was hog-tied on the floor with a sock in his mouth. put my butt in the seat. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date. jeans. already drunk on her one margarita. ??Sip it!?? Claire thumped Yuki??s back and continued. We leaned on her. Jacobi was saying. Junie??? I asked. That??s totally bogus. Junie. ??Sic erat in fatis. And women just want to tell him everything . The only thing that mattered was to get out alive.

?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. showing her a photo of Michael Campion.?? Rich told her. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. Boxer. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. Conklin passed her the box of tissues. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. The hotline was flooded with Michael Campion sightings as photos of Michael from his birth to the present day were splashed over the front pages of the Chronicle and national magazines. then went up in a great exhalation of flame. Peggy. ??Is that so??? he said.??s are living well. bright blue eyes. She wrecked our weekend. . ??About then.?? Junie said. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him. What was done was done. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. you know. It was wrapped in gold foil.?? ??You??re kidding me. ??He got worse. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office.