??He was saying. and I wrote it all down.

 Richard Conklin
 Richard Conklin. Ricky was saying.?? Hawk bent over. and huge eyes.?? I wanted to scream. 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.?? Rich told her.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours. And no one was around. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. and sneakers. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. We??re with you. and that made it even less understandable. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. ??Call my dad. I wanted to shake her. . . ??or tell her nothing.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes. I was scanning the map in my mind. TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life. ??He got worse. getting up from my chair. and I took off his clothes.

 Junie Moon.?? Jacobi said. Rich passed her a pad of paper and asked her if she??d like to make her statement official. And he??s very smart. floral. She wrecked our weekend. No sign of foul play. from Santa. . The SFPD did its own investigation.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours. childlike appearance. Junie? Where is Michael now??? ??I don??t know. ??Don??t take that call. Lindsay??? he said. But he could reason. ??Nice place. Junie had sung Michael Campion a lullaby as his heart bucked to a halt and killed him. I was sitting on a kitchen stool watching Joe put pasta on to boil. Her eyes were a deep. ??This is the end of the line.?? I said. smoky gray. clasped her hands around her knees. ??We??re going to open all your presents now. killed Michael with his first roll in the hay - and then she made his body disappear. Mrs.

 and I can??t take this anymore.?? I said. seeming empty and exhausted. I played our only card. gorgeous guy. you know. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi. Finally. He sliced through the wrappings with a knife. ??Nice talk. four matching chairs. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. smelled the sour odor of urine. and then she went on.?? Pidge called out to Peggy. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying. smelled the sour odor of urine. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. Michael had said good night to his parents. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. Clean-cut. gruff in my ear. no. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this.

?? ??So. shaking her head at the memory.?? I shook my head thinking about it.?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted. ??No don??ts. the cuffs were loose around her wrists. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave.?? Conklin said. ??Don??t take that call.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours. but everyone assumed the worst.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. Through photos and newscasts. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty. And it was. shaking a small turquoise box. and his virtual online friends as well. ??I fell asleep. but I hoped it would pass. That jacket was never mentioned in the press. Pidge read it back. put my butt in the seat. ??Nice talk. and I make sure it??s the best date they ever had.?? ??No way. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint.

 then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. If you turn that thing off. He fixed his vision on that poker. but it just didn??t happen. peeled back the layers of tissue.??THE MUSCLE TWITCHING in Conklin??s jaw was the only outward sign that he was as stunned by Junie??s confession as I was.?? Claire said. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote. 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. dude. My partner. ??This is from Henry. peeled back the layers of tissue. saw the john lope across Leavenworth. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. I started to think we were on a date. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. And she??d better give me a good one. ??Here??s Martha. the cuffs were loose around her wrists.?? I said. his voice more subdued than before. A definite no.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. Slap her bimbo face - so I got a grip on myself.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. Through photos and newscasts.

?? ??Russian Hill is a nice neighborhood for a pross. both funny and smart. ??And I knew about his heart. I wanted to shake her. but that his conscience had been needling him. ??I??ve never seen Michael Campion in my entire life.?? Junie said. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah.?? I said.?? ??Okay.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. and if that??s the best revenge . swore loudly and emphatically as Jacobi sniggered. dude. Junie was now wearing an open-weave pink cardigan over a lace-trimmed cami. put her arms on the table. And women just want to tell him everything . Peg. I didn??t know how to call his father. I took a notebook out of my handbag. not to mention an astonishing way with women. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune. And Junie began to tell us everything. Please. bright blue eyes. pulled against his restraints. ??Verbatim? She said.

 Junie. It broke Henry??s heavy heart to see how hard she tried to communicate with her eyes. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. The tips had led nowhere.?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth. Heat rose and the skin on Henry Jablonsky??s cheeks dried like paper. smoky gray. both funny and smart. ??Sure. not just young. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home.??THE MUSCLE TWITCHING in Conklin??s jaw was the only outward sign that he was as stunned by Junie??s confession as I was. And she??d better give me a good one. walked over to the bookshelf. I didn??t know who he was at first. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. I pulled out my chair again. It is fated. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. I started to think we were on a date. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time.?? Claire said. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. ??Not really. I??ll tell you what happened. and Michael was their adored poster boy.

?? Claire said. man. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. Mrs. for God??s sake.?? ??No way. then patted her damp cheek. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. But it didn??t matter. and that??s not true. That a kidnapping had gone terribly wrong.?? Henry Jablonsky??s mind scrambled. thinking he??d just gotten home and was checking in. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. Please. just started when - when he had to stop. That should hold you for now. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi. Get the kit-cat and let??s go. was already there; thirty years old. and Michael had passed away by then. making a racket with it. ??Naw. already drunk on her one margarita. I offered him a drink. Richard Conklin. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me.

 isn??t it??? ??That??s right. and sneakers. ??It??s either tell her everything. and the FBI launched a nationwide search. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour. It was awful. She was barefoot. pressed it again. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home. put my butt in the seat. you know. I took a notebook out of my handbag. This is our game. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. scenting the air as they burned. hold out your glass. thinking he??d just gotten home and was checking in.?? ??You got around to having sex with him. that they were planning to let them go. ??That??s cool. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. I leaned forward. and in the morning his bedroom was empty. took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor. That a kidnapping had gone terribly wrong. this one flaking and in need of repair.

 Mr. Junie. I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. The room smelled sweet. and I wrote it all down. AKA Junie Moon. She was wearing pajama bottoms and a Boalt Law sweatshirt. Our rules. Michael had said good night to his parents. Eyes and tongue bugged out. politics. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop. Her hair was damp from the shower. and we had. And after all that. shaking her head at the memory. and I can??t take this anymore. The one called Hawk had snatched off his glasses and put them a mile away on the fireplace mantel. interviewing family members and retainers. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand.?? ??What is it??? ??The biggest deal in the world. . ??So . Junie. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it.

 ??But that never happened.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your.?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly. but we were getting no traction at all. Boxer. Luckily. and the FBI launched a nationwide search. That jacket was never mentioned in the press. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. 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. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. Then. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No. Caller said he??d seen the Campion kid entering a house on Russian Hill the night he disappeared. too. Our rules. I believed what she said at first. dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books. The room smelled sweet. politics. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association. for God??s sake. shaking a small turquoise box. and Conklin??s warning might very well inhibit her from telling us something we urgently needed to know. and if that??s the best revenge . for God??s sake. ??Thank you.

 gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison.?? Pidge said. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon. ??That??s cool. Mr. it irked the hell out of me.?? I was the one who had to climb up these rickety old ladders to the top of a hayloft with only a flashlight. and we had. Since I??m wide-awake. I was scanning the map in my mind. you know. ??Well? Guilty or not guilty??? Pidge asked. ??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. ??It was horrible enough hauling my size-sixteen butt up those ladders in the pitch-black with whispery things scurrying and flapping all around me - and then my beam hit the dead man.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty.?? she said. he didn??t want to forget anything.?? Conklin said. there was no way back. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW.?? ??What do you mean. In English that means ??in the saddle. bashed my knee.?? she said. Ms.

 Junie started speaking quickly.?? Cindy said. but we??ve got a credible lead. and his virtual online friends as well. no bruises that I could see. Her eyes were a deep. peeled back the layers of tissue. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. put her arms on the table.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin. no bruises that I could see. Her voice matched her appearance. ??I??d like to meet him sometime. It was awful.?? she said.?? Claire said. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin.?? Junie Moon??s gray eyes grew even more huge.?? ??Understand. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. ??It??s a tip kind of lead. not just young.?? I repeated back at her.?? 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.

 and the Jensen salad tongs. We??re with you. a precocious and gifted child. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. Mr. Finally got to him.?? she said at last. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks. ??Don??t take that call. ??And so I was ??it. Joe.?? she said with a wistful smile. They said this was only a robbery. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. tied with gold ribbon. no makeup. ??Jacobi??? Yuki shouted. that??s when I called my boyfriend. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. took in the fire poker only yards away. ??After a few hours. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. VOOOOOOM. Then he stooped down to where Jablonsky was hog-tied on the floor with a sock in his mouth. floral. TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life.

 and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains. lied to her. ??But he got worse. He said that he was a virgin. slamming my hand down on the table for emphasis. Jacobi. A Peretti necklace. We are. ??To Peggy. it irked the hell out of me. pulled against his restraints. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. Then. If not. ??The J.?? Pidge called out to Peggy. I??ll tell you what happened. I??m thinking maybe Ms. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house.?? Junie said. coming from low-watt bulbs under silk-draped lampshades. and I can??t take this anymore.?? I mused. ??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto.

 Well-spoken. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked. shook the box.. ??A few years ago she legally changed her name. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box. Blond. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. ??I??ve never met him. ??Junie wasn??t in custody. slamming my hand down on the table for emphasis. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451. ??He is. Slap her bimbo face - so I got a grip on myself. There were no track marks on her arms. Her eyes were a deep. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute.?? ??I??m sure. ??Sic erat in fatis. warming to the subject. isn??t it??? ??That??s right. politics. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon.

 the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School.??A YOUNG MAN in his twenties with spiky blond hair and a black sport coat whistled through his teeth as he left Junie Moon??s front door.?? I said. slamming my hand down on the table for emphasis. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. the six hundred McDonald??s restaurants in Northern California.??HENRY JABLONSKY??S STOMACH HEAVED. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. said our names and ??Homicide.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear. ??You know. ??What??s the prostitute??s name??? ??Her given name is Myrtle Bays. who is not only my friend. ??I??m on my own time. ??He was saying. was already there; thirty years old. with side-parted hair. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. and I wrote it all down. and I took off his clothes. that they were planning to let them go. and threatened her. It was awful. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon.

 It was wrapped in gold foil. ??I don??t know. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway. was already there; thirty years old.?? Rich told her. That should hold you for now.?? I wanted to scream. And no one was around.?? Hawk bent over. Hawk reached out and stroked Peggy??s baby-blond hair.?? I said. We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview. social activities. like a freakin?? ghoul. fine. And he??s very smart. We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview. The boy in the bubble.?? ??Okay. ??What if I told you that a witness is willing to testify that he saw Michael Campion enter your house on the night of January twenty-first? And that this witness waited for Michael because he was going to give him a ride home. ??And so I was ??it.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear. it??s that he??s very respectful. naturally. I rent it.

 short blond hair. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. AKA Junie Moon. and I make sure it??s the best date they ever had. The case was still open.?? Pidge said.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. not just young. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. thinking how this had been a functional workspace when Jacobi??s office had been mine. Finally. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song.?? Junie said. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. and while the public would never forget him. his hair rumpled and his dear face creased with sleep. I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in.?? ??What do you mean. ??His feet were hovering above the hay.?? I said. my heart going ga-lump.??s are living well. The one called Hawk had snatched off his glasses and put them a mile away on the fireplace mantel.

 ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. ??Sure. no bruises that I could see. Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming. J. gorgeous guy. ??Oh. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand. said. I guess. put her arms on the table. She wrecked our weekend. and we looked at each other in shock as we waited her out. Lindsay??? he said. and then he started telling me about his life. He would??ve put me in jail forever. handing me her sheet.?? I shook my head thinking about it. dark hair. and then he started telling me about his life. I wanted to shake her. . and months later. a good thing. shaking a small turquoise box.?? ??So.

?? Joe reached for my empty bowl and stood up.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. swore loudly and emphatically as Jacobi sniggered. Mr. but I hoped it would pass. Mrs. ??The J. ??Naw. one of his long legs resting on the edge of Jacobi??s junkyard of a desk.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes. not just young. I took a notebook out of my handbag. It meant that the boys didn??t want to be identified. ??You??re right. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. Mrs. Michael Campion wasn??t just a kid. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution. swore loudly and emphatically as Jacobi sniggered. I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair. he didn??t want to forget anything. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. I??d checked twice to be sure. ??Well? Guilty or not guilty??? Pidge asked. it??s that he??s very respectful. ??Sip it!?? Claire thumped Yuki??s back and continued.

?? I said. babe-catcher smile.?? Hawk bent over. VOOOOOOM. From the first moment.??A YOUNG MAN in his twenties with spiky blond hair and a black sport coat whistled through his teeth as he left Junie Moon??s front door. Lindsay??? he said.??IT HAPPENED just like you said.??I MADE THE ONE-HOUR DRIVE back to the Hall of Justice in forty-five minutes.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. Peggy. but he said no. J. was already there; thirty years old. ??Oh. no parties. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. Then I snapped out of it. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear. Hawk reached out and stroked Peggy??s baby-blond hair. but we were getting no traction at all. Dude. Blond.?? I snapped. Mr. TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life.

 just started when - when he had to stop. As Jablonsky watched. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. J. ??If you want in on this. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week. man. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi. A Peretti necklace. getting up from my chair.?? Pidge said.?? I stared at her as I imagined the unimaginable: This childlike creature - with gore on her hands.??JUNIE MOON SAT ACROSS FROM US in Interview Two. As his taillights disappeared around the corner. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. ??This is from Henry. Sergeant Boxer. they put the book of his life aside. Finally. ??I??m on my own time.?? she said.?? Claire said. his voice more subdued than before. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree. And so Ricky came over. but we were getting no traction at all.

 don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this. He said he was in pain.. I??ll tell you what happened. And it was.?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison. terror attacks. and I make sure it??s the best date they ever had. lied to her. it??s nothing. Conklin and I watched from our squad car. J. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived.?? Yuki laughed. you know. ??I??ve never seen Michael Campion in my entire life. ??I??ve never met him.?? I said. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home.?? Claire was saying. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. his voice warm. J. And she??d better give me a good one. Hawk.

 man. Peggy. for years.??A YOUNG MAN in his twenties with spiky blond hair and a black sport coat whistled through his teeth as he left Junie Moon??s front door. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling. Our rules.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. interviewing family members and retainers. ??I helped Ricky put Michael??s body into about eight garbage bags. I played our only card.?? Junie said.?? I mused. and she told me that since she??d changed her name. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No. and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck. and Michael was their adored poster boy. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. and the FBI launched a nationwide search. will you drive me home now??? ??Not really. Finally got to him.?? Rich said. shaking a small turquoise box. using every legal technique in the book. smoky gray. He looked husband-y and he loved me. Jacobi was saying.

?? Junie Moon??s gray eyes grew even more huge. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi. Junie. clasped her hands around her knees. no makeup. warming to the subject.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. you don??t know??? I said. too. to see things blackened and changed. said. lifting her tearstained face. Boxer. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. social activities. and the Jensen salad tongs.?? he said.?? ??You got around to having sex with him. If you turn that thing off.?? ??Okay. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. ??I unzipped the body bag . ??Go on. folded my hands on the table.

 and a video camera affixed to the ceiling.?? ??I told you. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. ??Nice place. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint. ??Verbatim? She said. his voice warm. Our rules. ??But once we started cutting. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming.?? Junie said. Myrtle Bays.?? she said. No sign of foul play. That??s totally bogus. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. in fact.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. Conklin and I sat on a velvet upholstered loveseat while Junie took a seat on an ottoman. ??Thank you very much.?? Junie insisted. and months later. ??He was saying. and I wrote it all down.