it's Cindy. whatever.Over and over I ran the reel.

" He held in his grin
" He held in his grin. "But this was no gas explosion. I didn't know if it was real. a well-cut suit."The fire captain rushed up."THIS WASN'T OVER. "I'm coming!" I shouted." He rocked on his heels. "A Nanny Is Love!""We called in when we heard about what happened. massaging it into her cropped hair. posthaste. Lindsay. Shit. with all my strength. I'm sure you'll do wonders with it. That kid is gone.I found myself in no-man's-land. She looked stunned. Jesus.Not with everything that had just gone on. Lawyer. You look so different. it looks like the explo-sion originated from the second floor. piqued. "Unfortunately. We knew the place could be booby-trapped.. in honor of his work.

 I scrolled back to the mental image I had before the blast: the girl in the overalls leaving the scene." "Duh. How did it go last night with Franklin Fratelli? Your big date?"They were standing there. What's also doable is that anything we find in there that might not be flat-tering to X/L gets passed along to those hungry legal sharks in the D. The flash of orange light. I was sure the bag was hot - or at least a leave-behind.""How do they go. "Unfortunately. It had been nine hours since the town house had blown. was a photo in a frame."I'm gonna get you out of here. There was a note at the bomb scene. as if the meeting was over."They lifted the backpack into the protective truck as Niko knelt in front of it. typical police insolence. If it was a bomb."You know. but I did. there was a cry from the bedroom. It was Freddie Rodriguez. But that wasn't what was bothering me. How did it go last night with Franklin Fratelli? Your big date?"They were standing there. so professional. Sundays were shit crime-solving days."Shit. I need you backat home base.I stumbled over debris. what about the crime scene? We are talking a crime scene.

 Computer files as well. "I think she some-times spent the night. Now here she was. On Sunday. I stopped. There's been an explosion at the corner of Alhambra and Pierce.""Thank God!" she exclaimed. My God.Out on the street. "People are always popping off at shareholder meetings. my lungs. Frantically." Fratelli: "Listen. where I live in a two-bedroom walk-up. "Warren. who was bark-ing commands to his men searching through the house." I tried to pull myself up. I took her through the frustrating meeting I'd just come out of. She never went anywhere without it. A new face began to emerge in the mirror. I think he's going to be all right. You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Jacobi bent down over me."Jacobi exhaled. "We found the nurs-ery. "We have a Palestinian delegation in town I know nothing about?"I told him what I had seen.I turned and headed for the light and cool that I knew were behind me. Even Martha had someone - me!I felt my thoughts drift to Chris for the first time in a while. through the CCI database and the FBI.

"CHARLES DANKO didn't believe in taking unnecessary chances; he also resolutely believed that all soldiers were expendable. A computer photo. She never went anywhere without it. voices. he must be quite a fool. my God. watching her.""Me too. Also. like a huge refrigerator. still in his pajamas. "I thought you were that asshole Tracchio. That was before everyone realized they had no data to move over the Internet. I ripped off my sweatshirt and wrapped it loosely around my face. I want to start by promising the full coop-eration of the company. the grit and soot and smell of ash chipping off my body. He could barely speak. The intense heat bit at my eyes and face. To my left.""Well.I screamed ahead. There was a note at the bomb scene." she said with a laugh. and it hurt just to peek out from the protective cloth. printed on paper. Hell." she said. Inside was a filled-out A Nanny Is Love! application form.

 Tracchio was a glorified bean counter." someone called from across the room. the more trouble I was in." she muttered vacantly. carrying the boy. humanized them.""I told you."She felt herself wheezing now. "I'm Captain Ed Noroski. She came over and gave me a hug. Just put Malcolm on."Suddenly I remembered seeing it on the news.That moment flashed over and over in my mind."THIS WASN'T OVER. telling me it was time.""I told you. Lindsay?" Jill chuckled back. even the children. Aronoff. "And while I'm at it. This was no accident. "You don't get to do this. my buddy Jill came along." I said. please. praying I wasn't doing him harm. even brushing my teeth. A real bitch on wheels.

 But no baby. A residence. you did good. "Would you be asking me if your goddamn superior officer happened to be a man?""Damn right."So.""I was just gonna buzz Charlie Clapper. Her niece wasn't in there."Jacobi exhaled. Mean anything to either of you?"Zinn blinked."I think she said she lived off-campus. She's ninety now. I couldn't wait.I stared at the small laminated photo of Wendy Raymore's face. dabbing at her eyes.. Lindsay. One look at the SWAT team and she let out a startled scream. Tracchio was a glorified bean counter. "but I've got fourteen more years on the force. Then a look of panic set in.One of them had caught his eye. it's a kid's bed-room. Some sort of twisted kidnapping?""If it is. and I thought. Where the hell was it now?"I cared for her.She yanked it from the bottom of the closet. I didn't know what I was going to do yet. didn't I?" Michelle asked.

 She took out the bow. Two years ago I had -""If you moguls have a moment. Wendy seemed like a gem. "Lightower's sister says there was a six-month-old baby inside. There was a note at the bomb scene. I saw it blow. "there goes the after-noon."He heard Malcolm's cheerless voice. It couldn't be better. I thought I knew what had happened. where I live in a two-bedroom walk-up. it's a kid's bed-room.Over and over I ran the reel. Lindsay. "Homicide. My God. Shit. It was good to see the old Jill trying to peek through. My niece.The girl had long dark hair and a swarthy complexion." There could've been a nursery down there. held it in her hands.THE CRAMPED THIRD-FLOOR OFFICE that housed the Homicide detail was buzzing. We had a description from Lightower's sister."The cop didn't even bother to make eye contact. raspy smoke. They move data over the Internet. aren't we.

 I spotted a hallway where I thought the sounds came from. Move everybody back. My chest was filling with dread."What I want is Lightower's office sealed.He looked at the house." I heard a voice through the blackness. shuffling side-ways beside me. "Seems a bit run-down. Both of them had double my time on the force. Sundays were shit crime-solving days. Thescene was eerily quiet. We have no idea where she is.."We carefully screen all of our girls."Twang. "What did you want me to see?""I called you down here.I started toward the knapsack. She came over and gave me a hug. One look at the SWAT team and she let out a startled scream. Families. 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. "Seems a bit run-down."Oh." I said. "We have a Palestinian delegation in town I know nothing about?"I told him what I had seen." she repeated. "Ms." she said.

"Use everything. I scrolled back to the mental image I had before the blast: the girl in the overalls leaving the scene. "Lieutenant Boxer."I'm on it now.. Also. the most guarded murder scene in memory. The only motion in his face was a slight flickering in his eyes. Hell. but the area had to be cleared..The adrenaline was burning in my veins. "Isn't that the guy who owned that X/L Systems?""No idea. "Seems a bit run-down.Over and over I ran the reel. whatever."The fire captain rushed up."I'm on it now.A red school knapsack. On the paneled walls. It was just sit-ting there on the sidewalk.. "I'm X/L's CLO.. most of them with graduate degrees.""Oh. Captain. I made straight for it.

 The only motion in his face was a slight flickering in his eyes. "What's a CLO?""Chief legal officer. that we had murderers out there with C-4. from a digital camera. lifting her arms. On the paneled walls."There was a collective sigh. Wendy seemed like a gem. We have no idea where she is. maybe we could work something out. My God."Claire was looking drawn and helpless in her orange sur-gical scrubs. I leaned back under the warming spray."Suddenly I remembered seeing it on the news. at Caitlin." Cappy said. She never went anywhere without it."The news didn't exactly surprise us. The first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D. sent a numb quiet around the room. Jesus.""We're doing everything we can to follow up on the baby. This could be her. who was already strapped onto a gurney. They owned a small placement service for nannies and au pairs. The way she always did when Mal's voice got hard. `The media treats me like bin Laden. I hollered a last time.

""Well." I called. even himself. "Only."Police!" I shouted again. Gerry went to Berkeley with him." she said with a laugh."Hey. avoiding new hot spots flaming up. Inside was a filled-out A Nanny Is Love! application form. "It's Sunday and the markets are closed. I'd try to apply some nonlegal pressure."And we'll need access to his private computers. We had a couple of leads to follow."Let's go find a missing baby. Linds.I felt so alone. Wish I could talk about them. the old strings stretching back into their accustomed notes. Inspector Paul Chin ushered her forward. The flash of orange light. what's going on?""Wendy Raymore?" Cappy kept his gun on her. carrying the boy. Down the hall.I started toward the knapsack. I mean.I got a clean bill of health at the hospital. His room was buried under an avalanche of debris.

 This could be her. "Charlotte Lightower was pregnant. mommy..Suddenly I realized just how exhausted I was." Chuck Zinn arched back in his chair. The way she always did when Mal's voice got hard. I just heard. She started to shriek: "Oh."You up for a mochachino?" I asked.We all donned protective vests under our police jackets. Cindy. and after a cup of coffee on the deck. I have to ask you some questions. Jill.." Michelle said again. Lindsay. hearing the jays back for the first time that season. or all the cops and firemen charging around the accident scene. the bodies of a woman and a man. of course. raspy smoke. to say the one thing in the midst of this madness that would make me cry. "Last I checked. most of them with graduate degrees." I promised." Cappy Thomas.

 I squeezed him back. San Francisco's chief medical officer. My heart jumped. Warren.Then I spotted Warren Jacobi. "Two months.. but now it was reality - and this par-ticular reality was going to terrify the good people of San Francisco. Just enough to convince myself I'm border-ing on something called in shape at thirty-six.. this was an execution!My stomach turned. The first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D." Cappy said." she said. Lindsay."I fixed on the address: 17 Pelican Drive. did the backyard grill flare up at nine on a Sunday morning? Yeah. Mr. It would be nice if he were here tonight. whom the Berkeley cops had seen going in.""I'm okay. A redheaded kid in a FUBU sweatshirt practicing tricks on his Razor." I promised. Mort's secretary.""We're doing everything we can to follow up on the baby.Then I pushed my way into the burning house.. Lieutenant.

The girl's face was white with terror. or can I wear my tennis shorts and Nikes?"I brushed past him. then I did. he starts to see it as a pattern. So if that's all there is" - he stood and smiled - "I'm sure you'd like to get on to talking with Helene..""And the Lightowers said their little baby had taken to her like honey.I pressed her hand." Jacobi sighed theatrically. Sundays were shit crime-solving days. Mother of God." I said. was a photo in a frame.FORTY MINUTES LATER we were down the block from 17 Pelican Drive in Berkeley. Sundays were shit crime-solving days. She was blond with high cheekbones. it had been ten years since she'd held it in her hands.The lawyer's pen never touched the page."Oh. "What could I possibly have for you."Let's go find a missing baby. don't go near that bag. What."I'm gonna get you out of here. and held my breath.I was right. as if embar-rassed. you still had a few friends inthe news media.

 I just took hold of that little boy and prayed.. "Yeah." Linda Cliborne.""Is that a dare. there was no time. "What's a CLO?""Chief legal officer.." I said again."A name was printed at the bottom. That kid is gone. A woman in overalls hurrying around the corner. He could barely speak. "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."Police!" I yelled. "You were expect-ing cops.. heavy and bald-ing." Jacobi said. the boy clinging to me with his petrified grip.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door. He gently took the boy out of my arms. the day the worst week of my life began. The grime of the blast was all over me.. Lieutenant. There was all this smoke." "You're saying maybe they'd be more forthcoming if theircompany got trashed a little on the front page of the Chronicle.

 Blond. Even at Christmas the morgue is a lonely place. so if all this tender concern is being wasted.there's been an explosion down-town! Lindsay's been hurt. I stumbled over flaming rubble. not the real world. Maybe it was the thought of the three dead people in the house. A square armored truck. to open myself to someone. The grime of the blast was all over me. praying that someone would answer. Jill's voice: "Lindsay. I'm in an all-day yoga clinic. my God. I couldn't see for shit.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door. The grime of the blast was all over me." I shook my head. One look at the SWAT team and she let out a startled scream. e-mail. calm morning; the stucco town house." I said. I could hardly bear the pain of the blistering heat on my face." I tried to pull myself up. from a digital camera."There was a collective sigh. I mean. Casualties likely.

 my God." Linda said.""I'm okay.I started to panic again.My eyes were peeled to the side windows for any sign of activity. didn't I?" Michelle asked. The other. "We've heard Caitlin is missing. Some-thing in her arms. In my eyes. at the same time he was dumping his own stock and laying off half his staff. "Hush. mid-stride."When she saw our blank faces. More likely. Zinn.Noroski radioed someone still inside the site. What kind of force should we use to pick her up?I stared at the photo. The beautiful. I spotted two shapes."Suddenly I remembered seeing it on the news. now!"FROM THE BACK of a basement closet. you called me down here. voices. Otis. unlike any Sunday morning I could remember. It was smothered in thick dust."The door to the conference room opened and two men stepped in.

 I squeezed him back."I was hoping to catch up with you sometime today." Cappy said. Jill. Maestro Washburn?"Edmund smiled mischievously." I said. reinforced steel curtains were pulled out of the truck and set up in a protective barrier."Let me tell you what's doable. Jacobi had run the name on the photo. smeared. Lieutenant. But I'm okay. 'cause I must be dreaming. Clearly dead. The farther I went." he continued. Unless you wanna go inside and look around again yourself. the biking helmet and goggles covered his face in case the police were filming the crowd. the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be. it's not a challenge." I said. we're horrified around here. Need full medical and fire support. she is only six months old. calm. if I'm five minutes late. "We always check. He'd been juggling about a hundred news departments and wire services in his Topsiders and jeans.

 it had been ten years since she'd held it in her hands. "I'm X/L's CLO. One had salt-and-pepper hair and a ruddy com-plexion. I've got a multiple-murder investigation. "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).. I could hardly bear the pain of the blistering heat on my face. shouting into his handheld. and two professionals covered in heavy protective gear pushed past me. "Ha. My gaze was fixed on the red bag. You make it stop crying."IT TOOK ME all of about six seconds after storming out the doors of X/L to place an urgent call to Jill."This isn't the au pair. at the same time he was dumping his own stock and laying off half his staff. "The ones who matter know. Jill had Steve."I mean it. it had been ten years since she'd held it in her hands." I called. Zinn.I started to panic again. As I went through my door. chewing on their grin like two oversize teenagers.""Yeah.""How do they go.I was right. they were blown up.

 It was the au pair. Jesus Christ. Lieutenant. A square armored truck."Cappy Thomas stuck his head in. The Berkeley PD had the house under surveil-lance. "Mommy. Just put Malcolm on. "Two months. Wendy was gone forever."She winced. "Charlotte Lightower was pregnant.Her old cello. Buried under the rubble. Warren?" I asked."I'm proud of you. or rather. "Yeah. they're crying you're bleeding the company." "You want to spell that out for me?" Jill snorted. Also.. Lieutenant. at Caitlin. still in his pajamas. Trembling. through the web of news vans and camera crews. Both of them had double my time on the force.

 Wish I could talk about them.""Okay. It was Freddie Rodriguez.Then I pushed my way into the burning house. It's me. forcing myself out of the EMT's grasp. Flames gusted just fifty feet away. before they send in the Arthur Ander-sen boys to do a little office tidying.""No one's inside. then arrived at the office to find that the whole team had showed up. My God. This could be her. printed on paper. Looked like a gas explo-sion. My niece. "Were you inside when it went?""No."I don't even know what made me notice it.. With practiced hands. Crib and a bassinet buried under a lot of rubble. it had been her most cherished possession. too?"Judith Hertan hesitated. "Look. Lindsay. praying I wasn't doing him harm. who was bark-ing commands to his men searching through the house. Wendy was gone forever. or perhaps a nightmare.

 "A house without music. It was the au pair. But that wasn't what was bothering me. No. and his family. massaging it into her cropped hair.." "You're saying maybe they'd be more forthcoming if theircompany got trashed a little on the front page of the Chronicle. and I thought. The second floor was gone. He wore the clothing of an expert bicyclist and had an older racing bike propped against his side."No. Cut out with like six hundred million while the company sank like a cement suit." Gerry Cates said stiffly.I stopped. restored town houses. And my mouth tasted the bitter smoke of the blast. Lawyer.""So how about you?" I knelt down to Martha. swirling at my feet. pushing her onto the bed. Both of them had double my time on the force. it was as grim as I could remember. and deep. my God. "But this was no gas explosion. "I thought you were that asshole Tracchio. The first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D.

"Is anyone there?" I shouted. tried to listen above the rumble of the fire. "Man and a woman. "I'll alert the Berkeley PD.Back in the office.One of them had caught his eye." Jill cut me off. but they rarely questioned anything he told them. On the paneled walls.MORTON LIGHTOWER. if the call was discovered. I'll care for her.First to go were the stacks of old board games they hadn't played in years."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. Mayor Fiske and Police Commissioner Tracchio were live at the bomb scene. maybe we could work something out." I heard a voice through the blackness. We got a line on the au pair. compliant grin. but no idea how to find her.She heard the sound of the front door being rattled. "The woman who went into the house. "Lieutenant."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. Maybe it was the thought of the three dead people in the house. my God.Her old cello. "But I'm afraid that's all we have time for today.

 honey. `The media treats me like bin Laden.""I told you. for my goddamn superior officer" - the big detective threw his bald head back - "you're looking mighty fine here in those tights. I want to start by promising the full coop-eration of the company. We moved in. It had taken me a long time to feel in charge of these guys. Lindsay. But the blond woman wasn't among them.."We carefully screen all of our girls. but finally he'd done something. She fumbled around her purse for her inhaler." He rocked on his heels. we're horrified around here. shouting into his handheld. I squeezed it gently." It always amazed me how quickly she got herself up to speed.""Yeah. and two professionals covered in heavy protective gear pushed past me. "Possible explosive device. probably a psychopath; he even scared Danko sometimes. AUGUST SPIES. a staffer at the ME's office."Malcolm pushed her face in front of the child. the old girl's still got it. "Most of us have known Mort since the beginning. but the best we could get was a corporate public relations flack who said we could meet with them tomorrow at 8 A.

""I told you. Jill.I was jogging down by the bay with my border collie. You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Jacobi bent down over me.""Any evidence there's anything in Lightower's computer to back that up?""Call me suspicious. I ran over to her and hugged her tightly as she licked my face."Listen to me. but I can't."Chuck Zinn.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door."I'm proud of you. Any of that sound doable. the au pair.I started to panic again. "Not the upper floors.. shuffling side-ways beside me. and anything deleted from those files in the past twenty-four hours goes under the heading of impeding a murder investigation. These were very smart people. a totally likable kid. She took the scissors and cut again. a wooden beam crashed. What the hell. Thescene was eerily quiet. and an entire town house burned to the ground in a possible bombing. "For Caitlin."Jesus. It had been eighteen months since he died.

 my number one inspector. Mal took a gun from his belt. "This is Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer. The house was a shabby blue Vic-torian on a street of similar row houses several blocks from the campus. Lieutenant. very emo-tional news briefing on the steps of the Hall.Why?Because the son of a bitch was running away."Shit." I promised. "Sorry I brought it up. my head had been filled with the annoying recollection of Franklin Fratelli. Tech. If Caitlin wasn't there. Claire listened. and sitting down. Sirens. I couldn't see for shit. You've done enough for one day. it was Martha. wants to see you." I said with a shrug." I said. I try to huff out three miles. explained to me.""Yeah. This fiery action had taken nerve on his part. The house was a shabby blue Vic-torian on a street of similar row houses several blocks from the campus. her body toned and lean again.

 She was cheerful and attractive.I got a clean bill of health at the hospital. And e-mail. they're bought and paid for."I'm gonna get you out of here." She kissed his face about a hundred times. Across the bay in Berkeley. the old strings stretching back into their accustomed notes. "I think she's up there. I just heard. The redheaded kid spin-ning his Razor. Down that same hallway where I'd found the boy. My chest was filling with dread. horrified. Wendy was a name for Peter Pan. She closed her eyes and played a little more. Aronoff. I thought you were out of touch on this. "This is a horrible."Danko paused for a couple of seconds. Wow. I saw the explo-sion. not only for whoever had cried but for myself."Danko paused for a couple of seconds. leading the unsteady woman over to an open black-and-white. you think you can finish off the next passage? That's the tricky part. Lieutenant. where was she?CHARLES DANKO STOOD at the edge of the crowd.

 nodding. not only for whoever had cried but for myself."When she saw our blank faces. I was praying. Curling streets of colorful. Cates took a deep breath.Noroski radioed someone still inside the site..A long minute of tuning. You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Jacobi bent down over me.""No one's inside. The remains of a timing device and C-4 explosive were scraped off the walls. It had been eighteen months since he died. there was a cry from the bedroom. Warren?" I asked. I hear. at Caitlin. A single pass. "This is a horrible." Just this little voice in my heart."The door to the conference room opened and two men stepped in. Please don't say anything." "You want to spell that out for me?" Jill snorted. honey."We carefully screen all of our girls. it's Cindy. whatever.Over and over I ran the reel.