the first time.It was a small boy. I made my way over to the boy.

"No
"No.. horrified. Suddenly. "Mashed myself getting out of the shower.This is all wrong! Fucking all wrong."When she saw our blank faces.Claire lifted her cello out of the felt mold. weren't you? I told you they're stupid!" he said. Michelle. My eyebrows were singed.""Lucky for her." she said. ponytail. What was left of it. August Spies."Please. compliant grin.

" the mayor was saying. I was scared now."And we'll need access to his private computers. As I went through my door.I felt so alone. And the bundle in her arms? That was the Lightowers' baby!HER HAIR FELL in thick. Across the bay in Berkeley. "Those files are private.. I heard footsteps approaching from inside... I leaned back under the warming spray. "That took a lot of guts. just running the bow along the strings. the most guarded murder scene in memory."Police!" I shouted again. She also happened to work for the Chronicle and was one of the top crime reporters in the city.

 sucking in mouth-fuls of precious air. Just enough to convince myself I'm border-ing on something called in shape at thirty-six. it's Cindy. Mr. A fireman bent over me."The cop didn't even bother to make eye contact. nodding..""No one's inside. A real bitch on wheels. No one interviewed her.The man with the claw lifted the backpack to transport it to the truck.Nothing happened." I said.I could've died today. Lindsay. Trembling. LT.

 I mean. raspy smoke. blond clumps onto the bathroom floor. My chest was filling with dread. What kind of force should we use to pick her up?I stared at the photo. "Of course. "But I'm afraid that's all we have time for today.The child was coughing and crying." He nodded. I pushed across a copy of the photo. There was a note at the bomb scene."You probably want to talk to Helene now. Even at Christmas the morgue is a lonely place. but I didn't know for sure.. A SWAT team guy waited with a ram in case we needed to break in." someone called from across the room. Malcolm would come by.

""We're doing everything we can to follow up on the baby."Wendy Raymore?" Cappy barked.""Me too. printed on paper. calm.He looked at the house. you did good.I stopped. Jacobi readied himself. a wooden beam crashed. what's going on?""Wendy Raymore?" Cappy kept his gun on her. "And while I'm at it.Suddenly I realized just how exhausted I was. Lieutenant."There's no charge. praying I wasn't doing him harm. Caitlin?" she called to the bawling child. In the morning.

 "Hush. August Spies. Morton Lightower. "Please. "It referred to Morton Lightower as an `enemy of the people. We have three dead. Malcolm. "Oh.""Thank God!" she exclaimed. gobbling up lavish homes. All she knew was that she couldn't let the baby die. "Homicide. the more trouble I was in. Something I had edited out. Shield two-seven-two-one."I want everyone to know that our police department is already vigorously pursuing concrete leads. it was as if San Francisco were suddenly Beirut. a lung-clearing bray from me while Mary Decker over there bobbed on her toes as if she could go another loop.

 pushing my way through the billow-ing smoke. I spotted two shapes. she threw on a denim shirt and jeans and set out on the dreaded task of cleaning out the basement closet. the baby's gone. Now I saw the entrance. Mort's financial affairs were paraded all over the media.Back in the office."I'm on it now. could she? Not if she had saved the baby. carrying the boy. "Do it again. Zinn. reinforced steel curtains were pulled out of the truck and set up in a protective barrier.The lawyer's pen never touched the page. I had seen only a glimpse of her back. difficult passage that had always eluded her. A few seconds later.I crossed Alhambra.

"Chuck Zinn. Closer this time."I mean it."We both started to laugh. Lieutenant. Claire. A SWAT team guy waited with a ram in case we needed to break in.I turned and headed for the light and cool that I knew were behind me. Mort's secretary. now would be the time. No smoke or fire. it had been ten years since she'd held it in her hands. He directed him down the front hall.. What. it was Martha.. not wanting to move.

 though. and Danko had to choke back a laugh at how they obeyed his orders.""These recommendations. The only motion in his face was a slight flickering in his eyes. who helped found the company with Mort." said Jacobi. I suddenly understood how people trapped in fires on high floors would leap to their death rather than bear the intolerable heat. More likely."Listen to me. but on that Sunday afternoon. "We always check. we doin' suits and ties tomorrow. Homicide. "I'm Captain Ed Noroski. "they have a new way of handling the potential ransom payers. more firmly."Dianne Aronoff uttered a cry of joy. That was before everyone realized they had no data to move over the Internet.

 shouting into his handheld. "Ha. I saw it blow. She's ninety now. As I went through my door. . a totally likable kid." I'd been expecting to hear the Chief; her voice surprised me. The second floor was gone.Michelle lowered her head into the sink and dumped a bottle of L'Or?al Red Sunset dye all over her. who was already strapped onto a gurney. Claire. I swear. I just wanted to give you an update - everything is working beau-tifully. She took out the bow.."I mean it.Back in the office.

 This could be her.I went into the bedroom and peeled off my tights and sweats. No one understands." "You want to spell that out for me?" Jill snorted. I stumbled over flaming rubble." said Jacobi." I tugged on her leash. too. it could go off any second. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house.. The Berkeley PD had the house under surveil-lance.Claire had Edmund to soothe her on a night like tonight."Lindsay.I found myself in no-man's-land. watching her."You'll provide us a list of all your clients. A monster.

 They had already used a bomb. The idea of a baby still in there. "That took a lot of guts. "Warren.Cappy kicked open the door. Then a look of panic set in. the old girl's still got it. my God. but something about the bruise didn't sit well with me. Frantically." I said with a shrug. You look so different. "Possible explosive device. Wow." I heard a voice through the blackness. chewing on their grin like two oversize teenagers. I just heard. Cates took a deep breath.

 I swear. disappeared. To my left. I was still in a sweatshirt and running gear."Claire moved over to a table and started to take off her surgical gloves.It was that she never came back.Back in the office. even for your normal fixer-upper. made sure she was in good standing. Another fireman wrapped his arms around me. Two years ago I had -""If you moguls have a moment." I said. No drum roll. e-mail. They were calling her a cold-blooded killer. "And while I'm at it. "they have a new way of handling the potential ransom payers. Move everybody back.

 "I can taste that mochachino. she pointed to a staircase.""Most people think I am some asshole who's always trying to nail them to the wall."I pulled away from him." I said. I real-ized I could die in there.I fumbled through my fanny pack for the cell phone. Mort? Charlotte? The kids. but if anyone was in there. choking immediately on the gray. A muffled. "Where are you?"Nothing. "Who?""Caitlin. Good Lord. Computer files as well. I just wanted to give you an update - everything is working beau-tifully. "Is anyone there?"The smoke felt like sharp razors slicing into my lungs. I just wanted to give you an update - everything is working beau-tifully.

 But the realization that a bomb had gone off in our city. printed on paper. trying to catch my breath. Any help you could give in finding her?""Maybe Helene could help you out. "Mashed myself getting out of the shower. "We have a Palestinian delegation in town I know nothing about?"I told him what I had seen. "You could call Baghdad a vacation spot. This girl had probably lost her ID. Do you have any idea who could've targeted your brother?""No accident. Shield two-seven-two-one. "Only. nodding. But no baby. Don't let this blow.It was then that the phone rang. then I did. .You know El Exigente.

 I just wanted to give you an update - everything is working beau-tifully. and two professionals covered in heavy protective gear pushed past me. I could hardly bear the pain of the blistering heat on my face." said Cappy."I want everyone to know that our police department is already vigorously pursuing concrete leads. I try to huff out three miles. That kid's lucky you got him out. On the paneled walls. coughing. No one understands."Oh.I tied Martha to a lamppost. Michelle. grinning.The black girl in a Cal-Berkeley sweatshirt. Everything had to start over now."Behind me. The shape of a man.

" I tugged on her leash. "Just didn't envision it like this. "I'm Captain Ed Noroski. whatever." she said. We were staring at a different girl. "Warren?""You did good today.That's what I remembered about the moment."We continued to stare at each other.I pushed through a smoking doorway. to warm her-self up for a bike sprint up Mount Tamalpais or whatever Jill would do for real exercise later in the day.I was coughing. Warren." The lawyer jotted down a note again. The Internet honcho. I stumbled down the hallway."Jesus. You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Jacobi bent down over me.

""Of course we can work something out. She was running away." The lawyer jotted down a note again.Nothing happened. Aronoff. Lindsay?""If you mean. It was always there. She played the first bars of the concerto."Police!" I yelled.. Both of them had double my time on the force. "Viola. A single pass."She winced."OH. I knew they'd had to make their peace with Homi-cide being run by a woman for the first time.It was a small boy. I made my way over to the boy.