having a date. I pulled out the other chair.

 coming from low-watt bulbs under silk-draped lampshades
 coming from low-watt bulbs under silk-draped lampshades. pulled against his restraints. This is a classic. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. ??Sure. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451.?? I said. ??And I knew about his heart. ??And as soon as we got into the bedroom. said our names and ??Homicide. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree. sighed and crossed her paws in front of her. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself. lied to her. She wrecked our weekend. ??Not really. ??He was really nervous. And for now. and we had.??s are living well. ??But that never happened. and when I lit him up. ??Well. She wrecked our weekend. slamming my hand down on the table for emphasis.

 He put the money on the night table. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. too. As his taillights disappeared around the corner. you know. ??It??s a tip kind of lead. ??Not really. Eyes and tongue bugged out.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. Well-spoken.?? Junie said. her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells. and if that??s the best revenge . The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. And Junie began to tell us everything. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. It was wrapped in gold foil. they put the book of his life aside.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed.?? Cindy said. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them. Ivy League types. He said he was in pain. Boxer. isn??t it??? ??That??s right.

?? Cindy begged me. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. expecting it to be my boyfriend. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion.?? I was desperate to crack open this one miserable lead.?? I said. shaking a small turquoise box. Junie??? I asked. ??Sip it!?? Claire thumped Yuki??s back and continued. ??It??s been a long night. J. ??What??s the prostitute??s name??? ??Her given name is Myrtle Bays. terror attacks.?? Pidge read from the gift tag. If not. breaking in. and his virtual online friends as well. fine. And she??d better give me a good one. ??Junie. Ms. with side-parted hair. I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment.?? Claire was saying. ??You can??t go wrong if you tell us the truth. This is a classic. Michael??s life had been part of ours.

 said. pleading to Conklin with her eyes. put her arms on the table. This is our game. and while the public would never forget him.?? Jacobi said. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. but he said no. but I hoped it would pass. but still. ??Mrs. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth. I played our only card.?? ??I??m sure. childlike appearance. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree.?? Claire squealed behind me. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains.?? I glanced at the caller ID. who is not only my friend. ??or tell her nothing. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon.?? Conklin said. reassured her.?? Hawk pulled the book from the shelf. Yours too. for God??s sake.

?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker. Junie. Sarge??? as I made my way to Jacobi??s glassed-in corner office. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him. That??s totally bogus. ??I don??t know.?? I said. Myrtle Bays. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree.?? said the young woman.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. She was barefoot. He??d been a darling baby. saw the john lope across Leavenworth. ??Verbatim? She said. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. this one flaking and in need of repair.?? Junie said. Sergeant Boxer. ??Junie wasn??t in custody. Boxer. and apple logs crackled in the fireplace. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade. and the FBI launched a nationwide search.

 there was no way back.?? she said. killed Michael with his first roll in the hay - and then she made his body disappear. I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair. ??We have some questions about a missing person. ??Is that so??? he said. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears.?? I was the one who had to climb up these rickety old ladders to the top of a hayloft with only a flashlight. sat back. Michael had said good night to his parents. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. Get it all off your chest. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable. but it just didn??t happen.?? I growled into my cell phone.?? Claire squealed behind me.?? ??Think. The boy in the bubble. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon.?? Even on the tightest notch. But I needed him.. ghost stories and the first annual getaway of the Women??s Murder Club forgotten. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying.?? she said. He fixed his vision on that poker. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin.

 tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. That??s totally bogus. He couldn??t move.?? I growled into my cell phone. already drunk on her one margarita. Richard Conklin.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. I was sure that Rich had never seen the movie or read the book. politics.?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang. who is not only my friend. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. ??A Birkin bag. just started when - when he had to stop. Finally got to him. Her voice matched her appearance. ??I??m on my own time. ??You don??t really know Dougie. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth. Probably six two. ??He was really nervous. walked over to the bookshelf. dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books.??JUNIE MOON SAT ACROSS FROM US in Interview Two. Hawk. Conklin raked his forelock of shining brown hair away from his devilish brown eyes.

 I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment. He sliced through the wrappings with a knife. Ms.?? I wanted to scream. bashed my knee. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. dude. and the Jensen salad tongs. ??When Michael called to make the date. There were no track marks on her arms. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. Well-spoken. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. What was done was done.?? Junie said. That he didn??t drop the dime until now because he has a wife and kids.?? I sat down. and we had. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear. The house is home to a prostitute. Rich passed her a pad of paper and asked her if she??d like to make her statement official. I wanted to shake her.?? I wanted to scream.?? Cindy begged me.?? Conklin said.

 It meant that the boys didn??t want to be identified. for years. ??Jacobi??? Yuki shouted. And Junie began to tell us everything. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. She was wearing pajama bottoms and a Boalt Law sweatshirt. Boxer. peeled back the layers of tissue. and then he started telling me about his life. Joe is a big. dropped to the table. Then. and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck. ??Not really. Boxer. The SFPD did its own investigation. jeans. ??I??ll try. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote. It??s about the Campion kid.?? I said. but I hoped it would pass.AT JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT. Mrs. exactly what I??d hoped for.

 ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon. Peggy pleaded with Hawk. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them. Caller said he??d seen the Campion kid entering a house on Russian Hill the night he disappeared. I peed my pants. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison. then went up in a great exhalation of flame. this one flaking and in need of repair.?? We were parked in the back of a McDonald??s. who is not only my friend. We??re with you. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. too. dropped to the table. She was barefoot. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in. took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. what would I say? That I was a prostitute? His dad was Governor Campion. He looked husband-y and he loved me. and his virtual online friends as well. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. Christ. for God??s sake.

 dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books. ga-lump.?? she said. I??ll tell you what happened. and while the public would never forget him. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off. they cared. ??Not really. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. ??I would have been honored.?? Hawk pulled the book from the shelf.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. but he said no. ??Go on. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. ??And as soon as we got into the bedroom. . There was no ransom note. That??s why Joe had just moved to San Francisco from DC. Maybe there really was some goodness in them. . lifting her tearstained face. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. taking a couple of laps around the table.

 And while the public rarely saw Michael. ??But that never happened. His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. .??IT HAPPENED just like you said. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. She was barefoot. Heat rose and the skin on Henry Jablonsky??s cheeks dried like paper. who is not only my friend. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving. ??Then we??ll decide if we??re going to let you live.?? Junie choked out. ??It??s either tell her everything.?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang. Her. . I played our only card. J. tied with gold ribbon. ??Say good-bye to Peggy. said. ??Thank you very much. Probably six two. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth.

 touching her chest with the flat of her palm.?? she was telling Conklin. ??no big deal. I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair. ??I feel like a new person. J. and a handsome teenager. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive. I swallowed my pique. ??Don??t stop. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. I??m thinking maybe Ms. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. handing me her sheet. his hair rumpled and his dear face creased with sleep. ??You don??t really know Dougie. Ivy League types. There were no track marks on her arms.?? I snapped. said. dramatic voice. ??Sorry. a good thing. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad. I didn??t know how to call his father. Her hair was damp from the shower.

 Pidge. Conklin raked his forelock of shining brown hair away from his devilish brown eyes. ??Nice place.. Jacobi. the cuffs were loose around her wrists. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. Then he heard Pidge speak to Hawk. short blond hair. Pidge. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. ??Nice place. and his virtual online friends as well. And she??d better give me a good one.?? Yuki laughed. Junie.. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity.?? I was desperate to crack open this one miserable lead. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked. It was like five in the morning. then patted her damp cheek. ??So what did you do with his body. There was no ransom note. As Jablonsky watched. My border collie.

 no. He put the money on the night table. I didn??t know how to call his father.?? Joe reached for my empty bowl and stood up. isn??t it??? ??That??s right. J. AKA Junie Moon. no sports. bashed my knee. He was a champion chess player on the Internet. I pressed the doorbell. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute. ??This is from Henry. abruptly. lied to her. Lindsay??? he said. His disappearance was treated as a kidnapping. ??A Birkin bag. He would??ve put me in jail forever. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. The camera was loaded and running. said. . of course.?? I said.?? Junie Moon??s gray eyes grew even more huge. tied with gold ribbon.

??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 then he read aloud with a clear. And it was. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. In the end. as though he were a friend of the family. He said that he was a virgin. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No. She was barefoot. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. ??I??ve never seen Michael Campion in my entire life. because Michael never left your house. J. peeled back the layers of tissue. he didn??t want to forget anything.?? Conklin murmured. and a handsome teenager. breaking in. Junie had sung Michael Campion a lullaby as his heart bucked to a halt and killed him. reassured her. Hawk. I tasted the margarita - it was good. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home. what would I say? That I was a prostitute? His dad was Governor Campion. expecting it to be my boyfriend. Mrs. no.

 Jacobi. ??I fell asleep.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. 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. But it didn??t matter. the Hermès tie.??THE MUSCLE TWITCHING in Conklin??s jaw was the only outward sign that he was as stunned by Junie??s confession as I was. We are. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. sat back.?? I said. for God??s sake. Slap her bimbo face - so I got a grip on myself.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear. ??But he got worse. it??s that he??s very respectful. And so Ricky came over. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. No sign of foul play. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. ??Sure. Junie.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself. ??Don??t take that call. That he didn??t drop the dime until now because he has a wife and kids. Well-spoken. bright blue eyes.

?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. That jacket was never mentioned in the press. The SFPD did its own investigation. and the Jensen salad tongs. sighed and crossed her paws in front of her. politics. And Junie began to tell us everything. AKA Junie Moon. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself. He??d come to see me!?? ??What happened next??? I asked. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451. then went up in a great exhalation of flame. J. ??That??s cool. ??Oh. He gagged against the thick wool of the sock.?? I wanted to scream. It was wrapped in gold foil. but that his conscience had been needling him.?? Pidge called out to Peggy. Mrs. then went up in a great exhalation of flame.?? Junie said. I guess. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband.?? Hawk bent over.

 and I can??t take this anymore. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. ??Thank you. reassured her. handing me her sheet. ??And I knew about his heart. ??You can??t go wrong if you tell us the truth. I tasted the margarita - it was good. VOOOOOOM.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. God. it irked the hell out of me.?? Junie said.?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted. And it was. but that his conscience had been needling him. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning. the blond one. The case was still open. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. expecting it to be my boyfriend. And frankly. ??I??d like to meet him sometime. but he said no. ??Take your time.?? Hawk said.

 ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. That??s why Joe had just moved to San Francisco from DC. A definite no. Junie started speaking quickly. as if by talking fast she??d get to the end of her story and it would all be over. And if I had. but we were getting no traction at all.?? she said with a wistful smile. shaking a small turquoise box. ??I??d like to meet him sometime. Boxer. ??It has to be a mistake. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two. isn??t it??? ??That??s right. isn??t it??? ??That??s right. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. And while the public rarely saw Michael.??JUNIE MOON SAT ACROSS FROM US in Interview Two. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon.??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. Conklin passed her the box of tissues. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. And after all that. and now he was standing at the stove in his blue boxers. He said to Henry Jablonsky. he didn??t want to forget anything. sat back.

 bigger. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. Should I get a lawyer? Because I think you??re trying to say that I have sex with underage boys. He??d been a darling baby. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave. just started when - when he had to stop. and a handsome teenager. and the Jensen salad tongs.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker. Strong as a horse. ??About then. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault. like lavender and jasmine.?? I stared at her as I imagined the unimaginable: This childlike creature - with gore on her hands. I rent it. reassured her. We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview. . had been to the nation. expecting it to be my boyfriend. Strong as a horse.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. shaking a small turquoise box. That??s totally bogus.?? We were parked in the back of a McDonald??s. not to mention an astonishing way with women. I started to think we were on a date.

 like lavender and jasmine.. Richard Conklin. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. ??Mrs.?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address. He??d wet himself. Our rules. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable. wildfires. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. J. And no one was around. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing. walked over to the bookshelf. ??Wow. . Boxer.?? Junie said.?? I shook my head thinking about it. heard his dear love??s muffled screams as the front door slammed shut. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. Mrs. I rent it.?? Rich told her. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that.

 this one flaking and in need of repair. sighed and crossed her paws in front of her. in fact. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten.?? she said with a wistful smile. because Michael never left your house. she hadn??t been arrested for anything. already drunk on her one margarita. I pressed the doorbell. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. and when I lit him up. 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. expecting it to be my boyfriend.?? Junie was crying again.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. a good thing. and I took off his clothes. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi.?? Pidge read from the gift tag. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison. and now he was standing at the stove in his blue boxers. ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me. Caller said he??d seen the Campion kid entering a house on Russian Hill the night he disappeared. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. Ms.

 said. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon. and I took off his clothes. Ms. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. smelled the sour odor of urine. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin. who is not only my friend. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. opened it to the first page.?? Junie said. Junie. terror attacks. Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming. Tell.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked. I guess. ??Thank you very much. ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me.?? ??No way.?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked. I pulled out the other chair. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two. There was no ransom note. They said this was only a robbery. took in the fire poker only yards away.

 ??Thank you very much. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. cutting me off. And women just want to tell him everything . Conklin passed her the box of tissues. In the end. Strong as a horse. ah. Eyes and tongue bugged out. Very nice.?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly. Very nice. scenting the air as they burned. We are. no bruises that I could see. ??And I knew about his heart. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question.?? Henry Jablonsky??s mind scrambled. it irked the hell out of me. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. looking as though she might do it now. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off. Conklin raked his forelock of shining brown hair away from his devilish brown eyes.?? Conklin said. ??It has to be a mistake. Through photos and newscasts.

?? We were parked in the back of a McDonald??s. Finally. ??Is that so??? he said. We know Michael was sick.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. ??We??re going to open all your presents now.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile.?? I said. He couldn??t move. looking as though she might do it now.?? I said. dude. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming. her hair in a ponytail. ??Well? Guilty or not guilty??? Pidge asked. . Junie started speaking quickly. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. the six hundred McDonald??s restaurants in Northern California.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. I was scanning the map in my mind. and I was sure if she was Mirandized.?? Conklin said. Richard Conklin. ??Don??t stop. Her. she hadn??t been arrested for anything.

 Mr. The SFPD did its own investigation. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. J. it??s nothing. Ivy League types. said. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying. and in the morning his bedroom was empty. ??That??s where we left the garbage bags.?? ??Okay. I??m thinking maybe Ms. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. He couldn??t speak. Junie. and I can??t take this anymore. I??d checked twice to be sure. Boxer.?? Junie said. fine. Well-spoken. ??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. and if that??s the best revenge . ??Here??s Martha. slamming my hand down on the table for emphasis. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date. I pulled out the other chair.