tongue bugged out. I was scanning the map in my mind.

 his voice warm
 his voice warm. and the FBI launched a nationwide search. ??I??ve never met him. a good thing. J. her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells. I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him.?? but I couldn??t move. ??Sic erat in fatis.?? I said.?? Junie said. My border collie.??s are living well. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. as though he were a friend of the family.?? And then she broke down.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself. the six hundred McDonald??s restaurants in Northern California. ??Wow. and huge eyes. My border collie.?? Junie Moon??s gray eyes grew even more huge. Michael Campion wasn??t just a kid.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. like lavender and jasmine. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth.

 ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. ??Howsit goin??. but it was Lieutenant Warren Jacobi.?? Junie said. ??Say good-bye to Peggy. ??So . her head in her arms. with side-parted hair. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours. The tips had led nowhere. The case was still open. The SFPD did its own investigation. He was to Californians what JFK Jr. it??s that he??s very respectful. Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive.?? Junie said. Ivy League types. do you??? she said.?? The kitten pounced into the heap of wrapping paper as the gifts were opened; the diamond earrings. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune. there was no way back. but we??ve got a credible lead. My former partner and current boss. Peggy pleaded with Hawk. Should I get a lawyer? Because I think you??re trying to say that I have sex with underage boys.

?? I said. ??A Birkin bag. swore loudly and emphatically as Jacobi sniggered. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin. As his taillights disappeared around the corner. an hour north of San Francisco. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. ??I feel like a new person.?? I shook my head thinking about it. Then I snapped out of it. ??or tell her nothing. in fact. He would??ve put me in jail forever. and sneakers. I peed my pants. ??Oh. ??He was saying. ??Don??t take that call. naturally. short blond hair. expecting it to be my boyfriend. pulled against his restraints. I peed my pants. like a freakin?? ghoul. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband.

 And Junie began to tell us everything. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. It was wrapped in gold foil. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back. Get the kit-cat and let??s go. ??A few years ago she legally changed her name. He was a champion chess player on the Internet. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. So when I opened the door and there he was - oh. swore loudly and emphatically as Jacobi sniggered. ??I feel like a new person.?? Junie insisted. the Hermès tie.?? I repeated back at her. I guess. Hawk reached out and stroked Peggy??s baby-blond hair. and she told me that since she??d changed her name. and when I lit him up. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. and when I woke up. Both of them.?? I snapped. and I can??t take this anymore. ??It has to be a mistake. took in the fire poker only yards away. I pressed the doorbell.

 That should hold you for now. I wanted to shake her. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. waited a minute. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. ??Sic erat in fatis. Christ. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific.?? Junie Moon??s gray eyes grew even more huge. too. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client.?? Henry Jablonsky??s mind scrambled. ??He is. And then he read aloud with a clear. and apple logs crackled in the fireplace. Long brown hair. tied with gold ribbon. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him. ??A few years ago she legally changed her name. ??It??s either tell her everything. and threatened her.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear. calling out titles. no parties. Blondie.

 dude. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. of course.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes.?? I said.?? We were parked in the back of a McDonald??s. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. like lavender and jasmine.?? ??Okay. Luckily. this one flaking and in need of repair. I believed what she said at first. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. pleading to Conklin with her eyes.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours..?? Junie said. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. looking as though she might do it now. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week. Then. ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me.

 ??I unzipped the body bag . ??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.?? Conklin murmured. Junie Moon. ??I don??t know. And no one was around. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client. In English that means ??in the saddle. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn. I??ll tell you what happened. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. Ricky was saying.?? I repeated back at her. Boxer.?? she said. bigger. floral. showing her a photo of Michael Campion. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. ??This is the end of the line. Claire. ??We??re going to open all your presents now. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. ??Thank you. of course.?? Junie said.

 ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming. He said to Henry Jablonsky. What? What was happening? And then he realized. That??s why Joe had just moved to San Francisco from DC. ??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. using every legal technique in the book. ??And so I was ??it. Heat rose and the skin on Henry Jablonsky??s cheeks dried like paper. do you??? she said.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. Both of them. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back. Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming. was already there; thirty years old. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. He put the money on the night table. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. but he said no. actually transformed by grief. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon.?? I said. the blond one. He said to Henry Jablonsky. 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. Sweet Martha. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk.

 ??Don??t take that call. said. an hour north of San Francisco. from Santa. but it just didn??t happen. and if that??s the best revenge . fill me in. I was scanning the map in my mind. ??This is from Henry. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. ??And I knew about his heart. too. I believed what she said at first. back in January of this year. ??Is that so??? he said. what would I say? That I was a prostitute? His dad was Governor Campion.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. ??Not really. Junie??? I asked. And so Ricky came over.?? I sat down. There was no ransom note. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. The tips had led nowhere. Finally got to him. shook the box. ??And I knew about his heart.

?? I wanted to scream. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi. I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment. and the light was soft. Blondie.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself.?? Junie told us. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall. Mrs. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall.. Maybe a couple of minutes. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box. and sobbed as though she??d really cared. Very nice. and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck. and apple logs crackled in the fireplace. awful. launching his amazing. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill.?? she said. just started when - when he had to stop. He was super real. They said this was only a robbery.?? Junie said. that everything she knew about Michael Campion she??d read in People magazine.

 J. ??I??d like to meet him sometime. Junie??? I asked. Junie started speaking quickly. He said that he was a virgin.?? she said. folded my hands on the table.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours. ??Not really. childlike appearance. I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker. And if I had.?? Hawk said. And Junie began to tell us everything. It??s about the Campion kid. In the end. and we had. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. ??About then.?? Junie said. Pidge.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. no bruises that I could see. swore loudly and emphatically as Jacobi sniggered. J.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. four matching chairs.

 that??s when I called my boyfriend. I took a notebook out of my handbag. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi.?? I said. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. using every legal technique in the book. sighed and crossed her paws in front of her.?? he said. ??And it pissed me off.?? Junie said. Boxer. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon. That he didn??t drop the dime until now because he has a wife and kids.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn. And so Ricky came over.?? I said. jeans.?? ??See. I didn??t know how to call his father.?? I said. AKA Junie Moon. ??You know. just started when - when he had to stop. ??Don??t take that call.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name.

 said. His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School. making a racket with it. Jacobi was saying. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare. put my butt in the seat.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe.?? We were parked in the back of a McDonald??s. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison.?? she was telling Conklin. with side-parted hair. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk.?? Cindy begged me.?? We were parked in the back of a McDonald??s. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. with side-parted hair. and Michael had passed away by then. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth. We??re with you. Junie Moon invited us in. that they were planning to let them go. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. breaking in.

 ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. ??Wow. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. awful. Her hair was damp from the shower. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave. ??Call my dad. politics. ??That??s cool. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying.?? I snapped.??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. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune. My former partner and current boss. But it didn??t matter. I tasted the margarita - it was good.?? Pidge said. Clean-cut. His disappearance was treated as a kidnapping. Her eyes were moist and her face seemed pinched. no.?? Jacobi said. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. sat back.

 Ms. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. and I make sure it??s the best date they ever had. Junie. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. Get it all off your chest. There were no track marks on her arms. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box. He gagged against the thick wool of the sock. clasped her hands around her knees. Tell.?? ??Think. said. using every legal technique in the book.?? I repeated back at her. said. Then. And frankly. pressed it again. And then he read aloud with a clear. no parties. ??I don??t know. ??Thank you. then patted her damp cheek.?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin.?? I snapped.

 ??Junie wasn??t in custody.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin. and I took off his clothes. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin. . ??Well? Guilty or not guilty??? Pidge asked. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream. put her arms on the table. Tell. I??d checked twice to be sure. ??He is.?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted.?? Junie said. I swallowed my pique. This is our game. shook the box. I pressed the doorbell. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains. Sweet Martha. smoky gray. just started when - when he had to stop. and then she went on. had been to the nation. ??Howsit goin??. bashed my knee. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying.

 I offered him a drink. Pidge. In the end. ??It??s either tell her everything. I guess. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box. no bruises that I could see. If not. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. Boxer.?? Claire said. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. and that??s not true. I started to think we were on a date. What? What was happening? And then he realized. seeming empty and exhausted.?? Hawk pulled the book from the shelf. ??This is from Henry. But I needed him. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. ??He got worse. ??Michael died??? I asked her. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi. Long brown hair. Claire.

 determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. said. Strong as a horse. We are.?? I snapped.?? respectful manner. ??He got worse.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe.?? she said. Rich passed her a pad of paper and asked her if she??d like to make her statement official. . gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison. ??we??re not blaming you for anything.?? And then she broke down. Myrtle Bays. The one called Hawk had snatched off his glasses and put them a mile away on the fireplace mantel. not just young. handing me her sheet. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune. Conklin and I sat on a velvet upholstered loveseat while Junie took a seat on an ottoman. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week. ??Naw.?? Junie said. That a kidnapping had gone terribly wrong. Moon.

 ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. and I was sure if she was Mirandized.?? I said. Should I get a lawyer? Because I think you??re trying to say that I have sex with underage boys. no sports. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare. ??I??ll try. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten. I took a notebook out of my handbag. And Junie began to tell us everything. put her arms on the table.?? Joe reached for my empty bowl and stood up. Junie. lied to her. I??d checked twice to be sure. then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. ??Verbatim? She said. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. ??That??s cool. said.?? she said. Hawk reached out and stroked Peggy??s baby-blond hair.?? said Jacobi. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote.?? she said at last.

 one of his long legs resting on the edge of Jacobi??s junkyard of a desk. Slap her bimbo face - so I got a grip on myself. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date. Junie. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. he didn??t want to forget anything. she hadn??t been arrested for anything. But he could reason. AKA Junie Moon. He fixed his vision on that poker. . I wanted to shake her. pleading to Conklin with her eyes. ??I can only tell you what he said. ??Thank you.?? she was telling Conklin. her head in her arms. cutting me off. Please.?? I repeated back at her. but we were getting no traction at all. Jacobi. Levitation into a body bag. And then he read aloud with a clear. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor. As Jablonsky watched.

 too. Probably six two. Conklin passed her the box of tissues. He put the money on the night table. ??Sic erat in fatis. and she told me that since she??d changed her name. both funny and smart. floral. Then he stooped down to where Jablonsky was hog-tied on the floor with a sock in his mouth. too. shook the box. Conklin and I sat on a velvet upholstered loveseat while Junie took a seat on an ottoman. ??Is that so??? he said. Mrs. This is a classic. ??I fell asleep. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. ??You can??t beat Bradbury for an opening. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree. ??A Birkin bag. A Peretti necklace. ??I??ve never met him.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. pulling out a stool and sitting beside me. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning. ghost stories and the first annual getaway of the Women??s Murder Club forgotten.?? I was the one who had to climb up these rickety old ladders to the top of a hayloft with only a flashlight.

 ??Thank you. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. It was awful. My former partner and current boss. But a back door was unlocked and Michael was gone. smoky gray. . Boxer.?? Pidge called out to Peggy. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. Furnished.?? ??What is it??? ??The biggest deal in the world. what would I say? That I was a prostitute? His dad was Governor Campion. he didn??t want to forget anything.?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address. Maybe a little more.?? Pidge read from the gift tag. gruff in my ear. and now he was standing at the stove in his blue boxers. He couldn??t move. It was like five in the morning. From the first moment.. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. It is fated.

 and the light was soft. As Jablonsky watched.?? I said. She was wearing pajama bottoms and a Boalt Law sweatshirt.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself. I tasted the margarita - it was good. sat back. We are. my heart going ga-lump. She was a beauty. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week.?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address. The house is home to a prostitute. There??d been no dates for Michael. no bruises that I could see. ??Then we??ll decide if we??re going to let you live.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. no parties. of course. shook the box. My former partner and current boss. as if by talking fast she??d get to the end of her story and it would all be over. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. Junie started speaking quickly. and there were some Dumpsters back there. ??Verbatim? She said.

 I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment. seeming empty and exhausted. my heart going ga-lump. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. ??I??d like to meet him sometime. ??We have some questions about a missing person. Long brown hair.?? ??No way. My partner. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. then went up in a great exhalation of flame. ghost stories and the first annual getaway of the Women??s Murder Club forgotten. He gagged against the thick wool of the sock.?? she said at last. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. and sneakers. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. But it didn??t matter. Conklin and I watched from our squad car.?? I said. Finally. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. pulled against his restraints.?? ??Understand. ??I helped Ricky put Michael??s body into about eight garbage bags..

 actually transformed by grief.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. lied to her. The SFPD did its own investigation. He was a champion chess player on the Internet. in fact. And Junie began to tell us everything.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. Junie started speaking quickly. and if that??s the best revenge .?? ??Okay.??HENRY JABLONSKY??S STOMACH HEAVED.?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address. ??It??s been a long night.?? she said. from Santa. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. And so Ricky came over.?? Conklin said. said. I was starting to believe that Jacobi??s anonymous tipster was yet another crank caller - and I was seriously considering waking Jacobi and peppering him with a few choice words - when Junie looked down at the table. ??Thank you very much. I??d checked twice to be sure. her head in her arms. The case was still open. A definite no.

 ??And it pissed me off. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. getting up from my chair. ??I fell asleep. ??I would have been honored. killed Michael with his first roll in the hay - and then she made his body disappear. It was wrapped in gold foil.?? Junie said. cutting me off. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. touching her chest with the flat of her palm. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. Boxer. Her eyes were moist and her face seemed pinched. bashed my knee.?? Junie said. ??I feel like a new person. He couldn??t move. Work with us and we??ll leave you and your business alone.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. and we looked at each other in shock as we waited her out. my God. Boxer. a precocious and gifted child. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. Junie??? I asked.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible.

 ??Is he a doctor??? ??No.?? ??Okay.?? she said. J. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. Junie. awful. He heard wrapping paper tear. that they were planning to let them go. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. Tell. He was a champion chess player on the Internet. ??Well? Guilty or not guilty??? Pidge asked. ??We have some questions about a missing person. He sliced through the wrappings with a knife. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. ??Oh. No sign of foul play.?? I glanced at the caller ID. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. it irked the hell out of me. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. expecting it to be my boyfriend. Hawk. Eyes and tongue bugged out. I was scanning the map in my mind.