want to add to that. She never came back." Jacobi rolled his eyes.

 Cappy informed me
 Cappy informed me." He nodded. and I crept behind a line of parked cars close to the front of the house. He was being wheeled into a van. "Mortie was saying. Jacobi had run the name on the photo. I was pretty sure. Stock used to sell for sixty bucks. that's Inspector Murphy. tried to listen above the rumble of the fire. but I did." The lawyer jotted down a note again. whom the Berkeley cops had seen going in. Mother of God." I said. carrying the boy. Someone I could've saved.The kid with the Razor was there.

"Sorry.""Not exactly a good time.He looked at the house. No "Ladies and gentlemen. One Forbes cover asked. I had saved his life. As the door swung open. I need you backat home base.There's something you're not seeing. "Lieutenant." The lawyer jotted down a note again. I'd try to apply some nonlegal pressure. as we did. my buddy Jill came along. "Is anyone alive in here?"I couldn't go any farther. Captain. she is only six months old. pushing my way through the billow-ing smoke.

 with an open plaid shirt.That's what I remembered about the moment. But I'm okay. Fire ripped through the second floor. how did it go last night?" she asked. not sure. chimed in... I lifted the strap and read. It couldn't be better. now. but he was truly a killer.." Chuck Zinn arched back in his chair.I pushed through a smoking doorway. I just wanted to give you an update - everything is working beau-tifully.""You saw the light.

The frame of the bed was hot to the touch. "You were expect-ing cops."Claire moved over to a table and started to take off her surgical gloves. "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. There was a note at the bomb scene." she said with a laugh. They were also friends." Claire gave me a halfhearted smile.I was coughing. Judith Hertan. No."The fire captain rushed up.That's what I remembered about the moment. "Morton and Charlotte Lightower were among our city's most generous and involved citizens. still tied to the post. of course. Jesus."THIS WASN'T OVER.

 Do you have any idea who could've targeted your brother?""No accident. Something I had edited out. A real bitch on wheels."You know. The other. to warm her-self up for a bike sprint up Mount Tamalpais or whatever Jill would do for real exercise later in the day." Michelle said again. 'cause I must be dreaming. I real-ized I could die in there..Cappy kicked open the door. I sneak out for a couple of hours and you decide now's the time to be a hero? You all right?""Other than my lungs feeling like they've been lit with lighter fluid."The Lightowers' remains were side by side on two gur-neys. that's Inspector Murphy. I saw the redheaded kid who'd been riding his Razor."I don't get any reading. Tracchio was a glorified bean counter. humanized them.

"I think that's doable. No drum roll.Wendy.Then I heard the crying again. For two months Fratelli had stuck his face in my office every time he was in the Hall.. Someone was either let in or had access. "Which fund you in?""I think it's called Long-Term Growth..""Is that a dare.""I heard there was a baby stolen out of the house." Just this little voice in my heart. Jesus." I said. The Berkeley PD had the house under surveil-lance.E. my God." I said.

 mid-stride." Her husband Edmund's fortieth birthday. mid-stride. Hand-carved wooden shutters and a terra-cotta tile roof like on the Grand Canal. "I'm Lieutenant Boxer. too?"Judith Hertan hesitated. I stopped.It was hard to believe that it had been only five months since Jill lost her baby.Why?Because the son of a bitch was running away. "The Creed of Greed guy."I fixed on the address: 17 Pelican Drive.That moment flashed over and over in my mind."Suddenly I remembered seeing it on the news. The Lightowers were dead. watching her. "I thought you were that asshole Tracchio. whatever you found wouldn't make it through arraignment. searing and noxious.

I couldn't believe my eyes. I was sure the bag was hot - or at least a leave-behind.The lawyer's pen never touched the page. Maestro Washburn?"Edmund smiled mischievously. I was ready to put it behind me. grinning. so be it.I was right." I said. my voice." her partner added. We were told the family had an au pair - who's missing. and Danko had to choke back a laugh at how they obeyed his orders.Then I was out. The second floor was gone. Just a few more feet. Then it was on to the old mitts and football pads from Little League and Pop Warner years..

 In the middle of a `downward dog' when my phone rings. yanking her out of the doorway." Dianne Aronoff choked a sob. But that wasn't what was bothering me. the TV is saying that whoever did this was a monster. pried it away from the wall. trying to catch my breath..""Yeah. Edmund.. The remains of a timing device and C-4 explosive were scraped off the walls. Please." Linda said."Get the truck in here. But no baby. A residence. It was every-where.

 nodding." he said. restored town houses.I wished I had someone's arms to slide into."No.""Definite bombing. my number one inspector. No. Mother of God."I'm proud of you. Something I had edited out.M. "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).. Two upstairs bed-rooms were open and empty. calm morning; the stucco town house. That bomb was planted from inside. it's not a challenge.

"I don't need to remind you that this is a murder investi-gation.""I was just gonna buzz Charlie Clapper.""Well." he called out. that a six-month-old baby was still miss-ing. jumped in. blanketing my face. or think. made sure she was in good standing." the suit introduced himself. to warm her-self up for a bike sprint up Mount Tamalpais or whatever Jill would do for real exercise later in the day." her mother used to say. Mayor Fiske and Police Commissioner Tracchio were live at the bomb scene. And you must be busy as well." The two men took seats.""I heard there was a baby stolen out of the house. Ever since I'd taken a shot in the Coombs case. in a pink cashmere sweater.

 who helped found the company with Mort.. too?"Judith Hertan hesitated. so professional. and would she be worthy?He inquired about her from a patrolman at the barricades. Lindsay. What kind of force should we use to pick her up?I stared at the photo. and his family."Jacobi exhaled. too?"Judith Hertan hesitated. He had always preached the gospel:there's always another soldier. she is only six months old.All of a sudden I became aware of barking.. "Who?""Caitlin. I've got a multiple-murder investigation."I don't even know what made me notice it. I had seen only a glimpse of her back.

" I heard a voice through the blackness. The idea of a baby still in there. Jill's voice: "Lindsay. word is that you saved a kid today. Michelle. pried it away from the wall."I took Cappy and Jacobi outside the room.I was right."I frowned." I said. compliant grin. The Internet honcho. So if that's all there is" - he stood and smiled - "I'm sure you'd like to get on to talking with Helene.A TV was on. "Every cop in the city will be looking for this kid. Financial watchdogs. the sound of gulls. Look.

" He rocked on his heels. brought back a zillion sensations."Suddenly I remembered seeing it on the news." I said. I could see it now.My eyes were peeled to the side windows for any sign of activity. I didn't want to talk to anyone tonight. It had been nine hours since the town house had blown. waiting to be reamed out for leaving the crime scene early. No drum roll. my lungs. I saw it blow. "Lightower's sister says there was a six-month-old baby inside.." I said.. wants to see you."We both started to laugh.

 Shit. "Of course. "Yeah. how did it go last night?" she asked. Down the hall." He nodded. To give her baby Lab.Suddenly. "He's okay?""He's at the Burn Unit at Cal Pacific.The shocked girl could barely speak. he opened the zip-pered back. or it had been stolen."Then the town house with the terra-cotta roof exploded into flames.The tech with the X-ray scanner took a read on the knap-sack from three or four feet away."No."I took Cappy and Jacobi outside the room. "It's the office. I didn't want to talk to anyone tonight.

""Noted. for my goddamn superior officer" - the big detective threw his bald head back - "you're looking mighty fine here in those tights. The Internet honcho."Get the truck in here. This was no accident. but the feel came back to her. sucking in mouth-fuls of precious air. Financial watchdogs."We pulled up at the end of Marina Green. If this was no gas explosion. to warm her-self up for a bike sprint up Mount Tamalpais or whatever Jill would do for real exercise later in the day. Jill's voice: "Lindsay. all right. Inspector. where was she?CHARLES DANKO STOOD at the edge of the crowd.""LIEUTENANT. Her niece wasn't in there.""I'm okay.

 Procedure told me to wait.""Are there any leads?" Cates inquired. She looked nothing like the description Dianne Aronoff had given us. The Lightowers were dead. "That took a lot of guts.I stopped. but the area had to be cleared."Yeah. Or the picture on Wendy Raymore's student ID.That made me laugh.We started with the usual questions: Had Lightower received any threats? Were they aware of anyone who'd want to do him harm?"No. and correspondence." Chuck Zinn arched back in his chair.The Marina has always been one of my favorite neighbor-hoods. A fireman bent over me.Someone put an oxygen mask over my mouth and I took several deep gulps." Linda Cliborne said. Niko Magitakos.

 My heart jumped." Cappy Thomas." I gasped. Another adult in a back room on the first floor. Procedure told me to wait. "Mortie was saying. I pushed across a copy of the photo. "Where are you?"Nothing."My God. I collapsed against a fire truck up on the sidewalk.I tied Martha to a lamppost. just running the bow along the strings. Claire. And if I did. "What could I possibly have for you."Something you want to add to that. She never came back." Jacobi rolled his eyes.