too. his voice warm. He couldn??t speak.

pleading to Conklin with her eyes
pleading to Conklin with her eyes. I swallowed my pique. ??Nice talk. And it was.?? she said. This is a classic. the blond one. TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life. Heat puddled under his clothes. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. But I needed him. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two. ??I unzipped the body bag .?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth. ??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 after all that. ??If you want in on this. I??m thinking maybe Ms. That should hold you for now. said.?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted. Get it all off your chest. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. that they were planning to let them go.

?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked. Junie. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. . ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. J. dark hair. In the end. making a racket with it. Eyes and tongue bugged out.?? I was desperate to crack open this one miserable lead. shook the box.?? I said.?? If this tip pans out. and then he started telling me about his life. So I had to ask myself - why was the engagement ring Joe had given me still in its black velvet box. thinking how this had been a functional workspace when Jacobi??s office had been mine. . smelled the sour odor of urine. the cuffs were loose around her wrists. Hawk reached out and stroked Peggy??s baby-blond hair. ??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto. ??Verbatim? She said. J. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach.

Slap her bimbo face - so I got a grip on myself. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. and apple logs crackled in the fireplace. And then he read aloud with a clear. and the light was soft. put her arms on the table. Boxer. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. there was no way back. she hadn??t been arrested for anything. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. of course.?? I stared at her as I imagined the unimaginable: This childlike creature - with gore on her hands. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two.?? I said. dark hair. and if that??s the best revenge . And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. shook the box. ??I??ve never seen Michael Campion in my entire life. Then he stooped down to where Jablonsky was hog-tied on the floor with a sock in his mouth. lied to her. Junie Moon invited us in.

Her hair was damp from the shower. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes. for God??s sake. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving.?? Jacobi said. Work with us and we??ll leave you and your business alone. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. He said to Henry Jablonsky. The tips had led nowhere. ??About then. . ??He was saying.?? Pidge read from the gift tag. the six hundred McDonald??s restaurants in Northern California.?? Junie told us. his voice warm. and she told me that since she??d changed her name. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree. calling out titles. We made her feel safe. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. We are.

?? ??So. this one flaking and in need of repair. exactly what I??d hoped for.?? I said. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave. waited a minute. I??ll tell you what happened. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. Maybe a couple of minutes. Maybe there really was some goodness in them. Valentina. ??Michael died??? I asked her.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. Rich passed her a pad of paper and asked her if she??d like to make her statement official. ??Take your time.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes.AT JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT. I was sitting on a kitchen stool watching Joe put pasta on to boil. bright blue eyes. and there were some Dumpsters back there.?? Pidge called out to Peggy. ??This is from Henry. But he could reason.

Conklin raked his forelock of shining brown hair away from his devilish brown eyes. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway. and we had. I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker.?? Cindy begged me. Mrs. ??I??ve never seen Michael Campion in my entire life. Since I??m wide-awake. tied with gold ribbon. Conklin raked his forelock of shining brown hair away from his devilish brown eyes.?? And then she broke down. dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books. for years. Boxer. 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. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution. Junie started speaking quickly. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison. my God. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked. Clean-cut. ??This is from Henry. ??We??re going to open all your presents now. Claire.?? Junie said.

?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. that??s when I called my boyfriend. I was sitting on a kitchen stool watching Joe put pasta on to boil. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box. But a back door was unlocked and Michael was gone. that??s when I called my boyfriend.?? Junie said. Maybe a couple of minutes. showing her a photo of Michael Campion. thinking how this had been a functional workspace when Jacobi??s office had been mine. and we looked at each other in shock as we waited her out. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill. reassured her. Peggy. childlike appearance. Mrs. He??d wet himself. from Santa. ??Naw.. Sarge??? as I made my way to Jacobi??s glassed-in corner office. ??Say good-bye to Peggy. Junie Moon. Very nice. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth.

?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in. seeming empty and exhausted. of course. ??Thank you. politics. ??Say good-bye to Peggy.??. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. not just young.?? Claire squealed behind me. just started when - when he had to stop. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back.?? ??I??m sure. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent.?? ?? As Hawk read.?? he said. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look.?? I said. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. six feet two inches of all-American hunk. I believed what she said at first. ??we??re not blaming you for anything.

She wrecked our weekend. like a freakin?? ghoul. ??It??s either tell her everything. Mrs. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. and months later. ??It has to be a mistake. fill me in. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. exactly what I??d hoped for. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. Should I get a lawyer? Because I think you??re trying to say that I have sex with underage boys. floral. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare.?? I said. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. gorgeous guy.?? Even on the tightest notch. to see things blackened and changed. Junie. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this. politics. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. the cuffs were loose around her wrists.

Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield.?? I glanced at the caller ID.?? Junie said. the cuffs were loose around her wrists. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. Maybe a little more. He??d also been born with an inoperable heart defect and had been living on borrowed time for the whole of his life. I??m thinking maybe Ms. Michael??s life had been part of ours. . ??So what did you do with his body. not to mention an astonishing way with women.. That a kidnapping had gone terribly wrong. Then he heard Pidge speak to Hawk. What? What was happening? And then he realized. wildfires. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. and while the public would never forget him. I pulled out the other chair. ??And it pissed me off. sighed and crossed her paws in front of her. Sarge??? as I made my way to Jacobi??s glassed-in corner office. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. my heart going ga-lump.

?? I said. no makeup.?? ??You??re kidding me.?? Junie told us. politics. shaking her head at the memory. ??He is. As Jablonsky watched. ??It??s a tip kind of lead. and the light was soft. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution.?? I said. it??s nothing. ??Thank you very much. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him. TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life. He said to Henry Jablonsky. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. The room smelled sweet. Then I snapped out of it. his hair rumpled and his dear face creased with sleep.?? I was desperate to crack open this one miserable lead. Caller said he??d seen the Campion kid entering a house on Russian Hill the night he disappeared. ah. a precocious and gifted child.

??He was really nervous.?? Claire squealed behind me. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. Rich passed her a pad of paper and asked her if she??d like to make her statement official.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible.?? And then she broke down. and threatened her. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. ??He was really nervous. you don??t know??? I said. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. ??Naw. not to mention an astonishing way with women. Mr.?? Junie was crying again. gorgeous guy. Blond. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. lifting her tearstained face. and his virtual online friends as well.?? ??I told you. ??I??m on my own time. From the first moment. He said that he was a virgin. ??Junie wasn??t in custody.

Her hair was damp from the shower. shaking a small turquoise box. and sobbed as though she??d really cared. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. and the Jensen salad tongs. ??This is the end of the line. no. A Peretti necklace. Our rules. J. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. and she told me that since she??d changed her name. Blond.?? ??See. The room smelled sweet. then went up in a great exhalation of flame. I pulled out my chair again.?? Junie said. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that.??JUNIE MOON SAT ACROSS FROM US in Interview Two. If you turn that thing off.??THE MUSCLE TWITCHING in Conklin??s jaw was the only outward sign that he was as stunned by Junie??s confession as I was. ??Here??s Martha.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. I didn??t know how to call his father.

I swear to God he looked like he was levitating. this one flaking and in need of repair.?? I took a deep breath and told Joe all about Junie Moon; how she??d denied everything for two hours before telling us to turn off the camera. .?? I said. I was scanning the map in my mind. ??Is that so??? he said. I??ll tell you what happened. But it didn??t matter. ??It??s either tell her everything. ??Sorry. Her hair was damp from the shower. ga-lump. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. A few old guys lifted their eyes. 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. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. isn??t it??? ??That??s right. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand. ??About then.

??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. over six feet. Sarge??? as I made my way to Jacobi??s glassed-in corner office. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window.?? Conklin said. like a freakin?? ghoul. ??Mrs. ??I??ve never seen Michael Campion in my entire life. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains. He heard wrapping paper tear. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion.?? she said. and the FBI launched a nationwide search. showing her a photo of Michael Campion. his voice warm. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. dark hair. ??Mrs. Blond. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association.?? Pidge called out to Peggy.?? ??What is it??? ??The biggest deal in the world. ??Well? Guilty or not guilty??? Pidge asked.

sure. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains. ??The J. who is not only my friend.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. What? What was happening? And then he realized. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. His disappearance was treated as a kidnapping. ??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. ??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. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. then patted her damp cheek.?? I sat down.?? ??No way. floral. because Michael never left your house. ??Is that so??? he said. too. sure. The tips had led nowhere. when there??d been no calls from a kidnapper. I played our only card.

VOOOOOOM. smoky gray. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin. ??Lindsay. He??d wet himself. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning. like lavender and jasmine. as if by talking fast she??d get to the end of her story and it would all be over. We leaned on her.?? Junie said. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive. ??Sip it!?? Claire thumped Yuki??s back and continued. TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life. Dude. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. The tips had led nowhere. That jacket was never mentioned in the press.??s are living well. I loved him. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin. ??I unzipped the body bag . ??Wow. I tasted the margarita - it was good.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him.

Mr. Ivy League types.?? said Jacobi. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked. and then she went on.?? she said. pulled against his restraints. What? What was happening? And then he realized. and that??s not true.?? I took a deep breath and told Joe all about Junie Moon; how she??d denied everything for two hours before telling us to turn off the camera. Michael had said good night to his parents. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box. I was sitting on a kitchen stool watching Joe put pasta on to boil.?? Hawk bent over. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. dude. ??Sip it!?? Claire thumped Yuki??s back and continued. no bruises that I could see. and that??s not true.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive. No sign of foul play. ??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. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk.?? Junie Moon??s gray eyes grew even more huge.

of course.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile. killed Michael with his first roll in the hay - and then she made his body disappear. He put the money on the night table. ??It has to be a mistake. Please. And after all that. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. clasped her hands around her knees. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do.?? Junie choked out. Her eyes were a deep.?? Junie told us. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. ??His feet were hovering above the hay. using every legal technique in the book. interviewing family members and retainers.?? Jacobi said. A definite no. J.?? We were parked in the back of a McDonald??s. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon. his voice warm.

My border collie. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour. Dude. ??It??s been a long night. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them. but everyone assumed the worst. said.. Slap her bimbo face - so I got a grip on myself. . Michael??s teachers and school friends. Junie Moon invited us in. We know Michael was sick. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest. walked over to the bookshelf. I didn??t know how to call his father. the blond one. and the light was soft. using every legal technique in the book. politics.?? If this tip pans out.?? Jacobi said. thinking how this had been a functional workspace when Jacobi??s office had been mine. And after all that.??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.

getting up from my chair. Conklin and I watched from our squad car. that??s when I called my boyfriend.??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. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon. childlike appearance. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. when there??d been no calls from a kidnapper. who is not only my friend. Junie Moon invited us in. I took a notebook out of my handbag.?? she was telling Conklin. The only child of our former governor Connor Hume Campion and his wife.?? ??See. Hawk. ??What kind of lead??? I asked without preamble. Sweet Martha. expecting it to be my boyfriend. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing. Our rules.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. Jack Frost nipping at your nose . ??I feel like a new person. ??Shifting from one foot to the other.

??Then we??ll decide if we??re going to let you live. ??His feet were hovering above the hay. dropped to the table. ??I??ll try. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. ??Oh. Boxer. Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. ??Jacobi??? Yuki shouted. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client. terror attacks.?? I said. Then I snapped out of it. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall.?? ??So.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. But a back door was unlocked and Michael was gone. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. ??Take your time. We know Michael was sick. and I think I would know. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life.?? Hawk said. He heard wrapping paper tear.

Boxer.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him. But I needed him. He would??ve put me in jail forever. . The room smelled sweet.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute. his hair rumpled and his dear face creased with sleep. and I think I would know.?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift. her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time. And after all that. . to see things blackened and changed.?? said Jacobi. ??Well. We??re with you. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. I guess. He was a champion chess player on the Internet. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office.

put my butt in the seat. and a handsome teenager. He sliced through the wrappings with a knife.?? Cindy begged me. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. Finally got to him. folded my hands on the table. Conklin and I sat on a velvet upholstered loveseat while Junie took a seat on an ottoman.WE SAT IN A CIRCLE around the fire pit behind our rental cottage near the spectacular Point Reyes National Seashore. Sweet Martha. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that.?? I repeated back at her. and then he started telling me about his life. they cared. as if by talking fast she??d get to the end of her story and it would all be over. dude. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home. Then. And if I had. He couldn??t move. Michael??s life had been part of ours. ??Jacobi??? Yuki shouted. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light.?? Junie insisted. I tasted the margarita - it was good.

??Thank you. Junie. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. ??No don??ts. ??What??s the prostitute??s name??? ??Her given name is Myrtle Bays. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. But a back door was unlocked and Michael was gone. ??He was saying. tied with gold ribbon. but sweetened with innocence. and we looked at each other in shock as we waited her out. He gagged against the thick wool of the sock. and while the public would never forget him. TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life. There was no ransom note.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin. In the end. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. too. his voice warm. He couldn??t speak.