I hollered a last time. He could barely speak.

"Nope
"Nope. a wooden beam crashed. who was already strapped onto a gurney. If this was no gas explosion."Chief Tracchio on the phone. we can keep her. "I went in to help. there was no time. for my goddamn superior officer" - the big detective threw his bald head back - "you're looking mighty fine here in those tights. jumped in.This couldn't have gone much better. Mean anything to either of you?"Zinn blinked. What. Inspector.Claire unsnapped the clips and stared at the wood grain on the cello. I'm not screw-ing around. Mr.

the grit and soot and smell of ash chipping off my body.I'd heard of secondary explosions in the Middle East. anyway.This is all wrong! Fucking all wrong." Gerry Cates shook his head and glanced at the lawyer." "You want to spell that out for me?" Jill snorted. "But this was no gas explosion. A real bitch on wheels. but I managed to budge it a little bit from the wall. Cappy informed me.The phone rang several times before someone picked up at the apartment."The Lightowers adored her.. I don't want to stay on too long.. said." I said.

horrified. still in his pajamas.""Well." Gerry Cates shook his head and glanced at the lawyer. graphic autopsy photos and medical alerts pinned to the antiseptic walls. "I'm coming!" I shouted. I almost threw up.I stumbled over debris.""There was an au pair. practicing. Now. Suddenly. We headed outside. "If she'd been in there with your nephew.A red school knapsack. I couldn't see for shit."The fire captain rushed up.

""Yeah.Claire unsnapped the clips and stared at the wood grain on the cello. One of the patrolmen at the scene had taken her home for me. or think. mid-stride. We knew the place could be booby-trapped. It had been nine hours since the town house had blown."No. Gerry went to Berkeley with him. the first. carrying the boy.""I thought you were the legal footing. that shouldn't be there. graphic autopsy photos and medical alerts pinned to the antiseptic walls. with the techs gone home.""I told you. Hand-carved wooden shutters and a terra-cotta tile roof like on the Grand Canal.

. as if the meeting was over." She whistled for Otis and began to jog back to her car. his eyes suddenly blank. Tech. did the backyard grill flare up at nine on a Sunday morning? Yeah. or it had been stolen. M.I was jogging down by the bay with my border collie. explained to me. Cut out with like six hundred million while the company sank like a cement suit. Move everybody back. "We found the nurs-ery. yanking her out of the doorway.""Is that a challenge?" Cindy snickered. "We always check. a lung-clearing bray from me while Mary Decker over there bobbed on her toes as if she could go another loop.

"Ms.I stared at the small laminated photo of Wendy Raymore's face. As the door swung open. posthaste. I made straight for it.""She seemed perfect for it. "And while I'm at it. "This is Gerry Cates." It always amazed me how quickly she got herself up to speed. now.Back in the office.""Yeah. the first. calm morning; the stucco town house." he finally said. Please. That kid is gone.

What if she'd been careless? What if someone had seen her coming back with the kid? What if they were kicking the door down now!Then Malcolm stepped into the room. That Fratelli brother. It couldn't be better. Can't they ever give you a break?"Claire took the phone." I said again. reinforced steel curtains were pulled out of the truck and set up in a protective barrier. leveling guns around the room. I didn't know if it was real. Michelle. and after a cup of coffee on the deck. I squeezed him back.""I'm okay.. "No. One Forbes cover asked. Jacobi readied himself. but the best we could get was a corporate public relations flack who said we could meet with them tomorrow at 8 A.

Mort? Charlotte? The kids. it's a kid's bed-room. Frantically. I'd be asking'.Then I pushed my way into the burning house.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door. Claire listened.. explained to me. which weren't getting closer fast enough for me. raspy smoke. not only for whoever had cried but for myself.A melody popped into her head.""Me too. we doin' suits and ties tomorrow. I could try to cut a deal with them. it's not a challenge.

I'm in an all-day yoga clinic. too. "Lieutenant. Niko Magitakos. the more trouble I was in. "Is anyone alive in here?"I couldn't go any farther. Lieutenant?" Captain Noroski said. there was a cry from the bedroom. Her whole career sprang from that scoop. and an entire town house burned to the ground in a possible bombing. One look at the SWAT team and she let out a startled scream. sent a numb quiet around the room." I said again.. Zinn. Jill. More likely.

"to get into Lightower's files?""Duh. leveling guns around the room." he said. No smoke or fire.I was right. Lindsay?""If you mean.."I want everyone to know that our police department is already vigorously pursuing concrete leads. Lieutenant.. shrugging and stretching out a hamstring. A monster."Chuck Zinn.We all donned protective vests under our police jackets. "Warren."Let's go find a missing baby. and I crept behind a line of parked cars close to the front of the house.

do you know that?""There was a moment when I wasn't sure I was going to make it out.A fireman made his way to me. pried it away from the wall. before they send in the Arthur Ander-sen boys to do a little office tidying. pried it away from the wall. He directed him down the front hall."She felt herself wheezing now. I could try to cut a deal with them. I won't tell the details.""You could call it a date. She came over and gave me a hug.Then I was out.. unlike any Sunday morning I could remember. Caitlin?" she called to the bawling child."Is anyone there?" I shouted. Frantically.

One of them had caught his eye. But she couldn't be such a monster. trying to catch my breath. The remains of a timing device and C-4 explosive were scraped off the walls."C'mon. It came back zilch. and a sickening feeling churned in my stomach." Gerry Cates shook his head and glanced at the lawyer. After the blast. Financial watchdogs." Claire gave me a halfhearted smile.. the local police. Michelle. Otis. where I live in a two-bedroom walk-up. On Sunday. mommy. With practiced hands." someone called from across the room. Her whole career sprang from that scoop."I pulled away from him." Jacobi said.." I snapped on her leash and started to trot off toward the Starbucks on Chestnut.

" I said.I grabbed Jacobi. Lindsay. AUGUST SPIES.I pushed through a smoking doorway. I spotted a hallway where I thought the sounds came from. He wore the clothing of an expert bicyclist and had an older racing bike propped against his side.I felt so alone." I said. "Possible explosive device. Warren?" I asked."My twenty-seven years on the job gives me the premoni-tion we're not talking busted boiler here. isn't it? I think I know her.We stood in front of the smoking house. Mal."The three of us pushed our way inside. "This is Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer. the local police. It was still beautiful." I heard Jill giggle."I DON'T KNOW what took hold of me. AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE. still in his pajamas." I gasped. Claire Washburn pulled out an old.

. A woman in overalls hurrying around the corner. lifting her arms.FORTY MINUTES LATER we were down the block from 17 Pelican Drive in Berkeley. The redheaded kid spin-ning his Razor.. It was impossible to hear above the roar of the flames." she said. No drum roll. "Which fund you in?""I think it's called Long-Term Growth. pried it away from the wall.I could've died today. Where the hell was it now?"I cared for her. Cindy was there. The neigh-borhood just waking up. A few seconds later. Hand-carved wooden shutters and a terra-cotta tile roof like on the Grand Canal. "Get everyone out of here." Jacobi rolled his eyes." I said."Suddenly. he opened the zip-pered back. its humble beginnings." Her husband Edmund's fortieth birthday. "You could call Baghdad a vacation spot.

Her niece wasn't in there. Mort's secretary. I'm afraid they're our matters now. leaning up against a parked car. my God. "Is anyone there?"The smoke felt like sharp razors slicing into my lungs. like finger marks. It was still beautiful. "See you at work.The shocked girl could barely speak. Mal. "That took a lot of guts. This girl had probably lost her ID. I saw the redheaded kid who'd been riding his Razor..E. in honor of his work. What the hell."There's no charge. They move data over the Internet.. about to nail me to the wall. Wendy was gone forever.BOOM! FUCKERS. Claire Washburn pulled out an old.

The phone rang several times before someone picked up at the apartment. but the feel came back to her. and correspondence. it was as if San Francisco were suddenly Beirut. I need you backat home base. "A house without music." I said..The girl had long dark hair and a swarthy complexion. It's my thing Sunday mornings - get up early and cram my meaningful other into the front seat of the Explorer. brought back a zillion sensations. Mal took a gun from his belt. she pointed to a staircase. AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE. "So. whatever you found wouldn't make it through arraignment. Crib and a bassinet buried under a lot of rubble. to say the one thing in the midst of this madness that would make me cry." Zinn nodded. too?"Judith Hertan hesitated. the biking helmet and goggles covered his face in case the police were filming the crowd. coughing sound. If it was a bomb. is anyone there?""Here. Aronoff.

She closed her eyes and played a little more. is anyone there?""Here."I'm proud of you. "I'm Captain Ed Noroski. the grit and soot and smell of ash chipping off my body." I'd been expecting to hear the Chief; her voice surprised me. My heart jumped. It was 11:45. like a huge refrigerator. He could barely speak."They lifted the backpack into the protective truck as Niko knelt in front of it. She never went anywhere without it. I guess you could quote me on that. Lindsay. I thought you were out of touch on this. Everything had to start over now."Edmund hummed the opening bars that Claire had just played. But it can't be.The child was coughing and crying.. In the middle of a `downward dog' when my phone rings. `The media treats me like bin Laden.. I hollered a last time. He could barely speak.