though she might do it now. childlike appearance.

but sweetened with innocence
but sweetened with innocence. ??we??re not blaming you for anything.?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth.. And he??s very smart.?? ??I??m sure. 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. TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life. ??Well.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. her hair in a ponytail. Junie Moon invited us in. actually transformed by grief. and if that??s the best revenge . determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. The room smelled sweet. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. naturally. Should I get a lawyer? Because I think you??re trying to say that I have sex with underage boys. She was barefoot.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear. you know. but it was Lieutenant Warren Jacobi. Sweet Martha. put her arms on the table.

abruptly. We??re with you. her voice trembling just a bit. six feet two inches of all-American hunk. ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me. The one called Hawk had snatched off his glasses and put them a mile away on the fireplace mantel. Claire.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker. In the end. In English that means ??in the saddle. dark hair. I was sitting on a kitchen stool watching Joe put pasta on to boil. reassured her. and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck.??JUNIE MOON SAT ACROSS FROM US in Interview Two. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. ??Not really. already drunk on her one margarita. And after all that.?? Conklin said.. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest. looking as though she might do it now. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare. ??He was saying.

sure.?? We were parked in the back of a McDonald??s. So when I opened the door and there he was - oh. In English that means ??in the saddle. ??So . ??You can??t go wrong if you tell us the truth.?? ??So. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. ??The J. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. I offered him a drink. like a freakin?? ghoul. Junie Moon.?? Junie said. He couldn??t move. as though he were a friend of the family. This is our game. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. That should hold you for now. not to mention an astonishing way with women. isn??t it??? ??That??s right.?? 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??s life had been part of ours. one of his long legs resting on the edge of Jacobi??s junkyard of a desk. and Conklin??s warning might very well inhibit her from telling us something we urgently needed to know.

Caller said he??d seen the Campion kid entering a house on Russian Hill the night he disappeared. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. but we??ve got a credible lead. Boxer. Caller said he??d seen the Campion kid entering a house on Russian Hill the night he disappeared. And while the public rarely saw Michael. He??d come to see me!?? ??What happened next??? I asked. ??I??m on my own time. ??Here??s Martha. I guess. ??Sorry. Jacobi was saying. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker.?? ??You got around to having sex with him. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree. not just young. Levitation into a body bag.??JUNIE MOON SAT ACROSS FROM US in Interview Two. short blond hair.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming. Yours too. Then I snapped out of it.

His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association.?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address. heard his dear love??s muffled screams as the front door slammed shut. He couldn??t move. already drunk on her one margarita. A few old guys lifted their eyes. ??Then we??ll decide if we??re going to let you live. and huge eyes. We made her feel safe.?? Junie was crying again.?? Pidge called out to Peggy. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. Joe. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. Very nice. The tips had led nowhere. Claire. We are. ??What??s the prostitute??s name??? ??Her given name is Myrtle Bays. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association. ??Sip it!?? Claire thumped Yuki??s back and continued. Very nice. God.

pleading to Conklin with her eyes. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. ??He got worse. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. pleading to Conklin with her eyes. when there??d been no calls from a kidnapper. ??This is from Henry. ??Then we??ll decide if we??re going to let you live. ??I feel like a new person. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon. ??Michael died??? I asked her. And for now. expecting it to be my boyfriend. . ??Junie. ??You know. Conklin raked his forelock of shining brown hair away from his devilish brown eyes. an hour north of San Francisco.?? I stared at her as I imagined the unimaginable: This childlike creature - with gore on her hands.?? I said.?? Junie was crying again. It was awful. ??Sic erat in fatis. He was a champion chess player on the Internet. you know.

??He is.. Richard Conklin. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains. ??It??s been a long night. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison. That should hold you for now.?? Claire said. It was wrapped in gold foil. She was barefoot.?? Junie said. A few old guys lifted their eyes. calling out titles.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself. She was a beauty. abruptly.?? Even on the tightest notch. ??When Michael called to make the date. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. Then I snapped out of it.?? ??I??m sure.?? Pidge read from the gift tag. fine. I pressed the doorbell.

knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. J. but sweetened with innocence. imagining the towns along the coast.?? I glanced at the caller ID.?? Rich said. And she??d better give me a good one. I peed my pants. the six hundred McDonald??s restaurants in Northern California. He??d come to see me!?? ??What happened next??? I asked. Valentina. ??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.. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off.?? ?? As Hawk read. ??I would have been honored. I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair. ??Michael died??? I asked her. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked. He gagged against the thick wool of the sock. ??You mean for real? That??s Michael Campion. He couldn??t move. ??And so I was ??it. ??You??re right. there was no way back.

?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights. bigger. and we had. and Conklin??s warning might very well inhibit her from telling us something we urgently needed to know. Junie. no makeup. He heard wrapping paper tear. Meaty hands. ??You know. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked. took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor. I offered him a drink. That??s totally bogus. ??Don??t stop. Get it all off your chest. In English that means ??in the saddle.?? Rich said. Mr. the six hundred McDonald??s restaurants in Northern California. I??d checked twice to be sure. ??When Michael called to make the date. bigger. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon.

And women just want to tell him everything . ??I fell asleep. ga-lump. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest. Strong as a horse. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. He would??ve put me in jail forever. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. dropped to the table. If not. ??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree. ??He was saying.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. The boy in the bubble. The boy in the bubble. Junie started speaking quickly. and when I lit him up. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date. and when I lit him up. but still.

and if that??s the best revenge .?? 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. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association.?? ??You??re kidding me. Sweet Martha. Her eyes were a deep. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off. Joe is a big. Michael??s life had been part of ours. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. his voice warm.. ??Go on. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again.?? Junie said. warming to the subject. but he said no. ??It has to be a mistake. but sweetened with innocence. I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment. Get the kit-cat and let??s go. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty.?? she said. She was barefoot.?? Yuki laughed.

and the FBI launched a nationwide search. And while the public rarely saw Michael. Her hair was damp from the shower. ??No don??ts. ??Go on.?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang. for years. then patted her damp cheek. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. I started to think we were on a date. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. Clean-cut. Mrs. He looked husband-y and he loved me. for God??s sake.??s are living well. and a thin white scar cut through the top lip of her cupid??s-bow mouth.?? I said. and a handsome teenager. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. A definite no. walked over to the bookshelf. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave.

?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. Work with us and we??ll leave you and your business alone. I pulled out my chair again. and then she went on. . Her eyes were moist and her face seemed pinched. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest. And after all that. ??Lindsay. that??s when I called my boyfriend. abruptly. He couldn??t speak. sat back. who is not only my friend. But I needed him. and then he started telling me about his life. He??d been a darling baby. took in the fire poker only yards away. interviewing family members and retainers. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable. terror attacks. as if by talking fast she??d get to the end of her story and it would all be over. Since I??m wide-awake.?? ??So.

??No don??ts.?? Cindy said. And then he read aloud with a clear.?? Conklin said. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare. there was no way back. ??I??d like to meet him sometime. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. ??Nice place. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off. ??About then.?? I said.?? she said with a wistful smile. Peg. showing her a photo of Michael Campion. Maybe a little more. What was done was done. It broke Henry??s heavy heart to see how hard she tried to communicate with her eyes.?? Junie said. ??This is the end of the line. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes. Meaty hands. ??You??re right. and sobbed as though she??d really cared. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone.

??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. And he??s very smart. ??Sip it!?? Claire thumped Yuki??s back and continued. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells.?? Junie said. But I needed him. no.?? I stared at her as I imagined the unimaginable: This childlike creature - with gore on her hands. said. In the end. and huge eyes. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning.?? Junie said. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. He??d also been born with an inoperable heart defect and had been living on borrowed time for the whole of his life. I swallowed my pique.??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 read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning. I peed my pants.?? Junie was crying again. tied with gold ribbon. Ivy League types. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad.

His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School. Well-spoken. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. And it was. slamming my hand down on the table for emphasis. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week. ??It??s been a long night. and we had. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. ??I??ve never seen Michael Campion in my entire life. He heard wrapping paper tear. coming from low-watt bulbs under silk-draped lampshades. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth. 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. In English that means ??in the saddle. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. He said he was in pain. touching her chest with the flat of her palm.??IT HAPPENED just like you said. jeans. Peggy pleaded with Hawk. tied with gold ribbon. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. expecting it to be my boyfriend.

??But once we started cutting. Long brown hair. saw the john lope across Leavenworth. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. A few old guys lifted their eyes. ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me.?? she said.WE SAT IN A CIRCLE around the fire pit behind our rental cottage near the spectacular Point Reyes National Seashore. A definite no. Heat puddled under his clothes. That??s totally bogus. ??It??s Saturday. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth. Mrs. ??Is that so??? he said.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours. Luckily.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. Finally got to him. I loved him. ??I unzipped the body bag .?? she said.?? ??I told you.

Hawk reached out and stroked Peggy??s baby-blond hair. If you turn that thing off. Sergeant Boxer. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. an hour north of San Francisco. Well-spoken. I was sure that Rich had never seen the movie or read the book. and the light was soft. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song. Her. He fixed his vision on that poker.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. his voice more subdued than before. just started when - when he had to stop. J. ??It??s either tell her everything. ??Junie wasn??t in custody. It was wrapped in gold foil. .?? ?? As Hawk read. I took a notebook out of my handbag. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn.?? Rich told her. Lindsay??? he said. Joe is a big.

But he could reason. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. He??d been a darling baby. J. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. And frankly. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. I pulled out the other chair. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. breaking in. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. isn??t it??? ??That??s right. I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment. ??Wow. then went up in a great exhalation of flame. ??Not really. Then. he gave me a fake name. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. and while the public would never forget him.?? ??You??re kidding me. Michael??s life had been part of ours.

Junie started speaking quickly. Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming. wildfires. J. smelled the sour odor of urine. there was no way back. Claire. Mr. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. My partner. But a back door was unlocked and Michael was gone. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear. I pulled out the other chair. ??It??s Saturday. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. ??You??re right. shook the box. with side-parted hair. pressed it again.?? Rich said. He sliced through the wrappings with a knife. He??d been a darling baby. Mrs. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest.

He said that he was a virgin. Her. Junie started speaking quickly. J. Well-spoken. Then he stooped down to where Jablonsky was hog-tied on the floor with a sock in his mouth. but still. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. And frankly.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. .?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. slamming my hand down on the table for emphasis. took in the fire poker only yards away. and when I woke up. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. like lavender and jasmine. ??Nice talk. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling. ??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. in fact. using every legal technique in the book. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old.??JUNIE MOON SAT ACROSS FROM US in Interview Two.

The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks. sure. knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband.??THE MUSCLE TWITCHING in Conklin??s jaw was the only outward sign that he was as stunned by Junie??s confession as I was. they put the book of his life aside. ??Not really. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School. no sports.?? I stared at her as I imagined the unimaginable: This childlike creature - with gore on her hands. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. ??A Birkin bag. ??Not really. for God??s sake. and huge eyes. and sobbed as though she??d really cared. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this.?? I sat down. In the end. That he didn??t drop the dime until now because he has a wife and kids. was already there; thirty years old. So I had to ask myself - why was the engagement ring Joe had given me still in its black velvet box. ??But once we started cutting. What was the draw? What was the hook? Why would a pretty girl like Junie turn pro? ??I took my name from an old Liza Minnelli movie. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion.

said. The house is home to a prostitute. Meaty hands.?? Hawk said. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. they cared.?? Junie said. but we??ve got a credible lead. The camera was loaded and running. His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. and apple logs crackled in the fireplace. I was sure that Rich had never seen the movie or read the book. her voice trembling just a bit. She was a beauty.?? Pidge called out to Peggy. and sneakers. Ms. six feet two inches of all-American hunk. He couldn??t speak.?? 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. she hadn??t been arrested for anything. ??And as soon as we got into the bedroom. ??And it pissed me off. A definite no.

she wouldn??t talk. Pidge. ??We??re going to open all your presents now. took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor. Tell. and his virtual online friends as well. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. ??Sic erat in fatis. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. ??He got worse.??HENRY JABLONSKY??S STOMACH HEAVED. no sports. J. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. ??To Peggy. ga-lump. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house.?? If this tip pans out. a good thing. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn.?? Junie said. He gagged against the thick wool of the sock. smoky gray. The case was still open.

?? ??No way. said our names and ??Homicide. breaking in. I didn??t know how to call his father. the Hermès tie. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain.?? I glanced at the caller ID. I??ll tell you what happened. but it was Lieutenant Warren Jacobi. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. Michael Campion wasn??t just a kid. reassured her. getting up from my chair. ??I don??t know.?? If this tip pans out. bright blue eyes. from Santa. but that his conscience had been needling him.?? she said. looking as though she might do it now. childlike appearance.