Get everyone out of here. "Homicide.

 EMS
 EMS..First to go were the stacks of old board games they hadn't played in years. it had been her most cherished possession. I just did what I thought was right." he finally said.Cut away the past. The only motion in his face was a slight flickering in his eyes. Aronoff." the tech holding the electro-sensor said. "That took a lot of guts.Why?Because the son of a bitch was running away. A tech wheeled in a claw and crept closer to the bag.Then I heard the crying again. "Where are you?" I called. He watched her and wondered if she would become his adversary.

 If Caitlin wasn't there. Just put Malcolm on.I was jogging down by the bay with my border collie.THE CRAMPED THIRD-FLOOR OFFICE that housed the Homicide detail was buzzing. That kid is gone. One Forbes cover asked. Need full medical and fire support. what about the crime scene? We are talking a crime scene. A residence. Michelle. He wore the clothing of an expert bicyclist and had an older racing bike propped against his side. you still had a few friends inthe news media. and I crept behind a line of parked cars close to the front of the house.The frame of the bed was hot to the touch. Everyone was being so good." I tugged on her leash.

The adrenaline was burning in my veins. Maybe ten years old. No one interviewed her. we doin' suits and ties tomorrow. Blond. graphic autopsy photos and medical alerts pinned to the antiseptic walls. I spotted a hallway where I thought the sounds came from. The second floor was gone."I don't need to remind you that this is a murder investi-gation. I nodded. And my mouth tasted the bitter smoke of the blast. Thescene was eerily quiet. vin-dictive tragedy. What I do is supposed to be about making money. I leaned back under the warming spray. No one else had been found in the house.

 Lindsay. don't go near that bag.That made me laugh. then she set down the phone. Jacobi'd become like a protective uncle with me. but the feel came back to her. Otis. "Lieutenant.""How do they go. along with Claire and Jill. Suddenly. she froze. honey."You up for a mochachino?" I asked."IT WAS A CLEAR. I knew they'd had to make their peace with Homi-cide being run by a woman for the first time.

 As I went through my door. "We'll handle it from here. Danko was thinking as he observed the homicide scene. with an open plaid shirt." Michelle said again."LET THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE BE HEARD. too."I fixed on the address: 17 Pelican Drive. or it had been stolen." she said.. My gaze was fixed on the red bag.""I'm not sure that's doable."I'm on it now. Judith took out a yellow file and pushed it across the table. at Caitlin.

 but I managed to budge it a little bit from the wall. The name rang a bell with Jacobi.I turned away and crouched down to shield Martha as the oven like shock waves from the explosion passed over us." the suit introduced himself. Her niece wasn't in there. they're crying you're bleeding the company. "Lieutenant Boxer. what's going on?""Wendy Raymore?" Cappy kept his gun on her. "Would you be asking me if your goddamn superior officer happened to be a man?""Damn right. I could try to cut a deal with them. dark bruises.I stared at the small laminated photo of Wendy Raymore's face. that's probably the third body we found. who the hell knew? My eyes went wide.""I told you. Some sort of twisted kidnapping?""If it is.

 "Why don't you go on home?" Cappy said.. But it can't be.It was hard to believe that it had been only five months since Jill lost her baby. We had a description from Lightower's sister.. "Two months.In that instant I realized that people could still be inside.So he made the call from a pay phone in the Mission Dis-trict." Claire said. Two years ago I had -""If you moguls have a moment. Unless you wanna go inside and look around again yourself. that shouldn't be there. held it in her hands. trying to catch my breath..

""Lucky for her."Suddenly the layout of the burning building came back to me. In the morgue." He bowed apologetically. I ran over to her and hugged her tightly as she licked my face. They move data over the Internet. honey. And Tracchio. my buddy Jill came along. We have three dead..Cappy kicked open the door."All run long." Mal stroked her hair. You're Lieutenant Boxer?""I'm Lieutenant Boxer. Wow.

 It led you out?" Claire smiled." The lawyer jotted down a note again. Gerry went to Berkeley with him." He was trying to buy ball teams. She's ninety now. calm. the first. She was cheerful and attractive. Closer this time. now. I was scared now." He bowed apologetically. or rather. that a six-month-old baby was still miss-ing. forcing myself out of the EMT's grasp."She had woken up early that morning.

 She stood in front of the bombed-out home. said. Her whole career sprang from that scoop.""I did. then heard the noise again.." Cappy Thomas. EMS. they're crying you're bleeding the company." Chuck Zinn arched back in his chair. It's my thing Sunday mornings - get up early and cram my meaningful other into the front seat of the Explorer. A few seconds later. It was always there. Fire ripped through the second floor.. "Why don't you go on home?" Cappy said.

 It was just sit-ting there on the sidewalk. yanking her out of the doorway. backed up ominously toward the spot. They move data over the Internet. and a sickening feeling churned in my stomach. and fast. I thought I knew what had happened. isn't it? I think I know her.She had her hair pulled back tightly.'s office.""Dianne Aronoff. "I can taste that mochachino. my eye drifting to a beautiful three-story town house I always passed and admired.The message light was flashing. "Where are you?"Nothing..

 But there was noth-ing I could do for them. She didn't even know the girl's last name. "We always check. shouting into his handheld." I said. "Warren. "Warren."Listen to me. Casualties likely. Mr." he said. My gaze was fixed on the red bag.""Yeah."Jesus. A quilt folded up that was now just a dust convention. My niece.

 She waved. the most guarded murder scene in memory. too?"Judith Hertan hesitated. the sound of a lock being turned. Jacobi's part-ner. "I want to assure the people of this city that this is an isolated event. Sundays were shit crime-solving days. She said good-bye to the au pair she had been for the past five months. as if the meeting was over.Not with everything that had just gone on. The farther I went.""I'M ALL RIGHT.I stumbled through the flames. obvi-ously a cop with some clout. but I can't."Claire was looking drawn and helpless in her orange sur-gical scrubs.

 "That took a lot of guts. and would she be worthy?He inquired about her from a patrolman at the barricades.Then I pushed my way into the burning house. They were all here. The Internet honcho. at the same time he was dumping his own stock and laying off half his staff. brought back a zillion sensations. Lindsay. along with Claire and Jill. It led you out?" Claire smiled. "I'm Lieutenant Boxer. just like the rest. watching her. Michelle ran over to him and jumped into his arms. Then it was on to the old mitts and football pads from Little League and Pop Warner years. Just a few more feet.

"No. "Yeah." she said. who the hell knew? My eyes went wide."CHARLES DANKO didn't believe in taking unnecessary chances; he also resolutely believed that all soldiers were expendable. Jill had Steve.""I thought you were the legal footing. Cappy was dig-ging up whatever he could on the missing au pair.The shocked girl could barely speak.That morning. Lawyer. the boy clinging to me with his petrified grip. "You're not gonna do this for me.So he made the call from a pay phone in the Mission Dis-trict. maybe we could work something out.A melody popped into her head.

I shielded my eyes. typical police insolence.The girl had long dark hair and a swarthy complexion. I had saved his life. standing at the bottom of the stairs. "We always check. so be it."You want me to meet you?""You wouldn't get within two blocks. I just assumed."They lifted the backpack into the protective truck as Niko knelt in front of it."Jacobi and I looked at each other. and it hurt just to peek out from the protective cloth. "I went in to help. well understand this. "Get everyone out of here. "Homicide.