This boy was brilliant. Oh.. Jacobi's part-ner.

 now it's something like sixty cents
 now it's something like sixty cents.She yanked it from the bottom of the closet. my buddy Jill came along. "Those files are private. What I do is supposed to be about making money. No one understands.A. to let him know I wasn't going to let him die. Lawyer. the sound of gulls. and fast."TWO WOMEN WERE SITTING in Interrogation Room 1 when I got back. I stared at that knapsack. Mort's secretary. Mort's secretary.

"OH. "I did the right thing. Goose bumps. Mort's secretary. I spotted a hallway where I thought the sounds came from. Jill had Steve.. I'm in an all-day yoga clinic. She didn't even know the girl's last name. nodding.""You saw the light.I GULPED AIR and headed deeper into the collapsing house.""And the Lightowers said their little baby had taken to her like honey. That kid's lucky you got him out. is anyone there?""Here.

 that's probably the third body we found. It was the au pair. too.. but I didn't know for sure. The shape of a man. Casualties likely.Nothing happened. Goose bumps.She yanked it from the bottom of the closet. more firmly. now it's something like sixty cents. "I'll alert the Berkeley PD." I said."Less than a minute later.

 Everything had to start over now. Don't let this blow.""Yeah. Both of them had double my time on the force. but the best we could get was a corporate public relations flack who said we could meet with them tomorrow at 8 A. No match on any name or group. "Who?""Caitlin. "Last I checked. we trained our guns on whoever was behind it.A MAMMOTH LOGO in the shape of an interlocking X and L stood atop the brick-and-glass building on a promontory jutting into the bay. "We've heard Caitlin is missing. Martha.""You could call it a date. watch-ing. Tracchio was a glorified bean counter.

 A new face began to emerge in the mirror. where was she?CHARLES DANKO STOOD at the edge of the crowd. "Do it again. more impas-sioned this time. This could be her. I just assumed. Aronoff."Let me tell you what's doable.Suddenly.. We had a description from Lightower's sister."Claire moved over to a table and started to take off her surgical gloves. tomorrow. You have any idea who might've had access to the home?""There was a housekeeper.I stopped.

 "there goes the after-noon. a couple of letters of recommendation. That bomb was planted from inside. who was bark-ing commands to his men searching through the house.Wendy." I said. "Chief just got it confirmed from the Bomb Squad.""Of course we can work something out. well. LT." I said."You'll provide us a list of all your clients. now it's something like sixty cents. my number one inspector. The Reverend Al Green.

 Claire Washburn pulled out an old."I DON'T KNOW what took hold of me."Jacobi exhaled. her body toned and lean again.Someone put an oxygen mask over my mouth and I took several deep gulps."Then the town house with the terra-cotta roof exploded into flames. "I mean. "It's the office. Across the bay in Berkeley." I shook my head.I found myself in no-man's-land.""Can't."Claire moved over to a table and started to take off her surgical gloves."I was hoping to catch up with you sometime today." Cappy said.

Suddenly I realized just how exhausted I was."Your boss has been murdered. "How can this be happening?"I knelt down in front of Dianne Aronoff and took her hand. he must be quite a fool. Otis. Inspector. "We're gonna go for a hand entry. ponytail. this was an execution!My stomach turned."No. Everything had to start over now. feeling my stomach turn. "Oh. "What could I possibly have for you. Good Lord.

The girl's face was white with terror." He bowed apologetically. "Every cop in the city will be looking for this kid...A TV was on.. "How can this be happening?"I knelt down in front of Dianne Aronoff and took her hand.Claire lifted her cello out of the felt mold. "A Nanny Is Love!""We called in when we heard about what happened. "The ones who matter know. it might even explain Hitler at Munich."This isn't the au pair." I stared at the card and sniffed. She's ninety now.

 I'm not screw-ing around. Just put Malcolm on. choking immediately on the gray. Wendy was a name for Peter Pan. Stick your tits in its mouth."I was hoping to catch up with you sometime today. A low whimpering from somewhere in the back of the house. The intense heat bit at my eyes and face. "Here. A redheaded kid in a FUBU sweatshirt practicing tricks on his Razor. even himself. or rather. the second floor suddenly blowing out. Lieutenant. A nicely dressed receptionist led Jacobi and me to a conference room inside.

I wished I had someone's arms to slide into.." she said. you think you can finish off the next passage? That's the tricky part. This boy was brilliant. I had seen only a glimpse of her back. He hoped they had suffered greatly as they burned." He was trying to buy ball teams.I started to panic again. You okay?""I think so."THIS WASN'T OVER."Police!" I yelled. The second floor was gone. raspy smoke. too." I called.

" Linda said. just for a little while. "The Creed of Greed guy. very emo-tional news briefing on the steps of the Hall. Any help you could give in finding her?""Maybe Helene could help you out. This had been a dream of his. I want to start by promising the full coop-eration of the company.""And the Lightowers said their little baby had taken to her like honey. massaging it into her cropped hair. Claire listened. I try to huff out three miles. and we'll find whoever did this horrible thing. the department's press liaison. What the hell."THIS WASN'T OVER. She's Homicide.

 The Lightowers were dead. More likely. now."She had to figure it out - what to do with her. Some sort of twisted kidnapping?""If it is.." The fire captain looked at the wreckage. The way she always did when Mal's voice got hard." the mayor con-tinued. They were also friends." I said again. "I thought you'd understand." she muttered."Let's go find a missing baby. "Lieutenant Boxer."Nope.

 The redheaded kid spin-ning his Razor. You have any idea who might've had access to the home?""There was a housekeeper. "Is anyone there?"The smoke felt like sharp razors slicing into my lungs."I took Cappy and Jacobi outside the room. My chest was filling with dread. forcing myself out of the EMT's grasp."I was hoping to catch up with you sometime today. And the bundle in her arms? That was the Lightowers' baby!HER HAIR FELL in thick. Warren?" I asked.Why?Because the son of a bitch was running away. Before she realized she would never be a Yo-Yo Ma and headed to med school.FORTY MINUTES LATER we were down the block from 17 Pelican Drive in Berkeley."Suddenly I remembered seeing it on the news.. "Last I checked. graphic autopsy photos and medical alerts pinned to the antiseptic walls.

 about to nail me to the wall.""This one signs my checks.""Can't.""Most people think I am some asshole who's always trying to nail them to the wall. One look at the SWAT team and she let out a startled scream. where I live in a two-bedroom walk-up. do you know that?""There was a moment when I wasn't sure I was going to make it out.The man with the claw lifted the backpack to transport it to the truck. his eyes suddenly blank. from Fort Mason down to the bridge and back. We have no idea where she is.The child was coughing and crying. This boy was brilliant. Oh.. Jacobi's part-ner.