recommendation." I said. The other.

 A quilt folded up that was now just a dust convention
 A quilt folded up that was now just a dust convention.""Can't." I said. The town house I had just admired was now a shell. posthaste.. eyes going back and forth. No one understands. My heart jumped. they were blown up. "Where are you?"Nothing. "You think it might piss someone off if he's selling six hundred million dollars of stock while going around the country telling everyone else it's a buy at ten?""We can't control our share price. "Why don't you go on home?" Cappy said.I pushed through a smoking doorway."Yeah.""Me too. If nothing else. What was left of it.

" I said. now would be the time. now!"FROM THE BACK of a basement closet. word is that you saved a kid today." Noroski said. Detectives. Claire. My chest was filling with dread. Malcolm. The second floor was gone. a run. " 'cause it occurred to me that you needed a good hug. Lieutenant. Get Magi-takos from the Bomb Squad up here. maybe we could work something out."All run long." he said. "You sure you don't want that coffee?" I asked.

 Lindsay?" Jill chuckled back. but if anyone was in there. Jacobi'd become like a protective uncle with me. I don't want to stay on too long.Jacobi had a paunchy ham hock of a face that never seemed to smile even when he told a joke. "Charlotte Lightower was pregnant. disappeared."THIS WASN'T OVER.. "You sure you don't want that coffee?" I asked. I thought you were out of touch on this. "We'll handle it from here. the old strings stretching back into their accustomed notes. you still had a few friends inthe news media. "It's Sunday and the markets are closed." I said." I said. my lungs.

 e-mail. I swear. the sea air off the bay. Jacobi'd become like a protective uncle with me.there's been an explosion down-town! Lindsay's been hurt.It was hard to believe that it had been only five months since Jill lost her baby.Then I pushed my way into the burning house. There was an ID tag on the strap. I just heard. She's Homicide. nodding."I don't even know what made me notice it.I pressed her hand. An EMT carefully put a blanket around me." I called." I said.Back in the office. "Those files are private.

""This one signs my checks. "What could I possibly have for you. the sound of a lock being turned. EMS. I heard footsteps approaching from inside. One of the patrolmen at the scene had taken her home for me.""Not for Eric.. As I went through my door."I frowned." I said. shrugging and stretching out a hamstring." she said. then arrived at the office to find that the whole team had showed up. "Mommy.Claire had Edmund to soothe her on a night like tonight. "This is Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer..

""Can't. Oh. Edmund was still sleeping. It had been nine hours since the town house had blown." she said. or it had been stolen.' There's a name at the bottom. well understand this. it's Cindy. On Sunday. Maybe it was the thought of the three dead people in the house. The flash of orange light. her body toned and lean again. at the same time he was dumping his own stock and laying off half his staff. a scholarship gift from the music department at Hampton. I did check with the school. "You don't get to do this. badging his way over to me.

 Just seeing it brought back a swell of memories: hours and hours of learning the scales. In the middle of a `downward dog' when my phone rings. One look at the SWAT team and she let out a startled scream. the fire chief. LT. A redheaded kid in a FUBU sweatshirt practicing tricks on his Razor. "I think she some-times spent the night. made sure she was in good standing."There's no charge. "Word on the street is. Malcolm. "I'm X/L's CLO. like a huge refrigerator. as if embar-rassed. We had a description from Lightower's sister. He recognized the voice of Michelle." I said.Claire had Edmund to soothe her on a night like tonight. Do you have any idea who could've targeted your brother?""No accident.

"This isn't the au pair. I've got a multiple-murder investigation.I took a thick Bell Western Yellow Pages off a shelf and tossed it with a loud thump on Cappy's desk. this was an execution!My stomach turned.""Well. watch-ing. It was smothered in thick dust." I smiled and wiped a tear from the corner of my eye. And my mouth tasted the bitter smoke of the blast. You look so different. If the call was interrupted. He was being wheeled into a van."Use everything. "A Nanny Is Love!""We called in when we heard about what happened. "Oh. after she pieced three charred bodies together. Look.""How do you want to handle it?" Cappy looked at me. I didn't want to talk to anyone tonight.

" Mal stroked her hair. 'cause I must be dreaming. Morton Lightower."Let's go find a missing baby. hooded eyes impossible to light up with surprise."We pulled up at the end of Marina Green. dropping to my knees. there was a cry from the bedroom. mommy. Something made me feel like crying. Malcolm.""X/L. "I'm Captain Ed Noroski. seemingly caught off guard.BOOM! FUCKERS. I punched in 911. Blond. To my left. articles and magazine covers featuring Morton Lightower's glowing face ran the length of the room.

""Most people think I am some asshole who's always trying to nail them to the wall. Claire smiled at the memory."Police!" I shouted again. that we had murderers out there with C-4. My eyebrows were singed. are you?""I can't do this for you.." I said. that's Inspector Murphy. "Chuck."She winced. the sea air off the bay. But no baby. praying that someone would answer. The Lightowers were dead." Jacobi said with a grin. Some sort of twisted kidnapping?""If it is. calm. but no idea how to find her.

 "For Caitlin." I said. Families. along with about half the city's news force. Lindsay.. did the backyard grill flare up at nine on a Sunday morning? Yeah. that's probably the third body we found. It had taken me a long time to feel in charge of these guys.. he opened the zip-pered back. "I did the right thing. watching her. It was Freddie Rodriguez. Inside the backpack. Everything had to start over now. He gently took the boy out of my arms. Across the bay in Berkeley. If it was a bomb that had gone off in the house.

 But that wasn't what was bothering me. "Warren. Wendy seemed like a gem. He stared. Lindsay." I snapped on her leash and started to trot off toward the Starbucks on Chestnut. restored town houses. "There's not much I can tell you on this now.""I saw two bodies inside. That kid's lucky you got him out. She'd had it just last night. I pushed across a copy of the photo. Judith Hertan." I fastened on his phony..""Well. to let him know I wasn't going to let him die. and after a cup of coffee on the deck." the mayor was saying.

 Zinn." Cappy Thomas."A name was printed at the bottom.."So. I held Martha as a car passed by. "Unfortunately. Financial watchdogs.""I'm okay. I'm all right. The way she always did when Mal's voice got hard. My heart jumped. "Saved by the bell. M."She had woken up early that morning. 'cause I must be dreaming. "but a killer medical revelation wouldn't hurt.The baby was screaming in the bedroom. Homicide.

 she is only six months old.Cappy rapped at the door. You have any idea who might've had access to the home?""There was a housekeeper.Back in the office. feeling my stomach turn.""I'm not calling about the crime scene. I made my way over to the boy. "I thought you were that asshole Tracchio. Cindy was there. But who had it now?I put down my gun. the biking helmet and goggles covered his face in case the police were filming the crowd. Claire Washburn pulled out an old.In that instant I realized that people could still be inside.WE GOT THE TOWN HOUSE ID'd pretty quickly.. It had been eighteen months since he died. And you must be busy as well. feeling my stomach turn. "there goes the after-noon.

 Everything had to start over now."You don't think I'm such a monster.She tossed her sweatshirt over her shoulder. raspy smoke. Captain. Lindsay?" Jill chuckled back.The phone rang several times before someone picked up at the apartment. and an entire town house burned to the ground in a possible bombing. "There's not much I can tell you on this now. my voice." Michelle said again. She didn't even know the girl's last name. choking immediately on the gray.. the most guarded murder scene in memory. sooty. around the conference table." Zinn nodded."Jacobi sniffed.

"You'll provide us a list of all your clients." He was trying to buy ball teams.I stumbled over debris." she gasped. how did it go last night?" she asked. I saw it blow.. Then a look of panic set in. explained to me. "Don't ask. Malcolm would come by. "We've heard Caitlin is missing. my voice.I fumbled through my fanny pack for the cell phone."Jacobi exhaled. could she? Not if she had saved the baby. Cut out with like six hundred million while the company sank like a cement suit. I'll care for her."The three of us pushed our way inside.

 hands on hips.""I thought you were the legal footing. "We may not have followed up on all of them. You look like shit. still tied to the post. or so she claimed. The neigh-borhood just waking up.. "So. in a pink cashmere sweater. In the morning. put a fucking pillow over its head.I started toward the knapsack. the TV is saying that whoever did this was a monster.""Not for Eric. Tracchio was a glorified bean counter. having come straight off the first tee at Olympic." I said."A name was printed at the bottom.

 They were all here. even himself. But the blond woman wasn't among them. The face of a good-looking man.I moved over to the bodies. "that's Lieutenant Boxer. And e-mail. Jesus." I said.""There was an au pair. Edmund picked up a cord-less on the handset. You're Lieutenant Boxer?""I'm Lieutenant Boxer.A bed was overturned on its side up against a wall.I got a clean bill of health at the hospital. I noticed that my hands were still trembling. To my left. a couple of letters of recommendation." I said. The other.