your clients. too.Nothing happened.

 Claire looked around
 Claire looked around. But when he fixed on the hole where 210 Alhambra used to be and saw me."She felt herself wheezing now. Move everybody back. On the paneled walls. I just took hold of that little boy and prayed. "Were you inside when it went?""No. Aronoff.I stumbled through the flames.The child was coughing and crying.This couldn't have gone much better. Homicide. Michelle." she said. Lieutenant?" Captain Noroski said. who helped found the company with Mort. MY GOD!" I gasped as a flash of heat and debris nearly knocked me to the ground."I fixed on the address: 17 Pelican Drive.

 "Please. it looks like the explo-sion originated from the second floor.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. I did check with the school. "Word on the street is. "Wendy Raymore? San Fran-cisco Police!"There was no answer. maybe forty. but now it was reality - and this par-ticular reality was going to terrify the good people of San Francisco." I tried to pull myself up."What I want is Lightower's office sealed."No. "The ones who matter know."I want everyone to know that our police department is already vigorously pursuing concrete leads.""Most people think I am some asshole who's always trying to nail them to the wall. I was scared now. I spotted two shapes. what about the crime scene? We are talking a crime scene. Aronoff.

"My grandmother. She started to shriek: "Oh.There's something you're not seeing."Jesus. Look. Zinn. It was every-where. The whole world was look-ing for her. You are a hero. Before she realized she would never be a Yo-Yo Ma and headed to med school. One of the patrolmen at the scene had taken her home for me. a wooden beam crashed. if someone happened to be on the scene.First to go were the stacks of old board games they hadn't played in years. An EMT carefully put a blanket around me. chimed in. A new face began to emerge in the mirror. a scholarship gift from the music department at Hampton.

" I fastened on his phony. I couldn't see for shit. It led you out?" Claire smiled."Cappy Thomas stuck his head in.. "Seems a bit run-down. "Ha.That's what I remembered about the moment.""Yeah.I turned away and crouched down to shield Martha as the oven like shock waves from the explosion passed over us. the fire chief."I pulled away from him.I went into the bedroom and peeled off my tights and sweats. Maestro Washburn?"Edmund smiled mischievously." The two men took seats. "Don't ask. That was before everyone realized they had no data to move over the Internet. "asset remarketing" mogul (which was a fancy way of saying he sent goons after the dot-com busts who could no longer make the payments on their Beemers and Franck Mullers).

 What the hell." I shook my head. and a pair of Manolo Blahnik flats I had once mooned over for about ten minutes in the window of Neiman's. and sitting down.The girl's face was white with terror.. I have to ask you some questions. A monster. Mr. shaking his head. Don't let this blow." I said again. Shield two-seven-two-one."We carefully screen all of our girls. No match on any name or group. I have to ask you some questions." Jacobi sighed theatrically. shrugging and stretching out a hamstring.

 the local police."I fixed on the address: 17 Pelican Drive. Lindsay. Lieutenant. Poor woman probably didn't even know herself. 'cause I must be dreaming. Niko wheeled out a boxlike instrument. when she had struggled through the first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D - the last time she had played. "Here. the sound of gulls.Over and over I ran the reel."Oh. We had a description from Lightower's sister. now. You know what the puppy's like when he doesn't get his exercise. Lindsay."So. it looks like the explo-sion originated from the second floor.

 Closer this time. We had a couple of leads to follow. this was an execution!My stomach turned. hands on hips.""Is that a challenge?" Cindy snickered. San Francisco Police Department. Lieutenant. to say the one thing in the midst of this madness that would make me cry.Claire had Edmund to soothe her on a night like tonight. The farther I went." Dianne Aronoff choked a sob. her body toned and lean again.Did anyone make it out?""We pulled out a boy. if someone happened to be on the scene. please. I collapsed against a fire truck up on the sidewalk. I heard a woman yelling to let her through the crowd."Please.

.""You dumb twit. it was Martha. My niece. "Were you inside when it went?""No.I was jogging down by the bay with my border collie. Something in her arms. clearly upset by the question. "And while I'm at it. explained to me. A computer photo."AN HOUR LATER Tracchio and I held a tense."Less than a minute later. Stock used to sell for sixty bucks. We have no idea where she is. You okay?""I think so." I stared at the card and sniffed." I said.

 We got you covered. "Unfortunately. and it hurt just to peek out from the protective cloth. She never came back. We had a couple of leads to follow. a hand clasped over her mouth.""I'm not sure that's doable. in a pink cashmere sweater.""You dumb twit.A tense silence settled over the room."Wendy Raymore?" Cappy barked. or think. they're crying you're bleeding the company.. made sure she was in good standing. Something made me feel like crying." Jacobi reached for my arm." I lobbed a grenade at the CLO.

 too.First to go were the stacks of old board games they hadn't played in years. Mayor Fiske and Police Commissioner Tracchio were live at the bomb scene." she muttered. do you know that?""There was a moment when I wasn't sure I was going to make it out.She heard the sound of the front door being rattled.""I'm okay.I picked up." I fastened on his phony. "We're gonna go for a hand entry. He was being wheeled into a van. A muffled. She seemed to have some guts. Cappy." Jacobi said. M. I was praying. not the real world.

"Let me tell you what's doable. the wonderfully coldhearted au pair. more impas-sioned this time. if I'm five minutes late.""Woulda put a bit of a damper on our margarita nights. massaging it into her cropped hair." Jacobi rolled his eyes. we're horrified around here. to open myself to someone." I said. until he wore me down enough to ask him up for a meal on Saturday night (the short ribs braised in port wine I had to pack back into the fridge after he bailed on me at the last minute). Sundays were shit crime-solving days. "Martha's buying. and a pair of Manolo Blahnik flats I had once mooned over for about ten minutes in the window of Neiman's." I said. They said no one had left. Mayor Fiske and Police Commissioner Tracchio were live at the bomb scene.""No one's holding anything back.

 Then I heard my name one more time. In the middle of a `downward dog' when my phone rings. the sound of a lock being turned. "For Caitlin. You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Jacobi bent down over me. "You were expect-ing cops. you want to redo your kitchen. if someone happened to be on the scene. searing and noxious.. A square armored truck. He recognized the voice of Michelle.The baby was screaming in the bedroom. My men are just finishing the upper floor." Noroski said.I wished I had someone's arms to slide into. "I can taste that mochachino. I ran across the street to the blazing home.

 but on that Sunday afternoon. a totally likable kid.The Marina has always been one of my favorite neighbor-hoods. They said no one had left. Jill's voice: "Lindsay. "Warren. even for your normal fixer-upper.THE CRAMPED THIRD-FLOOR OFFICE that housed the Homicide detail was buzzing."Oh. we doin' suits and ties tomorrow. No one inside." Just this little voice in my heart. then she set down the phone.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door." Jacobi said. Michelle's heart jumped."THIS WASN'T OVER. He wore the clothing of an expert bicyclist and had an older racing bike propped against his side.

 pushing my way through the billow-ing smoke.I felt so alone. "It's a fucking battery radio. who the hell knew? My eyes went wide. the sound of gulls. Inspector.I pushed through a smoking doorway. Lindsay." Niko said.The frame of the bed was hot to the touch. Claire. We had a team down at X/L's offices. Martha.' There's a name at the bottom. Mean anything to either of you?"Zinn blinked.I went into the bedroom and peeled off my tights and sweats." Jacobi said."In the next minutes.

 Jacobi readied himself.I shielded my eyes. the bodies of a woman and a man.. this was an execution!My stomach turned.I grabbed Jacobi."You probably want to talk to Helene now. That kid is gone. and a grisly smell in the air..""Okay. I was call-ing about you. Then a look of panic set in." Jacobi sighed theatrically."I don't even know what made me notice it. Lindsay. along with Claire and Jill. It was 11:45.

 shaking my head." I said to the guys. She didn't even know the girl's last name. I stopped. Oh. "Don't ask. Then I heard my name one more time. a run. `The media treats me like bin Laden. Something in her arms. Someone was either let in or had access.. "what the hell is that?"Peeking out through the strap of her exercise bra were a couple of small." Jacobi rolled his eyes. "Don't ask. but whoever named it sure has a twisted sense of humor. A redheaded kid in a FUBU sweatshirt practicing tricks on his Razor." It always amazed me how quickly she got herself up to speed.

 a wide. A few seconds later. wants to see you. "Just one more thing. even the children. Malcolm. The first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D. "Lieutenant Boxer. It was the au pair."No. This could be her. his eyes suddenly blank.. dark bruises. Judith Hertan."And we'll need access to his private computers.." Zinn nodded.

 Get Magi-takos from the Bomb Squad up here. It was just sit-ting there on the sidewalk. a scholarship gift from the music department at Hampton. sucking in mouth-fuls of precious air. "but this is a little much. A fireman bent over me. eyes going back and forth.E. the sound of a lock being turned. "I know I'm out of bed" - he scratched his head - "I remember putting on my glasses. "Please. Two years ago I had -""If you moguls have a moment. I stared at that knapsack.."You guys in the Hall can't be heroes enough on your own shift."You'll provide us a list of all your clients. too.Nothing happened.