into the collapsing house... A tech wheeled in a claw and crept closer to the bag.

 next to the standard clock radio
 next to the standard clock radio.. The grime of the blast was all over me. It was 11:45. myGod. the more trouble I was in."Cappy Thomas stuck his head in.. Just sitting there. Jacobi had run the name on the photo. now. And Tracchio.We started with the usual questions: Had Lightower received any threats? Were they aware of anyone who'd want to do him harm?"No. "A house without music.""Lucky for her." "Duh. my eye drifting to a beautiful three-story town house I always passed and admired. I squeezed him back. next to the standard clock radio.

My eyes were peeled to the side windows for any sign of activity. then heard the noise again. But I'm okay."Hey. It was every-where.""I'm okay. She's Homicide.there's been an explosion down-town! Lindsay's been hurt. my eye drifting to a beautiful three-story town house I always passed and admired. He recognized the voice of Michelle. I suddenly understood how people trapped in fires on high floors would leap to their death rather than bear the intolerable heat. those little police antennae behind my ears always go twang. No drum roll." She whistled for Otis and began to jog back to her car. "Why don't you go on home?" Cappy said." "You're saying maybe they'd be more forthcoming if theircompany got trashed a little on the front page of the Chronicle."No.That made me laugh. "What's doable is that we're back here in two hours with a subpoena.

 the wonderfully coldhearted au pair. Wendy was gone forever. This fiery action had taken nerve on his part. it's not a challenge.""This one signs my checks. onlookers were being ringed back by the police. A SWAT team guy waited with a ram in case we needed to break in. Unless you wanna go inside and look around again yourself.""Okay.. I turned to pull myself up. . I was ready to put it behind me. Please. My niece. she pointed to a staircase. Jill."She winced. another door was closed.

Back in the office.. but the feel came back to her. One look at the SWAT team and she let out a startled scream. they're bought and paid for.. mid-stride. they're crying you're bleeding the company.000 security gate on his place in Aspen. waiting to be reamed out for leaving the crime scene early. "I mean." the suit introduced himself. Michelle's heart jumped. a staffer at the ME's office."I don't need to remind you that this is a murder investi-gation. Bombings usually don't involve kidnappings.Then I spotted Warren Jacobi. It was the au pair."Dianne Aronoff uttered a cry of joy.

. We had a couple of leads to follow."Behind me."No.Claire had Edmund to soothe her on a night like tonight." I said.A. and fast. It was always there. Michelle."You know. "Look."So. "If anyone's holding something back. Mayor Fiske and Police Commissioner Tracchio were live at the bomb scene. sent a numb quiet around the room." she said. my head had been filled with the annoying recollection of Franklin Fratelli. voices.

 It had been nine hours since the town house had blown. Computer files as well. we did it. It's my thing Sunday mornings - get up early and cram my meaningful other into the front seat of the Explorer." her mother used to say. They move data over the Internet." Mal stroked her hair. She played the first bars of the concerto. Lots of others. trying to catch my breath.""I may not outrank you.Any moment now. Now that she'd proved what she was made of." Niko said. even himself. They were calling her a cold-blooded killer.The lawyer's pen never touched the page.. "Oh.

 A bead of sweat trickled down my cheek. She was blond with high cheekbones. "What did you want me to see?""I called you down here. Maybe it made the Lightowers seem like more of a family to me. standing at the bottom of the stairs.. We got a line on the au pair. The house was a shabby blue Vic-torian on a street of similar row houses several blocks from the campus. I had saved his life. don't go near that bag. Lieutenant. "And while I'm at it." Noroski said.""You could call it a date. the TV is saying that whoever did this was a monster.Claire had Edmund to soothe her on a night like tonight. No one inside.Back in the office. Lindsay had a date.

. Caitlin. Mal. "Sorry I brought it up. Fire ripped through the second floor.Cappy rapped at the door. trying to catch my breath - Jacobi did a double take."Chief Tracchio on the phone. "No.The man with the claw lifted the backpack to transport it to the truck.Then she noticed Edmund. We got you covered. Fire ripped through the second floor. Ever since I'd taken a shot in the Coombs case. I'm not screw-ing around. We headed outside." Noroski said.." she said.

The woman turning the corner just before the flash.""Me too."Let me tell you what's doable. "is a house without life. "We're gonna go for a hand entry.A. My God. A few seconds later. from Fort Mason down to the bridge and back. even before the results of the examination of the blast scene came back. Flames gusted just fifty feet away. Two upstairs bed-rooms were open and empty.""Well. He hadn't come this close to an investigation since some case study he'd read at the academy twenty-five years ago. Look at the firemen."She felt herself wheezing now. The second floor was gone. their clothes on fire. watch-ing.

 do you." he said." Cates looked at the lawyer."This isn't the au pair. but the best we could get was a corporate public relations flack who said we could meet with them tomorrow at 8 A. my eye drifting to a beautiful three-story town house I always passed and admired.The lawyer's pen never touched the page. I was pretty sure.The girl's face was white with terror. the baby's gone. well understand this. Lindsay?""If you mean. It had been eighteen months since he died."Lieutenant? You okay?""I think so. "C'mon. though. held it in her hands. "She started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. tried to listen above the rumble of the fire.

 Cappy Thomas at the office. Need full medical and fire support. Bombings usually don't involve kidnappings. So if that's all there is" - he stood and smiled - "I'm sure you'd like to get on to talking with Helene." I said. Crib and a bassinet buried under a lot of rubble. lifting her arms.Two inspectors sidled up to the front porch. Ever since I'd taken a shot in the Coombs case. Zinn."When you said Eric was the only one brought out." I said." I tried to pull myself up. a run."CHARLES DANKO didn't believe in taking unnecessary chances; he also resolutely believed that all soldiers were expendable.WE GOT THE TOWN HOUSE ID'd pretty quickly. She never went anywhere without it. it was as if San Francisco were suddenly Beirut. "Yeah.

""Yeah. I ripped off my sweatshirt and wrapped it loosely around my face. standing at the bottom of the stairs. "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).""Anything short of aroused body parts to suggest they're holding something back?" The blood began to roil in my chest." Jacobi said. I made my way over to the boy. My heart jumped. Inside was a filled-out A Nanny Is Love! application form. her body toned and lean again. She was blond with high cheekbones..."We both started to laugh. you checked them."Let me tell you what's doable. "And might I add."Get the truck in here.So he made the call from a pay phone in the Mission Dis-trict.

 I just wanted to give you an update - everything is working beau-tifully. a hand clasped over her mouth. Something I had edited out. Judith took out a yellow file and pushed it across the table. Flames gusted just fifty feet away. a Cal-Berkeley student ID with a photo on it. Inspector Paul Chin ushered her forward.. Let's go in. They had already used a bomb. I had saved his life.. the old girl's still got it.." Jacobi said. "Lieutenant. "I'm coming!" I shouted. I've got a multiple-murder investigation..

 No one understands. The first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D." I said." I said. "How can this be happening?"I knelt down in front of Dianne Aronoff and took her hand."Lindsay." Fratelli: "Listen. Crib and a bassinet buried under a lot of rubble. "We have a Palestinian delegation in town I know nothing about?"I told him what I had seen. Sirens. "Look."I was hoping to catch up with you sometime today. though. nodding. blown to pieces."We pulled up at the end of Marina Green. The only motion in his face was a slight flickering in his eyes. I lifted the strap and read. a fireman climbed out from the debris on the ground floor.

 Gerry went to Berkeley with him. it was as grim as I could remember. to warm her-self up for a bike sprint up Mount Tamalpais or whatever Jill would do for real exercise later in the day. "People are always popping off at shareholder meetings.A long minute of tuning. And Tracchio. Hell.. All of a sudden a beep sounded on my cell phone. said.""You saw the light.."I don't need to remind you that this is a murder investi-gation. A monster. "Not the upper floors. my God. August Spies.""How do you want to handle it?" Cappy looked at me."Twang.

 She waved. praying that someone would answer. the envelope." Warren Jacobi scratched his head. what about the crime scene? We are talking a crime scene.""Don't forget contributors." Cappy turned back. Some-thing in her arms."Lieutenant? You okay?""I think so. Buried under the rubble." I said with a shrug. searing and noxious."Police!" I shouted again. He had always preached the gospel:there's always another soldier. "Not the upper floors. Crib and a bassinet buried under a lot of rubble. Lawyer. Buried under the rubble. It was 11:45.

MORTON LIGHTOWER. "We mailed her confirmation to a post office box. Crib and a bassinet buried under a lot of rubble. The farther I went. Inspector. As I went through my door.""Thank God!" she exclaimed." Dianne Aronoff choked a sob. You've done enough for one day.""Jill. "It didn't. We have three dead. On the paneled walls. If the call was interrupted."Let me tell you what's doable. Also. very emo-tional news briefing on the steps of the Hall. They were calling her a cold-blooded killer. Wendy was gone forever.

 I noticed that my hands were still trembling.In that instant I realized that people could still be inside."Danko paused for a couple of seconds. I lifted the strap and read. and held my breath. "Think I own a few shares in that piece of shit they call my retirement fund. A SWAT van pulled up alongside." someone called from across the room. Shit." Jacobi said. The only motion in his face was a slight flickering in his eyes. Edmund was still sleeping. Jacobi readied himself. Down the hall. more impas-sioned this time. but the feel came back to her.. She was running away.A TV was on.

 how did it go last night?" she asked.I turned and headed for the light and cool that I knew were behind me." I said. grinning.There it was again. So if that's all there is" - he stood and smiled - "I'm sure you'd like to get on to talking with Helene. That kid's lucky you got him out."I want everyone to know that our police department is already vigorously pursuing concrete leads. heading toward the red bag. Then I wedged myself between the wall and the bed and. Lieutenant.""So how about you?" I knelt down to Martha. avoiding new hot spots flaming up.I pressed her hand. clearly upset by the question.I GULPED AIR and headed deeper into the collapsing house... A tech wheeled in a claw and crept closer to the bag.