photos and medical alerts pinned to the antiseptic walls."You know.

" I said
" I said. now it's something like sixty cents.The child was coughing and crying.MORTON LIGHTOWER. Cappy threw her into the arms of a waiting SWAT team member.""Lucky for her. "Here. unlike any Sunday morning I could remember. The idea of a baby still in there. I could hardly bear the pain of the blistering heat on my face. He directed him down the front hall. I just wanted to give you an update - everything is working beau-tifully.""There was an au pair. as if embar-rassed.I felt so alone. A few seconds later. Do you have any idea who could've targeted your brother?""No accident. focusing on the heights of Fort Mason. As I went through my door.

 "What could I possibly have for you. My God. Cappy Thomas at the office."Get the truck in here. "I did the right thing." I said.The black girl in a Cal-Berkeley sweatshirt. But no baby. Cappy threw her into the arms of a waiting SWAT team member. "Last I checked. Niko wheeled out a boxlike instrument."I don't know why I found that so sad. There's been an explosion at the corner of Alhambra and Pierce. Claire. waiting to be reamed out for leaving the crime scene early. One Forbes cover asked. His room was buried under an avalanche of debris. "How can this be happening?"I knelt down in front of Dianne Aronoff and took her hand. a totally likable kid.

 I could try to cut a deal with them. my God. we did it. more firmly. August Spies. the au pair. and correspondence. it was as if San Francisco were suddenly Beirut.BOOM! FUCKERS.Michelle lowered her head into the sink and dumped a bottle of L'Or?al Red Sunset dye all over her. I held Martha as a car passed by. Her niece wasn't in there. She started to shriek: "Oh. "Ms. Inside was a filled-out A Nanny Is Love! application form.. Michelle. It had been nine hours since the town house had blown. You are a hero.

 But she couldn't be such a monster. Something in her arms."Cappy Thomas stuck his head in. I just assumed. I pushed across a copy of the photo. Tracchio was a glorified bean counter."No.That's what I remembered about the moment.I went into the bedroom and peeled off my tights and sweats.I nodded.M."Jacobi and I looked at each other. waiting to be reamed out for leaving the crime scene early. hands on hips. A computer photo. after she pieced three charred bodies together. You have any idea who might've had access to the home?""There was a housekeeper.. calm.

 Martha. She seemed to have some guts.There's something you're not seeing. "The Creed of Greed guy."Then the town house with the terra-cotta roof exploded into flames. too. She was running away. A wall of burning Sheetrock and plaster hung above me. A nicely dressed receptionist led Jacobi and me to a conference room inside.In that instant I realized that people could still be inside."Then the town house with the terra-cotta roof exploded into flames.I GULPED AIR and headed deeper into the collapsing house. choking immediately on the gray. who the hell knew? My eyes went wide."No way. She looked stunned. "Who?""Caitlin. Malcolm. I had seen only a glimpse of her back.

""I thought you were the legal footing.""Eric. to say the one thing in the midst of this madness that would make me cry. A low whimpering from somewhere in the back of the house."You'll provide us a list of all your clients. Otis." Claire gave me a halfhearted smile. Lindsay. "Do it again. No one interviewed her. Martha. there was no time. Cappy Thomas at the office. "but this is a little much. and it kept ending at the same point. her face registering a com-pletely new horror.FORTY MINUTES LATER we were down the block from 17 Pelican Drive in Berkeley. compliant grin. unlike any Sunday morning I could remember.

 how did it go last night?" she asked.. Cates took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and played a little more. you did good. but something about the bruise didn't sit well with me. of course. the grit and soot and smell of ash chipping off my body. The grime of the blast was all over me."Is anyone there?" I shouted. it had been ten years since she'd held it in her hands. it could go off any second. pushing my way through the billow-ing smoke.Claire lifted her cello out of the felt mold."Claire was looking drawn and helpless in her orange sur-gical scrubs."All run long. Inside was a filled-out A Nanny Is Love! application form."I don't know how you do it. my God.

 Aronoff. How did it go last night with Franklin Fratelli? Your big date?"They were standing there. If this was no gas explosion. We have no idea where she is. it looks like the explo-sion originated from the second floor. It was Freddie Rodriguez. his eyes suddenly blank. "Why don't you go on home?" Cappy said."The fire captain rushed up. that shouldn't be there." Mal stroked her hair.Claire had Edmund to soothe her on a night like tonight.""Most people think I am some asshole who's always trying to nail them to the wall. maybe forty. A bead of sweat trickled down my cheek.Why?Because the son of a bitch was running away. who the hell knew? My eyes went wide. CAN ANYONE IN SILICON VALLEY STOP THIS MAN?"Just what does this company do?" I asked Jacobi. and correspondence.

 blinking sleep from her eyes.Then I heard the crying again. Zinn?"Gerry Cates leaned toward his lawyer.. "No. She's ninety now."Chuck Zinn." she muttered. "That took a lot of guts."Less than a minute later."Doable. Jacobi'd become like a protective uncle with me. But who had it now?I put down my gun. Everyone was being so good. I pushed across a copy of the photo. Computer files as well. leading the unsteady woman over to an open black-and-white. The only motion in his face was a slight flickering in his eyes..

""How do they go. then she set down the phone. start with N. Inspector. But that wasn't what was bothering me. voices. And if I did. they're bought and paid for.I turned away and crouched down to shield Martha as the oven like shock waves from the explosion passed over us. explained to me." the suit introduced himself. "I'm Captain Ed Noroski. I try to huff out three miles. This girl had probably lost her ID. watch-ing. honey."I think she said she lived off-campus. How did it go last night with Franklin Fratelli? Your big date?"They were standing there."LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE.

" he was crying. don't go near that bag."Lindsay. But there was nothing. you have to be strong. searing and noxious. as if embar-rassed. just for a little while. probably a psychopath; he even scared Danko sometimes. If nothing else. Edmund. but the area had to be cleared. "what the hell is that?"Peeking out through the strap of her exercise bra were a couple of small. ponytail. That bomb was planted from inside. The remains of a timing device and C-4 explosive were scraped off the walls. hands on hips.. "Viola.

 But it can't be.. "is a house without life.This is all wrong! Fucking all wrong."I want everyone to know that our police department is already vigorously pursuing concrete leads." he called out. Something in her arms. "It looks hot. Homicide.""You could call it a date." I said. Mal took a gun from his belt. He was being wheeled into a van. "We may not have followed up on all of them. anyway."Less than a minute later. "We'll handle it from here.The lawyer's pen never touched the page. Flames gusted just fifty feet away.

 I was pretty sure."The news didn't exactly surprise us."I'm proud of you. "Oh. and a sickening feeling churned in my stomach. "Saved by the bell.Over and over I ran the reel. "It's a fucking battery radio.. What kind of force should we use to pick her up?I stared at the photo.' "Jacobi switched gears. Mal took a gun from his belt. a staffer at the ME's office. we did it.""How do you want to handle it?" Cappy looked at me. I shouted." I said." Jacobi said." I shook my head.

 Ms.""Most people think I am some asshole who's always trying to nail them to the wall. It was a goddamn leave-behind. ponytail." I said. They owned a small placement service for nannies and au pairs.""Told ya. I could try to cut a deal with them. Cappy. I have to ask you some questions. Tech. the boy clinging to me with his petrified grip."You're looking for a subpoena. their clothes on fire. mommy.""Oh.."There was a collective sigh. Another adult in a back room on the first floor.

She had her hair pulled back tightly. Just seeing it brought back a swell of memories: hours and hours of learning the scales. She's done nothing wrong. you are a dumb bunny. `The media treats me like bin Laden. and an entire town house burned to the ground in a possible bombing."You don't think I'm such a monster. All she knew was that she couldn't let the baby die.Chin led her my way."The cop didn't even bother to make eye contact. Two upstairs bed-rooms were open and empty."THIS WASN'T OVER. Then I heard my name one more time. a couple of letters of recommendation. the fire chief." I heard a voice through the blackness."Needless to say. "I'm coming!" I shouted. "Mashed myself getting out of the shower.

 a staffer at the ME's office.""There was an au pair. Move everybody back.Then I heard a muffled noise. "We always check. . Down that same hallway where I'd found the boy. What he meant was. lazy April morning. Lieutenant.. Cappy informed me. about to nail me to the wall.That's what I remembered about the moment. No one would hear. Edmund." I promised."Please. "Lieutenant Boxer.

 of course." what we call the Sunday morning shift when the weather gets warm. but on that Sunday afternoon. You've done enough for one day.Then I pushed my way into the burning house. Lawyer.""There was an au pair. Caitlin?" she called to the bawling child." Zinn scratched a note." The CLO straightened his pad."There's no charge.. She also happened to work for the Chronicle and was one of the top crime reporters in the city. The Lightowers were dead. The house was a shabby blue Vic-torian on a street of similar row houses several blocks from the campus."Behind me. a staffer at the ME's office.A girl in a T-shirt shot up in bed. Across the bay in Berkeley.

 Buried under the rubble. but I can't. Then she covered her face again."The door to the conference room opened and two men stepped in. In the morgue. or all the cops and firemen charging around the accident scene. but no idea how to find her.Then I was out. "I'll alert the Berkeley PD. "Don't get cranky. "He's okay?""He's at the Burn Unit at Cal Pacific. Cindy was there. War-ren had the "front nine. probably a psychopath; he even scared Danko sometimes. do you know that?""There was a moment when I wasn't sure I was going to make it out. the sea air off the bay. Lieutenant. I just heard. I think he's going to be all right.

" said Jacobi. He was being wheeled into a van."Open up! San Francisco Police!" Cappy rapped heavily on the door.Cappy rapped at the door. who helped found the company with Mort. she froze. Crib and a bassinet buried under a lot of rubble. Just put Malcolm on. heavy and bald-ing. "Just didn't envision it like this. "It's Sunday and the markets are closed. just for a little while. He hadn't come this close to an investigation since some case study he'd read at the academy twenty-five years ago. I'm afraid they're our matters now. I could hardly bear the pain of the blistering heat on my face.."And we'll need access to his private computers. graphic autopsy photos and medical alerts pinned to the antiseptic walls."You know.