standing at the bottom of the stairs.

I nodded
I nodded. praying that someone would answer."Dianne Aronoff uttered a cry of joy. What I do is supposed to be about making money. tried to listen above the rumble of the fire. It led you out?" Claire smiled." Cappy turned back." I said. In the morning. Mean anything to either of you?"Zinn blinked. Don't let this blow. choking immediately on the gray. Now here she was. Then I heard my name one more time. I heard a woman yelling to let her through the crowd. I'll care for her. the second floor suddenly blowing out. "I think she's up there.

." Jacobi said. I want to start by promising the full coop-eration of the company. Blond.Wendy." "You're saying maybe they'd be more forthcoming if theircompany got trashed a little on the front page of the Chronicle." Zinn scratched a note.MORTON LIGHTOWER. I was sure the bag was hot - or at least a leave-behind. The Lightowers were dead. I was pretty sure. before they send in the Arthur Ander-sen boys to do a little office tidying."Nope. coughing sound. And I want access to all correspondence."Claire moved over to a table and started to take off her surgical gloves. San Francisco Police Department. and my brain was shouting out that it was wrong - dead wrong.

"Let's go find a missing baby. a well-cut suit. Please don't say anything. and a pair of Manolo Blahnik flats I had once mooned over for about ten minutes in the window of Neiman's. "The Creed of Greed guy.""Woulda put a bit of a damper on our margarita nights. telling me it was time.' "Jacobi switched gears. It was just sit-ting there on the sidewalk. Claire listened. Cindy was there. But look at you." I said. He stared. Mort's secretary."This isn't the au pair. the au pair." Gerry Cates shook his head and glanced at the lawyer.

 The whole world was look-ing for her. He watched her and wondered if she would become his adversary. graphic autopsy photos and medical alerts pinned to the antiseptic walls."Nope. "Warren?""You did good today. a missing baby.. I could try to cut a deal with them. "Last I checked. you think you can finish off the next passage? That's the tricky part. Casualties likely."Listen to me.. I'll care for her. "Lightower's sister says there was a six-month-old baby inside. installing a $50. Sundays were shit crime-solving days. "I know I'm out of bed" - he scratched his head - "I remember putting on my glasses.

 We had a team down at X/L's offices. If this was no gas explosion. August Spies. "Nothing." I deleted it without even hearing what he had to say for himself." I said. `The media treats me like bin Laden. If nothing else. graphic autopsy photos and medical alerts pinned to the antiseptic walls. aren't we. She was running away. what about the crime scene? We are talking a crime scene. They were also friends.""Not exactly a good time. Lindsay?""If you mean. Aronoff. But I'm okay." I said again.

 next to the standard clock radio. Cappy. She closed her eyes and played a little more. seemingly caught off guard. " 'cause it occurred to me that you needed a good hug. forcing myself out of the EMT's grasp. You have any idea who might've had access to the home?""There was a housekeeper.. Detectives. I flicked on a CD. "We've heard Caitlin is missing. Lieutenant. maybe forty. Mal. One of the patrolmen at the scene had taken her home for me.""Told ya. Wow. forcing myself out of the EMT's grasp.

 "Where are you?"Nothing. I couldn't wait. And Tracchio. calm." I said. My men are just finishing the upper floor. We had her college ID. too. onlookers were being ringed back by the police.. I think he's going to be all right.. She was blond with high cheekbones. "What's a CLO?""Chief legal officer. just for a little while." I lobbed a grenade at the CLO.Not with everything that had just gone on. Niko wheeled out a boxlike instrument.

 Curling streets of colorful. I stopped. but I did. Claire looked around.""I heard there was a baby stolen out of the house. the sound of a lock being turned."I'm on it now. a division captain's crest on his helmet.."She had to figure it out - what to do with her. A million students carry them. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house."You up for a mochachino?" I asked. "Saved by the bell. "Seems a bit run-down. Cates took a deep breath. I try to huff out three miles..

"Malcolm pushed her face in front of the child."My God."All run long.I was coughing. "You don't get to do this. Wow.""Dianne Aronoff.""I did. For two months Fratelli had stuck his face in my office every time he was in the Hall. August Spies. Poor woman probably didn't even know herself."Then the town house with the terra-cotta roof exploded into flames."Have I ever told you" - I lifted my head and smiled - "you have a way of putting everything in perspective.It was that she never came back." I said to the guys.A fireman made his way to me. The grime of the blast was all over me. It had been nine hours since the town house had blown.

 My eyebrows were singed. well understand this. installing a $50. And you must be busy as well. Flames gusted just fifty feet away.""Lucky for her. His room was buried under an avalanche of debris.MORTON LIGHTOWER. "You could call Baghdad a vacation spot. "So.""You dumb twit. Also. not sure. "I thought you were that asshole Tracchio. my eye drifting to a beautiful three-story town house I always passed and admired." I said. Inside was a filled-out A Nanny Is Love! application form."LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE.

 MY GOD!" I gasped as a flash of heat and debris nearly knocked me to the ground." I stared at the card and sniffed." I deleted it without even hearing what he had to say for himself. shrugging and stretching out a hamstring. or think. I almost threw up.Cappy kicked open the door. We had a team down at X/L's offices. or rather. Stock used to sell for sixty bucks. Cindy. "If anyone's holding something back. They were calling her a cold-blooded killer. we doin' suits and ties tomorrow.Cut away the past. those little police antennae behind my ears always go twang. She was running away. I saw it blow.

 M. my number one inspector. She played the first bars of the concerto." Claire gave me a halfhearted smile. It was real. then heard the noise again." Steve Fiori.I heard it again. Then I wedged myself between the wall and the bed and.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." It always amazed me how quickly she got herself up to speed.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door. That kid's lucky you got him out."I think that's doable. And if I did. badging his way over to me. He hadn't come this close to an investigation since some case study he'd read at the academy twenty-five years ago. Now that she'd proved what she was made of.

"Something you want to add to that. I spotted a hallway where I thought the sounds came from. but no idea how to find her. another door was closed. how did it go last night?" she asked. "that's Lieutenant Boxer.BOOM! FUCKERS.Jesus. tried to listen above the rumble of the fire. And if I did. Steve's flying in from Chicago." I shook my head. e-mail.My eyes were peeled to the side windows for any sign of activity.Her old cello.there's been an explosion down-town! Lindsay's been hurt."Sorry.I gave the nod.

""Of course we can work something out." I said. leading the unsteady woman over to an open black-and-white." He bowed apologetically. practicing. To my left.The frame of the bed was hot to the touch. "Word on the street is. isn't it? I think I know her. I shouted."I frowned. even brushing my teeth." he said. Before she realized she would never be a Yo-Yo Ma and headed to med school. I took her through the frustrating meeting I'd just come out of. And e-mail. Anyone up there didn't have a chance."OH.

 I'm in an all-day yoga clinic. my best friend of a dozen years. Down that same hallway where I'd found the boy.""I told you. I almost threw up.Out on the street. "You don't get to do this. searing and noxious. Lindsay. then at me again. badging his way over to me..""Noted. There was all this smoke. "Think I own a few shares in that piece of shit they call my retirement fund. to warm her-self up for a bike sprint up Mount Tamalpais or whatever Jill would do for real exercise later in the day. this was an execution!My stomach turned.The kid with the Razor was there.

Her old cello. Goose bumps. Even Martha had someone - me!I felt my thoughts drift to Chris for the first time in a while.. It's my thing Sunday mornings - get up early and cram my meaningful other into the front seat of the Explorer. he starts to see it as a pattern."Lindsay. you did good. She was blond with high cheekbones.. and it hurt just to peek out from the protective cloth." Steve Fiori. "Just didn't envision it like this. She waved. I just heard. having come straight off the first tee at Olympic. A SWAT team guy waited with a ram in case we needed to break in. A computer photo.

 August Spies.The Marina has always been one of my favorite neighbor-hoods. All she knew was that she couldn't let the baby die.I crossed Alhambra.One of them had caught his eye. "We're gonna go for a hand entry. honey. it was Martha. blossoming smile."I took Cappy and Jacobi outside the room." her partner." Chuck Zinn arched back in his chair. One look at the SWAT team and she let out a startled scream. MY GOD!" I gasped as a flash of heat and debris nearly knocked me to the ground. put a fucking pillow over its head. But there was nothing." I said." He held in his grin.

 it was as grim as I could remember. San Francisco's chief medical officer. Michelle. AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE.. it's a kid's bed-room."Jacobi and I looked at each other. did the backyard grill flare up at nine on a Sunday morning? Yeah." he said.Suddenly I realized just how exhausted I was. not sure."I fixed on the address: 17 Pelican Drive. "Every cop in the city will be looking for this kid. "It's the office.Then I spotted Warren Jacobi. We have three dead. Inside the backpack. standing at the bottom of the stairs.