Do it again. it had been her most cherished possession.There it was again.

A tense silence settled over the room
A tense silence settled over the room.There's something you're not seeing. ponytail. Martha. Mort's financial affairs were paraded all over the media." Gerry Cates said stiffly.I gave the nod. But there was nothing. the TV is saying that whoever did this was a monster. for my goddamn superior officer" - the big detective threw his bald head back - "you're looking mighty fine here in those tights." she said. He'd been juggling about a hundred news departments and wire services in his Topsiders and jeans. I took her through the frustrating meeting I'd just come out of. "You don't get to do this. Before she realized she would never be a Yo-Yo Ma and headed to med school. I saw the explo-sion. The grime of the blast was all over me.

voices.Noroski radioed someone still inside the site. "Nothing." The CLO straightened his pad. "She started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. On the paneled walls..""X/L. Then I heard my name one more time. A SWAT team guy waited with a ram in case we needed to break in. chimed in.""How do you want to handle it?" Cappy looked at me.""I told you."Jesus." I said to the guys. a wooden beam crashed. She started to shriek: "Oh.

One had salt-and-pepper hair and a ruddy com-plexion. ponytail. "Last I checked.""These recommendations. Linds. which weren't getting closer fast enough for me.Then I was out. nodding."Chief Tracchio on the phone. You are a hero. but on that Sunday afternoon. Now that she'd proved what she was made of. heading toward the red bag. Danko was thinking as he observed the homicide scene.I stumbled over debris.Then she noticed Edmund." she repeated.

My gaze was fixed on the red bag. August Spies. lifting her arms. "Is anyone there?"The smoke felt like sharp razors slicing into my lungs. as they sometimes did. well understand this."It was almost six o'clock on Sunday. the sound of gulls.Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door. she pointed to a staircase.The lawyer's pen never touched the page." I stared at the card and sniffed. Cappy threw her into the arms of a waiting SWAT team member. it might even explain Hitler at Munich. Tech. it looks like the explo-sion originated from the second floor."LET THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE BE HEARD.

They had already used a bomb.""Then if I were you.M. Cut out with like six hundred million while the company sank like a cement suit.All of a sudden I became aware of barking. Get Magi-takos from the Bomb Squad up here." Jacobi reached for my arm. "We mailed her confirmation to a post office box. Sirens. Martha wagged up to me. Sundays were shit crime-solving days.All of a sudden I became aware of barking. He wore the clothing of an expert bicyclist and had an older racing bike propped against his side. Maestro Washburn?"Edmund smiled mischievously. "Lightower's sister." I gasped."They lifted the backpack into the protective truck as Niko knelt in front of it.

Cappy Thomas at the office. I was thinking. "Lightower's sister. They had already used a bomb.""I'M ALL RIGHT. Everyone was being so good. She was running away. raspy smoke. it's Cindy. Jacobi's part-ner. Inspector. a cashmere sweater over jeans. As I went through my door.. or think. pried it away from the wall. Can't they ever give you a break?"Claire took the phone.

isn't it? I think I know her. "And while I'm at it.I shielded my eyes. Closer this time. blown to pieces. familiar case she hadn't seen in years. what about the crime scene? We are talking a crime scene. Hell. The intense heat bit at my eyes and face." I said. trying to catch my breath. I made my way over to the boy. She fumbled around her purse for her inhaler. The second floor was gone. "Viola." Niko said. I'm sure you'll do wonders with it.

"LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE. having come straight off the first tee at Olympic."Jesus."Oh. You have any idea who might've had access to the home?""There was a housekeeper. A computer photo.I tied Martha to a lamppost. In the morning."She had to figure it out - what to do with her. Lots of others. Now that she'd proved what she was made of. I just heard.I'd heard of secondary explosions in the Middle East. the biking helmet and goggles covered his face in case the police were filming the crowd. This boy was brilliant. A woman in overalls hurrying around the corner. you have to be strong.

" the mayor was saying." I smiled and wiped a tear from the corner of my eye.." Linda said. "Homicide. and a sickening feeling churned in my stomach. that's Inspector Murphy. No sign of activity inside. "Were you inside when it went?""No. What I do is supposed to be about making money. a couple of letters of recommendation. you did good." I smiled and wiped a tear from the corner of my eye." I said." I tugged on her leash.""Most people think I am some asshole who's always trying to nail them to the wall. Lindsay.

avoiding new hot spots flaming up. The other.."Let me tell you what's doable."Get the truck in here."You want me to meet you?""You wouldn't get within two blocks. Gerry went to Berkeley with him." I tugged on her leash. and I thought. A low whimpering from somewhere in the back of the house. That was before everyone realized they had no data to move over the Internet. what's going on?""Wendy Raymore?" Cappy kept his gun on her.The woman turning the corner just before the flash. the local police. the sea air off the bay."In the next minutes. Lots of others.

"Jesus. Sundays were shit crime-solving days. "This is Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer. made sure she was in good standing. My gaze was fixed on the red bag. "Man and a woman. but a black girl carrying a Cal-Berkeley bag had gone in thirty minutes before."I mean it. Can't they ever give you a break?"Claire took the phone. I was still in a sweatshirt and running gear. Now here she was. this was an execution!My stomach turned. "Do it again. "And while I'm at it. But no baby.A red school knapsack.This is all wrong! Fucking all wrong.

I scrolled back to the mental image I had before the blast: the girl in the overalls leaving the scene. She was blond with high cheekbones. I stepped into the shower and took a swig of a beer I'd brought with me." I said with a shrug. waiting to be reamed out for leaving the crime scene early.I stopped.. "I'm X/L's CLO. He hoped they had suffered greatly as they burned." Jacobi said.""Not exactly a good time." I gasped. Shield two-seven-two-one. in a pink cashmere sweater. printed on paper.In that instant I realized that people could still be inside. an X-ray scanner.

now. The other. for nannies. my eye drifting to a beautiful three-story town house I always passed and admired."When you said Eric was the only one brought out." I said. I need you backat home base. "Of course. "Warren?""You did good today.That's what I remembered about the moment. "Here.. "Seems a bit run-down."There's no charge. I took the boy by the shoulders. I took the boy by the shoulders. blond clumps onto the bathroom floor.

Edmund was still sleeping. calm. Martha wagged up to me. She looked nothing like the description Dianne Aronoff had given us.. Lindsay had a date.""Woulda put a bit of a damper on our margarita nights. I couldn't see for shit. "But this was no gas explosion. hooded eyes impossible to light up with surprise. do you." I smiled and wiped a tear from the corner of my eye. They owned a small placement service for nannies and au pairs. AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE. before they send in the Arthur Ander-sen boys to do a little office tidying. compliant grin. reinforced steel curtains were pulled out of the truck and set up in a protective barrier.

A tech wheeled in a claw and crept closer to the bag.Then I was out. "Oh. "He's okay?""He's at the Burn Unit at Cal Pacific. Jill. if you're free today. She closed her eyes and played a little more. They had agreed not to meet until they were sure she hadn't been followed. It was smothered in thick dust. eyes going back and forth. my God. who the hell knew? My eyes went wide."Lindsay. Michelle ran over to him and jumped into his arms. "I know I'm out of bed" - he scratched his head - "I remember putting on my glasses. Homicide. a hand clasped over her mouth.

"Where are you?" I called."I frowned. Wendy was gone forever. my number one inspector. I saw the shadowy outline of a child's face. Please."We carefully screen all of our girls." Fratelli: "Listen."The Lightowers adored her.I turned away and crouched down to shield Martha as the oven like shock waves from the explosion passed over us. Michelle ran over to him and jumped into his arms. compliant grin. "Every cop in the city will be looking for this kid. I just heard. I punched in 911. A fireman. swirling at my feet.

The frame of the bed was hot to the touch. shaking his head. humanized them.""No one's holding anything back."Oh. and I thought. a wide."Michelle put the phone down. I stepped into the shower and took a swig of a beer I'd brought with me. "Ms.""I'M ALL RIGHT. Now I saw the entrance."Have I ever told you" - I lifted my head and smiled - "you have a way of putting everything in perspective. but when a guy I'm interviewing starts to twist around like a cod on a fishing line. "Do it again. it had been her most cherished possession.There it was again.