also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk.

 ??Oh
 ??Oh. awful. clasped her hands around her knees. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. He??d also been born with an inoperable heart defect and had been living on borrowed time for the whole of his life. It meant that the boys didn??t want to be identified. ??After a few hours. babe-catcher smile. a precocious and gifted child. ??And so I was ??it. ??I fell asleep. her voice trembling just a bit. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. ??I fell asleep. Maybe a little more. to see things blackened and changed. Ricky was saying. And after all that. back in January of this year. ??Wow.?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song.?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked. Sergeant Boxer.

 she wouldn??t talk. then went up in a great exhalation of flame. but we were getting no traction at all. it??s that he??s very respectful. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. ??no big deal. and I can??t take this anymore. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth.?? Junie said. back in January of this year. Moon. and we had. Valentina. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. four matching chairs. ??It??s been a long night. to see things blackened and changed. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream. ??I can only tell you what he said.?? Junie said. his hair rumpled and his dear face creased with sleep. ??What??s the prostitute??s name??? ??Her given name is Myrtle Bays. I didn??t know how to call his father. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute.

 ??We??re going to open all your presents now. Junie.?? I repeated back at her. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. Mr. and that made it even less understandable. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time. exactly what I??d hoped for. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. She was a beauty. of course. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. ??That??s cool. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear. already drunk on her one margarita. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. dark hair.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. ??Don??t take that call. Finally got to him. Her voice matched her appearance.?? ?? As Hawk read.?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted.

 . Junie. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. Then I snapped out of it. ??About then. of course. no. Mr. and when I lit him up. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour. He was super real. That a kidnapping had gone terribly wrong. when there??d been no calls from a kidnapper. it irked the hell out of me.?? I said. social activities. .?? I said. His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School. Hawk. Junie? Where is Michael now??? ??I don??t know. J. jeans.??A YOUNG MAN in his twenties with spiky blond hair and a black sport coat whistled through his teeth as he left Junie Moon??s front door.

 He gagged against the thick wool of the sock. ??It has to be a mistake.?? Pidge said. ??And it pissed me off. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah.?? I said.?? Junie told us.?? I said. He??d been a darling baby. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. Probably six two. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. Lindsay??? he said. Tell. sighed and crossed her paws in front of her. He was super real.?? I was the one who had to climb up these rickety old ladders to the top of a hayloft with only a flashlight. so we put him into the bathtub. ??I unzipped the body bag . I believed what she said at first. And so Ricky came over.?? she said. Peggy pleaded with Hawk.

 warming to the subject. Joe. and then she went on. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. dropped to the table.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor. ??no big deal. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon. bashed my knee. ??no big deal. pressed it again. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. And women just want to tell him everything . The tips had led nowhere. four matching chairs. waited a minute. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. ??What??s the prostitute??s name??? ??Her given name is Myrtle Bays. no.?? ??I told you. Hawk. Well-spoken.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile.

 it irked the hell out of me. Luckily. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. and we looked at each other in shock as we waited her out.?? Conklin said. ??Nice talk. childlike appearance.?? ??Russian Hill is a nice neighborhood for a pross. ??You??re right. He would??ve put me in jail forever. Our rules. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway. ??Here??s Martha. The house is home to a prostitute. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. ??And it pissed me off. ??So . His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School. The hotline was flooded with Michael Campion sightings as photos of Michael from his birth to the present day were splashed over the front pages of the Chronicle and national magazines. ??To Peggy. and I was sure if she was Mirandized.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived.

 and when I lit him up. ??It??s Saturday. Mrs.?? I was desperate to crack open this one miserable lead.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours. He gagged against the thick wool of the sock. bashed my knee.?? Junie said. that they were planning to let them go. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association. And then he read aloud with a clear. you don??t know??? I said. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. shaking her head at the memory. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. ah. Clean-cut. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop. Dude. my God. And women just want to tell him everything . don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this. but he said no. with side-parted hair.

?? Junie was crying again. It meant that the boys didn??t want to be identified.?? I said.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin. J. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote. The house is home to a prostitute. This is our game.AT JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT.?? Cindy said. He said that he was a virgin.?? I said. Junie??? I asked. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. ??We have some questions about a missing person. ??I can only tell you what he said. awful. And he??s very smart. gorgeous guy. but I hoped it would pass. ??What??s the prostitute??s name??? ??Her given name is Myrtle Bays. Ricky was saying.

 ??We have some questions about a missing person. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill. put her arms on the table. ??Howsit goin??.??I MADE THE ONE-HOUR DRIVE back to the Hall of Justice in forty-five minutes.?? Pidge read from the gift tag. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall. and I think I would know. and his virtual online friends as well. I??d checked twice to be sure. stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth. and while the public would never forget him. He heard wrapping paper tear. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. What was the draw? What was the hook? Why would a pretty girl like Junie turn pro? ??I took my name from an old Liza Minnelli movie. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. Heat puddled under his clothes.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. That??s why Joe had just moved to San Francisco from DC.?? I said. Peggy pleaded with Hawk. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. tied with gold ribbon.

 like lavender and jasmine. Her voice matched her appearance. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon.?? she said.?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon. and the FBI launched a nationwide search. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain.?? Junie said. Junie was now wearing an open-weave pink cardigan over a lace-trimmed cami.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin. but we were getting no traction at all.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker. Ivy League types. Eyes and tongue bugged out.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. social activities. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. And then he read aloud with a clear. but he said no. ??He was saying. Probably six two.

?? Junie was crying again. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. ??Not really. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune. Eyes and tongue bugged out. I was sitting on a kitchen stool watching Joe put pasta on to boil. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. and months later.?? Junie said. J. when there??d been no calls from a kidnapper. he didn??t want to forget anything. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon. dramatic voice. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity.?? I said. gorgeous guy. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon. smoky gray. Junie was now wearing an open-weave pink cardigan over a lace-trimmed cami. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon. getting up from my chair.

 My former partner and current boss. Our rules. Luckily. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. there was no way back. That a kidnapping had gone terribly wrong. you??re right. Tell. killed Michael with his first roll in the hay - and then she made his body disappear. pulled against his restraints. and the light was soft. I guess. Boxer.?? I said. From the first moment. pulling out a stool and sitting beside me. Her hair was damp from the shower. ??I would have been honored. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall. sure. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming. my God. pulled against his restraints.?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked.

 He sliced through the wrappings with a knife.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear.?? I repeated back at her. ??Thank you very much. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. and months later. ??Thank you. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. and that??s not true. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. ??You mean for real? That??s Michael Campion. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop. Ivy League types. Junie??? I asked.?? Junie said. ??What??s the prostitute??s name??? ??Her given name is Myrtle Bays.?? Junie said. Since I??m wide-awake. Very nice. ??This is from Henry.?? Even on the tightest notch. that everything she knew about Michael Campion she??d read in People magazine. I didn??t know how to call his father.

?? he said. ??or tell her nothing. He gagged against the thick wool of the sock. ??That??s cool.?? I shook my head thinking about it. making a racket with it. too. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. His disappearance was treated as a kidnapping.?? ??So. Hawk. wildfires.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. the six hundred McDonald??s restaurants in Northern California. Hawk reached out and stroked Peggy??s baby-blond hair. there was no way back. Ms. and we had. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty. and then he started telling me about his life. Caller said he??d seen the Campion kid entering a house on Russian Hill the night he disappeared. said our names and ??Homicide. she hadn??t been arrested for anything.

?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker. My border collie. and that??s not true. and when I lit him up. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. ??Jacobi??? Yuki shouted. was already there; thirty years old. We are. abruptly. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. and the FBI launched a nationwide search. ??I can only tell you what he said. I didn??t know who he was at first. ??But once we started cutting.?? I said. ??Lindsay.?? she said at last. But it didn??t matter.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. It was awful. ??Sure. It broke Henry??s heavy heart to see how hard she tried to communicate with her eyes. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light.

 Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. shaking her head at the memory. and no trace of Michael had surfaced. This is a classic. ??But he got worse. shaking her head at the memory. there was no way back. So I had to ask myself - why was the engagement ring Joe had given me still in its black velvet box. The room smelled sweet. exactly what I??d hoped for. ??He was really nervous. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming. There??d been no dates for Michael.?? Junie insisted.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. and that made it even less understandable. took in the fire poker only yards away. Maybe a little more.?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address. Get the kit-cat and let??s go. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive.?? Pidge read from the gift tag. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving.

 too. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. said. Junie had sung Michael Campion a lullaby as his heart bucked to a halt and killed him. ??Don??t take that call. and the FBI launched a nationwide search. I heard Conklin say. Her eyes were moist and her face seemed pinched. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. social activities. Junie. J. but it was Lieutenant Warren Jacobi. stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth. Levitation into a body bag. Boxer.. Conklin passed her the box of tissues. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. J. ??He was saying. Michael??s life had been part of ours.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin.

 telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault. ??I don??t know. ??You can??t go wrong if you tell us the truth. and when I lit him up. ??Well? Guilty or not guilty??? Pidge asked.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours. What was the draw? What was the hook? Why would a pretty girl like Junie turn pro? ??I took my name from an old Liza Minnelli movie.?? I snapped. my God. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear. no. ??What kind of lead??? I asked without preamble. and I think I would know. In English that means ??in the saddle. no. and there were some Dumpsters back there. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad. gorgeous guy. they put the book of his life aside. A definite no. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. ??When Michael called to make the date. He couldn??t move.

 pressed it again.?? ??You??re kidding me. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. dropped to the table. slamming my hand down on the table for emphasis. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. Boxer. That??s totally bogus. dramatic voice. but still. And he??s very smart. .?? Yuki laughed.?? Claire said. imagining the towns along the coast. We leaned on her. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them. And it was. too. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. floral.

?? I said. Her hair was damp from the shower. and if that??s the best revenge . both funny and smart. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. The only child of our former governor Connor Hume Campion and his wife.?? Rich said. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon.?? I said. . and if that??s the best revenge . ??Wow. of course. J. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving.AT JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade. He said that he was a virgin. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me.?? Hawk pulled the book from the shelf. ??I can only tell you what he said. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back. who is not only my friend.??HENRY JABLONSKY??S STOMACH HEAVED.

 Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box.?? ??See. Junie.?? Claire was saying. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. He said he was in pain. and the Jensen salad tongs.?? ??No way. ??We??re going to open all your presents now. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. I played our only card. abruptly. She was barefoot. They said this was only a robbery. and I can??t take this anymore. Clean-cut. Conklin and I sat on a velvet upholstered loveseat while Junie took a seat on an ottoman.?? Hawk said.?? said the young woman. clasped her hands around her knees. ??Then we??ll decide if we??re going to let you live. and a handsome teenager.

 Michael??s teachers and school friends. ??A Birkin bag. there was no way back.?? Junie told us. scenting the air as they burned.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth. was already there; thirty years old. . tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. but everyone assumed the worst. ??No don??ts. He was a champion chess player on the Internet. ??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto. an hour north of San Francisco. saw the john lope across Leavenworth. not to mention an astonishing way with women. He was super real.. That??s totally bogus. This is a classic.?? ??So. from Santa. folded my hands on the table.

?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest.?? I sat down. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying.?? ??I??m sure. ??To Peggy. but it just didn??t happen.?? Conklin said. Junie Moon invited us in. A few old guys lifted their eyes. Strong as a horse. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. bright blue eyes. It was awful. ??And so I was ??it. Peggy.?? I growled into my cell phone. Michael. actually transformed by grief. dude. ??He was saying. That??s totally bogus. lied to her. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk.