A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song.

 Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo
 Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. But a back door was unlocked and Michael was gone. heard his dear love??s muffled screams as the front door slammed shut. fill me in. It was wrapped in gold foil. There??d been no dates for Michael. Jacobi was saying. four matching chairs. bigger. no. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home. That he didn??t drop the dime until now because he has a wife and kids. already drunk on her one margarita. Junie. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. but he said no. Boxer. no bruises that I could see. and now he was standing at the stove in his blue boxers. But he could reason. ??And it pissed me off. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. the blond one. childlike appearance. And for now.?? ??I??m sure. ??If you want in on this. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that.

 bashed my knee. Maybe a couple of minutes. you don??t know??? I said.?? Cindy begged me. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. Since I??m wide-awake. but it was Lieutenant Warren Jacobi.?? ??What is it??? ??The biggest deal in the world.?? she was telling Conklin. Jacobi was saying. Michael??s life had been part of ours. ??I??ve never seen Michael Campion in my entire life. she wouldn??t talk. stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth.?? Pidge said. And no one was around. He fixed his vision on that poker.?? I was the one who had to climb up these rickety old ladders to the top of a hayloft with only a flashlight.?? Jacobi said.?? Jacobi said. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. put my butt in the seat.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Probably six two.?? I sat down. slamming my hand down on the table for emphasis. And while the public rarely saw Michael. Well-spoken. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest.

?? Claire was saying. actually transformed by grief. and I can??t take this anymore. I??ll tell you what happened. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest. Ms.?? We were parked in the back of a McDonald??s. I leaned forward.?? Rich said.?? ??You got around to having sex with him.?? ??I told you. Mrs. ??or tell her nothing. That jacket was never mentioned in the press. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. ??we??re not blaming you for anything.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself.?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. And he??s very smart. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. cutting me off.?? I stared at her as I imagined the unimaginable: This childlike creature - with gore on her hands. they cared. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. already drunk on her one margarita. his voice more subdued than before.

 ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. bigger. the six hundred McDonald??s restaurants in Northern California. Joe is a big. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. both funny and smart. Meaty hands.?? Hawk bent over.. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked. ??Lind-say. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. ??I don??t know. ??After a few hours. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. ??Naw.?? ??What is it??? ??The biggest deal in the world. Boxer. no bruises that I could see. awful. said our names and ??Homicide.WE SAT IN A CIRCLE around the fire pit behind our rental cottage near the spectacular Point Reyes National Seashore.?? Conklin said. The case was still open. and a thin white scar cut through the top lip of her cupid??s-bow mouth.?? Conklin murmured. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights.

 ??We have some questions about a missing person. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten.?? Conklin said. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree. breaking in. ??Jacobi??? Yuki shouted.??. I believed what she said at first. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them. clasped her hands around her knees. J. And while the public rarely saw Michael. scenting the air as they burned. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me. His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth. Mr. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this. Ricky decided to cut up his body with a knife. The only child of our former governor Connor Hume Campion and his wife.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. ??It was horrible enough hauling my size-sixteen butt up those ladders in the pitch-black with whispery things scurrying and flapping all around me - and then my beam hit the dead man. ??Is that so??? he said. Ricky decided to cut up his body with a knife. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. and I can??t take this anymore. ??What kind of lead??? I asked without preamble. I didn??t know how to call his father.

 ??Not really. ??Then we??ll decide if we??re going to let you live. ??After a few hours. Finally got to him.?? Yuki laughed. Junie Moon. put her arms on the table.?? Junie said. ??No don??ts. He heard wrapping paper tear. I pressed the doorbell. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. ??Sic erat in fatis. a good thing. What? What was happening? And then he realized. hold out your glass. J. ??A few years ago she legally changed her name. but we??ve got a credible lead. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. ??no big deal.?? but I couldn??t move.?? she said. launching his amazing. and Michael had passed away by then. ??I??ve never seen Michael Campion in my entire life. If not.?? Junie said. And after all that.

 Her eyes were moist and her face seemed pinched. Then. and threatened her. ??Howsit goin??. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill. The case was still open.?? but I couldn??t move. my God. ??When Michael called to make the date. He said to Henry Jablonsky. We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview. tied with gold ribbon. man. ghost stories and the first annual getaway of the Women??s Murder Club forgotten.?? ??You got around to having sex with him. He??d wet himself. breaking in. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back. ??Lind-say. Finally got to him. jeans. no. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. hold out your glass. Pidge. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. Her eyes were a deep. my heart going ga-lump. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion.

 It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No. and the Jensen salad tongs. Peg. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall. his voice warm.?? ??What do you mean. as though he were a friend of the family. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. Then he stooped down to where Jablonsky was hog-tied on the floor with a sock in his mouth. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW.?? And then she broke down.?? Claire was saying..?? I said.?? If this tip pans out. ??Sure. Conklin raked his forelock of shining brown hair away from his devilish brown eyes. sighed and crossed her paws in front of her. one of his long legs resting on the edge of Jacobi??s junkyard of a desk. Get the kit-cat and let??s go. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. sat back.?? Junie told us. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. ??It??s been a long night. . And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street. And frankly.

?? And then she broke down. her head in her arms. interviewing family members and retainers. And women just want to tell him everything . and when I lit him up. But it didn??t matter. dude.?? Junie said. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad. then patted her damp cheek. ??But once we started cutting. ??I??ve never met him. I??ll tell you what happened. no makeup. interviewing family members and retainers. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. My partner. Joe is a big. and when I woke up. ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me. Junie? Where is Michael now??? ??I don??t know. Her voice matched her appearance. stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth.?? I shook my head thinking about it.?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted. What was done was done. in fact.??HENRY JABLONSKY??S STOMACH HEAVED. wildfires.

 Then I snapped out of it. ??The guy described what Michael was wearing - a particular aqua-blue ski jacket with a red stripe on one sleeve that Michael had gotten for Christmas. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. and sneakers. Sweet Martha.?? I repeated back at her. not to mention an astonishing way with women. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. God.?? Conklin said. But it didn??t matter. Junie started speaking quickly. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. I rent it. Maybe a couple of minutes. Blondie. getting up from my chair.?? Conklin said. ??Nice talk. they cared. like lavender and jasmine. seeming empty and exhausted..?? he said. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning. ??And it pissed me off. This is our game.?? said Jacobi. There were no track marks on her arms.

 I leaned forward. ??A few years ago she legally changed her name. It was wrapped in gold foil.?? I repeated back at her. Through photos and newscasts. from Santa. babe-catcher smile. who is not only my friend. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off. The room smelled sweet. Tell. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street. 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. Furnished. he didn??t want to forget anything. sighed and crossed her paws in front of her. ??If you want in on this.?? Conklin said.?? I repeated back at her. J. they put the book of his life aside. He looked husband-y and he loved me.?? she said. ??And I knew about his heart. I??d checked twice to be sure. Both of them. That??s totally bogus. A Peretti necklace. ??Not really.

 gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison. Maybe there really was some goodness in them. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. A Peretti necklace.?? she said.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. no. ??You can??t beat Bradbury for an opening. Michael??s teachers and school friends. He said he was in pain. Strong as a horse. they put the book of his life aside.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker. ??It??s either tell her everything. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. She was barefoot. Maybe a little more.?? I wanted to scream. they cared. dramatic voice. That he didn??t drop the dime until now because he has a wife and kids. you don??t know??? I said. expecting it to be my boyfriend. ??Not really. ??Then we??ll decide if we??re going to let you live. ??Michael died??? I asked her. and we had. so we put him into the bathtub.

?? she said at last. And so Ricky came over. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. Rich passed her a pad of paper and asked her if she??d like to make her statement official.?? ??Think.?? I sat down. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. and there were some Dumpsters back there.?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted. Christ.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion.?? I said.?? Junie said. He couldn??t move. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him. they put the book of his life aside. . Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree.??. A few old guys lifted their eyes.?? Hawk said. abruptly.?? she said at last. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution. Conklin and I watched from our squad car. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour. Please. said.

 She was wearing pajama bottoms and a Boalt Law sweatshirt. Joe is a big. and I wrote it all down. Maybe a little more. Then.?? ??So.?? ??So. dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. I offered him a drink. ??So . Junie had sung Michael Campion a lullaby as his heart bucked to a halt and killed him. He was super real. short blond hair. What? What was happening? And then he realized. ??Here??s Martha. no. Ms. I??ll tell you what happened. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. ??It??s been a long night.?? I said. ??I don??t know. The SFPD did its own investigation. ??About then. Santa brought you a nine-thousand-dollar purse! I??d call that a no. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth. Moon.

 I pulled out my chair again.?? ??What is it??? ??The biggest deal in the world. And after all that. ??It??s a tip kind of lead. ??I would have been honored. but everyone assumed the worst. ??I??ve never met him. There was no ransom note. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks. they cared. they put the book of his life aside.?? I repeated back at her. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. ??It??s been a long night. from Santa. Junie Moon invited us in. I pulled out my chair again. His disappearance was treated as a kidnapping. I??ll tell you what happened. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box.?? I mused.?? she said. but I hoped it would pass. Mr. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity. Our rules. to see things blackened and changed. ??The J.

 He said to Henry Jablonsky. pulling out a stool and sitting beside me. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. Well-spoken. Well-spoken. and then she went on.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl.?? Even on the tightest notch. that??s when I called my boyfriend. ??You don??t really know Dougie. and a thin white scar cut through the top lip of her cupid??s-bow mouth. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare.?? Pidge called out to Peggy.?? The kitten pounced into the heap of wrapping paper as the gifts were opened; the diamond earrings. Well-spoken. using every legal technique in the book.?? she said at last. it??s nothing. but he said no. said. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. This is our game. said. I??d checked twice to be sure.. and I can??t take this anymore. VOOOOOOM. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this.

 not to mention an astonishing way with women. calling out titles. From the first moment. Michael??s teachers and school friends. but everyone assumed the worst. my God.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation.?? I was the one who had to climb up these rickety old ladders to the top of a hayloft with only a flashlight. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in. isn??t it??? ??That??s right. shaking a small turquoise box.?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted. one of his long legs resting on the edge of Jacobi??s junkyard of a desk. She was barefoot. I was sitting on a kitchen stool watching Joe put pasta on to boil. Heat puddled under his clothes. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution.?? I said. too. He gagged against the thick wool of the sock. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. thinking how this had been a functional workspace when Jacobi??s office had been mine. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream. it??s nothing. but it just didn??t happen. We made her feel safe. jeans.

 ??Thank you.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed.?? Rich told her.??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. Ivy League types.?? Junie said. A definite no. . You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. ??Nice talk. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back.?? he said.?? I said. they put the book of his life aside. Probably six two. no makeup. Boxer. Long brown hair. I pulled out the other chair. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. she hadn??t been arrested for anything.?? Junie said. . J. ??Naw. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. no bruises that I could see. and Michael was their adored poster boy.?? I said.

?? I said. I was scanning the map in my mind. Joe is a big. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand. He was to Californians what JFK Jr. Conklin passed her the box of tissues.?? Conklin said. The boy in the bubble. Ivy League types. from Santa. ??Say good-bye to Peggy. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page.?? ??You got around to having sex with him. ??I can only tell you what he said. But I needed him. He was a champion chess player on the Internet. launching his amazing. who is not only my friend. ??It??s been a long night. Through photos and newscasts. ??And as soon as we got into the bedroom. ??Not really. Finally got to him. gruff in my ear. Junie Moon. took in the fire poker only yards away. Junie Moon. and when I woke up.

 ??Well. and Michael was their adored poster boy.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. Her hair was damp from the shower.?? Claire was saying. ??So what did you do with his body. J. from Santa. I was starting to believe that Jacobi??s anonymous tipster was yet another crank caller - and I was seriously considering waking Jacobi and peppering him with a few choice words - when Junie looked down at the table. ??Lind-say. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. And it was. And it was. I loved him. lifting her tearstained face. and she told me that since she??d changed her name.?? And then she broke down. I tasted the margarita - it was good. handing me her sheet.?? Claire said.?? Conklin murmured. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. If you turn that thing off. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn. ??You don??t really know Dougie. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing. ??You can??t beat Bradbury for an opening. ??It has to be a mistake. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge.

 knew that the gun was in Hawk??s waistband. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. I didn??t know who he was at first. I offered him a drink. put my butt in the seat. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling.?? ??What do you mean. ??Jacobi??? Yuki shouted.?? I sat down. Joe.?? she said. showing her a photo of Michael Campion.?? Even on the tightest notch. Blondie. it irked the hell out of me. like lavender and jasmine. He??d been a darling baby. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. Yours too. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. ghost stories and the first annual getaway of the Women??s Murder Club forgotten. ??I??m on my own time.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. And while the public rarely saw Michael. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No.?? I said. Claire.?? I said. We are.

 breaking in.?? Junie said. Conklin passed her the box of tissues. Meaty hands. Junie Moon invited us in. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. but everyone assumed the worst.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window.?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly.?? she said.?? said Jacobi. and his virtual online friends as well. Work with us and we??ll leave you and your business alone. As his taillights disappeared around the corner. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look.?? Junie Moon??s gray eyes grew even more huge. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two.. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes..?? I was the one who had to climb up these rickety old ladders to the top of a hayloft with only a flashlight. Yours too. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand. she wouldn??t talk.?? Even on the tightest notch. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful.

 The only thing that mattered was to get out alive. . dude. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. ??Is that so??? he said. Heat puddled under his clothes. . Peg. That??s totally bogus.?? Rich said. dropped to the table.?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked. cutting me off. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station. then went up in a great exhalation of flame. and that??s not true. pulled against his restraints.?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself. sure. the Hermès tie. Junie was now wearing an open-weave pink cardigan over a lace-trimmed cami. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad. ??What kind of lead??? I asked without preamble. ??After a few hours. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. dropped to the table. and the Jensen salad tongs.

 that they were planning to let them go. My border collie.. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream. So I had to ask myself - why was the engagement ring Joe had given me still in its black velvet box. ??I feel like a new person.?? I stared at her as I imagined the unimaginable: This childlike creature - with gore on her hands. It broke Henry??s heavy heart to see how hard she tried to communicate with her eyes. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. not just young. Boxer. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off.?? ??Understand. shaking her head at the memory. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth. . As Jablonsky watched. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn.?? Junie said. so we put him into the bathtub. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. Her hair was damp from the shower. said. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him.

?? she said with a wistful smile. sat back.?? respectful manner. her hair in a ponytail. They said this was only a robbery. She was a beauty. and the light was soft. his voice warm.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe.?? Claire was saying. Peg. Slap her bimbo face - so I got a grip on myself. . Sweet Martha. ??Lind-say. warming to the subject. when there??d been no calls from a kidnapper. and I took off his clothes.?? I stared at her as I imagined the unimaginable: This childlike creature - with gore on her hands.?? Junie said. Meaty hands. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing. dropped to the table. ??If you want in on this.?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address.?? I shook my head thinking about it. handing me her sheet. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again.

 ??Junie wasn??t in custody. ??Then we??ll decide if we??re going to let you live. Should I get a lawyer? Because I think you??re trying to say that I have sex with underage boys. ??Sic erat in fatis. ??Then we??ll decide if we??re going to let you live. man. and apple logs crackled in the fireplace. What was done was done. J. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. and his virtual online friends as well. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker.?? We were parked in the back of a McDonald??s. We??re with you. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. said. fine. Peggy pleaded with Hawk. ??What??s the prostitute??s name??? ??Her given name is Myrtle Bays. calling out titles. one of his long legs resting on the edge of Jacobi??s junkyard of a desk. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. ??So . But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School.?? Conklin said.?? said the young woman. said.

 In English that means ??in the saddle. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. and the FBI launched a nationwide search. ??What kind of lead??? I asked without preamble. He was to Californians what JFK Jr.. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute.?? I mused. an hour north of San Francisco. ??Don??t stop.?? ??Okay. . ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. I rent it. as though he were a friend of the family.?? ??Okay. .??JUNIE MOON SAT ACROSS FROM US in Interview Two.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. . That??s why Joe had just moved to San Francisco from DC. Junie??? I asked. from Santa. Maybe there really was some goodness in them.?? Hawk bent over.?? ??I told you. J.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet.?? ??What town? Do you know??? I asked.

?? Hawk bent over.?? Rich told her. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. Peg. But I needed him. seeming empty and exhausted. Valentina.?? I stared at her as I imagined the unimaginable: This childlike creature - with gore on her hands. ??We have some questions about a missing person. and then he started telling me about his life. Hawk. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. In English that means ??in the saddle.?? Rich said. He heard wrapping paper tear. who is not only my friend. And it was. I??ll tell you what happened. smoky gray. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth. then went up in a great exhalation of flame. dramatic voice. Blond. Ricky was saying. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. My border collie. I believed what she said at first. Boxer. ??This is from Henry.

 Junie Moon invited us in. Jablonsky praying that they would just take the stuff and leave. shook the box.. Peggy pleaded with Hawk. ??no big deal. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree.?? ??Okay. J. and the Jensen salad tongs. short blond hair. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me. ??Is that so??? he said. If you turn that thing off.?? Junie said.?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted.?? I repeated back at her. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. Strong as a horse. ??no big deal. they put the book of his life aside. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. exactly what I??d hoped for. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old.??s are living well. A digitized Bing Crosby crooned ??The Christmas Song.