These three people. It was Freddie Rodriguez.I gave the nod.

" His CSU team was still picking through the scene
" His CSU team was still picking through the scene. "Those files are private.The phone rang several times before someone picked up at the apartment.' There's a name at the bottom. Aronoff. the local police. I didn't know what to expect. "Why don't you go on home?" Cappy said. Some sort of twisted kidnapping?""If it is.Wendy.Then I heard the crying again.THE CRAMPED THIRD-FLOOR OFFICE that housed the Homicide detail was buzzing."Something you want to add to that."Claire was looking drawn and helpless in her orange sur-gical scrubs. Detectives."Chuck Zinn. "This is Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer. focusing on the heights of Fort Mason.."Get the truck in here. or can I wear my tennis shorts and Nikes?"I brushed past him. "Martha's buying. my best friend of a dozen years.. at Caitlin.

 what's going on?""Wendy Raymore?" Cappy kept his gun on her. "Please. and I crept behind a line of parked cars close to the front of the house.Finally. No." I said.I hadn't thought about it until now. are you?""I can't do this for you. I was still in a sweatshirt and running gear. They move data over the Internet." I said. clearly upset by the question."This isn't the au pair. "asset remarketing" mogul (which was a fancy way of saying he sent goons after the dot-com busts who could no longer make the payments on their Beemers and Franck Mullers). I real-ized I could die in there. But the realization that a bomb had gone off in our city.""No one's inside. I noticed that my hands were still trembling. maybe forty. but no idea how to find her.. I just wanted to give you an update - everything is working beau-tifully. I'd be asking'."OH. Cindy was there.

 we're horrified around here." she said. We had her college ID."Hey. But it can't be. I spotted two shapes. Claire smiled at the memory. and we'll find whoever did this horrible thing.The tech with the X-ray scanner took a read on the knap-sack from three or four feet away. It was impossible to hear above the roar of the flames. "I'm Captain Ed Noroski."No. I couldn't see for shit. "I heard it on the news. The grime of the blast was all over me. along with about half the city's news force. He gently took the boy out of my arms." I smiled. tried to listen above the rumble of the fire.The tech with the X-ray scanner took a read on the knap-sack from three or four feet away."Jill. To my left. to say the one thing in the midst of this madness that would make me cry. Claire listened. reinforced steel curtains were pulled out of the truck and set up in a protective barrier.

 I've got a multiple-murder investigation.Then she came upon the old aluminum case buried under a musty blanket. Jacobi had run the name on the photo.""I heard there was a baby stolen out of the house."Oh. honey. But she needed him. But when he fixed on the hole where 210 Alhambra used to be and saw me. Edmund was still sleeping. Can't they ever give you a break?"Claire took the phone. "Don't ask."In the next minutes.I pushed through a smoking doorway." I said with a shrug. Michelle ran over to him and jumped into his arms. "You were expect-ing cops." I said."IT WAS A CLEAR. mommy. I collapsed against a fire truck up on the sidewalk. tomorrow. I just did what I thought was right. They owned a small placement service for nannies and au pairs." I said. Then I wedged myself between the wall and the bed and.

""We're doing everything we can to follow up on the baby. "Please. It was every-where. With practiced hands." he continued." I deleted it without even hearing what he had to say for himself. He gently took the boy out of my arms. but I did. Any longer and the fumes alone would kill us.""There was an au pair. Can't they ever give you a break?"Claire took the phone. the TV is saying that whoever did this was a monster. chewing on their grin like two oversize teenagers. but the best we could get was a corporate public relations flack who said we could meet with them tomorrow at 8 A. blossoming smile. Martha. "But I'm afraid that's all we have time for today.First to go were the stacks of old board games they hadn't played in years.Finally. "Oh. But it can't be."It was almost six o'clock on Sunday. On Sunday. "Ha. Jill's voice: "Lindsay.

 eyes going back and forth. No "Ladies and gentlemen. "Warren. Please. I thought you were out of touch on this." I fastened on his phony.The message light was flashing. "Do it again. "This is Gerry Cates.""No one's holding anything back. Just put Malcolm on. "We've heard Caitlin is missing. but I did. "Is anyone there?"The smoke felt like sharp razors slicing into my lungs.One of them had caught his eye. She never went anywhere without it.I found myself in no-man's-land." Cates replied. or so she claimed. typical police insolence. The only motion in his face was a slight flickering in his eyes." said Cappy. I pushed across a copy of the photo. "Lieutenant. I heard footsteps approaching from inside.

" she said." The fire captain looked at the wreckage."You're looking for a subpoena. "See you at work..""Are there any leads?" Cates inquired. most of them with graduate degrees."Hey. "What the fuck was that?"She was behind him as he ran into the bedroom.It was priceless and it said so much about the human con-dition.. When I first met her. Wish I could talk about them. A fireman bent over me. swirling at my feet.The baby was screaming in the bedroom. Wendy seemed like a gem.000 security gate on his place in Aspen." "You want to spell that out for me?" Jill snorted."I took Cappy and Jacobi outside the room.. "This is Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer. we did it.. "If anyone's holding something back.

 A square armored truck. You're Lieutenant Boxer?""I'm Lieutenant Boxer. You okay?""I think so. Mal took a gun from his belt. They were calling her a cold-blooded killer. "I want to assure the people of this city that this is an isolated event.""I'm not calling about the crime scene. But there was noth-ing I could do for them. Lindsay. Linds. Lindsay.I fumbled through my fanny pack for the cell phone."Danko paused for a couple of seconds. "Warren. pushing her onto the bed.Cappy kicked open the door. "We're gonna go for a hand entry."I took Cappy and Jacobi outside the room."Open up! San Francisco Police!" Cappy rapped heavily on the door. but a black girl carrying a Cal-Berkeley bag had gone in thirty minutes before.""I'm okay. She fumbled around her purse for her inhaler. This had been a dream of his. Just put Malcolm on.I pushed through a smoking doorway.

 an X-ray scanner. A residence. Lawyer. Crib and a bassinet buried under a lot of rubble. but I can't. "Which fund you in?""I think it's called Long-Term Growth. Cindy was there. A redheaded kid in a FUBU sweatshirt practicing tricks on his Razor. This was no accident. Some-thing in her arms. "Lieutenant Boxer."A name was printed at the bottom. that a six-month-old baby was still miss-ing. "Who?""Caitlin. Shield two-seven-two-one. All of a sudden a beep sounded on my cell phone.That morning. "I'm Captain Ed Noroski.' There's a name at the bottom."We pulled up at the end of Marina Green." the suit introduced himself. hearing the jays back for the first time that season. it was Martha. where I live in a two-bedroom walk-up. my best friend of a dozen years.

 Zinn?"Gerry Cates leaned toward his lawyer. a cashmere sweater over jeans."No way."We pulled up at the end of Marina Green.""Yeah. "Where are you?"Nothing."He heard Malcolm's cheerless voice. whatever you found wouldn't make it through arraignment. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house. Anyone up there didn't have a chance.""I was just gonna buzz Charlie Clapper. The name rang a bell with Jacobi. But she needed him.""Don't forget contributors. I'm not screw-ing around. "What the fuck was that?"She was behind him as he ran into the bedroom. shuffling side-ways beside me." I shook my head. how did it go last night?" she asked. A woman in overalls hurrying around the corner. the au pair.Claire unsnapped the clips and stared at the wood grain on the cello. Now here she was. It was always there. they're crying you're bleeding the company.

 Down that same hallway where I'd found the boy. head of the city's bomb squad. please. we trained our guns on whoever was behind it. and his family. Buried under the rubble.Michelle lowered her head into the sink and dumped a bottle of L'Or?al Red Sunset dye all over her. She was blond with high cheekbones. "We placed Wendy Raymore in that job. Now I saw the entrance." Linda Cliborne said. But when he fixed on the hole where 210 Alhambra used to be and saw me. "Just didn't envision it like this. A real bitch on wheels. Thescene was eerily quiet."Claire was looking drawn and helpless in her orange sur-gical scrubs."No. the second floor suddenly blowing out.."No. holding Martha. too. for my goddamn superior officer" - the big detective threw his bald head back - "you're looking mighty fine here in those tights. and would she be worthy?He inquired about her from a patrolman at the barricades." I said.

 he must be quite a fool. you want to redo your kitchen. to warm her-self up for a bike sprint up Mount Tamalpais or whatever Jill would do for real exercise later in the day.I pressed her hand. "Lieutenant Boxer. yanking her out of the doorway. And Tracchio. My gaze was fixed on the red bag. watching her. "It didn't.. Unless you wanna go inside and look around again yourself."Cappy Thomas stuck his head in."Danko paused for a couple of seconds." Steve Fiori." His CSU team was still picking through the scene.I stumbled over debris." I stared at the card and sniffed. "We mailed her confirmation to a post office box."I don't even know what made me notice it."She winced. The name rang a bell with Jacobi. not wanting to move." I heard a voice through the blackness.I pushed through a smoking doorway.

 "We placed Wendy Raymore in that job. "Lieutenant.""I'm not calling about the crime scene. the department's press liaison."Less than a minute later.. But I'm okay. "Sorry I brought it up. you are a dumb bunny. Malcolm. Sounded a little off. in a pink cashmere sweater. Inspector. Don't let this blow.THE CRAMPED THIRD-FLOOR OFFICE that housed the Homicide detail was buzzing. That kid's lucky you got him out. I just did what I thought was right.I got a clean bill of health at the hospital. or it had been stolen.M."Less than a minute later. The name rang a bell with Jacobi. trying to catch my breath - Jacobi did a double take.You know El Exigente. You okay?""I think so.

 If this was no gas explosion. I had saved his life."IT TOOK ME all of about six seconds after storming out the doors of X/L to place an urgent call to Jill. "Which fund you in?""I think it's called Long-Term Growth.. tomorrow. I stared at that knapsack.. weren't you? I told you they're stupid!" he said. it had been her most cherished possession. Looked like a gas explo-sion. She fumbled around her purse for her inhaler. As the door swung open. "that's Lieutenant Boxer." I lobbed a grenade at the CLO.I stopped."All run long."She felt herself wheezing now. Mean anything to either of you?"Zinn blinked.A tense silence settled over the room. They were also friends. trying to catch my breath - Jacobi did a double take. "Viola. And you must be busy as well. not the real world.

 "Every cop in the city will be looking for this kid. But there was noth-ing I could do for them."I fixed on the address: 17 Pelican Drive. Maestro Washburn?"Edmund smiled mischievously. Find that baby. Wow. brought back a zillion sensations.. a missing baby. with the techs gone home." Claire gave me a halfhearted smile. forcing myself out of the EMT's grasp. "but I've got fourteen more years on the force." The lawyer jotted down a note again.A. wants to see you. Unless you wanna go inside and look around again yourself. I ran over to her and hugged her tightly as she licked my face. but a black girl carrying a Cal-Berkeley bag had gone in thirty minutes before." I said.We all donned protective vests under our police jackets. "Of course. Let's go in.The girl had long dark hair and a swarthy complexion. "I heard it on the news.

 Lieutenant. No drum roll. We got you covered. Claire. He watched her and wondered if she would become his adversary. standing at the bottom of the stairs." She kissed his face about a hundred times. She's ninety now." Jacobi rolled his eyes. Both of them had double my time on the force. now!"FROM THE BACK of a basement closet. I saw the shadowy outline of a child's face." Dianne Aronoff choked a sob."He heard Malcolm's cheerless voice."So. "We mailed her confirmation to a post office box. What's also doable is that anything we find in there that might not be flat-tering to X/L gets passed along to those hungry legal sharks in the D."Dianne Aronoff uttered a cry of joy. Jesus.Her old cello. wants to see you.That moment flashed over and over in my mind. "there goes the after-noon. said."I'm gonna get you out of here.

 Look. shuffling side-ways beside me."Lieutenant? You okay?""I think so. "Lieutenant?"I turned. Michelle's heart jumped. Sundays were shit crime-solving days. What I do is supposed to be about making money. piqued."No way. I have to ask you some questions.I hadn't thought about it until now.Jacobi." There could've been a nursery down there.. "Lieutenant Boxer.."I want everyone to know that our police department is already vigorously pursuing concrete leads."I think she said she lived off-campus. more firmly. Sounded a little off. But she needed him." she said. a missing baby. the second floor suddenly blowing out. chewing on their grin like two oversize teenagers.

 I want everyone moved back away from here. No one understands. She stood in front of the bombed-out home. Lindsay.""I was just gonna buzz Charlie Clapper." she said. "C'mon. It led you out?" Claire smiled.""Of course we can work something out. too. It was always there. we doin' suits and ties tomorrow.Someone put an oxygen mask over my mouth and I took several deep gulps. Any of that sound doable. a fireman climbed out from the debris on the ground floor." I said.. leveling guns around the room.. mid-stride. I noticed that my hands were still trembling." "Duh. I didn't know what I was going to do yet.Claire lifted her cello out of the felt mold. "We found the nurs-ery.

 Her niece wasn't in there."I DON'T KNOW what took hold of me." her mother used to say. What he meant was.."Then the town house with the terra-cotta roof exploded into flames. e-mail. "they have a new way of handling the potential ransom payers. I almost threw up.BOOM! FUCKERS. Mother of God.Her old cello.. Sirens..Jacobi and Cappy knocked on my door.""I'M ALL RIGHT. What kind of force should we use to pick her up?I stared at the photo.""Lucky for her. and anything deleted from those files in the past twenty-four hours goes under the heading of impeding a murder investigation. You make it stop crying. "What's doable is that we're back here in two hours with a subpoena. compliant grin. carrying a bundle of clothes. A nicely dressed receptionist led Jacobi and me to a conference room inside.

 You know what the puppy's like when he doesn't get his exercise. to say the one thing in the midst of this madness that would make me cry. I'm not screw-ing around. But that wasn't what was bothering me. It was Freddie Rodriguez. if the call was discovered. She's Homicide. Just put Malcolm on."I frowned. Malcolm would come by. "Seems a bit run-down. She said good-bye to the au pair she had been for the past five months." what we call the Sunday morning shift when the weather gets warm."This isn't the au pair.I started to panic again.""And the Lightowers said their little baby had taken to her like honey.""Noted.""Oh. about eleven. "No."High-speed switches or something." she muttered vacantly. I had saved his life.. standing at the bottom of the stairs.

 I real-ized I could die in there." She winked." I said. Zinn. Thescene was eerily quiet. I guess you could quote me on that. She'd had it just last night.I stumbled through the flames. He directed him down the front hall. then she set down the phone.I stumbled through the flames."The news didn't exactly surprise us. It led you out?" Claire smiled. My chest was filling with dread. Trembling. I just took hold of that little boy and prayed. Warren." she said." Zinn scratched a note. I stumbled down the hallway. I'm telling you. what's going on?""Wendy Raymore?" Cappy kept his gun on her. "You should get a load of how it looks. and two professionals covered in heavy protective gear pushed past me.""Yeah.

 Just a few more feet. Oh. I'd be asking'." what we call the Sunday morning shift when the weather gets warm. and two professionals covered in heavy protective gear pushed past me. We were staring at a different girl. "Homicide. There was a note at the bomb scene. Zinn. No "Ladies and gentlemen. These three people. "Where are you?"Nothing. and an entire town house burned to the ground in a possible bombing. too. Mayor Fiske and Police Commissioner Tracchio were live at the bomb scene. I won't tell the details. the second floor suddenly blowing out. eyes going back and forth.I started toward the knapsack.All of a sudden I became aware of barking. "Most of us have known Mort since the beginning."She had to figure it out - what to do with her. Someone I could've saved. said. I collapsed against a fire truck up on the sidewalk.

 to warm her-self up for a bike sprint up Mount Tamalpais or whatever Jill would do for real exercise later in the day. what about the crime scene? We are talking a crime scene. sent a numb quiet around the room. we trained our guns on whoever was behind it. for my goddamn superior officer" - the big detective threw his bald head back - "you're looking mighty fine here in those tights. Jill.I heard it again. their clothes on fire." I heard Jill giggle. how did it go last night?" she asked. not only for whoever had cried but for myself. my best friend of a dozen years. "It's Sunday and the markets are closed. She was cheerful and attractive. around the conference table. No match on any name or group." I smiled. "We'll handle it from here. the more trouble I was in. I squeezed it gently. And Tracchio. word is that you saved a kid today. the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be. Now here she was. Need full medical and fire support.

"LET THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE BE HEARD. We got a line on the au pair. but the best we could get was a corporate public relations flack who said we could meet with them tomorrow at 8 A. All of a sudden a beep sounded on my cell phone. coming out of the crowd. "I can taste that mochachino." Chuck Zinn arched back in his chair.. Cappy. it looks like the explo-sion originated from the second floor.Not with everything that had just gone on. and I crept behind a line of parked cars close to the front of the house. "Don't ask. I need you to think. from Fort Mason down to the bridge and back. Look." she repeated. Jesus.We stood in front of the smoking house.""I thought you were the legal footing. "It looks hot. They owned a small placement service for nannies and au pairs. my head had been filled with the annoying recollection of Franklin Fratelli. I stepped into the shower and took a swig of a beer I'd brought with me. "What did you want me to see?""I called you down here.

" I deleted it without even hearing what he had to say for himself.It was a small boy."No. too. dabbing at her eyes. "It's the office. but the area had to be cleared.."Doable. she pointed to a staircase.. "I went in to help." I said. her body toned and lean again.. Cappy looked at me and checked his gun. Linds. did the backyard grill flare up at nine on a Sunday morning? Yeah.. then at me again. A wall of burning Sheetrock and plaster hung above me. `The media treats me like bin Laden. These three people. It was Freddie Rodriguez.I gave the nod.