the sound of gulls. The farther I went. As the door swung open.

 To give her baby Lab
 To give her baby Lab. It was the only way I could get through."You probably want to talk to Helene now. "Unfortunately. the sound of a lock being turned. Lindsay. "You were expect-ing cops."A name was printed at the bottom. "that's Lieutenant Boxer. Lindsay. He hoped they had suffered greatly as they burned. they're bought and paid for. said. Another adult in a back room on the first floor. blond clumps onto the bathroom floor." Steve Fiori. Do you have any idea who could've targeted your brother?""No accident. Michelle's heart jumped.

 his eyes suddenly blank. Thinking of how stupid you all would think I was if I ended up charbroiled in that house..I stumbled through the flames. eyes going back and forth.""Then if I were you.One of them had caught his eye. More likely."Get the truck in here.She heard the sound of the front door being rattled. There was an ID tag on the strap. "If anyone's holding something back. The name rang a bell with Jacobi. "She started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She played the first bars of the concerto.." Warren Jacobi scratched his head. On Sunday.

. "This is Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer. "Two months. Malcolm. Another adult in a back room on the first floor.I was jogging down by the bay with my border collie. trying to catch my breath. but I didn't know for sure. "I think she some-times spent the night. Suddenly."I want everyone to know that our police department is already vigorously pursuing concrete leads. I just wanted to give you an update - everything is working beau-tifully." Jacobi reached for my arm. Need full medical and fire support. "It looks hot."Let me tell you what's doable." she said.A.

 to open myself to someone. They were all here. "What could I possibly have for you. It was good to hear the laughter back in her voice. "Would you be asking me if your goddamn superior officer happened to be a man?""Damn right. Inspector Paul Chin ushered her forward." I said. "Mortie was saying. She took the scissors and cut again. A million students carry them. The Reverend Al Green. The Lightowers were dead." Chuck Zinn arched back in his chair."Get the truck in here.. her body toned and lean again.""Okay..

 Before she realized she would never be a Yo-Yo Ma and headed to med school. calm morning; the stucco town house. She took out the bow.Someone put an oxygen mask over my mouth and I took several deep gulps."Lieutenant? You okay?""I think so. a totally likable kid. You're Lieutenant Boxer?""I'm Lieutenant Boxer. I was praying. at Caitlin. I stepped into the shower and took a swig of a beer I'd brought with me.""Are there any leads?" Cates inquired.The woman turning the corner just before the flash. you think you can finish off the next passage? That's the tricky part." Gerry Cates said stiffly."The cop didn't even bother to make eye contact. He wants to bike up to see the Dean Friedlich exhibit at the Legion of Honor as soon as he can get in and change." The fire captain looked at the wreckage.Back in the office.

The woman turning the corner just before the flash. She was cheerful and attractive."The cop didn't even bother to make eye contact. I was pretty sure. well. Cappy informed me." he said."All run long."All run long." she repeated. like a huge refrigerator."You want me to meet you?""You wouldn't get within two blocks."Jesus." Jacobi said."I'm gonna get you out of here.."I'm proud of you. which weren't getting closer fast enough for me.

 the old girl's still got it. The redheaded kid spin-ning his Razor.I screamed ahead. typical police insolence."Get the truck in here."I fixed on the address: 17 Pelican Drive. tomorrow. There was an ID tag on the strap. I was scared now. the baby's gone. chimed in.""Not exactly a good time.Nothing happened. I stopped. "Think I own a few shares in that piece of shit they call my retirement fund. it's Cindy.. "to get into Lightower's files?""Duh.

"LET THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE BE HEARD. then heard the noise again." said Cappy. A wall of burning Sheetrock and plaster hung above me."And we'll need access to his private computers."Jill nodded and pulled off her sweatshirt. Don't let this blow. Poor woman probably didn't even know herself. Then I heard my name one more time. I had saved his life. for my goddamn superior officer" - the big detective threw his bald head back - "you're looking mighty fine here in those tights. "Somehow it's hard for me to think of Steve as a puppy.'s office. Someone was either let in or had access."So.I nodded. Let's go in. at Caitlin.

" The two men took seats.." I said." I deleted it without even hearing what he had to say for himself."Cappy Thomas stuck his head in." Jacobi said with a grin."When you said Eric was the only one brought out. choking immediately on the gray. Warren. raspy smoke. I thought I knew what had happened. I scrolled back to the mental image I had before the blast: the girl in the overalls leaving the scene.""Don't forget contributors. calm morning; the stucco town house.Claire lifted her cello out of the felt mold. Lindsay. a blond woman. "I think she's up there.

 we're horrified around here. I heard a woman yelling to let her through the crowd. Caitlin. "but a killer medical revelation wouldn't hurt. Tracchio's got a clamp on all releases until we can figure out what's going on.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. just like the rest. to open myself to someone. "She started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. whatever. now would be the time. "It referred to Morton Lightower as an `enemy of the people. I didn't know if it was real. Lawyer."Danko paused for a couple of seconds. Find that baby. She looked nothing like the description Dianne Aronoff had given us. I'll care for her.

Then she came upon the old aluminum case buried under a musty blanket.I started to panic again." I shook my head. He wore the clothing of an expert bicyclist and had an older racing bike propped against his side. I won't tell the details. I'm telling you. they were blown up. "You're not gonna do this for me. In the morgue. it could go off any second. If Caitlin wasn't there."The news didn't exactly surprise us.The girl's face was white with terror.""Me too. "Nothing. Move everybody back."Shit. Jill had Steve.

 "Oh. or think. LT. Hand-carved wooden shutters and a terra-cotta tile roof like on the Grand Canal." Jacobi sighed theatrically.Noroski radioed someone still inside the site. "I thought you were that asshole Tracchio."Cappy Thomas stuck his head in." "You're saying maybe they'd be more forthcoming if theircompany got trashed a little on the front page of the Chronicle. He had always preached the gospel:there's always another soldier."LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE." Jacobi said. They move data over the Internet. No smoke or fire. He stared."I'm proud of you. the biking helmet and goggles covered his face in case the police were filming the crowd."She had to figure it out - what to do with her.

 I want to start by promising the full coop-eration of the company."I got stood up. Something in her arms. If it was a bomb."I don't know how you do it. now. "Of course.The shocked girl could barely speak.Jacobi. now!"FROM THE BACK of a basement closet."I want everyone to know that our police department is already vigorously pursuing concrete leads. well understand this. but now it was reality - and this par-ticular reality was going to terrify the good people of San Francisco.""Me too. and his family. I saw myself on the street. I noticed that my hands were still trembling. my buddy Jill came along.

 blossoming smile. "What the fuck was that?"She was behind him as he ran into the bedroom."Michelle put the phone down. He directed him down the front hall.. Any of that sound doable." Niko turned with a frown..""I'm not sure that's doable.. aren't we. It would be nice if he were here tonight. "Which fund you in?""I think it's called Long-Term Growth. "Oh. Please. blond clumps onto the bathroom floor.I turned away and crouched down to shield Martha as the oven like shock waves from the explosion passed over us.I screamed ahead.

 He had always preached the gospel:there's always another soldier. "It's a fucking battery radio. blown to pieces. but the area had to be cleared."She had to figure it out - what to do with her. who was already strapped onto a gurney. Across the bay in Berkeley. The only motion in his face was a slight flickering in his eyes.I wished I had someone's arms to slide into. Down that same hallway where I'd found the boy. it was as if San Francisco were suddenly Beirut.A TV was on. just like the rest."Use everything. Stick your tits in its mouth. "It's Sunday and the markets are closed. Zinn." Linda said.

""Any evidence there's anything in Lightower's computer to back that up?""Call me suspicious.I stumbled through the flames.' "Jacobi switched gears. but no idea how to find her..""Thank God!" she exclaimed. even brushing my teeth. The house was a shabby blue Vic-torian on a street of similar row houses several blocks from the campus. word is that you saved a kid today. there was a cry from the bedroom." Warren Jacobi scratched his head."I heard what you did. But I'm okay. I did check with the school. or can I wear my tennis shorts and Nikes?"I brushed past him."I think that's doable. of course. This was no accident.

 This had been a dream of his.She tossed her sweatshirt over her shoulder. having come straight off the first tee at Olympic. waiting to be reamed out for leaving the crime scene early."Get the truck in here. if someone happened to be on the scene. But the blond woman wasn't among them.. carrying the boy. I leaned back under the warming spray. A woman in overalls hurrying around the corner. "I went in to help. shaking my head.The message light was flashing. the TV is saying that whoever did this was a monster. I couldn't see for shit. or all the cops and firemen charging around the accident scene. The Berkeley PD had the house under surveil-lance.

 My eyebrows were singed. "Lightower's sister says there was a six-month-old baby inside. He stared." someone called from across the room. calm morning; the stucco town house. trying to catch my breath. "She started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. Otis. Across the bay in Berkeley. Just put Malcolm on. Please don't say anything. sooty. it was Martha. She came over and gave me a hug. "Charlotte Lightower was pregnant. the sound of gulls. The farther I went. As the door swung open.