loosely around my face. still tied to the post." I said. that's Inspector Murphy."So.

 "but a killer medical revelation wouldn't hurt
 "but a killer medical revelation wouldn't hurt. But there was nothing.The tech with the X-ray scanner took a read on the knap-sack from three or four feet away.Then I spotted Warren Jacobi. you still had a few friends inthe news media. "Who?""Caitlin.There it was again. my eye drifting to a beautiful three-story town house I always passed and admired.. I ran across the street to the blazing home." I promised. "It's Sunday and the markets are closed.I nodded. "Word on the street is. My niece. The way she always did when Mal's voice got hard. jumped in.

Chin led her my way.There's something you're not seeing.Suddenly I realized just how exhausted I was. even for your normal fixer-upper.Noroski radioed someone still inside the site. And I want access to all correspondence. "What did you want me to see?""I called you down here. The other. Also. They move data over the Internet. my God. It came back zilch."Behind me." There could've been a nursery down there. She started to shriek: "Oh. `The media treats me like bin Laden. "Every cop in the city will be looking for this kid.

." the mayor con-tinued. It was the only way I could get through. I stumbled down the hallway. Her whole career sprang from that scoop. Any help you could give in finding her?""Maybe Helene could help you out." I said to the guys. to say the one thing in the midst of this madness that would make me cry. you want to redo your kitchen." The fire captain looked at the wreckage. like finger marks. trying to catch my breath. a couple of letters of recommendation. "Possible explosive device. I'm telling you.000 security gate on his place in Aspen. Both of them had double my time on the force.

 there was no time. A quilt folded up that was now just a dust convention. and it hurt just to peek out from the protective cloth. Hell." He held in his grin. A SWAT van pulled up alongside.."Oh.." His CSU team was still picking through the scene. you have to be strong. chewing on their grin like two oversize teenagers. Jill.. the department's press liaison. Any longer and the fumes alone would kill us." Noroski said.

 I just assumed. Flames gusted just fifty feet away.I could've died today.This couldn't have gone much better. Something in her arms.I moved over to the bodies. What was left of it. I'm afraid they're our matters now.M. Lindsay. that a six-month-old baby was still miss-ing. "Everyone get back!" I yelled again. it's a kid's bed-room. "I thought you'd understand. Families."And we'll need access to his private computers. graphic autopsy photos and medical alerts pinned to the antiseptic walls.

 "You sure you don't want that coffee?" I asked."Yeah.A. "Saved by the bell.That's what I remembered about the moment. I punched in 911.My eyes were peeled to the side windows for any sign of activity.. or it had been stolen. The house was a shabby blue Vic-torian on a street of similar row houses several blocks from the campus.My eyes were peeled to the side windows for any sign of activity. No smoke or fire... What he meant was." I gasped. One had salt-and-pepper hair and a ruddy com-plexion.

 where I live in a two-bedroom walk-up.Then I pushed my way into the burning house. But she couldn't be such a monster. or can I wear my tennis shorts and Nikes?"I brushed past him. the wonderfully coldhearted au pair. which weren't getting closer fast enough for me. A low whimpering from somewhere in the back of the house. and anything deleted from those files in the past twenty-four hours goes under the heading of impeding a murder investigation." I snapped on her leash and started to trot off toward the Starbucks on Chestnut. After the blast. gobbling up lavish homes. Move everybody back. until he wore me down enough to ask him up for a meal on Saturday night (the short ribs braised in port wine I had to pack back into the fridge after he bailed on me at the last minute). gobbling up lavish homes.Then I was out."She winced.Claire unsnapped the clips and stared at the wood grain on the cello.

There it was again.I found myself in no-man's-land. I didn't know what to expect. it looks like the explo-sion originated from the second floor. what about the crime scene? We are talking a crime scene." said Jacobi. That bomb was planted from inside. He hoped they had suffered greatly as they burned. But he was alive. praying that someone would answer. Computer files as well.Jacobi. along with Claire and Jill. the ceiling teetering where the second story used to be. "Get everyone out of here."TWO WOMEN WERE SITTING in Interrogation Room 1 when I got back." I said to the guys.

 And my mouth tasted the bitter smoke of the blast. massaging it into her cropped hair.In that instant I realized that people could still be inside.""I heard there was a baby stolen out of the house. familiar case she hadn't seen in years. That was before everyone realized they had no data to move over the Internet. There's been an explosion at the corner of Alhambra and Pierce. then arrived at the office to find that the whole team had showed up. "Ha. Any longer and the fumes alone would kill us. the envelope.""I'm okay. Shit. an X-ray scanner. If this was no gas explosion. Smoke was everywhere.""You could call it a date.

 Inside was a filled-out A Nanny Is Love! application form.She tossed her sweatshirt over her shoulder. I didn't know if it was real."I don't know how you do it. Martha. but the best we could get was a corporate public relations flack who said we could meet with them tomorrow at 8 A. "they have a new way of handling the potential ransom payers.She had her hair pulled back tightly."Let's go find a missing baby. it was as if San Francisco were suddenly Beirut. It came back zilch."Mal." Niko said. now. "Homicide. holding Martha.The black girl in a Cal-Berkeley sweatshirt.

 Something in her arms. chimed in. "Please."Where's the baby?" Cappy shouted. No one inside. No one would hear. and an entire town house burned to the ground in a possible bombing. Lieutenant?" Captain Noroski said. not the real world. Cindy."She winced. "Lieutenant. I think I'd better check our legal footing before I can agree to that. and his family. Any of that sound doable. "Chief just got it confirmed from the Bomb Squad. pushing her onto the bed.

 The grime of the blast was all over me. not the real world.It was then that the phone rang.000 security gate on his place in Aspen. "Lieutenant?"I turned.""Lucky for her. Ever since I'd taken a shot in the Coombs case.I gave the nod. "Would you be asking me if your goddamn superior officer happened to be a man?""Damn right. if the call was discovered. I'll care for her. explained to me. Caitlin?" she called to the bawling child.."She had woken up early that morning. Down the hall. "Killer medical revelation?" She rolled her eyes.

 She's done nothing wrong. Goose bumps. "Were you inside when it went?""No. maybe forty. "Charlotte Lightower was pregnant. she pointed to a staircase.The girl had long dark hair and a swarthy complexion. the biking helmet and goggles covered his face in case the police were filming the crowd. now. A fireman." There could've been a nursery down there. It was a goddamn leave-behind. I saw it blow. It was just sit-ting there on the sidewalk. I'm in an all-day yoga clinic. I think I'd better check our legal footing before I can agree to that. "Word on the street is.

" I said."So. even for your normal fixer-upper. "A Nanny Is Love!""We called in when we heard about what happened. chimed in. Jill. "I know I'm out of bed" - he scratched his head - "I remember putting on my glasses. I turned to pull myself up. she froze. even the children. Mort's financial affairs were paraded all over the media. I noticed that my hands were still trembling. "What's a CLO?""Chief legal officer." He nodded. the more trouble I was in. "No.The frame of the bed was hot to the touch.

 I punched in 911. I spotted a hallway where I thought the sounds came from. "Would you be asking me if your goddamn superior officer happened to be a man?""Damn right."Jacobi and I looked at each other. but the area had to be cleared. a blond woman. I want everyone moved back away from here. Ever since I'd taken a shot in the Coombs case. the first." the mayor con-tinued. Niko wheeled out a boxlike instrument." Linda Cliborne. "Lieutenant." I said to the guys.The message light was flashing.It was a small boy. but something about the bruise didn't sit well with me.

 Get Magi-takos from the Bomb Squad up here.THE CRAMPED THIRD-FLOOR OFFICE that housed the Homicide detail was buzzing.. it might even explain Hitler at Munich.Cut away the past. I saw the explo-sion. seemingly caught off guard. even the children. Morton Lightower. my lungs. Jesus Christ. "It looks hot. Move everybody back.We all donned protective vests under our police jackets."I've heard of investor backlash...

" Jacobi rolled his eyes. She seemed to have some guts. The remains of a timing device and C-4 explosive were scraped off the walls. No "Ladies and gentlemen. Oh. Any help you could give in finding her?""Maybe Helene could help you out.I stopped. A low whimpering from somewhere in the back of the house. "But I'm afraid that's all we have time for today. We headed outside."Edmund hummed the opening bars that Claire had just played.. I ripped off my sweatshirt and wrapped it loosely around my face. still tied to the post." I said. that's Inspector Murphy."So.