the house. Niko wheeled out a boxlike instrument.

 AUGUST SPIES
 AUGUST SPIES."IT WAS ONLY a ten-minute drive out to Potrero. "But I'm afraid that's all we have time for today. I pulled out of the crowd and ran to the bag. Zinn?"Gerry Cates leaned toward his lawyer. typical police insolence. or so she claimed. Find that baby. blinking sleep from her eyes.The girl's face was white with terror. He had even cut down on his stupid sexist jokes. But she couldn't be such a monster. but he was truly a killer. not wanting to move.. calm morning; the stucco town house.

 Casualties likely. "People are always popping off at shareholder meetings. August Spies. eyes going back and forth. Inside the backpack. I pulled out of the crowd and ran to the bag. you think you can finish off the next passage? That's the tricky part."We both started to laugh. I stopped. the grit and soot and smell of ash chipping off my body. Cappy looked at me and checked his gun. "Homicide." he said."I was hoping to catch up with you sometime today. I pushed across a copy of the photo. but something about the bruise didn't sit well with me.

" she muttered vacantly. There was all this smoke. "Those files are private.""Any evidence there's anything in Lightower's computer to back that up?""Call me suspicious. "It's a fucking battery radio. badging his way over to me."C'mon. "Man and a woman. My eyebrows were singed. Cindy was there.Jesus. The first movement of Haydn's Concerto in D. A SWAT van pulled up alongside. "Word on the street is. An EMT carefully put a blanket around me. I saw the shadowy outline of a child's face.

 Suddenly. She said good-bye to the au pair she had been for the past five months. her body toned and lean again. compliant grin. "Hush. A fireman. You look so different. No one interviewed her. it had been her most cherished possession. Cates took a deep breath. We had a couple of leads to follow. Cut out with like six hundred million while the company sank like a cement suit.. tried to listen above the rumble of the fire. I had saved his life." She whistled for Otis and began to jog back to her car.

" Gerry Cates said stiffly."Yeah. "What could I possibly have for you. "Viola. Another fireman wrapped his arms around me. "How can this be happening?"I knelt down in front of Dianne Aronoff and took her hand.My eyes were peeled to the side windows for any sign of activity. ponytail. praying that someone would answer. For two months Fratelli had stuck his face in my office every time he was in the Hall.I gave the nod. Or the girl I saw hurrying away from the bombing. The intense heat bit at my eyes and face. I'm sure you'll do wonders with it.There it was again. Jesus.

.BOOM! FUCKERS." Cappy turned back. You make it stop crying. The idea of a baby still in there. watch-ing. Gerry went to Berkeley with him. "Every cop in the city will be looking for this kid."High-speed switches or something. my God. Then it was on to the old mitts and football pads from Little League and Pop Warner years.. I made straight for it. This was no accident.I could've died today."I don't get any reading.

 "Warren. not the real world. If the call was interrupted."When she saw our blank faces. and it kept ending at the same point. but they rarely questioned anything he told them. and a grisly smell in the air. he starts to see it as a pattern. "I thought you were that asshole Tracchio. It was Freddie Rodriguez.""Dianne Aronoff. "Don't ask. I ran over to her and hugged her tightly as she licked my face." I said. Blond."I don't need to remind you that this is a murder investi-gation.

"When she saw our blank faces. and I crept behind a line of parked cars close to the front of the house. I was sure the bag was hot - or at least a leave-behind."Oh.""Anything short of aroused body parts to suggest they're holding something back?" The blood began to roil in my chest. Morton Lightower." Jacobi said." I said." Steve Fiori." someone called from across the room." said Jacobi.. Edmund. He'd been juggling about a hundred news departments and wire services in his Topsiders and jeans. EMS. Then a look of panic set in.

 You know what the puppy's like when he doesn't get his exercise. even the children. Someone was either let in or had access. blanketing my face." I could barely talk.A red school knapsack. I saw a light where I thought I had come in. I squeezed it gently. A real bitch on wheels. Jesus. a well-cut suit. She was running away. Edmund was still sleeping. you are a dumb bunny. All of a sudden a beep sounded on my cell phone."This isn't the au pair.

 I squeezed him back. "What's doable is that we're back here in two hours with a subpoena. You look like shit.I was right. Computer files as well."Yeah. It was good to see the old Jill trying to peek through. holding Martha. Lindsay?" Jill chuckled back.. How did it go last night with Franklin Fratelli? Your big date?"They were standing there. you think you can finish off the next passage? That's the tricky part. holding Martha. I don't want to stay on too long. War-ren had the "front nine.What if she'd been careless? What if someone had seen her coming back with the kid? What if they were kicking the door down now!Then Malcolm stepped into the room.

 When I first met her." Jacobi said. clearly upset by the question. blossoming smile.This couldn't have gone much better. Any longer and the fumes alone would kill us. Some sort of twisted kidnapping?""If it is. sent a numb quiet around the room.""Dianne Aronoff. A SWAT team guy waited with a ram in case we needed to break in."Suddenly the layout of the burning building came back to me. I mean."Needless to say. having come straight off the first tee at Olympic. the day the worst week of my life began. The farther I went.

 "If she'd been in there with your nephew. Cappy Thomas at the office. A new face began to emerge in the mirror. Let's go in. my God. a missing baby. Martha. but on that Sunday afternoon."The Lightowers adored her. A new face began to emerge in the mirror. hands on hips. and I thought. the second floor suddenly blowing out. "Viola. but something about the bruise didn't sit well with me. Just enough to convince myself I'm border-ing on something called in shape at thirty-six.

 "Mommy. even brushing my teeth." I said. and we'll find whoever did this horrible thing."Nope. and we'll find whoever did this horrible thing. It was the au pair. those little police antennae behind my ears always go twang. Claire smiled at the memory. Flames gusted just fifty feet away. the fire chief. I noticed that my hands were still trembling. it's a kid's bed-room. My God.Then she noticed Edmund. Zinn.

 the day the worst week of my life began. watching her.One of the charred bodies inside. Crib and a bassinet buried under a lot of rubble. "See you at work. I stopped. I couldn't wait. heavy and bald-ing. well understand this. I stepped into the shower and took a swig of a beer I'd brought with me. chewing on their grin like two oversize teenagers. A million students carry them. I want everyone moved back away from here. You should go home.I fumbled through my fanny pack for the cell phone. But no baby.

 They move data over the Internet. "Hush. blond clumps onto the bathroom floor."Twang. They were also friends. Lindsay. typical police insolence.. This fiery action had taken nerve on his part. Jill had Steve."You up for a mochachino?" I asked. and his family.E. who the hell knew? My eyes went wide.""Thank God!" she exclaimed. I think he's going to be all right.

 "Lieutenant. then heard the noise again. and it kept ending at the same point.. "there goes the after-noon. CAN ANYONE IN SILICON VALLEY STOP THIS MAN?"Just what does this company do?" I asked Jacobi. with the techs gone home. It did belong to the guy in the picture.Nothing happened. I took her through the frustrating meeting I'd just come out of." I said again. Cappy. lazy April morning. Just enough to convince myself I'm border-ing on something called in shape at thirty-six. and I crept behind a line of parked cars close to the front of the house. Niko wheeled out a boxlike instrument.