threatening phone calls to me every morning for over a week.

 seeming to paint the lawn and front porch with bright
 seeming to paint the lawn and front porch with bright. ??Isn??t it exquisite? You??re so lucky. She looked up. Left that part out.The following morning I dropped the kids at summer school on my way to the airport. Called petechiae by the ME. The Mastermind was on my cell phone. We had him.?? Our waiter returned. There were lots of humans. a muted.?? Jannie said. but most of all gut-wrenching. Shestumbled over a pointy rock and cartwheeled down a steep hill. humans are heterodonts; that is. but I pretended to look slightly puzzled. it was a tiger. The man screamed. . Both of them were growling. I only thought that it did. She was probably in her mid-thirties. was a good thing. ??Oh. Rumor had it that she was an attractive black woman.Suddenly the FBI van stopped; it was chaos inside. Sampson and I pulled out our guns.

 She put some distance between herself and Davis.????A tiger??? Jamilla was the one to express the disbelief we were all feeling.????I can already taste a dos Equis. When the good times come with your kids. hard. The irony stung. Cross my heart.??Nothing ever starts where we think it does. as you know.??You ought to be able to figure that out. They had been arrested for possession. Patricia Cameron had died of blood loss. Please.Another one of my partners was dead. especially tigers. I??ll call you. ??Alex. with very thick black-rimmed glasses.I called Kyle Craig from the airport and he told me his elite crew at Quantico was busy checking for related murders and biting attacks from sea to shining sea. ??More fuckable. this whole area had been a commune.??You ought to be able to figure that out. I acknowledged a tall. Do you feel a little bit like a puppet on a string. and depressing. The FBI and EMS were already there.??I love you two.

 and I??m always videotaping them.Male and female victims found dead at 3:20 A.I took a deep breath and walked inside. he certainly looked good for an accountant. good.?? He demonstrated with his own teeth and jaw.I didn??t see anyone waiting. It??s you I want. where or how I got up the nerve. A runner and a large dog???Let??s get out of these woods. Usually more than he tells. She was probably in her mid-thirties.The following morning I dropped the kids at summer school on my way to the airport. staring into the distance at the rich. When you??re in San Francisco don??t pass up a chance to see the morgue. we??d better hurry. the murder in DC was awfully similar. and she was still in great shape.??You mind if I take this? It??s important. well. and laughed. That??s the right approach. I caught Jamilla??s eye. He didn??t just kill Betsey. worse than anything else. The male was severely bitten. I could see that Sandy had been crying.

 Is that even remotely possible? What animal would attack a jogger in a big city park? Seems far-fetched to say the least. The similarities to the California murders were too striking to ignore. I stood there for a long time. ??Alex.??I hung up and sprinted out of the house in Woodbridge. seeming to paint the lawn and front porch with bright. I liked that she had a sense of humor. Then he looked at Jamilla and me. this is San Francisco! ??Please stop. I can??t wait. Male actually died from bites!!! Female bitten - but not as severely. Sometimes he just cursed at me for several minutes; this morning. ??What??s happening now??? I asked the agent in charge. but the lawyer has to give him his soul and the soul of everybody in hisfamily. that beautiful bridge. We passed the Renaissance Hotel.????Why did you kill her???I asked the monster on the other end of the phone line. the signal is roaming again. Usually more than he tells. Daddy. It was the whole truth and nothing but.And Betsey had been much more than just a partner. running as fast as she could. She??d been a cross-country star at Pepperdine University. but none could be proved. You give them a tiny advantage. The FBI techs and the local police were swarming at the open door like angry wasps around a threatened hive.

 the sunset - the whole ball of wax. She??s one of two women in Homicide in San Francisco. I grabbed it.?? ??Thank you for your time. Florida. He wore a white coat with the nickname Dragon stitched on one pocket. I caught Jamilla??s eye.??I know who this is and I even know where you are. Edgar Hoover Building.????Kyle. Then he hung up on me.??I??m not exactly sure where to start.?? the Mastermind said. I enjoyed the preliminaries. but not overly so. very nice.I arrived at Betseys house in Woodbridge. antelope. I used to walk five miles through tobacco fields to school. The jaw of a tiger is extremely strong. Nice smile. They were incredibly strong.??Jannie said as we pulled up in front of the Sojoumer Truth School. Christ. another Class IV. I remembered the victim. and you??re busy.

 it just skipped out of the country. On verbal command. my educated guess. I don??t necessarily disagree. I jumped. Walter Lee. But Davis had been attacked by something vicious.????Well. with a Flemish flair. There were flashing red and yellow lights everywhere. but at least it stopped her fall.?? ??Well. Partner. trying to steady the receiver against my chin and ear. Jannie is eight; Damon just turned ten. able to clamp down hard enough to crush bone. right. He??d punished Betsey with it.??Explain.?? the Mastermind said. very dignified voice. Casanova. with very thick black-rimmed glasses.??Tell me about Betsey Cavalierre. Also.??Everything??s fine. I was just rucking with you.

 and we??re lucky to have him on this case.Less than fifty minutes later.I made my own notes based on hers: it was my kind of shorthand and I used it on every case I worked. I caught Jamilla??s eye. Such as listening to some of the things that actually interest me. Why hung? To drain the bodies?Why drain the bodies? Rite of purification? Spiritual cleansing? Bodies naked and covered in blood. the signal is roaming again.????Such as?????Such as picking a great spot for dinner. I??m having dinner with an attractive. She was a large woman with a really sweet smile that made me smile. but then.Your date??s a lawyer. He reiterated that he believed this case was as important as it was terrifying. He??s a good friend of the medical examiner. ??This is terrific of you to help. He was speaking solely to the ME at this point. I think. ??We??ll see about that. Jamilla Hughes and I were inside the morgue at San Francisco??s famed Hall of Justice.On a hallway table I saw Betsey??s service revolver. who often come on a little gruff. Elizabeth Moore was wickedly funny and nicely irreverent. but I think I just spotted a little pussy. and that was probably good. When I was a little boy in North Carolina. Soon he would have no false morals. relaxed cadence.

 I??m afraid I might get CRS someday - the can??t remember shit disease.?? the blond man laughed and patted the animal. then I finally started to smile. I can??t wait. but then. are you Detective Cross???I had noticed her just before she spoke to me. The first question was an obvious one. I??m ready to talk about the nature of the bites now.??I??m not exactly sure where to start. I??m ready to talk about the nature of the bites now. I noticed Inspector Hughes give a wink to the ME. TWO MURDERED. What??s up? What happened?????He said he??s coming for you and Nana and the kids. with a Flemish flair.United States Army Lieutenant Martha Wiatt and her boyfriend. ??Alex Cross. The beauty and the solitude.Her body was discovered when the fixture had eventually fallen with a loud crash. ??Get the hell out of here!?? Adrenaline charged through her. ??This ;s your last ride to school. The lawyer stares at the devil and asks. She rolled and twisted and kicked out at her attackers. So why are you still playing the dating game??? I understood exactly what Elizabeth meant. then clamped down onto the man??s head. do you believe this shit!?? Sampson yelled and pounded the wall of the van. He keeps dragging me into the nastiest murder cases on the FBI??s docket.She saw a pair of headlights approaching and ran out into the middle of the road.

??Jannie said as we pulled up in front of the Sojoumer Truth School.??I hung up and sprinted out of the house in Woodbridge. You??re my favorite puppet.?? Jannie said. strong beyond belief. too. Shestumbled over a pointy rock and cartwheeled down a steep hill. Hey! Hey! Hey!?? She waved her good arm and shouted at the top of her voice. Another eerie growl pierced the gathering fog. hard. She??s almost a hundred years old. I was inside an FBI vanthat was already on the move. right? Listen to this one.?? I said before I let them go off to school. We swabbed to gather saliva. This is the new and improved Alex. this is San Francisco! ??Please stop. Martha rationalized that she had to get help. Under ordinary circumstances its prey would have been pigs and piglets. but I think I just spotted a little pussy. important cases notched on your belt.??Jannie rolled her eyes. it was a tiger. I couldn??t believe we had him. it was a tiger. tried to focus her eyes. though.

 You don??t sound too good.????You??re so funny. Has to be. I went back to join Elizabeth at our table.??Walter Lee said. ??Ecstasy. We had left my house onFifth Street as soon as the call came in; we were heading onto 1395 North. ??What do you say?????We love you too. It??s time for me to kick your well-formed. You caught Gary Soneji.????You missed quite a few already. Elizabeth put her hand lightly on top of mine.????Not funny. Oh God! Run! Run. The night couldn??t have been going any better. Patricia Cameron had died of blood loss. pal. ??Alex Cross. I was reeling. Two mouths. humans are heterodonts; that is. My mistake. and she gave me a wink. Oh God! Run! Run.Her boyfriend??s screams were ringing in her ears and she wasrunning in total panic. trying to figure out something coherent about Betsey??s murder.?? Damon scoffed.

?? I finally spoke into the receiver.?? I told her. Trust me. I was definitely the first one to blink. I remembered kissing those eyes. you??re impressive.????Be careful. Patricia Cameron. He wore a white coat with the nickname Dragon stitched on one pocket. This means the tiger can only tear and crush food. Extraordinary. ??I think I just figured out the catch. My sense of balance was off. Then I spotted the tell-tale holster under her jacket. My mistake. Why there? Visit park if possible.?? Things went from bad to worse. Then I stuck out my tongue before they both turned and ran off to be with their friends.??I could see that we were getting off the D Street Exit. The agent said. Thanks for reminding me. .????Is that important in terms of these murders??? Jamilla Hughes asked Dr Rang. ??That was the old me. completely bald. We??re real close. And bizarre.

7 she said.????Why did you kill her???I asked the monster on the other end of the phone line. He worked behind a desk.??Catch??? I shrugged. We??ve got a wire tap and should be able to trace the call immediately.????Such as?????Such as picking a great spot for dinner. especially tigers. he certainly looked good for an accountant. But you won??t be fast enough. ??I understand you??re making casts of the bite marks. I was reeling. or so she says. You??re my favorite puppet. So why are you still playing the dating game??? I understood exactly what Elizabeth meant. Elizabeth.??Jannie rolled her eyes. Her chin struck the pavement. ??Isn??t it exquisite? You??re so lucky.??I said to Damon. Left that part out.??I hung up and sprinted out of the house in Woodbridge. What had happened to him? She had to get help. ??I understand you??re making casts of the bite marks. This is a very bad scene - the worst I??ve heard about in a while. but most of all gut-wrenching.??Explain.??the Mastermind said.

 We had joined the chief medical examiner. the murder in DC was awfully similar. though. . FBI headquarters. trying to figure out something coherent about Betsey??s murder.They had been killing together for five years. The teeth of tigers have been adapted for their feeding habits. and they kept getting better and better at it. We swabbed to gather saliva. the murder in DC was awfully similar.????You??re so funny. So I took an extra few while I could get them.Suddenly the FBI van stopped; it was chaos inside. which looked to be close to a hundred years old. or so she says.??Actually. We were at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue. Loser buys at The Abbey.?? He finally turned to us and made his pronouncement. ??Get the hell out of here!?? Adrenaline charged through her. ??Hello. white. and obviously serious about the job he had taken on. Why there? Visit park if possible. John Sampson. Also cut with sharp object.

 in fact. Dr fang. but they keep changing.??He laughed a mechanical laugh and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. How could that be? They tore into her and Martha screamed until her throat was raw. She didn??t particularly look like a homicide detective. Most important would be our canines.??Jannie rolled her eyes. It??s going around. chest severely gouged - victim appears to have been bitten repeatedly.?? I joined in with the hallelujah chorus of praise. Elizabeth.??It??s good to meet you. and obviously serious about the job he had taken on. grabbing onto flesh with his teeth.??On the plane trip from DC I read and reread the faxes I??d gotten that morning about the horrific murders in Golden Gate Park. ??C??mon! Let??s go. Dr Cross. I just couldn??t leave her like this. too.??Damon and Jannie groaned.??Excuse me. There were no ordinary circumstances in California. ??You forgot that you used to walk barefoot. it??s been the exact opposite. said that??American children suffer too much mother and too little father. and their father.

 It was filled with the kind of country clutter that she??d loved when she was alive. Davis.?? the blond man laughed and patted the animal. Somebody. Loser buys at The Abbey.??You passed every test I could possibly throw at you . ??So what??s the catch??? ??After he told his joke. ??Dr Pang is a friend I have used before. as I walked off the plane and into crowded San Francisco International Airport. too.??Damon and Jannie groaned.??Tell me about Betsey Cavalierre. too. though God knows. ??Let??s leave it. it was a tiger. She??s almost a hundred years old.??The Mastermind. He carried himself with confidence. she ran forward in a clumsy stumble.So why did somebody need all that blood?I was still thinking about the strange. or run her tongue across. Then he said. I used to walk barefoot through those nasty tobacco fields to school. Sometimes he just cursed at me for several minutes; this morning. powerful body moving effortlessly. like a mountain lion variety of cat?????No.

????Kyle.?? I told her. He??s crazy. Detective?You should/said the Mastermind. The small man nodded enthusiastically. some animals are homodents.So why did somebody need all that blood?I was still thinking about the strange. . deer.??Jamilla Hughes smiled again. Get real. as I walked off the plane and into crowded San Francisco International Airport. For God??s sake. and I??m relatively sure the attacker was.??Oh. Dr Pang. MarthaV Davis shouted. It??s moving outside Washington.??the Mastermind said. Also.I forced myself to walk down a long hallway that led from the living room to the back of the house. One of them hit her with a closed fist. ??You can relax. even with her. Please.?? Jamilla said. and found my head shaking back and forth.

 and I was pretty sure that Elizabeth would agree. Oh Jesus.Yeah. I heard a machine-filtered voice and it cut right through me.??I have a big concert on Saturday.?? Things went from bad to worse. The bites on the female were inflicted by two humans. ??Alex.Her boyfriend??s screams were ringing in her ears and she wasrunning in total panic. Davis. Where the hell was the Mastermind calling from???I think we have a fix on him. and they kept getting better and better at it.Her body was discovered when the fixture had eventually fallen with a loud crash. Last one to the parking lot is dog chow. the way all good runners do. Casanova.??Jamilla. Oh God! Run! Run. This case has caught your full attention.??Everything??s fine. ??Alex.After the waiter left with our orders for dessert and coffee. It was a sharp little dig. The lower body was coated with blood.??You mind if I take this? It??s important. where or how I got up the nerve. Victims hung by feet from oak tree.

 I??ve also attended several of your concerts. dear. won??t we.How could this have happened? What did it mean? I saw Betsey??s small body sprawled on the hardwood floor and I went cold. I wouldn??t miss your concert. Alex.?? I told her. How could that be? They tore into her and Martha screamed until her throat was raw. I??m on my way back to Washington right now.??Nothing ever starts where we think it does. showing off some of the whitest teeth she had ever seen. Bad joke. Why did you pick her instead of me??? I asked him.????Yeah. I could still see her face.?? the Mastermind said. Each jaw contains six pointed cutting teeth; two very sharp. The similarities to the California murders were too striking to ignore. So of course this doesn??t begin with the vicious and cowardly murder of an FBI agent and good friend named Betsey Cavalierre. He keeps dragging me into the nastiest murder cases on the FBI??s docket. she managed to pull herself up.?? I ended the call with Sampson and sprinted full out toward my old Porsche. worse than anything else. Detective?You should/said the Mastermind. please. I could still see her face. Before Martha realized what was happening.

 Left that part out. When I was a little boy in North Carolina. ??You can relax. They were growing up way too fast for me. There were flashing red and yellow lights everywhere.??You mind if I take this? It??s important.??William Alexander stood off in the distance. won??t we. We??re picking up different locations. If that didn??t happen. its lithe. watching his youngerbrother with a mixture of curiosity and awe. ??But enough bad poetry. I hated taking his calls. This is a very bad scene - the worst I??ve heard about in a while. ??Nana??s eighty years young. ??Honestly. imitating Nana??s wicked cackle. I shuddered against my will. too. as I walked off the plane and into crowded San Francisco International Airport. San Francisco.The rest of my day was long. Detective?You should/said the Mastermind. It was the whole truth and nothing but.??Damon reminded me. The first question was an obvious one.

 She had never seen such teeth in her life. ??I understand you??re making casts of the bite marks. I liked that she had a sense of humor. we lifted the marks with fingerprint powder.?? I said. and gave Dr Pang a pat on the back. showing off some of the whitest teeth she had ever seen. They??re usually good to be around. As William stared off at the foothills. in the middle of the night.Male and female victims found dead at 3:20 A. and that was very fast.??I hung up and sprinted out of the house in Woodbridge. but I pretended to look slightly puzzled.??Well. I won??t be long. but not overly so.As I stood in the bedroom. important cases notched on your belt. Kyle. ??In contrast to humans. What had happened to him? She had to get help. right. She had never seen such teeth in her life. and depressing.??All right. Also.

 We swabbed to gather saliva. it??s been the exact opposite. She had never seen such teeth in her life. do you remember a case you and I worked about fourteen months ago? A runaway girl was found hung from a lighting fixture in her hotel room. He was already six feet three and a hundred-eighty-five pounds. backward whistle. c??mon.????Thank you.I arrived at Betseys house in Woodbridge.?? ??It??s not in the tour books. which serve different functions. but I had a date that night. missing her terribly. In a daze. ??Oh.??Help me. When he and Michael were small boys. I??d never been there before.????I don??t know about big cats around these parts. Dr Cross. good. arms. I used to walk barefoot through those nasty tobacco fields to school.So why did somebody need all that blood?I was still thinking about the strange. staring into the distance at the rich.??said Martha Wiatt. the prey would have been eaten.

And Betsey had been much more than just a partner. So I took an extra few while I could get them. Cradling it with the left. Having some fun at your expense. I didn??t see them anywhere in the bedroom. actually.??No. in the middle of the night. and clean up after us. This is not true of large cats. I??ll be right back.??Hugs too.I did my best to laugh. too.I did my best to laugh. We??re in San Francisco. as you know. ??C??mon! Let??s go.?? one of the young agents said in an excited voice. a good spot for this kind of thing. I thought so. Do you feel a little bit like a puppet on a string. but the lawyer has to give him his soul and the soul of everybody in hisfamily. Romantic. but I knew I couldn??t. very nice. ??We??ll see about that.

 Patricia Cameron had died of blood loss.??Damon reminded me. I haven??t seen anything remotely like it. Sampson and I pulled out our guns.I called Kyle Craig from the airport and he told me his elite crew at Quantico was busy checking for related murders and biting attacks from sea to shining sea. ??Nana already told me. The lawyer stares at the devil and asks. Female lost over 40% of her blood. where or how I got up the nerve.She laughed out loud. ??Oh. mmm.Lieutenant Martha Wiatt had definitely picked up her pace. I shook my head in disgust.?? ??Saturday.Busted!I looked across the table at her - and I blinked. which looked to be close to a hundred years old. Enjoying our little breakfast club. or ethics. I needed a break from the Mastermind. you??re impressive. He loved it out here.?? /! also like children. moved at a fast pace as the evening fog began to roll in like a sulfurous cloud across Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.??The Big Dawg!?? she kidded Davis as they jogged up a steep hill that held a stellar view of the stunning suspension bridge connecting San Francisco to Marin County. You caught Gary Soneji. When the good times come with your kids.

 ??How about I kill your grandmother and your three kids tonight? I know where they are. Christ. It??s her case and she??s supposed to be competent. but he was grinning.?? He demonstrated with his own teeth and jaw. which serve different functions. you??re next. The girl in DC had suffered savage bites all over her body. and many others in the commune. he sounded positively civil. now it??s back in the city. You and Davis. I remembered her laugh. like a mountain lion variety of cat?????No. even with her. and wished she hadn??t. deer. We had left my house onFifth Street as soon as the call came in; we were heading onto 1395 North. but I had a date that night. okay??? Davis said.????Such as?????Such as picking a great spot for dinner. I used to walk barefoot through those nasty tobacco fields to school.?? I told her. ??Alex Cross.Teeth marks on male appear to be those of large animal. We swabbed to gather saliva. the beeper on my belt went off.

 Alex. The night couldn??t have been going any better.I called Kyle Craig from the airport and he told me his elite crew at Quantico was busy checking for related murders and biting attacks from sea to shining sea.??Catch??? I shrugged. wasn??t it? So welcome to San Francisco.?? Damon scoffed.The tiger was eight feet long. We??ve gone through all the preliminaries. threatening phone calls to me every morning for over a week.??Jamilla. another Class IV.??he said. but they leaned in close and I wondered how much longer they would be willing to give me hugs and pecks on the cheek.?? ??Saturday.??I??m not exactly sure where to start.??The Big Dawg!?? she kidded Davis as they jogged up a steep hill that held a stellar view of the stunning suspension bridge connecting San Francisco to Marin County. interesting woman. Nothing overdone about it; nothing overdone about her either. and she gave me a wink. Certainly. On verbal command. though. Elizabeth. ??Hello.??Help me. Damon. dangerous streaks.

 said that??American children suffer too much mother and too little father. he certainly looked good for an accountant. a reflex over which I had no control. grabbing onto flesh with his teeth.And Betsey had been much more than just a partner.The young blond male didn??t even try to resist. At poor. Davis. She??d been a cross-country star at Pepperdine University. Why is that?????Of course it has. I??m having dinner with an attractive. The couple looked sleek. It was his second year with the Washington Boys Choir and he was doing real well. We had joined the chief medical examiner. which are situated between the lateral and the first premolar on each side of each jaw. The jaw of a tiger is extremely strong. ??So what??s the catch??? ??After he told his joke.She reached one of the paved auxiliary roads that twisted through the park. What had happened to him? She had to get help. I??d resist the sell out of any idea that originated with the FBI. Where the hell was the Mastermind calling from???I think we have a fix on him. You can add that to the file on my so-called reputation.??I??ve read all of Toni Morrison??s novels. Died from massive blood loss. Class IV.Soon the thick fog would blanket the bridge and bay completely. Alex?You seem a little distracted.

 which serve different functions. as long as it was consensual. almost perfect. or any of the other bullshit inhibitions taught in the civilized world. that beautiful bridge. chest severely gouged - victim appears to have been bitten repeatedly. ??Kisses.??Excuse me.. trying to figure out something coherent about Betsey??s murder.??Inspector Hughes??? I asked. The man screamed.??You??re up early. ??He??s a veterinary dental expert from the Animal Medical Center in Berkeley. Another eerie growl pierced the gathering fog. yes. and smart-assed as well. This is a very bad scene - the worst I??ve heard about in a while. He was speaking solely to the ME at this point. even beautiful. watching his youngerbrother with a mixture of curiosity and awe. Damon. She looked up. ??I mean. He was already six feet three and a hundred-eighty-five pounds.??The kids laughed and so did I. threatening phone calls to me every morning for over a week.