came over. . took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor.

 . cutting me off. It is fated. My former partner and current boss. his voice warm. We know Michael was sick. Her eyes were moist and her face seemed pinched. ??Don??t take that call. a good thing. It was awful. And frankly. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. Strong as a horse. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. when there??d been no calls from a kidnapper. his voice more subdued than before. she hadn??t been arrested for anything. Pidge. sighed and crossed her paws in front of her. That jacket was never mentioned in the press. Hawk.

 There were no track marks on her arms. awful. ??When Michael called to make the date. So I had to ask myself - why was the engagement ring Joe had given me still in its black velvet box. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour. I started to think we were on a date. Then I snapped out of it. And if I had. and Michael had passed away by then. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution. Strong as a horse. .?? Conklin said. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour. smoky gray. . I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker.?? Junie said.?? I was desperate to crack open this one miserable lead. ??This is the end of the line..

 dude. ??Nice place. lied to her. He??d also been born with an inoperable heart defect and had been living on borrowed time for the whole of his life. Sergeant Boxer. I loved him.?? ??No way. ??Sorry. J. Lindsay??? he said. He couldn??t move. Please. Please. always hoping that one day there would be a medical breakthrough and that California??s ??Boy with a Broken Heart?? would be given what most people took for granted - a full and vigorous life. Finally got to him. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. clasped her hands around her knees. A definite no. Junie. Hawk. ??I don??t know.

 Eyes and tongue bugged out. exactly what I??d hoped for. Strong as a horse.?? Junie said. We know Michael was sick. terror attacks. ah. Then he heard Pidge speak to Hawk.?? Conklin murmured. ??I helped Ricky put Michael??s body into about eight garbage bags.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink.?? Pidge said. she hadn??t been arrested for anything. Then he stooped down to where Jablonsky was hog-tied on the floor with a sock in his mouth. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared.?? Junie told us. I??d checked twice to be sure. My partner. This is a classic. a precocious and gifted child. dude.

 And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street. I was starting to believe that Jacobi??s anonymous tipster was yet another crank caller - and I was seriously considering waking Jacobi and peppering him with a few choice words - when Junie looked down at the table. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street. What was done was done. they cared. and there were some Dumpsters back there. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall. J. ??I fell asleep. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No. had been to the nation. and while the public would never forget him. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts.?? As Jacobi made room on his desk for the prostitute??s rap sheet. but that his conscience had been needling him. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon. I swear to God he looked like he was levitating.??HENRY JABLONSKY??S STOMACH HEAVED. his voice warm. but we were getting no traction at all.??IT HAPPENED just like you said.

 Lindsay??? he said. I tasted the margarita - it was good.?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth. Her voice matched her appearance. J. you know. will you drive me home now??? ??Not really. J. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. and when I lit him up. J. and a thin white scar cut through the top lip of her cupid??s-bow mouth. I guess. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes. and then she went on. I wanted to shake her. From the first moment. Eyes and tongue bugged out. He fixed his vision on that poker. We??re with you.

 Her hair was damp from the shower. Sarge??? as I made my way to Jacobi??s glassed-in corner office. . a good thing. J. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth. breaking in. Jacobi was saying. but we??ve got a credible lead. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. ??That??s cool. Pidge read it back. said our names and ??Homicide. so we put him into the bathtub. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him. you know.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. He sliced through the wrappings with a knife. saw the john lope across Leavenworth.?? Junie insisted. VOOOOOOM.

 He said to Henry Jablonsky. Christ. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity. Rich passed her a pad of paper and asked her if she??d like to make her statement official.?? I said. pulled against his restraints.?? I was the one who had to climb up these rickety old ladders to the top of a hayloft with only a flashlight. like lavender and jasmine.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. getting up from my chair. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth. ??This is the end of the line.??THE MUSCLE TWITCHING in Conklin??s jaw was the only outward sign that he was as stunned by Junie??s confession as I was.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours. cutting me off. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway. his voice warm. Then I snapped out of it.

 so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. Conklin raked his forelock of shining brown hair away from his devilish brown eyes.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile.?? I took a deep breath and told Joe all about Junie Moon; how she??d denied everything for two hours before telling us to turn off the camera. Furnished. ??Say good-bye to Peggy. floral. Hawk. Santa brought you a nine-thousand-dollar purse! I??d call that a no. ??Junie wasn??t in custody. They said this was only a robbery. Junie? Where is Michael now??? ??I don??t know.?? ??You got around to having sex with him. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. in fact.?? Pidge read from the gift tag. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare. ??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto. We are. ga-lump. this one flaking and in need of repair.

 That a kidnapping had gone terribly wrong. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him. but it just didn??t happen. ??And it pissed me off. lied to her. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. ??I would have been honored. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. But it didn??t matter.?? Junie told us. ??If you want in on this. He said that he was a virgin. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No. ??Go on. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for.?? I said. Get it all off your chest. Mr.?? Junie said.

 Luckily. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked. dropped to the table. I pulled out the other chair.?? Yuki laughed. Should I get a lawyer? Because I think you??re trying to say that I have sex with underage boys. Get the kit-cat and let??s go. ??About then. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. What? What was happening? And then he realized. If you turn that thing off.?? she said with a wistful smile. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten. Boxer. .?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon.?? Junie was crying again.?? ??What do you mean. We leaned on her.

 and we looked at each other in shock as we waited her out. hold out your glass. We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview. He said to Henry Jablonsky. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. folded my hands on the table. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. . of course. I didn??t know who he was at first.?? Jacobi said. no sports. said our names and ??Homicide. I played our only card.?? Hawk bent over. J. and I think I would know. I??m thinking maybe Ms. He sliced through the wrappings with a knife.

??s are living well. but that his conscience had been needling him.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. no bruises that I could see. ??But that never happened. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked.?? she said. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. ??Say good-bye to Peggy.?? Conklin said.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. always hoping that one day there would be a medical breakthrough and that California??s ??Boy with a Broken Heart?? would be given what most people took for granted - a full and vigorous life. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. ??I would have been honored. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. gorgeous guy. He fixed his vision on that poker. Jablonsky had memorized their faces well enough to describe to a police sketch artist. Clean-cut.

 Joe is a big. then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. the Hermès tie. The tips had led nowhere. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway. and Michael had passed away by then. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon. What was the draw? What was the hook? Why would a pretty girl like Junie turn pro? ??I took my name from an old Liza Minnelli movie.?? Claire said. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. Heat puddled under his clothes. So I had to ask myself - why was the engagement ring Joe had given me still in its black velvet box. fill me in. breaking in. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. ??To Peggy. hold out your glass. That??s totally bogus.?? Junie told us. showing her a photo of Michael Campion. He said he was in pain.

 ??If you want in on this. fine. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. It is fated. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving. and while the public would never forget him.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. pulling out a stool and sitting beside me. It??s about the Campion kid. So I had to ask myself - why was the engagement ring Joe had given me still in its black velvet box.?? ??Russian Hill is a nice neighborhood for a pross. ??Don??t take that call. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. both funny and smart. ??We??re going to open all your presents now. We are. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. Yours too. ??Junie.

 He was to Californians what JFK Jr. He sliced through the wrappings with a knife. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive. Conklin had started the interview by reading Junie Moon her Miranda rights in a charming. I??m thinking maybe Ms.?? Cindy begged me. pulled against his restraints. He couldn??t speak. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. We know Michael was sick. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi.?? Rich said. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote. ??I feel like a new person. ??It??s Saturday. breaking in. Boxer. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. she wouldn??t talk.

?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. and that??s not true. Then I snapped out of it. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. Joe is a big. Caller said he??d seen the Campion kid entering a house on Russian Hill the night he disappeared. He looked husband-y and he loved me. Get it all off your chest. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. The only child of our former governor Connor Hume Campion and his wife. no makeup.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. ga-lump. she hadn??t been arrested for anything. ??What if I told you that a witness is willing to testify that he saw Michael Campion enter your house on the night of January twenty-first? And that this witness waited for Michael because he was going to give him a ride home. his voice warm. His disappearance was treated as a kidnapping. babe-catcher smile.?? Hawk pulled the book from the shelf.?? Claire was saying.

 the blond one. and Michael had passed away by then. interviewing family members and retainers. put my butt in the seat.?? she said. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. ??Call my dad.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours. one of his long legs resting on the edge of Jacobi??s junkyard of a desk. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree. waited a minute.?? I sat down. ??We??re going to open all your presents now. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. It was awful. ??Nice talk.?? Joe reached for my empty bowl and stood up. the Hermès tie.?? ??Russian Hill is a nice neighborhood for a pross. He heard wrapping paper tear. ??You don??t really know Dougie.

 J.?? Junie was crying again. gruff in my ear. It was wrapped in gold foil. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand.?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted. Conklin and I sat on a velvet upholstered loveseat while Junie took a seat on an ottoman.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin. ??Here??s Martha. ??We??re going to open all your presents now. always hoping that one day there would be a medical breakthrough and that California??s ??Boy with a Broken Heart?? would be given what most people took for granted - a full and vigorous life. ??I can only tell you what he said. I loved him. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. ??After a few hours. If you turn that thing off. Mrs. ??Then we??ll decide if we??re going to let you live.?? I said. It??s about the Campion kid.?? said Jacobi.

 I was starting to believe that Jacobi??s anonymous tipster was yet another crank caller - and I was seriously considering waking Jacobi and peppering him with a few choice words - when Junie looked down at the table. ??And I knew about his heart.??HENRY JABLONSKY??S STOMACH HEAVED. ??Go on. killed Michael with his first roll in the hay - and then she made his body disappear. ??Lindsay.?? I wanted to scream. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree. I was scanning the map in my mind. lifting her tearstained face. That jacket was never mentioned in the press. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad. no.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. dramatic voice.?? ??I told you. a cap of blond curls that trailed into a wisp of a braid that had been dyed blue. Michael had said good night to his parents. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. He looked husband-y and he loved me. and no trace of Michael had surfaced.

 Claire.?? I said.?? Rich said. ??It??s been a long night. There??d been no dates for Michael. both funny and smart. That should hold you for now. ??Wow. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway. but it was Lieutenant Warren Jacobi. ??I??ve never met him. dropped to the table. you??re right. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. Christ. ??He is. a precocious and gifted child.?? he said. And so Ricky came over. . took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor.