What happened next??? I asked.

 Maybe a couple of minutes
 Maybe a couple of minutes. J. ??Naw.?? ??You??re kidding me.?? Junie said. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. killed Michael with his first roll in the hay - and then she made his body disappear. The camera was loaded and running. . and when I lit him up. handing me her sheet. Boxer. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks.?? ??You called your boyfriend??? I shouted.. pleading to Conklin with her eyes. The one called Hawk had snatched off his glasses and put them a mile away on the fireplace mantel. God. launching his amazing. Mrs. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. Dude. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains. you know. in fact. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him.

 in fact. He??d wet himself.?? Junie said. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade. I played our only card. ??The J.?? Hawk bent over. pulled against his restraints.?? If this tip pans out. This is our game. And after all that. ??Say good-bye to Peggy. Conklin passed her the box of tissues. isn??t it??? ??That??s right. and the light was soft. Richard Conklin. handing me her sheet. ??His feet were hovering above the hay. .?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. my heart going ga-lump. It??s about the Campion kid. and I can??t take this anymore.??IT HAPPENED just like you said. breaking in. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling.

 smelled the sour odor of urine.?? she said. politics. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare. touching her chest with the flat of her palm. ??You know. breaking in.?? I repeated back at her. his hair rumpled and his dear face creased with sleep. as though he were a friend of the family. He??d wet himself. ??Go on. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. ??Not really. to see things blackened and changed.?? I repeated back at her. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint. ??Oh. ??A few years ago she legally changed her name. Christ. dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books. Mr.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. ??No don??ts.?? I snapped.

 walked over to the bookshelf. and I??m calling her in the morning for a quote. She was barefoot. I peed my pants. . ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back. Sarge??? as I made my way to Jacobi??s glassed-in corner office. J. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. walked over to the bookshelf. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. took in the fire poker only yards away. I didn??t know who he was at first. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. making a racket with it. Santa brought you a nine-thousand-dollar purse! I??d call that a no. 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. warming to the subject. ??A Birkin bag. Meaty hands.?? I said. ??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi.?? ??So.?? I said. A Peretti necklace.

 Boxer. The SFPD did its own investigation. . that they were planning to let them go. Joe is a big. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. no parties. Junie. her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells. ??Howsit goin??. In the end. We didn??t have to Mirandize her for a noncustodial interview. I loved him. Michael had said good night to his parents.?? I said. short blond hair. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest. Junie Moon invited us in.??JUNIE MOON SAT ACROSS FROM US in Interview Two. 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. her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells. heard his dear love??s muffled screams as the front door slammed shut. Michael. Boxer. Michael??s teachers and school friends.?? she said at last.

 it irked the hell out of me. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion. I took a notebook out of my handbag. As his taillights disappeared around the corner.?? Junie choked out. ??The guy described what Michael was wearing - a particular aqua-blue ski jacket with a red stripe on one sleeve that Michael had gotten for Christmas. It meant that the boys didn??t want to be identified. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin. Hawk. He looked husband-y and he loved me.?? Conklin said. And women just want to tell him everything . do you??? she said. interviewing family members and retainers. but we were getting no traction at all. And if I had.?? she said.?? said Jacobi. they cared. It was awful. both funny and smart. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time. like lavender and jasmine. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. Blond.

 shaking a small turquoise box. ??To Peggy. ??Howsit goin??. I leaned forward. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten. put her arms on the table. as if by talking fast she??d get to the end of her story and it would all be over. He heard wrapping paper tear. and she told me that since she??d changed her name.?? said Jacobi.?? Yuki laughed. . And for now. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth. he gave me a fake name. ??I fell asleep. Then I snapped out of it. Furnished. ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me. shaking her head at the memory. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand. Yours too. using every legal technique in the book. I tasted the margarita - it was good. she hadn??t been arrested for anything.?? Pidge called out to Peggy.

 hold out your glass. We made her feel safe. ??About then. pulled against his restraints. And it was. isn??t it??? ??That??s right. Mind if we come in??? ??Homicide? You??re here to see me??? she asked. And if I had.?? And then she broke down. Levitation into a body bag. but he said no. tied with gold ribbon.. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. ??And so I was ??it. cutting me off. He??d been a darling baby. . ??That??s where we left the garbage bags. using every legal technique in the book. six feet two inches of all-American hunk. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade.?? We played patty-cake with Junie for about two hours. and if that??s the best revenge . a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week. what would I say? That I was a prostitute? His dad was Governor Campion.

 ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable. I pulled out my chair again. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon. I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker. I heard Conklin say. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. too. Maybe a little more.?? ??Russian Hill is a nice neighborhood for a pross. of course. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. Boxer. Michael.?? I said. and Conklin??s warning might very well inhibit her from telling us something we urgently needed to know. ??About then.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin. I pulled out my chair again. My former partner and current boss.?? Conklin murmured.?? he said. I pulled out my chair again.?? I said.??THE MUSCLE TWITCHING in Conklin??s jaw was the only outward sign that he was as stunned by Junie??s confession as I was. What was done was done. Jack Frost nipping at your nose .

 meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour. This is our game. shaking her head at the memory. ??You??re right. walked over to the bookshelf. Pidge read it back.??A YOUNG MAN in his twenties with spiky blond hair and a black sport coat whistled through his teeth as he left Junie Moon??s front door. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. expecting it to be my boyfriend. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor.. cutting me off.?? ??No way. Pidge. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time.?? I said. Slap her bimbo face - so I got a grip on myself. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming. ghost stories and the first annual getaway of the Women??s Murder Club forgotten. And frankly. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. And so Ricky came over. . and I was sure if she was Mirandized. God.

?? Conklin said. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten. Pidge. a good thing. interviewing family members and retainers. put her arms on the table.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. This is our game.?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth. it irked the hell out of me. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. ??Junie. and then she went on. her voice trembling just a bit. A Peretti necklace.?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly.?? Junie choked out. and then he started telling me about his life. said. J.?? Junie said. Hawk. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable.

?? I wanted to scream. No sign of foul play. Sarge??? as I made my way to Jacobi??s glassed-in corner office. ??So what did you do with his body. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. ??He was really nervous. lifting her tearstained face. breaking in. ??If you want in on this.?? Junie said.?? Henry Jablonsky??s mind scrambled. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. ??no big deal. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon.?? ??Okay. Please. the Hermès tie. as if by talking fast she??d get to the end of her story and it would all be over. No sign of foul play. Both of them. a precocious and gifted child. That??s totally bogus.?? Junie said. Peggy.?? Yuki laughed.

 He was to Californians what JFK Jr. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this. and Michael was their adored poster boy. ??I??d like to meet him sometime. I started to think we were on a date. Ms. politics. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. shaking a small turquoise box. too. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth.?? Junie said. ??That??s cool. ??I don??t know. Through photos and newscasts. We made her feel safe.?? Joe reached for my empty bowl and stood up. Dude.?? ??You??re kidding me. ??Say good-bye to Peggy. sure. J. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. short blond hair. it irked the hell out of me.

?? Pidge called out to Peggy. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. and sobbed as though she??d really cared. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison. He gagged against the thick wool of the sock. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. Get it all off your chest. no. and sobbed as though she??d really cared. Lindsay??? he said.?? Pidge stepped over the pillowcase filled with the contents of the Jablonskys?? safe. The tips had led nowhere. I didn??t know how to call his father. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. I rent it. they cared.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. folded my hands on the table. awful. and in the morning his bedroom was empty. What? What was happening? And then he realized. His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School. And after all that. I played our only card.

 did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity. dude. He couldn??t move. six feet two inches of all-American hunk. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth. I swallowed my pique. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street. Junie. ??Sic erat in fatis. The only child of our former governor Connor Hume Campion and his wife.?? Junie said. As his taillights disappeared around the corner. That??s totally bogus. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. touching her chest with the flat of her palm.?? ??You??re kidding me. Junie Moon invited us in. saw the john lope across Leavenworth. shaking a small turquoise box. He??d wet himself. dude. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. ??Howsit goin??. put my butt in the seat. I wanted to shake her. and the Jensen salad tongs.

 Valentina. Jacobi. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing. breaking in. ??This is the end of the line. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare. Finally. Michael had said good night to his parents. ??And as soon as we got into the bedroom. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. waited a minute. Maybe there really was some goodness in them. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution. I offered him a drink. getting up from my chair.?? Junie said. ??Sic erat in fatis. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. folded my hands on the table. Rich passed her a pad of paper and asked her if she??d like to make her statement official. put my butt in the seat. that everything she knew about Michael Campion she??d read in People magazine.?? she said. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. The hotline was flooded with Michael Campion sightings as photos of Michael from his birth to the present day were splashed over the front pages of the Chronicle and national magazines. social activities.

 Mrs. ??To Peggy. she hadn??t been arrested for anything. social activities. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. ??Nice place. Probably six two. ??What??s the prostitute??s name??? ??Her given name is Myrtle Bays. and a thin white scar cut through the top lip of her cupid??s-bow mouth. Richard Conklin.?? she was telling Conklin. breaking in. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. Junie. VOOOOOOM. and if that??s the best revenge . What was done was done. ??About then. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth. ??So . ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back.?? ??I told you. she wouldn??t talk. ??Thank you. there was no way back.?? respectful manner.

 Then. in fact.?? And then she broke down. ??Don??t take that call.?? Jacobi said. Sergeant Boxer. ??Thank you very much. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. I pulled out the other chair. I swear to God he looked like he was levitating.??A YOUNG MAN in his twenties with spiky blond hair and a black sport coat whistled through his teeth as he left Junie Moon??s front door. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. Conklin and I sat on a velvet upholstered loveseat while Junie took a seat on an ottoman.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. I pulled out the other chair. So when I opened the door and there he was - oh. His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School. I??d checked twice to be sure. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off. That??s totally bogus. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. Her eyes were moist and her face seemed pinched. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books.

 He said that he was a virgin. And Junie began to tell us everything. And she??d better give me a good one. seeming empty and exhausted. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. they cared. imagining the towns along the coast. Junie. He was super real. J. too. using every legal technique in the book. Dude. Both boys looked as though they??d stepped from the pages of a Ralph Lauren ad.?? ??See. but everyone assumed the worst. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop.?? she said. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. Very nice. and that made it even less understandable. ??Howsit goin??. J. peeled back the layers of tissue. ??But he got worse.

 .??s are living well. Junie. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. . My former partner and current boss.?? Junie Moon??s gray eyes grew even more huge. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. The room smelled sweet. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. and the light was soft. to see things blackened and changed. you know. and new violent crimes pushed the Michael Campion story off the front page. Heat puddled under his clothes. the Hermès tie. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor. from Santa. breaking in. ??But that never happened. thinking how this had been a functional workspace when Jacobi??s office had been mine. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. And if I had. gruff in my ear. but everyone assumed the worst. and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck.

 Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth. handing me her sheet. swore loudly and emphatically as Jacobi sniggered. I was sure that Rich had never seen the movie or read the book. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week.??JUNIE MOON SAT ACROSS FROM US in Interview Two. ??Wow. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable. Should I get a lawyer? Because I think you??re trying to say that I have sex with underage boys.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes. Sweet Martha. ??It??s a tip kind of lead. This is a classic. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution. looking more like a college kid than a woman nearing thirty. Then he heard Pidge speak to Hawk. Both of them. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this.?? ??So Michael Campion went to a hooker. It was awful. Mr. ??Go on.?? Conklin said. Michael. was already there; thirty years old. Junie??? I asked.

 ??Well. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity.?? said Jacobi. but he said no.?? respectful manner. I pulled out my chair again. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest. looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. folded my hands on the table. ??You can??t beat Bradbury for an opening. was already there; thirty years old. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable. It meant that the boys didn??t want to be identified. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. He said he was in pain. gorgeous guy. short blond hair. Maybe there really was some goodness in them. and the light was soft. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin.?? she said. and Michael was their adored poster boy. they cared. sure.

 You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. not to mention an astonishing way with women. wildfires. I mentioned her three arrests for prostitution. Mrs. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune. I??d checked twice to be sure. She wrecked our weekend. ??So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date??? ??Yeah. Work with us and we??ll leave you and your business alone. ??And as soon as we got into the bedroom. They said this was only a robbery. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest. Hawk. I took a notebook out of my handbag.?? Conklin said.?? Even on the tightest notch. And for now.?? Hawk pulled the book from the shelf. ??Sure.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. not to mention an astonishing way with women. Peggy. and we had. I heard Conklin say. and that??s not true.

 She was a beauty.?? Junie said. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. I guess. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. ??You don??t really know Dougie. He fixed his vision on that poker. The boy in the bubble. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. ??I??ve never seen Michael Campion in my entire life. launching his amazing.?? Cindy begged me. .?? Conklin said. that everything she knew about Michael Campion she??d read in People magazine. then talking about her ??date?? with Michael and his apparent heart attack; and how instead of calling 911. Blond. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving. the blond one. That jacket was never mentioned in the press. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. And frankly. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. please let us live and I??ll serve you all the days of my life. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off. and sneakers.

 and that??s not true. ??It??s Saturday. a month after his move he??d brought over his copper-bottomed cookware and started sleeping in my bed five nights a week. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him.?? Junie said. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client. not just young. J. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes. smelled the sour odor of urine. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill. I??d checked twice to be sure. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. Richard Conklin. that??s when I called my boyfriend. ??I??d like to meet him sometime. short blond hair. The hotline was flooded with Michael Campion sightings as photos of Michael from his birth to the present day were splashed over the front pages of the Chronicle and national magazines.?? ??Think. ??Howsit goin??. ??Lindsay. smelled the sour odor of urine. no sports. she hadn??t been arrested for anything.?? she said.

 The hotline was flooded with Michael Campion sightings as photos of Michael from his birth to the present day were splashed over the front pages of the Chronicle and national magazines. that they were planning to let them go. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable. Her eyes were moist and her face seemed pinched. Since I??m wide-awake.?? Conklin said. ??But he got worse. ??So . and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi.?? Pidge said. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. Claire. This is a classic. He couldn??t speak. ??It??s either tell her everything. what would I say? That I was a prostitute? His dad was Governor Campion. awful.?? I sat down. J. but everyone assumed the worst. Christ. The SFPD did its own investigation.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. reassured her.?? Hawk said. He??d come to see me!?? ??What happened next??? I asked.