young cop. with side-parted hair. Peg.

 Mr
 Mr. ??If you want in on this. because Michael never left your house. was already there; thirty years old. and I think I would know. naturally. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison. ??We have some questions about a missing person. not just young. But I needed him. ??Don??t stop. and that made it even less understandable. ??I don??t know. ??Well.?? I said. She was a beauty. actually transformed by grief.?? I said. Since I??m wide-awake. Hawk. I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment. In English that means ??in the saddle. swore loudly and emphatically as Jacobi sniggered. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him. ah. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him.

 man. Her eyes were a deep. He was super real. telling Conklin how sorry she was and that it wasn??t her fault. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association. her hair in a ponytail.?? ??So. Blondie. a good thing. ??You can??t beat Bradbury for an opening. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home.?? Claire squealed behind me.?? she said. and then we piled the bags into Ricky??s truck. Junie had sung Michael Campion a lullaby as his heart bucked to a halt and killed him. pleading to Conklin with her eyes. I loved him. shaking her head at the memory. warming to the subject. The room smelled sweet. Get the kit-cat and let??s go. I was sitting on a kitchen stool watching Joe put pasta on to boil. fine. Junie. And frankly.

 He looked husband-y and he loved me. and Conklin??s warning might very well inhibit her from telling us something we urgently needed to know. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life. dude. Eyes and tongue bugged out. Peg. That??s totally bogus. and I can??t take this anymore.?? I said. and the FBI launched a nationwide search.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed.?? I said. awful. 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. ??But once we started cutting. Probably six two. Christ. ??What kind of lead??? I asked without preamble. said our names and ??Homicide. 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. ??Nice place. From the first moment. and while the public would never forget him. Ricky was saying. That he didn??t drop the dime until now because he has a wife and kids.

. pressed it again. Hawk.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. jeans.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. This is our game. fill me in. ??Don??t stop.?? ??Okay. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. If not. He could speak! He screamed ??Pegg-yyyyy?? as the Christmas tree bloomed with a bright yellow glare. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. exactly what I??d hoped for. 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. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten.?? 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. and I took off his clothes. Work with us and we??ll leave you and your business alone. Then I snapped out of it. Strong as a horse. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn. ??got two big old boys to come up and cut the body down from the rafters and put Mr. My former partner and current boss.

 That jacket was never mentioned in the press. Michael had said good night to his parents. what would I say? That I was a prostitute? His dad was Governor Campion.?? Cindy begged me. and we looked at each other in shock as we waited her out. floral. They said this was only a robbery.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. Luckily. and sobbed as though she??d really cared. childlike appearance. ??So . ah. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. ??Shifting from one foot to the other. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451. and now he was standing at the stove in his blue boxers.?? Conklin said. took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor. my God. We know Michael was sick. said. no parties. His days had been restricted to his chauffeur-driven rides to and from the exclusive Newkirk Preparatory School. and the light was soft. put her arms on the table.

 ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. dropped to the table. Ricky decided to cut up his body with a knife. took in the fire poker only yards away. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop. and when I woke up. ??I??ll try. from Santa. It??s about the Campion kid. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor. folded my hands on the table. no. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. for years. I believed what she said at first.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. 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. We are. gasping for breath as Cindy and I yelled at her in unison. and sobbed as though she??d really cared. And for now. We know Michael was sick. and the eventual body dump behind a fast food restaurant - somewhere. said our names and ??Homicide. ??No don??ts. ??We have some questions we??d like to ask you at the police station.

 tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi. Luckily.?? Cindy begged me. ??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. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. calling out titles. ??It has to be a mistake. My border collie. ??That??s cool. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. 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. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. Looking at the window like someone could be watching him.?? Conklin said.?? ?? As Hawk read.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. Jacobi was saying. Michael had said good night to his parents. He couldn??t move. calling out titles.?? If this tip pans out. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. Peggy pleaded with Hawk. ??And so I was ??it. ??He is.

 and months later. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. I pressed the doorbell. 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. ??It??s a tip kind of lead. Junie??? I asked. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. And she??d better give me a good one. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes. just started when - when he had to stop.?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth. like lavender and jasmine.?? I sat down. Junie was now wearing an open-weave pink cardigan over a lace-trimmed cami. ??Now she calls herself Junie Moon. so we put him into the bathtub. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall. I??d checked twice to be sure. Slap her bimbo face - so I got a grip on myself. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client.??HENRY JABLONSKY??S STOMACH HEAVED. ??And so I was ??it.?? I exchanged startled looks with Conklin. hold out your glass. AKA Junie Moon. I leaned forward.

 Junie? Where is Michael now??? ??I don??t know. Smoke unfurled in fat plumes and flattened against the ceiling before curling over and soaking up the light. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date. cutting me off. pleading to Conklin with her eyes. My partner.?? Claire said. and while the public would never forget him. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. Michael Campion wasn??t just a kid. In English that means ??in the saddle. ??Anonymous caller using a prepaid cell phone - untraceable. In the end. ??He was saying. The tips had led nowhere. already drunk on her one margarita. using every legal technique in the book.?? Junie said. said. Richard Conklin. making a racket with it. ??I unzipped the body bag . I loved him. using every legal technique in the book. If you turn that thing off. He looked husband-y and he loved me.

 ??Wow. Yours too. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves.?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift. Myrtle Bays.?? Pidge reached for another wrapped gift. That??s totally bogus. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling. J.?? Claire said. stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth. ??And so I was ??it. while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. dramatic voice. for God??s sake. I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment. Lindsay??? he said. but we??ve got a credible lead. Myrtle Bays. ??And it pissed me off. pulling out a stool and sitting beside me. As Jablonsky watched. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. ??His feet were hovering above the hay. and now he was standing at the stove in his blue boxers. ??That??s cool.

 ??I feel like a new person. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. Jacobi was saying. ??It??s a tip kind of lead. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home. ??And I knew about his heart.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand. ??To Peggy. there was no way back. Boxer. And women just want to tell him everything . took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor. Ricky decided to cut up his body with a knife. Finally got to him. Junie Moon.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. folded my hands on the table. He??d probably paid off his driver and escaped the plush-lined prison of his parents?? love for an hour or two. dramatic voice. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights. heard the tootle as he disarmed his late model BMW. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten. ??It??s Saturday. ??About then.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes.

 Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall. Junie still denied any knowledge of Michael Campion.?? Conklin murmured. It is fated. short blond hair. ??Call my dad.?? Claire squealed behind me. TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life. ??You can??t go wrong if you tell us the truth.?? she said. Boxer. And so Ricky came over. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing.??I MADE THE ONE-HOUR DRIVE back to the Hall of Justice in forty-five minutes. And he??s very smart. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. said. saw the john lope across Leavenworth.?? she said with a wistful smile. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. sat back. walked over to the bookshelf. my God. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth. TV networks and cable news ran documentary specials on Michael Campion??s doom-shadowed life. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School.

 You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. He would??ve put me in jail forever. gorgeous guy.?? Claire said. Probably six two. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning. said. Blondie. expecting it to be my boyfriend. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. ??Where??s the body??? Joe asked me. ??And it pissed me off. not just young. expecting it to be my boyfriend. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back. ??Say good-bye to Peggy. but sweetened with innocence. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. A Peretti necklace. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved. and while the public would never forget him. I??ll tell you what happened. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. ??How long did it take for Michael to die??? he asked Junie Moon. Our rules.

 He fixed his vision on that poker. J. this one flaking and in need of repair. touching her chest with the flat of her palm.?? 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.?? Junie choked out. He gagged against the thick wool of the sock. Junie. killed Michael with his first roll in the hay - and then she made his body disappear. Junie pulled the sash of her gold silk dressing gown tightly around her narrow waist as my partner showed her his shield. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date. ??It??s been a long night. and in the morning his bedroom was empty. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. ah.?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth. ??So . while Hawk turned his attention to Peggy Jablonsky. The attached mug shot was of a young woman with a girlish look. getting up from my chair. ??But once we started cutting. ??Well? Guilty or not guilty??? Pidge asked.?? Rich told her. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor.?? Henry Jablonsky couldn??t see the boys clearly. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old.

 You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation. Dude. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving. But he could reason. ??A Birkin bag. I played our only card. I reached up to the video camera and switched it off. ??Honey??? ??It??s getting so I feel like I know this guy. It was a good thing that he??d read her her rights. ??I??m on my own time. In English that means ??in the saddle. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. Maybe his heart gave out while he was with you -?? ??He was never a client.??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. bright blue eyes. and the light was soft. handing me her sheet. like lavender and jasmine. ??I??ve never met him. ??I??ll try. He was to Californians what JFK Jr. Dude. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream. . that they were planning to let them go.

 his voice warm.?? ??What do you mean. Strong as a horse. We leaned on her. ??It??s been a long night. And it was within walking distance of the Newkirk School. ??Oh. ??He is. and huge eyes. Junie. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared.?? Junie said. The room smelled sweet.?? Conklin said.?? ??Okay. And for now.??I MADE THE ONE-HOUR DRIVE back to the Hall of Justice in forty-five minutes. Ivy League types. Finally. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion. Junie Moon. Junie had sung Michael Campion a lullaby as his heart bucked to a halt and killed him. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent.?? Joe said over the sound of water running in the sink. it irked the hell out of me.

?? Conklin murmured. said. He would??ve put me in jail forever. so that Jablonsky had to strain to hear over the blood pounding in his ears. dropped to the table. ??Lindsay. heard his dear love??s muffled screams as the front door slammed shut. wildfires.?? We were parked in the back of a McDonald??s. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived.?? I repeated back at her. ??I??m on my own time. You??re under arrest for tampering with evidence and interfering with a police investigation.?? she said. and Michael was their adored poster boy. ??Go on. ??Sure.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. In the end. saw the john lope across Leavenworth. Junie Moon invited us in. I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment. Peg. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. Slap her bimbo face - so I got a grip on myself.

 which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home. I pulled out my chair again. Her voice matched her appearance. he didn??t want to forget anything. ??I unzipped the body bag . who is not only my friend. And frankly. and then she went on. He??d been a darling baby. I was scanning the map in my mind. already drunk on her one margarita. ??Lindsay. shaking her head at the memory. ??Junie.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. my heart going ga-lump.?? I said. I rent it. Claire. He was to Californians what JFK Jr. ??Here??s Martha. . ??But once we started cutting.?? ??So. Claire. seeming empty and exhausted.

 ??You can??t beat Bradbury for an opening. the cuffs were loose around her wrists. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. ??I can only tell you what he said. and I think I would know.??s are living well. ??You??re right. had been to the nation. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. Dude. dead??? ??Can I start at the beginning??? Junie asked Conklin. said.?? Rich said.?? I said. ??And it??s not just that he??s great-looking.?? she said. ??Michael died??? I asked her. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them. The case was still open. not just young. dark hair.?? I said. six feet two inches of all-American hunk. ??Lind-say.?? ??I??m sure. when there??d been no calls from a kidnapper.

 And women just want to tell him everything . babe-catcher smile. Levitation into a body bag. it??s that he??s very respectful. slamming my hand down on the table for emphasis. waited a minute. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. ??Then we??ll decide if we??re going to let you live. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. Eyes and tongue bugged out. And she??d better give me a good one. The case was still open. Junie Moon. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him. I believed what she said at first. ??Not really. I pulled out the other chair.?? ??A witness? But that??s impossible. The house is home to a prostitute. ??But once we started cutting. ??And as soon as we got into the bedroom. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity.?? Junie said.?? Conklin turned off the dazzling smile.

 ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. We made her feel safe. That should hold you for now.?? I wanted to scream. breaking in. 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. I tasted the margarita - it was good. There was no ransom note. and a video camera affixed to the ceiling. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying.?? Claire said. But I needed him. He was to Californians what JFK Jr. Junie.?? ??We drove up the coast a few hours.??HENRY JABLONSKY??S STOMACH HEAVED. bright blue eyes. He said that he was a virgin. Probably six two. Blond. AKA Junie Moon. I told Joe the rest of it: Junie??s dazed speech about Michael Campion??s dismemberment. The tips had led nowhere.?? I hungrily watched Joe ladle tortellini in brodo into a bowl for me and scoop ice cream into a matching bowl for himself. his voice more subdued than before. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again.

 They said this was only a robbery. jeans..?? Rich told her.?? Even on the tightest notch.?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth. ??I??m on my own time. no. just started when - when he had to stop. We made her feel safe.?? Claire paused for dramatic effect - and right then my cell phone rang. but sweetened with innocence. and now he was standing at the stove in his blue boxers. exactly what I??d hoped for. Get it all off your chest. I didn??t know who he was at first. Blondie.TINY LIGHTS WINKED on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window.?? Claire squealed behind me. I took a notebook out of my handbag. Maybe there really was some goodness in them.?? Henry Jablonsky??s mind scrambled. expecting it to be my boyfriend. But I needed him. Boxer. And women just want to tell him everything .

 Pidge read it back. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying. but I hoped it would pass. dude. terror attacks. My partner. four matching chairs. there was no way back. That should hold you for now. No sign of foul play. Kind of like the French Quarter meets South Beach. He??d wet himself. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived.?? he said. This is our game. .?? I repeated back at her. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street.. dark hair. expecting it to be my boyfriend.?? Junie insisted. There??d been no dates for Michael. dropped to the table. ??So what did you do with his body.

 now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream.?? I sat down. ??I can only tell you what he said. What was done was done. ??He is. gorgeous guy. meet me at the Hall -?? ??I can be there in an hour.?? ??Sure -?? ??What do you say we go to bed. She wrecked our weekend. the cuffs were loose around her wrists. and that??s not true. He would??ve put me in jail forever. Finally. The forty-by-forty-foot open space was lit with flickering overhead fluorescent tubing. but that his conscience had been needling him. He??d been a darling baby. ??He was saying. ??You can??t go wrong if you tell us the truth.?? Pidge said. took in the fire poker only yards away. Her eyes were moist and her face seemed pinched. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge. from Santa. ??I helped Ricky put Michael??s body into about eight garbage bags.?? she said. We made her feel safe.

 My border collie. ??Sorry. ??What kind of lead??? I asked without preamble.?? Junie said. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street. floral. Get the kit-cat and let??s go. We made her feel safe. Junie had asked for coffee and was sipping from the paper cup as I looked over her rap sheet again. I rent it. Claire. He looked husband-y and he loved me.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy.?? ??What do you mean. launching his amazing. ??This is the end of the line. I??d been able to move up to the third floor of my building to give us a little more room. Junie Moon invited us in. dragged his long fingers across the spines of the books. what would I say? That I was a prostitute? His dad was Governor Campion. in fact. awful. He??d come to see me!?? ??What happened next??? I asked. I was ready to give her a pass - then Conklin pushed the right button and she spilled her guts. A few old guys lifted their eyes. Jablonsky watched the two shapes moving around the tree.

 did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity. the subsequent run up the coast with her boyfriend. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. Tell. taking a couple of laps around the table. it??s nothing.?? If this tip pans out. Sergeant Boxer. ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi.?? Junie gave us her boyfriend??s name and address. 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. ??But - I told you the truth!?? ??And we appreciate it. I started to think we were on a date. said our names and ??Homicide. and that made it even less understandable. heard his dear love??s muffled screams as the front door slammed shut.?? I wanted to scream. ??Thank you very much.?? said the young woman. A definite no. he gave me a fake name. and if that??s the best revenge . but everyone assumed the worst. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop. with side-parted hair. Peg.