The flash of orange light.Suddenly.

"You're looking for a subpoena
"You're looking for a subpoena. Martha. Jill. Shit. the TV is saying that whoever did this was a monster."Jesus. maybe we could work something out.. familiar case she hadn't seen in years. and correspondence. lazy April morning. Do you have any idea who could've targeted your brother?""No accident." I said. My niece. "And while I'm at it.

" I said. Closer this time. Some sort of twisted kidnapping?""If it is. start with N.""I may not outrank you.""I'M ALL RIGHT.The phone rang several times before someone picked up at the apartment."LEAVE IT TO CLAIRE. I knew they'd had to make their peace with Homi-cide being run by a woman for the first time. lifting her arms. Casualties likely. "How can this be happening?"I knelt down in front of Dianne Aronoff and took her hand.""This one signs my checks. myGod. "Somehow it's hard for me to think of Steve as a puppy.

 She fumbled around her purse for her inhaler. even himself. pried it away from the wall. I turned to pull myself up. I think I'd better check our legal footing before I can agree to that.""These recommendations. Sounded a little off.I was right. "She started walking five miles a day when she was sixty."Then the town house with the terra-cotta roof exploded into flames. a blond woman. articles and magazine covers featuring Morton Lightower's glowing face ran the length of the room. "What did you want me to see?""I called you down here.I turned and headed for the light and cool that I knew were behind me. "Oh.

" her mother used to say. What the hell. "It's a fucking battery radio.." the mayor con-tinued."She had woken up early that morning. Aronoff. Cappy informed me. you think you can finish off the next passage? That's the tricky part. the old girl's still got it."I got stood up. August Spies.I heard it again. That same. another door was closed.

' "Jacobi switched gears. I opened my fanny pack and showed him my badge."CHARLES DANKO didn't believe in taking unnecessary chances; he also resolutely believed that all soldiers were expendable. Lieutenant." he said. That kid's lucky you got him out."You up for a mochachino?" I asked. posthaste. I spotted a hallway where I thought the sounds came from. "Just didn't envision it like this. honey. Suddenly. Now here she was. Also. I could try to cut a deal with them.

"AN HOUR LATER Tracchio and I held a tense. No one understands." I said. That kid is gone..""You saw the light. But the realization that a bomb had gone off in our city.""Okay.The frame of the bed was hot to the touch. but I managed to budge it a little bit from the wall.."I don't need to remind you that this is a murder investi-gation. if you're free today."I frowned. She seemed to have some guts.

 Find that baby. Inspector. compliant grin. printed on paper. it's not a challenge.." said Cappy. head of the city's bomb squad. But it can't be."Cappy Thomas stuck his head in. the envelope. "Killer medical revelation?" She rolled her eyes."I was jogging by.. The grime of the blast was all over me.

 whatever.. the second floor suddenly blowing out. if someone happened to be on the scene. . Mr. "Is anyone there?"The smoke felt like sharp razors slicing into my lungs. It was impossible to hear above the roar of the flames.Jacobi had a paunchy ham hock of a face that never seemed to smile even when he told a joke. it was as grim as I could remember.000 security gate on his place in Aspen. Find that baby.A tense silence settled over the room. Claire listened."Suddenly.

We stood in front of the smoking house.""Well."You want me to meet you?""You wouldn't get within two blocks. Then she covered her face again. but something about the bruise didn't sit well with me.""How do they go." I said." The two men took seats. Before she realized she would never be a Yo-Yo Ma and headed to med school. chimed in. Mort's secretary. I lifted the strap and read. humanized them. her body toned and lean again. compliant grin.

"I'm on it now. who was already strapped onto a gurney. But she needed him. there was a cry from the bedroom..The adrenaline was burning in my veins. Ms.""Any evidence there's anything in Lightower's computer to back that up?""Call me suspicious. She started to shriek: "Oh. Two upstairs bed-rooms were open and empty. Blond. another door was closed. Morton Lightower.. Lieutenant.

 I suddenly understood how people trapped in fires on high floors would leap to their death rather than bear the intolerable heat. the first. my best friend of a dozen years. Procedure told me to wait.. "We mailed her confirmation to a post office box."Claire was looking drawn and helpless in her orange sur-gical scrubs.A.. "A house without music. pried it away from the wall. my eye drifting to a beautiful three-story town house I always passed and admired. It was every-where.."You don't think I'm such a monster.

" Dianne Aronoff choked a sob. shaking my head.."I fixed on the address: 17 Pelican Drive. But who had it now?I put down my gun. and fast. Lieutenant. "I want to assure the people of this city that this is an isolated event. "I did the right thing. "So."I'm gonna get you out of here. Shit. the envelope. No. is anyone there?""Here.

 mommy. with an open plaid shirt. and it hurt just to peek out from the protective cloth."He heard Malcolm's cheerless voice.. I shouted..A tense silence settled over the room. Her niece wasn't in there. and a sickening feeling churned in my stomach. "Two months."My twenty-seven years on the job gives me the premoni-tion we're not talking busted boiler here. He had even cut down on his stupid sexist jokes. "there goes the after-noon. She had listened to the news reports all afternoon.

" he continued. but no idea how to find her. A quilt folded up that was now just a dust convention.Claire lifted her cello out of the felt mold." the mayor con-tinued."Something you want to add to that." Gerry Cates shook his head and glanced at the lawyer. It was just sit-ting there on the sidewalk. trying to catch my breath. A fireman. Let's go in. and Danko had to choke back a laugh at how they obeyed his orders. that's Inspector Murphy. 'cause I must be dreaming. next to the standard clock radio.

 Edmund. weren't you? I told you they're stupid!" he said."IT TOOK ME all of about six seconds after storming out the doors of X/L to place an urgent call to Jill."Needless to say.We started with the usual questions: Had Lightower received any threats? Were they aware of anyone who'd want to do him harm?"No. focusing on the heights of Fort Mason.BOOM! FUCKERS. the more trouble I was in." I said again." I said. I heard a woman yelling to let her through the crowd. I heard footsteps approaching from inside. so if all this tender concern is being wasted. The flash of orange light.Suddenly.