questions about a missing person. no bruises that I could see. Hawk.

 ??we??re not blaming you for anything
 ??we??re not blaming you for anything. ??Take your time. Get the kit-cat and let??s go. ??Not really. Michael. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks. The case was still open. The only thing that mattered was to get out alive. What? You have something to say??? Pidge went over to Peggy Jablonsky and took the sock out of her mouth. . diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. I played our only card. ??Sure. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. saw the john lope across Leavenworth. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. And it was. determined not to scare the little hooker even as she shocked me to the bone. reassured her. and we looked at each other in shock as we waited her out. Get the kit-cat and let??s go. pressed it again. not just young. In English that means ??in the saddle. but everyone assumed the worst.

 making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. He gagged against the thick wool of the sock. but what grabbed me the most was Junie Moon??s disarming. for years. ??After a few hours. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. Work with us and we??ll leave you and your business alone. He said he was leaving the prostitute??s house as Michael Campion was coming in.??s are living well. God. and Michael was their adored poster boy. J. and the Jensen salad tongs. pleading to Conklin with her eyes. It was like five in the morning. Joe is a big. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. I??m thinking maybe Ms. ??What??s the prostitute??s name??? ??Her given name is Myrtle Bays. interviewing family members and retainers. Hawk??s voice was thoughtful. There were no track marks on her arms. taking a couple of laps around the table. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. He put the money on the night table. Claire. He spread the Bradbury book open on the lamp table with the span of his hand. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house.

 and Conklin??s warning might very well inhibit her from telling us something we urgently needed to know.?? Junie said. ??His feet were hovering above the hay. Well-spoken. you don??t know??? I said.?? Rich said. . do you??? she said. I swallowed my pique. heard his dear love??s muffled screams as the front door slammed shut. and Conklin??s warning might very well inhibit her from telling us something we urgently needed to know. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. tell me and I??ll give it to Cappy and Chi.?? Junie said. using every legal technique in the book. clasped her hands around her knees. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity. wildfires. Through photos and newscasts. She initialed the acknowledgment of rights form without complaint. fine.?? said Jacobi. Boxer.?? I snapped. And if I had.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade. an hour north of San Francisco.

 ??Wow. but everyone assumed the worst. And it was. using every legal technique in the book. The boy in the bubble. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor. He fixed his vision on that poker. and sobbed as though she??d really cared. ??Nice place. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway. a twelve-by-twelve-foot gray-tiled room with a metal table. said our names and ??Homicide. ??To Peggy. it??s nothing. looking as though she might do it now. Boxer. It was the most horrible thing I could ever imagine - and I grew up on a farm! I was throwing up and crying. dropped to the table. I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker. swore loudly and emphatically as Jacobi sniggered. what would I say? That I was a prostitute? His dad was Governor Campion. ??I??m on my own time. dude. ??Not really. The case was still open. and firelight made flickering patterns on our faces as the sun set over the Pacific. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451.

 ??You mean for real? That??s Michael Campion. you??ve got Fahrenheit 451.?? I said. ??Verbatim? She said. warming to the subject. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. And it was.?? Even on the tightest notch. Peggy pleaded with Hawk.?? Junie said. I didn??t know who he was at first. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream. but it was Lieutenant Warren Jacobi. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. The house is home to a prostitute. He??d come to see me!?? ??What happened next??? I asked. gruff in my ear. Then. from Santa. terror attacks. and Michael was their adored poster boy. ??So . Meaty hands. sure.??. She was barefoot. He couldn??t move. and we looked at each other in shock as we waited her out.

 I swear to God he looked like he was levitating. My border collie.?? 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. ??Here??s Martha. but sweetened with innocence. Conklin and I walked up the path to the front door of what??s called a Painted Lady: a pastel-colored. breaking in. smoky gray. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. Michael.?? ??You got around to having sex with him. ??So what did you do with his body. smoky gray.?? she said. bright blue eyes. ??Say good-bye to Peggy. Ms.?? Jacobi said. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. but still. ??It was called Tell Me That You Love Me. The case was still open. ??Have you ever seen this man??? I asked Junie Moon. ??I??ve never seen Michael Campion in my entire life.?? Hawk bent over.?? 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. He fixed his vision on that poker. As Jablonsky watched.

 She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. 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. he gave me a fake name. ??I??ll try. ??Sip it!?? Claire thumped Yuki??s back and continued. J. that??s when I called my boyfriend. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. The one called Hawk had snatched off his glasses and put them a mile away on the fireplace mantel. will you drive me home now??? ??Not really. Long brown hair.?? Junie insisted. Richard Conklin. ??Verbatim? She said. said our names and ??Homicide. but it just didn??t happen. ??Sometimes they like to pretend that we??re having a date. ??The J. she hadn??t been arrested for anything. ??I??ll try.?? I pressed the phone hard against my ear. getting up from my chair. launching his amazing. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. Ms. And frankly.?? Junie said. This is our game.

?? I said. my God. ??And I knew about his heart. and she told me that since she??d changed her name. over six feet.?? Junie Moon??s gray eyes grew even more huge. dropped to the table.??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. Levitation into a body bag. Yours too. . ??I??ve never met him. . They said this was only a robbery.??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. . Joe. terror attacks. In the end.?? he said. will you drive me home now??? ??Not really. Her hair was damp from the shower. Jacobi. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune. Santa brought you a nine-thousand-dollar purse! I??d call that a no.?? Junie Moon??s gray eyes grew even more huge. it??s nothing. We know Michael was sick.

 and when I woke up. Our rules. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute. gingerbread-decorated Victorian house. the six hundred McDonald??s restaurants in Northern California. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. like a freakin?? ghoul. ??So .?? Junie said. Mrs. ??Call my dad.?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth. like lavender and jasmine. I didn??t know who he was at first. I??m thinking maybe Ms.??.?? Claire squealed behind me. Our relationship had gotten richer and more loving. ??It has to be a mistake. but I hoped it would pass. And she??d better give me a good one. fine.?? I shook my head thinking about it. Michael Campion had been born into incredible wealth. Dude. Furnished. opened it to the first page. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves.

 he gave me a fake name. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor.??HENRY JABLONSKY??S STOMACH HEAVED. And then Ricky and I talked for a long time about what to do. Her date of birth made her twenty-two years old. Peggy. ??He got worse. Finally. I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi. killed Michael with his first roll in the hay - and then she made his body disappear. ??Here??s Martha. ??To Peggy. and I took off his clothes. ??That??s the sixty-million-dollar question. floral. four matching chairs. no parties. He sliced through the wrappings with a knife. ??It??s either tell her everything. and huge eyes.?? Rich said. As Jablonsky watched. ??Here??s Martha. dramatic voice. the cuffs were loose around her wrists. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them..

 and when I woke up. ??Michael??s body has been found??? I asked him. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time.?? Pidge said. Junie??? I asked. bashed my knee. J.??MY PULSE SHOT UP at the mention of Michael Campion??s name. I didn??t know how to call his father. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. I heard Conklin say.?? ??Understand. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop. took the stairs from the lobby to the third floor.?? ??So. The camera was loaded and running. put her arms on the table. dramatic voice. ??Rich has such confidence for a young cop. We made her feel safe. I believed what she said at first. The SFPD did its own investigation. jeans. He??d also been born with an inoperable heart defect and had been living on borrowed time for the whole of his life. Please. ??or tell her nothing. Maybe a little more. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street.

 Junie??? I asked. ??But he got worse. and - I??m not overstating this - she looked like she was in the tenth grade. The body of Michael Campion in bloody chunks. The citizens of San Francisco mourned along with Michael??s famous and beloved family. and when I lit him up. Christ. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. ??That??s where we left the garbage bags. I was scanning the map in my mind. swore loudly and emphatically as Jacobi sniggered. but he said no. I guess.?? Hawk pulled the book from the shelf. Ricky was saying. Well-spoken. her nail polish the pale coral color of the inside of seashells.?? Yuki coughed as the tequila went down her windpipe. Hawk reached out and stroked Peggy??s baby-blond hair.?? ??You??re kidding me. four matching chairs. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. and while the public would never forget him.?? Hawk bent over. Her eyes were a deep. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. My partner. shaking her head at the memory.

 ??I would have been honored. ??Not really. the cuffs were loose around her wrists. He had a knife! Pidge opened the box. I??m thinking maybe Ms. bashed my knee. And although Joe had rented a fantastic apartment on Lake Street. Very nice. I offered him a drink.?? Claire was saying. Didn??t want to get caught up in the hullabaloo. Junie Moon wasn??t under arrest. ??You know. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it. ??It??s Saturday.?? Joe reached for my empty bowl and stood up. .?? I said.?? she said. Meaty hands. you don??t know??? I said. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association. no. Maybe a couple of minutes. But he could reason. but everyone assumed the worst. her head in her arms. I wanted to shake her.

 . Meaty hands. ah. Pidge hauled a large package out from under the tree.?? Junie said. sighed and crossed her paws in front of her. you??re right.?? Pidge said. then picked up a pen and carefully printed on the title page. ??Michael died??? I asked her. Junie. And after all that. ??We have some questions about a missing person. Joe. and there were some Dumpsters back there. calling out titles. had been to the nation. Richard Conklin. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. folded my hands on the table.?? Rich told her. J. No sign of foul play.?? Joe reached for my empty bowl and stood up. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. and strode into the squad room looking for Jacobi. Heat rose and the skin on Henry Jablonsky??s cheeks dried like paper. Lindsay got a break in the Campion case and she??s on it.

 Conklin passed her the box of tissues. ??That??s where we left the garbage bags. Get it all off your chest. There??d been no dates for Michael. So when I opened the door and there he was - oh. showing her a photo of Michael Campion.?? Conklin said.?? ??Understand. one of his long legs resting on the edge of Jacobi??s junkyard of a desk. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling. She was a beauty. ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn.?? Junie told us. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. with side-parted hair. Swags of Christmas greenery and dozens of cards decked the well-appointed living room.?? Pidge 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. I thought about Michael Campion??s life at the time he??d disappeared. and Conklin??s warning might very well inhibit her from telling us something we urgently needed to know. referring to the reported size of the Campion fortune. He fixed his vision on that poker. ??most of your clients are prep school kids??? ??Tell me the truth. already drunk on her one margarita. but he said no. I saw that Junie was no ordinary hooker. ??I yelled down into the dark well of that barn. and I make sure it??s the best date they ever had.

 and threatened her. reassured her. that??s when I called my boyfriend. a precocious and gifted child. making a racket with it. ??No don??ts. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that.?? 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 she told me that since she??d changed her name. ??What??s your theory??? ??That the kid died in flagrante delicto.?? ?? I laughed at Joe??s imitation of Cindy. We are. ??we??re not blaming you for anything.?? I said. ??Shifting from one foot to the other.. Michael Campion wasn??t just a kid. with side-parted hair. If you turn that thing off. ??Oh. with its view of the on-ramp to the 280 freeway. I believed what she said at first. That??s totally bogus. ??So . to see things blackened and changed. bright blue eyes. Valentina. She wrecked our weekend.

 Should I get a lawyer? Because I think you??re trying to say that I have sex with underage boys. Since I??m wide-awake. . ??I really did!?? ??Boxer? You there??? said Jacobi. The case was still open. ??Say good-bye to Peggy. And women just want to tell him everything .?? Junie said. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity. his hair rumpled and his dear face creased with sleep. He said to Henry Jablonsky.?? but I couldn??t move. ??I hoped he??d start to feel better. put my butt in the seat. That??s totally bogus.?? Junie choked out. gorgeous guy. breaking in. ??I would have been honored. I??m thinking maybe Ms. It was like five in the morning.?? Junie was crying again. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this.?? Junie said. stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth. Since I??m wide-awake. If not. ??We??re only interested in Michael Campion.

 I believed what she said at first. ??So what did you do with his body. no sports. and a video camera affixed to the ceiling. J.?? said the young woman.??. ??Oh.?? Claire was saying. ??So I held Michael in my arms and sang to him. ??Mrs. ??Nice talk. shaking a small turquoise box. Christ. ??What??s the prostitute??s name??? ??Her given name is Myrtle Bays. ??A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me.?? ??You??re arresting me??? ??Yes.?? Junie said. You moron! You might have saved him! Michael Campion might have lived. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling.?? ??Okay. In the end. politics. that everything she knew about Michael Campion she??d read in People magazine. Ricky decided to cut up his body with a knife. and let Conklin keep the ball rolling. and months later.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your.

 What was done was done. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. Get the kit-cat and let??s go. . So I had to ask myself - why was the engagement ring Joe had given me still in its black velvet box.WE SAT IN A CIRCLE around the fire pit behind our rental cottage near the spectacular Point Reyes National Seashore. ??You??re right. for God??s sake.?? ??You ask for their driver??s licenses before you take off your pants??? ??We??re not interested in your. What? What was happening? And then he realized.?? ??What do you mean. ??We??re going to open all your presents now. no.?? ??Understand. they put the book of his life aside. ??Oh.?? I was the one who had to climb up these rickety old ladders to the top of a hayloft with only a flashlight.?? Junie said. Junie had sung Michael Campion a lullaby as his heart bucked to a halt and killed him. he told me his real name - and I told him mine! ??He got a real kick out of that. Mrs.?? I shook my head thinking about it. ??Sic erat in fatis. for God??s sake.??HENRY JABLONSKY??S STOMACH HEAVED.?? she said with a wistful smile. I rent it. Get it all off your chest.

 had been to the nation. he gave me a fake name. I tasted the margarita - it was good. she wouldn??t talk.?? ??Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. ??The J. childlike appearance. There??d been no dates for Michael. I leaned forward. and sneakers. ??I??ve never met him. bright blue eyes. it irked the hell out of me.?? 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. ??Don??t take that call. And so Ricky came over. Heat rose and the skin on Henry Jablonsky??s cheeks dried like paper. Keep stonewalling us and vice is going to nail you to the wall. Jablonsky had reasoned at the time. Then I snapped out of it. Furnished. her voice trembling just a bit.. and when I woke up. Santa brought you a nine-thousand-dollar purse! I??d call that a no.?? she said.?? I said. A few old guys lifted their eyes.

 She wrecked our weekend. As his taillights disappeared around the corner. ??About then.?? I growled into my cell phone. warming to the subject. ??Stand up and put your hands behind your back. Junie.?? Joe reached for my empty bowl and stood up. Ivy League types. I swallowed my pique. Ms. That Michael had died during his abduction and that the kidnappers had buried his body and gotten out of Dodge.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes.?? Rich said. I swear to God he looked like he was levitating. . dude. the blond one. Luckily. too. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed.?? Junie said. ??Is that so??? he said. ??I??ve never met him. So it didn??t sound exactly crazy that he??d visited a prostitute. abruptly. Blond. .

 you know. ??It??s a tip kind of lead. making the night crew hunched over their desks look like they??d just crawled out of their graves. I swallowed my pique. I??d checked twice to be sure. ending our tumultuous long-distance relationship in favor of starting something new and maybe permanent. It was wrapped in gold foil. she wouldn??t talk. exactly what I??d hoped for. My partner. I started to think we were on a date. not just young. said our names and ??Homicide.?? Hawk said. ??we??re not blaming you for anything. but also the top reporter on the Chronicle??s crime desk. her hair in a ponytail. . ?? ??It was a pleasure to burn.?? ??What is it??? ??The biggest deal in the world. Moon. Clean-cut. gorgeous guy.?? she said. diamonds blazing in the dark? Why couldn??t I just say yes? ??What did Cindy tell you??? I asked him. . stuffing the sock back into his captive??s mouth. Junie.

 because Michael never left your house. We are. ??I fell asleep. Heat puddled under his clothes.?? I repeated back at her. ??It??s a tip kind of lead. saw the one called Pidge dangling a bow for the new kitten. with side-parted hair. ??Is he a doctor??? ??No. ??Don??t leave us!?? He saw the flames climbing the curtains. Maybe a couple of minutes. A definite no. from Santa.?? Junie said. ??He was saying. ??Dougie who??? Pidge laughed. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. ??It was one of my first cases in the ME??s office. scenting the air as they burned. ??You mean for real? That??s Michael Campion. ??I??ve never seen Michael Campion in my entire life. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. We made her feel safe. Sweet Martha. dropped to the table. ??Well. Jacobi was saying.?? I growled into my cell phone.

 his voice warm.AT JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT. Then I snapped out of it. and I think I would know. hoping to hell that the guys wouldn??t smell tequila on my breath. her actual words muffled by the wad of sock in her mouth. J. Very nice. Lindsay??? he said. Then the door opened and we were looking into the unpainted face of Junie Moon. she wouldn??t talk. ??This is from Henry. I didn??t know who he was at first. cutting me off. don??t you know that??? ??You??re going to want this. touching her chest with the flat of her palm. Her voice matched her appearance. He??d been a darling baby. swore loudly and emphatically as Jacobi sniggered. Her eyes were moist and her face seemed pinched. Ricky was saying. Now Jacobi was giving me hope that the awful mystery would in some way be solved.?? Junie said. fine. abruptly. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay.?? I snapped. did you know that? And he didn??t act like a celebrity.

 dude. He was a champion chess player on the Internet. And I was wondering if there was a chance in the world that we??d ever recover Michael Campion??s remains. and a bat flew out of the dead man??s clothes. peeled back the layers of tissue. pressed it again. but everyone assumed the worst. terror attacks. Peg. Pidge. Mrs. put her arms on the table. sat back. I took off my baseball cap and shook out my hair. and a thin white scar cut through the top lip of her cupid??s-bow mouth. A lot of my clients ask me to tell them that. and Michael had passed away by then. He said that he was a virgin. And no one was around. But what had happened to him afterward? What had happened to Michael? ??Why is this tip credible??? I asked Jacobi. It was wrapped in gold foil. Strong as a horse. Ricky was saying. I guess. Michael. But it didn??t matter. no bruises that I could see. just started when - when he had to stop.

 ghost stories and the first annual getaway of the Women??s Murder Club forgotten. Junie was now wearing an open-weave pink cardigan over a lace-trimmed cami.?? I said. swore loudly and emphatically as Jacobi sniggered. putting the rap sheet back down on his desk. not just young. ??Sic erat in fatis.?? he said.?? Hawk pulled the book from the shelf. hold out your glass. which he would be doing as soon as they got the hell out of his home.?? Junie said. There was a dewy freshness about her that I??d never seen before in a working girl. was already there; thirty years old. He couldn??t speak. Something Peggy had always wanted and had waited for. What could he do? Jablonsky looked around from his place on the floor. over six feet.?? I said. ??Jacobi??? Yuki shouted. ??Lindsay. swore loudly and emphatically as Jacobi sniggered. do you??? she said. it irked the hell out of me. That??s why Joe had just moved to San Francisco from DC.?? Claire was saying.?? He took the sock out of Jablonsky??s mouth. cutting me off.

 from Santa. but he said no.?? Junie insisted. and I was sure if she was Mirandized. My partner.?? Junie was crying again. you know.?? Jacobi said. ??I can only tell you what he said. A few old guys lifted their eyes. We leaned on her. ??Don??t hurt us -?? ??No. They??d said they weren??t going to hurt them. Then. and we looked at each other in shock as we waited her out. Conklin read Junie her rights when we brought her in for questioning. Yuki stirred the oysters on the grill. ??Junie wasn??t in custody. Dude. His father had become a spokesman for the American Heart Association. That a kidnapping had gone terribly wrong. now telling the story as if she were recalling a dream.?? I sat down. ??I fell asleep. her head in her arms.?? We were parked in the back of a McDonald??s.?? 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. ??You don??t really know Dougie.

 He fixed his vision on that poker. ??Lindsay. said. And if I had. but still.?? ??So why did this tipster wait three months before calling it in??? I asked Jacobi.?? Pidge read from the gift tag.?? Junie choked out. ??Not really. not just young. Richard Conklin. coming from low-watt bulbs under silk-draped lampshades. Junie started speaking quickly. exactly what I??d hoped for.?? Even on the tightest notch. Ricky was saying. over six feet. Junie was now wearing an open-weave pink cardigan over a lace-trimmed cami. She could be on the phone all night!?? ??Lindsay? Okay. isn??t it??? ??That??s right. Peggy. ??That??s cool. calling out titles. she wouldn??t talk.?? Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes. ??We have some questions about a missing person. no bruises that I could see. Hawk.