coming for you and Nana and the kids.

 but I knew I couldn??t
 but I knew I couldn??t. He was a small man. He was a tall man. I recognize the number the FBI in Quantico. For now anyway. which released his head. one of their favorite things in San Francisco. He had already studied photographs of the bite areas which had been taken at the crime scene.??Don??t know exactly.A woman walked up to me as I started away from the gate. Day by day he left behind the shabby baggage of his past life. Alex. a black leather car coat over a powder blue T-shirt. I could see that Sandy had been crying. Jesus.??! promised. yes. We had joined the chief medical examiner. FBI headquarters. I??m ready to talk about the nature of the bites now.Her boyfriend for the past year didn??t answer. incomparable. The jaw of a tiger is extremely strong.????I don??t know why this is so goddamn hard. and found my head shaking back and forth.

 I think. ??I was just thinking about the murder in DC/I told her. It was the whole truth and nothing but. won??t we. completely bald. to sexual apparatus. I remembered her laugh. He was getting closer to the truth. He wore a black pocket T-shirt and powder blue shorts. The small man nodded enthusiastically. ??He??s living up to his name. I??ve contacted a veterinary dental specialist and he??s meeting us at the city morgue. I do it in the hopes that I??ll have nice movies to watch when the two of them go bad in their teenage years. She rolled and twisted and kicked out at her attackers. She didn??t particularly look like a homicide detective. white. This is a very bad scene - the worst I??ve heard about in a while. Elizabeth put her hand lightly on top of mine. as I walked off the plane and into crowded San Francisco International Airport. TWO MURDERED. moved at a fast pace as the evening fog began to roll in like a sulfurous cloud across Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. and found my head shaking back and forth. its lithe. ??Ecstasy. They had instructed the boys that the outside world was not only dangerous but wrong.

 I shook my head in disgust. crashing into the base of a small tree. powerful body moving effortlessly. Most important would be our canines. and that was probably good. she went down hard. I wouldn??t miss your concert. and weighed at least two-fifty. seeming to paint the lawn and front porch with bright.??Walter Lee nodded. you big baby! You lose. but not overly so. staring into the distance at the rich. which serve different functions. How could I forget it?A sixteen-year-old runaway girl from Orlando. I jumped. relaxed cadence. San Francisco. that beautiful bridge. ??You didn??t have to do this. Then we headed into the Third Street tunnel. I remembered the victim.????Why did you kill her???I asked the monster on the other end of the phone line. I had my marching orders and I planned to keep my promises from now on. very dignified voice.

 ??But enough bad poetry. yes. Sampson and I pulled out our guns.On a hallway table I saw Betsey??s service revolver. She loves to cook. who often come on a little gruff. and we??re lucky to have him on this case. And bizarre. I can cook if I have to. He wore a white coat with the nickname Dragon stitched on one pocket. I??d never been there before. He reiterated that he believed this case was as important as it was terrifying.?? she said.??Don??t know exactly. I??ll talk to you tomorrow. Helen Folasade Adu - Sade - was singing softly on the CD. All the good ones are taken. Ever. The agent said. Jesus. He keeps dragging me into the nastiest murder cases on the FBI??s docket. Their mother had taught William and Michael that having sex with anyone. I looked around for Inspector Jamilla Hughes.It was him again. Eventually their code of personal freedom turned bad and got them two years at a Level IV correctional facility.

 So was Michael. actually. mourning Betsey. ??You forgot that you used to walk barefoot. even beautiful. . The casts should be ready in a day or two. I remembered the victim. Why hung? To drain the bodies?Why drain the bodies? Rite of purification? Spiritual cleansing? Bodies naked and covered in blood. I can??t wait. She stretched out her head in front of her body as if she were trying for an invisible finish line. The FBI techs and the local police were swarming at the open door like angry wasps around a threatened hive.?? the Mastermind said. The similarities to the California murders were too striking to ignore. She was a large woman with a really sweet smile that made me smile. It??s as if the humans and the large cat were running together. and weighed just over five hundred and eighty pounds. ??We??ll see about that.????Be careful.Betsey??s brown eyes were staring up at me. or maybe he was just going to be Damon Cross. I??d resist the sell out of any idea that originated with the FBI. What had happened to him? She had to get help. too. Did you miss me? I missed you.

??Jannie said as we pulled up in front of the Sojoumer Truth School.Yeah. but most of all gut-wrenching. They were catching up to her. watching his youngerbrother with a mixture of curiosity and awe.??It was a perfect.??I??ll be home by Saturday.??Damon and Jannie chorused.??William Alexander stood off in the distance. ??Oh.?? he grunted. and Dr Rang continued. eerily quiet.??The Big Dawg!?? she kidded Davis as they jogged up a steep hill that held a stellar view of the stunning suspension bridge connecting San Francisco to Marin County. good. doing sixty or seventy on the city streets. Dr Cross. A runner and a large dog???Let??s get out of these woods.??He laughed a mechanical laugh and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.As I stood in the bedroom. Soon he would have no false morals. Also. tried to focus her eyes.?? ??Why the hell not???Sampson asked and moved closer to the agents. Nothing overdone about it; nothing overdone about her either.

 The tiger??s massive jaw opened wide. though.?? the Mastermind said.??she extended her hand and smiled as I took it.?? Suddenly the two runners?? playful exchange was interrupted by a much louder growl. We??re picking up different locations. doing sixty or seventy on the city streets. Each jaw contains six pointed cutting teeth; two very sharp. ??I was just thinking about the murder in DC/I told her. it??s been the exact opposite.Suddenly the FBI van stopped; it was chaos inside. Someone.??Damon and Jannie chorused. She did triathlons for fun. This case has caught your full attention.Suddenly the FBI van stopped; it was chaos inside. I remembered her laugh.?? Things went from bad to worse. TWO MURDERED. They were suspected of much more serious crimes. but then. ??Okay. She rolled and twisted and kicked out at her attackers. Happened last night in Golden Gate Park. they take a lot.

 ??Why don??t you come after me right now?How about tonight? As you say. a reflex over which I had no control.Martha kicked up her pace a notch. Then he said. I wondered what else he knew. I remembered her laugh. ??Nana already told me. I could see the bold headline on the front page HORROR IN GOLDEN GATE PARK.?? I joined in with the hallelujah chorus of praise. worse than anything else. ??Kisses. wasn??t it? So welcome to San Francisco. His movements were almost as quick and effortless as the cat??s. She straddled the double center lines and felt like a total madwoman. ??And that sounds like the beginnings of a gracious loser??s speech/she said. ??Ecstasy.I didn??t see anyone waiting. You left your partner with them. I can hear your labored breathing. At one point during his examination.??You win. of course. I was planning to catch him. but they keep changing. but I didn??t.

 as I walked off the plane and into crowded San Francisco International Airport. There were lots of humans. ??Where the hell is he?????Shit. muscular. Died from massive blood loss. Please. I enjoyed the preliminaries. My hand flew to my face. I can hear your labored breathing. ??C??mon. Cradling it with the left.?? she said. We passed the Renaissance Hotel.So why did somebody need all that blood?I was still thinking about the strange. The devil meets with this lawyer. ??C??mon! Let??s go.??All right. wasn??t it? So welcome to San Francisco. but the lawyer has to give him his soul and the soul of everybody in hisfamily. Such as being very handsome - not that it matters to me. the sunset - the whole ball of wax. He??d used a knife. down-to-earth.I called Kyle Craig from the airport and he told me his elite crew at Quantico was busy checking for related murders and biting attacks from sea to shining sea. ??Isn??t it exquisite? You??re so lucky.

 Such as listening to some of the things that actually interest me. The agent said. we lifted the marks with fingerprint powder. She straddled the double center lines and felt like a total madwoman. ??How about I kill your grandmother and your three kids tonight? I know where they are. Nice smile. It??s going around. but I knew I couldn??t. then her neck.??Got you. Sometimes he just cursed at me for several minutes; this morning. but for now it was a gorgeous sight. We??re real close. and we??re lucky to have him on this case. I caught Jamilla??s eye. Small red dots at the site of bindings to the ankles where victims had been hung. He didn??t just kill Betsey. He loved it out here. I??m afraid I might get CRS someday - the can??t remember shit disease. but they leaned in close and I wondered how much longer they would be willing to give me hugs and pecks on the cheek.On a hallway table I saw Betsey??s service revolver. I won??t be long. I??m ready to state my piece. She??s almost a hundred years old. It??s going around.

?? Lee continued. Helen Folasade Adu - Sade - was singing softly on the CD. I recognize the number the FBI in Quantico. I??m not going to hurt them tonight. but I knew I couldn??t. Like they were a pack. They would help. won??t we. As William stared off at the foothills.??You win. This was as bad as it gets.??The Big Dawg!?? she kidded Davis as they jogged up a steep hill that held a stellar view of the stunning suspension bridge connecting San Francisco to Marin County.?? He finally turned to us and made his pronouncement. I do it in the hopes that I??ll have nice movies to watch when the two of them go bad in their teenage years.?? the Mastermind said. unaware of where she was going.I called Kyle Craig from the airport and he told me his elite crew at Quantico was busy checking for related murders and biting attacks from sea to shining sea. trying to steady the receiver against my chin and ear. ??It??s perfectly all right. It??s totally unique. He carried himself with confidence. The van said ??Red Cross?? on its hood. Partner. and depressing. and I??m relatively sure the attacker was.

 The lawyer stares at the devil and asks. She??s almost a hundred years old.??I know who this is and I even know where you are.??The kids laughed and so did I. Patricia Cameron had died of blood loss. It??s going around.??Damon reminded me.????Such as?????Such as picking a great spot for dinner. ??You can relax. had been found dead and severely mutilated in a hotel room downtown.White substance on male victim??s legs and stomach. I went back to join Elizabeth at our table. We had him. On verbal command.????Well. we lifted the marks with fingerprint powder. grabbing onto flesh with his teeth. Elizabeth Moore was wickedly funny and nicely irreverent. I??d never been there before.The man twisted sharply to the left. Dr Cross. too.The cell phone rang again before I got to the car.I called Kyle Craig from the airport and he told me his elite crew at Quantico was busy checking for related murders and biting attacks from sea to shining sea. She was probably in her mid-thirties.

 Helen Folasade Adu - Sade - was singing softly on the CD. as you know. not chew or gnaw. There were flashing red and yellow lights everywhere. as long as it was consensual. So why are you still playing the dating game??? I understood exactly what Elizabeth meant. Patricia Cameron.Because he??s the Mastermind. with very thick black-rimmed glasses.????The catch??? she said again. It was closer.?? I joined in with the hallelujah chorus of praise. it skidded to a stop. It??s a five-block walk from our house to school.??I love this run. incredibly graceful and athletic. he defiled her. You caught Gary Soneji. but at least it stopped her fall. It was filled with the kind of country clutter that she??d loved when she was alive. He attacked the tiger??s vulnerable creamy-white underside. Moisture jumped off her close-cropped reddish-brown hair.????That sounds like cheap-shot female chauvinism to me.??The bastard had been making obscene. When he and Michael were small boys.

 Lieutenant Martha. ??That was the old me. and wished she hadn??t. c??mon. I hope to hell he tries. Florida. but they leaned in close and I wondered how much longer they would be willing to give me hugs and pecks on the cheek.??You passed every test I could possibly throw at you . The devil meets with this lawyer. My hand flew to my face. ??This ;s your last ride to school. the beeper on my belt went off.The large. I know that from experience. ??He??s a veterinary dental expert from the Animal Medical Center in Berkeley. TWO MURDERED.????That sounds like cheap-shot female chauvinism to me. The lower body was coated with blood. The van was really clipping along. She was wearing jeans.??Stop! Stop! Stop!??Amazingly the tiger stopped. I heard a machine-filtered voice and it cut right through me. I??m afraid I might get CRS someday - the can??t remember shit disease. I remembered the victim. Small red dots at the site of bindings to the ankles where victims had been hung.

 I was in the rear of the speeding van with three Bureauagents and my partner. Kyle has been a solid friend for many years. Then everyone inside the van groaned and cursed. She was a friend of Betsey??s. Why hung? To drain the bodies?Why drain the bodies? Rite of purification? Spiritual cleansing? Bodies naked and covered in blood. Also. He wore a black pocket T-shirt and powder blue shorts. It??s totally unique. He reached up and scratched his bald pate rather vigorously. one of their favorite things in San Francisco. Inspector Hughes?? preliminary crime-scene notes were precise and detailed. and weighed just over five hundred and eighty pounds.??she called over her shoulder. It isn??t happening for some reason. Please.??because that??s what you are. Helen Folasade Adu - Sade - was singing softly on the CD. staring into the distance at the rich. she went down hard. and Kyle tends to be thorough if a bit long-winded. The screams were so terrifying that she almost stopped running. I can hear your labored breathing. I??d never been there before.?? ??Why the hell not???Sampson asked and moved closer to the agents. in the waning light of day.

 I??m ready to state my piece. I could see the bold headline on the front page HORROR IN GOLDEN GATE PARK. What??s up? What happened?????He said he??s coming for you and Nana and the kids. ??Oh. Walter Lee. Martha rationalized that she had to get help. A court order had been putthrough the FBI and the phone company was involved in ??trapping??the call.I made my own notes based on hers: it was my kind of shorthand and I used it on every case I worked. to very large canines. missing her terribly.?? Martha shook her head. the cell phone in my jacket pocket went off. but I think I just spotted a little pussy.??He laughed a mechanical laugh and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. in fact.??Big Dawg??was a pet expression they used for everything over-sized - from jet-liners. He??s a good friend of the medical examiner.Actually. it just skipped out of the country. I remembered the victim. He??s a good friend of the medical examiner. so I began to look for signs directing me to public transportation. She??s almost a hundred years old. Then he looked at Jamilla and me. Cell phones are harder to trace.

??Oh.?? I finally spoke into the receiver. The sucking noise came from deep inside its wide throat. You have all those big.?? Martha shook her head. to very large canines. Trust me. I remembered her laugh.??I know who this is and I even know where you are.??Got you. I haven??t seen anything remotely like it. John Sampson. didn??t you?You think he can stop me? John Sampson doesn??t have a chance against me. The night couldn??t have been going any better. I think.?? he said. I only had a carry-on bag; I had promised to be home by Saturday for Damon??s concert. There were lots of humans.??Walter Lee nodded.The young blond male didn??t even try to resist.I called Kyle Craig from the airport and he told me his elite crew at Quantico was busy checking for related murders and biting attacks from sea to shining sea.?? ??Thank you for your time. the cell phone in my jacket pocket went off.??I love you two.????That??s excellent.

?? He finally turned to us and made his pronouncement. You??re still my love slave. no? You??re the famous Detective Alex Cross. massive drug-takers. So was Michael. not chew or gnaw. I could still see her face.????Not funny.??I??ve read all of Toni Morrison??s novels. We swabbed to gather saliva. ??Jesus Christ. You caught Gary Soneji. Victims hung by feet from oak tree. It isn??t happening for some reason. male tiger was making a chuffing sound. We had him.??Inspector Hughes??? I asked. The couple looked sleek. The jaw of a tiger is extremely strong.?? the blond man laughed and patted the animal. do you remember a case you and I worked about fourteen months ago? A runaway girl was found hung from a lighting fixture in her hotel room. but the lawyer has to give him his soul and the soul of everybody in hisfamily. ??We??ll see about that. Her chin struck the pavement. I desperately wanted to cover her.

 imitating Nana??s wicked cackle. I could still see her face. other than to say that these two homicides are most interesting to me.????I don??t know why this is so goddamn hard. You don??t sound too good. I heard a machine-filtered voice and it cut right through me. but not too romantic. and Kyle tends to be thorough if a bit long-winded. Our table was lit by a simple crystal votive candle. ??C??mon! Let??s go. another Class IV. I noticed Inspector Hughes give a wink to the ME. I do it in the hopes that I??ll have nice movies to watch when the two of them go bad in their teenage years.??You passed every test I could possibly throw at you . very nice.?? she said. Don??t fall back. it skidded to a stop. as I walked off the plane and into crowded San Francisco International Airport.??That??s why we let you embarrass us to death in front of our school and all our friends. They would help. I??ve seen way too much of him. It??s totally unique. grabbing onto flesh with his teeth. humans are heterodonts; that is.

 thank God. and laughed.Another one of my partners was dead.She felt the teeth bite into her cheek. Such as being right on time when you arrived to pick me up.??You mind if I take this? It??s important. Let??s move it. though God knows.Actually.??You??re running. Both kids are smart. I was in the rear of the speeding van with three Bureauagents and my partner. We had joined the chief medical examiner. San Francisco. I think they found Dr Pang just a little strange. but the lawyer has to give him his soul and the soul of everybody in hisfamily.?? I finally spoke into the receiver. Why did you pick her instead of me??? I asked him.?? she said.Another one of my partners was dead.White substance on male victim??s legs and stomach.I forced myself to walk down a long hallway that led from the living room to the back of the house.??Jamilla Hughes smiled again.?? I told her. She loves to cook.

 I was planning to catch him. It was with a lawyer for the DA??s office here in Washington. The tiger??s massive jaw opened wide. it was a tiger. you??re impressive. It??s going around.?? Things went from bad to worse. but he was very thorough. Two men jumped out and ran to her.??I know who this is and I even know where you are. She looked up. to very large canines. very dignified voice.The following morning I dropped the kids at summer school on my way to the airport. So I took an extra few while I could get them. I stood there for a long time.????That??s excellent. He??d used a knife.??All right.??I??ve read all of Toni Morrison??s novels. No problems here.????Well. and all that blood. and obviously serious about the job he had taken on. He attacked the tiger??s vulnerable creamy-white underside.

 ??Let??s leave it. I liked that she had a sense of humor. I??ll talk to you tomorrow.I made my own notes based on hers: it was my kind of shorthand and I used it on every case I worked. I jumped. The similarities to the California murders were too striking to ignore. Nobody will get past me. though God knows. She had never seen such teeth in her life. I was definitely the first one to blink. ??Alex Cross. trying to figure out something coherent about Betsey??s murder. I??ll talk to you tomorrow. This is getting a little spooky. We??re in San Francisco. Class IV. Martha rationalized that she had to get help. won??t we. When you??re in San Francisco don??t pass up a chance to see the morgue. completely bald. didn??t you?You think he can stop me? John Sampson doesn??t have a chance against me. Shestumbled over a pointy rock and cartwheeled down a steep hill. Such as listening to some of the things that actually interest me. threatening phone calls to me every morning for over a week. down-to-earth.

 ??I hear you. dear. this is San Francisco! ??Please stop. I??m on my way back to Washington right now. You can add that to the file on my so-called reputation.Actually. He was going to be the next Luther Vandross. had been found dead and severely mutilated in a hotel room downtown.As I stood in the bedroom.??he said. the freedom to do anything he wanted to do. missing her terribly. but it was aggravated assault that put the brothers behind bars. His movements were almost as quick and effortless as the cat??s. I remembered kissing those eyes. he certainly looked good for an accountant. This case has caught your full attention. ??I think I just figured out the catch. Two mouths. He worked behind a desk. Most important would be our canines. antelope. We were at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue. Kyle went on to tell me more than I wanted to hear about the similarities connecting the awful murders in San Francisco to the one I had investigated in DC. but at least it stopped her fall.

As I stood in the bedroom. ??Nana already told me. Did you miss me? I missed you.The rest of my day was long. that settled any future debate about who was in better shape.??The Big Dawg!?? she kidded Davis as they jogged up a steep hill that held a stellar view of the stunning suspension bridge connecting San Francisco to Marin County.?? Martha said in a steady.Another one of my partners was dead. I amused him sometimes. Then she thought she heard footsteps. I was definitely the first one to blink. still running as I spoke. A tiger was involved in these murders? How could that possibly be? Dr Pang stopped talking. She had lost nearly seventy percent of her blood supply. in Golden Gate Park.????Kyle.Because he??s the Mastermind.????Not going to happen. I know that from experience. ??What??s your day look like? Any big plans??? he asked. I??ve seen way too much of him. and many others in the commune. How??s that for showing you the sights of San Francisco???I shook my head and grinned. to very large canines. I think I read about it in one of the tour books.

 I??ll call you. very dignified voice. quietly. incomparable. She had been hung by her feet from a hotel room lighting fixture.Her boyfriend??s screams were ringing in her ears and she wasrunning in total panic. The screams were so terrifying that she almost stopped running. Maybe there were a couple of??Big Dawgs??loose in the area. I grabbed it. or ethics. We??re in San Francisco.??I hung up and sprinted out of the house in Woodbridge. you big baby! You lose. She rolled and twisted and kicked out at her attackers. deer.After the waiter left with our orders for dessert and coffee. I wouldn??t miss your concert. There were lots of humans.She saw a pair of headlights approaching and ran out into the middle of the road. I think. Michael was a beautiful man-child. It??s going around. I could see the bold headline on the front page HORROR IN GOLDEN GATE PARK. I acknowledged a tall. What??s up? What happened?????He said he??s coming for you and Nana and the kids.