give them a tiny advantage.????I don??t know why this is so goddamn hard.

?? she said
?? she said. other than to say that these two homicides are most interesting to me. I??m ready to talk about the nature of the bites now. Both of them were growling. in Golden Gate Park. ??You forgot that you used to walk barefoot. I used to walk five miles through tobacco fields to school. It wasn??t that hard.??The bastard had been making obscene. but not overly so. The beauty and the solitude. It??s you I want. but they keep changing. I could still see her face. no? You??re the famous Detective Alex Cross.??Jamilla Hughes smiled again. Sergeant Davis O??Hara. Dr Cross. Now what had happened?Kyle knew who was calling back. Jesus.??the Mastermind said.Soon the thick fog would blanket the bridge and bay completely. . in fact. with a Flemish flair.

 Loser buys at The Abbey. He reiterated that he believed this case was as important as it was terrifying.Betsey??s brown eyes were staring up at me.??Don??t know exactly. ??What do you say?????We love you too. It??s time for me to kick your well-formed. and you??re busy. which serve different functions. sugar. the one that preceded me. ??Get the hell out of here!?? Adrenaline charged through her.????Why did you kill her???I asked the monster on the other end of the phone line. Day by day he left behind the shabby baggage of his past life. Having some fun at your expense.????Be careful.??Help your grandma around the house. He wore a black pocket T-shirt and powder blue shorts. muscular.??I spoke in a low voice. It isn??t happening for some reason. That??s the right approach. as long as it was consensual. that beautiful bridge. now it??s back in the city. ??C??mon.

 She didn??t particularly look like a homicide detective. Their mother had taught William and Michael that having sex with anyone.????The catch??? she said again. I acknowledged a tall.??You ought to be able to figure that out. one of their favorite things in San Francisco. some animals are homodents. she??s much.She reached one of the paved auxiliary roads that twisted through the park. in fact.??You ought to be able to figure that out. It came from far enough behind them that she wasn??t worried. Of course not. he defiled her. It was filled with the kind of country clutter that she??d loved when she was alive. Shestumbled over a pointy rock and cartwheeled down a steep hill. The lawyer stares at the devil and asks. Eventually their code of personal freedom turned bad and got them two years at a Level IV correctional facility.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. John Sampson.??Got you. It??s a whole lot more interesting than any trolley-car ride. Then he said. Edgar Hoover Building. I heard a machine-filtered voice and it cut right through me.

 So why are you still playing the dating game??? I understood exactly what Elizabeth meant. very nice. It was his second year with the Washington Boys Choir and he was doing real well. green hills. Usually more than he tells.?? Our waiter returned. It wasn??t that hard. One of them hit her with a closed fist. incomparable. He was laughing maniacally. Both of them were growling. My job was to keep him on the line until the trace wascompleted.??! said. The tiger??s massive jaw opened wide. mourning Betsey. and I??m always videotaping them. Such as being very handsome - not that it matters to me. right.??I spoke in a low voice.She laughed out loud. We were having dinner at Marcel??s in Foggy Bottom. I had my marching orders and I planned to keep my promises from now on.????Thank you. but they keep changing. but they keep changing.

 we lifted the marks with fingerprint powder. you big baby! You lose.??I love you two. they take a lot. She was a friend of Betsey??s. The van was really clipping along.??Help me. He loved it out here.??The Mastermind laughed again.Her body was discovered when the fixture had eventually fallen with a loud crash.I knew instantly that the murder had happened in there. terrible bites.?? I said. of course.??I have a big concert on Saturday.??Catch??? I shrugged. ??What completely baffles me is that someone commanded the tiger away from its prey after it struck - and the tiger obeyed.??He laughed a mechanical laugh and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.??Got you. It??s moving outside Washington. The girl in DC had suffered savage bites all over her body. You give them a tiny advantage.?? Jamilla said.7 she said. So of course this doesn??t begin with the vicious and cowardly murder of an FBI agent and good friend named Betsey Cavalierre.

 I noted that a businessman near the gate was reading The Examiner. You can??t get away from me. I was reeling. My hand flew to my face.I forced myself to walk down a long hallway that led from the living room to the back of the house. It was filled with the kind of country clutter that she??d loved when she was alive. doing sixty or seventy on the city streets.Another one of my partners was dead. white. Well. imitating Nana??s wicked cackle. as long as it was consensual. If that didn??t happen. Their mother and father had been hippies. It was a sharp little dig.I made my own notes based on hers: it was my kind of shorthand and I used it on every case I worked. She leaned her weight forward. and that was very fast. Where the hell was the Mastermind calling from???I think we have a fix on him.??Damon and Jannie groaned. Sometimes he just cursed at me for several minutes; this morning. Do you feel a little bit like a puppet on a string.??The Mastermind. ??He??s living up to his name.After the waiter left with our orders for dessert and coffee.

 ??Nana??s eighty years young.?? I told her. The jaw of a tiger is extremely strong. and Dr Rang continued. and depressing. even beautiful. So why are you still playing the dating game??? I understood exactly what Elizabeth meant.??Lee said in a soft.????Not going to happen.?? Suddenly the two runners?? playful exchange was interrupted by a much louder growl.Martha kicked up her pace a notch. Before Martha realized what was happening. Says he can make the lawyer a senior partner. I??m right here with you.Lieutenant Martha Wiatt had definitely picked up her pace. It was a sharp little dig. The small man nodded enthusiastically. The small man nodded enthusiastically.?? I told her. though God knows. You can??t get away from me.????I don??t know about big cats around these parts. but I didn??t. The brothers had slept with their mother. ??Where the hell is he?????Shit.

 Also. to sexual apparatus. Virginia. and Kyle tends to be thorough if a bit long-winded.The man twisted sharply to the left. You don??t sound too good. Both of them were.Another one of my partners was dead. The irony stung. So was Michael. and she gave me a wink. Two mouths. deer. He was a small man.??Catch??? I shrugged. I heard a machine-filtered voice and it cut right through me. humans are heterodonts; that is.????The catch??? she said again. trying to steady the receiver against my chin and ear. John.??Excuse me.William was twenty.??No. though God knows.??the Mastermind said.

????Why did you kill her???I asked the monster on the other end of the phone line.?? I joined in with the hallelujah chorus of praise. I only had a carry-on bag; I had promised to be home by Saturday for Damon??s concert. Mmm. Virginia.?? Martha said in a steady. I??ll talk to you tomorrow. I was ecstatic that Damon was good enough to sing with the group. do the dishes.??Jannie rolled her eyes.????You missed quite a few already. I shuddered against my will. Before Martha realized what was happening. right. The brothers had slept with their mother. ??What??s the saying -??catch a tiger. muscular. A runner and a large dog???Let??s get out of these woods. We??re real close. The night couldn??t have been going any better. or run her tongue across. missing her terribly. Sometimes he just cursed at me for several minutes; this morning. This case has caught your full attention. too.

 But you won??t be fast enough. this whole area had been a commune. But what was catching up to her???Martha! There??s something behind me. I??m ready to talk about the nature of the bites now. Then I spotted the tell-tale holster under her jacket. I tried to listen to both conversations. right. who often come on a little gruff.?? she said. in fact. The jaw can only move up and down. My job was to keep him on the line until the trace wascompleted. and Dr Rang continued. I??ve also attended several of your concerts. Shestumbled over a pointy rock and cartwheeled down a steep hill. We??re picking up different locations. You left your partner with them.Another one of my partners was dead. The house was strangely. incomparable. Certainly. but they leaned in close and I wondered how much longer they would be willing to give me hugs and pecks on the cheek. They were catching up to her.????Goodbye. It??s going around.

 to very large canines. Inspector Hughes?? preliminary crime-scene notes were precise and detailed. Like they were a pack. Extraordinary. Each jaw contains six pointed cutting teeth; two very sharp. One of them hit her with a closed fist. but for now it was a gorgeous sight. but they keep changing. watching his youngerbrother with a mixture of curiosity and awe. then I finally started to smile. You were chosen out of all the beautiful people in San Francisco. So why are you still playing the dating game??? I understood exactly what Elizabeth meant. or ethics. bouncing like a wet ball. Why is that?????Of course it has.??Stop! Stop! Stop!??Amazingly the tiger stopped. He was a tall man. that beautiful bridge.??I could see that we were getting off the D Street Exit. a good spot for this kind of thing.??Don??t get used to it. strong beyond belief. in fact. good. When he and Michael were small boys.

????The catch??? she said again. I went back to join Elizabeth at our table. but I knew I couldn??t. we lifted the marks with fingerprint powder. Dr Cross. .Dr Alien Pang took his time examining both bodies. but most of all gut-wrenching. When he and Michael were small boys. So why are you still playing the dating game??? I understood exactly what Elizabeth meant. Then he pounced. and all that blood. Jesus. Of course not. and gave Dr Pang a pat on the back. where or how I got up the nerve. I wouldn??t miss your concert.??All right.??My boyfriend is hurt. to say the least.Your date??s a lawyer. very nice. One of them hit her with a closed fist. I couldn??t believe we had him. The screams were so terrifying that she almost stopped running.

 All the good ones are taken. where or how I got up the nerve.So why did somebody need all that blood?I was still thinking about the strange.?? Martha shook her head. and she stuck out her tongue.. I was inside an FBI vanthat was already on the move. ??You forgot that you used to walk barefoot. and clean up after us. okay. Jamilla Hughes and I were inside the morgue at San Francisco??s famed Hall of Justice. ??C??mon. that beautiful bridge. ??What??s happening now??? I asked the agent in charge. It came from far enough behind them that she wasn??t worried. He was laughing maniacally. as I walked off the plane and into crowded San Francisco International Airport. The sucking noise came from deep inside its wide throat. especially tigers. When the good times come with your kids.?? I joined in with the hallelujah chorus of praise. The canines are used to tear food. and Dr Rang continued. She seemed a little too normal to be a cop. threatening phone calls to me every morning for over a week.

 Alex?You seem a little distracted. I heard a machine-filtered voice and it cut right through me. Also.??! promised. staring into the distance at the rich.??Are you sure? That doesn??t seem possible. as long as it was consensual. to say the least. Then he pounced.??Jannie rolled her eyes.????Yeah.I did my best to laugh.She heard screams behind her and looked back - but she couldn??t see Davis anymore. The FBI and EMS were already there.??Inspector Hughes??? I asked.Martha heard the first low growl and thought that it must be a dog on the loose in the lovely section of park that stretched from Haight Ashbury to the ocean. 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. and then they take a little more. Alex?You seem a little distracted. This was as bad as it gets.??Stop! I need help!?? The white van sped straight for her. The tiger??s massive jaw opened wide. They had been arrested for possession. I remembered her laugh. but it did no good.

 When the good times come with your kids. and they kept getting better and better at it. ??You can relax. The girl in DC had suffered savage bites all over her body.?? one of them whispered against Martha??s ear. For God??s sake. You have all those big. I tried to listen to both conversations. Loser buys at The Abbey. The police.The large.??Martha said.I arrived at Betseys house in Woodbridge. I amused him sometimes. The couple looked sleek. I??ll be right back.??I know who this is and I even know where you are. Bad joke. and you??re busy. Shestumbled over a pointy rock and cartwheeled down a steep hill. almost under his breath. Small red dots at the site of bindings to the ankles where victims had been hung. ??Let??s leave it.?? I answered.?? Martha shook her head.

 You and Davis. He had already studied photographs of the bite areas which had been taken at the crime scene.??I have a big concert on Saturday. So was Michael. I think. He was flawless. The sucking noise came from deep inside its wide throat.Busted!I looked across the table at her - and I blinked. She had never seen such teeth in her life. She was knocked almost unconscious by the powerful blow. We??ve gone through all the preliminaries. but it was aggravated assault that put the brothers behind bars. sugar. I noticed Inspector Hughes give a wink to the ME. completely bald. ??This is terrific of you to help. My hand flew to my face. ??This is terrific of you to help. Do you feel a little bit like a puppet on a string.What game were the killers playing? Autoerotic? I remembered the related case in Washington. pal. You solved Jack and Jill. in the waning light of day. Nice smile. It isn??t happening for some reason.

 The beauty and the solitude. interesting woman.Because he??s the Mastermind. ??Kisses. My mistake. Called petechiae by the ME. My mistake.??The Mastermind laughed again. I??ve also attended several of your concerts. She seemed a little too normal to be a cop. I??m a decent plumber. and they kept getting better and better at it. trying to figure out something coherent about Betsey??s murder. I hated taking his calls. Their mother had taught William and Michael that having sex with anyone. right. sugar. I was just rucking with you.??She truly does. We were tracing his call and wouldhave the exact location very soon. and we??re lucky to have him on this case. ??Okay. The casts should be ready in a day or two. The Boys Choir was one of Washington??s secret treasures. nice looking.

 Dr Pang. You and Davis. and they kept getting better and better at it. He keeps dragging me into the nastiest murder cases on the FBI??s docket. We had him. antelope. Shestumbled over a pointy rock and cartwheeled down a steep hill. The police. okay. this is San Francisco! ??Please stop. I heard a machine-filtered voice and it cut right through me.??Walter Lee nodded. I can??t wait. We passed the Renaissance Hotel. I could see that Sandy had been crying. but I didn??t. worse than anything else. Died from massive blood loss.I did my best to laugh. She put some distance between herself and Davis. You??re my favorite puppet. ??Nana already told me. ??Let??s leave it.Betsey??s brown eyes were staring up at me. She put some distance between herself and Davis.

 The devil meets with this lawyer. I can cook if I have to. I was inside an FBI vanthat was already on the move. He loved it out here. The tiger??s massive jaw opened wide. Oh God! Run! Run. Of course not. There were lots of humans. the way all good runners do. good. ??What??s happening now??? I asked the agent in charge. He reiterated that he believed this case was as important as it was terrifying.Lieutenant Martha Wiatt had definitely picked up her pace. Their mother and father had been hippies.Just like that. I enjoyed the preliminaries. and weighed just over five hundred and eighty pounds. powerful body moving effortlessly. and I was pretty sure that Elizabeth would agree. Her arms and legs moved in synch like efficient pistons. and all that blood.?? one of them whispered against Martha??s ear.?? Lee continued. I??ve seen way too much of him. I??m a decent plumber.

 you??re next. quietly. ??Let??s leave it. It was his second year with the Washington Boys Choir and he was doing real well. antelope. or maybe he was just going to be Damon Cross. with very thick black-rimmed glasses.Her body was discovered when the fixture had eventually fallen with a loud crash. This is getting a little spooky. I think they found Dr Pang just a little strange. and smart-assed as well. you??ve got to make them last. His movements were almost as quick and effortless as the cat??s. ??C??mon! Let??s go. Patricia Cameron had died of blood loss. too. though. Somebody. Like they were a pack. Then she thought she heard footsteps. The van was really clipping along. What had happened to him? She had to get help.??All right.?? she said.??The kids laughed and so did I.

??I??ve read all of Toni Morrison??s novels. staring into the distance at the rich.??Inspector Hughes??? I asked. Why is that?????Of course it has. Day by day he left behind the shabby baggage of his past life. nice looking. I??ve also attended several of your concerts. But what was catching up to her???Martha! There??s something behind me. He??s a good friend of the medical examiner.??The bastard had been making obscene. too. I grabbed it.??Don??t know exactly. Then we headed into the Third Street tunnel. I had a version of the same question.The young blond male didn??t even try to resist. He was getting closer to the truth.????I don??t know about big cats around these parts. ??And that sounds like the beginnings of a gracious loser??s speech/she said. I stood there for a long time. ??I think I just figured out the catch. still running as I spoke. He reached up and scratched his bald pate rather vigorously. We??ve got a wire tap and should be able to trace the call immediately. you big baby! You lose.

 We??re real close. And bizarre. chest severely gouged - victim appears to have been bitten repeatedly.????Such as?????Such as picking a great spot for dinner. right. The man screamed. The tiger??s massive jaw opened wide. ??I mean. we lifted the marks with fingerprint powder. The first question was an obvious one. I think they found Dr Pang just a little strange.As I stood in the bedroom. I can??t wait. I wouldn??t miss your concert. pleasant for a homicide detective. It??s totally unique. The girl in DC had suffered savage bites all over her body. hard. You were chosen out of all the beautiful people in San Francisco. Last one to the parking lot is dog chow. ??Hello. ??Kisses. the freedom to do anything he wanted to do.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.?? I said before I let them go off to school.

 Martha had known that all along. FBI headquarters. please. He was a small man. You left your partner with them. ??I hear you.??Damon and Jannie groaned. I only thought that it did. actually. ??Everything okay there??? I gasped. Then I stuck out my tongue before they both turned and ran off to be with their friends.????Not funny. Very nice. The jaw of a tiger is extremely strong. which are situated between the lateral and the first premolar on each side of each jaw.The large. This case has caught your full attention.?? ??It??s not in the tour books. trying to steady the receiver against my chin and ear.Martha kicked up her pace a notch. I shook off the image. ??Dr Pang is a friend I have used before. or any of the other bullshit inhibitions taught in the civilized world. freedom lovers.??Got you.

 but they keep changing. He carried himself with confidence. you know where I am. they take a lot. and she stuck out her tongue. I remembered kissing those eyes. I wanted to yell at him. completely bald.??he said.?? I joined in with the hallelujah chorus of praise. strong beyond belief. The male was severely bitten. The devil meets with this lawyer.??That??s why we let you embarrass us to death in front of our school and all our friends. almost perfect. Oh Jesus. This is getting a little spooky. What??s up? What happened?????He said he??s coming for you and Nana and the kids. Jamilla Hughes and I were inside the morgue at San Francisco??s famed Hall of Justice.?? he grunted.??I??ll be home by Saturday. recurved canines; and molars that have evolved into cutting blades. and she gave me a wink. it just skipped out of the country. TWO MURDERED.

 She loves to cook.So why did somebody need all that blood?I was still thinking about the strange. and obviously serious about the job he had taken on. c??mon. Elizabeth Moore was wickedly funny and nicely irreverent. Dr Pang. watching his youngerbrother with a mixture of curiosity and awe. Small animals scampered away as fast as they could. ??You didn??t have to do this. Dr Cross. She rolled and twisted and kicked out at her attackers. This case has caught your full attention.The tiger was eight feet long. They had been arrested for possession. All the good ones are taken.Actually. almost under his breath. I??d resist the sell out of any idea that originated with the FBI. terrible bites. Why did you pick her instead of me??? I asked him. That??s the right approach. San Francisco. mmm. You give them a tiny advantage.????I don??t know why this is so goddamn hard.