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I clutched at the railing, stoppingon?

Was it the hot shower and rushing to dress compounded by an empty stomach?

I put ot to ht of stairs, steady as she goes I was okay I thought I was okay Out on the street I got into nition I did a personal systems check, too I was fine Much better now

I warine, then called Richie to say that I was on the way

CHAPTER 24

AT EIGHT THIRTY that night I drove to Fisher tourists with its ra distance were Ghirardelli Square and the cable car turnaround at Hyde Street, which took visitors across Nob Hill to Union Square on the other side

I made a turn off the Embarcadero and onto Pier 45, busy with foot traffic The restaurants were open, street vendors sold Dungeness crab froled happily in the seaside-resort atmosphere

I also noted the shadow population of street people who had set up their carts and sleeping bags in gaps between buildings, begged from tourists, and searched trash bins for food

Millie Cushing had told me that the murder had taken place next to the Musée Mécanique, a ames and musical instruments

I saw the museum up ahead

It was closed for the night, but still, red lights winked inside the arcade I turned onto the road to the parking area at the side of the et far before I was stopped by two unifor beside a police cruiser that partially blocked the entrance to the pier

I buzzed down otten a citizen call about a homicide, and asked to be pointed to the first officers on the scene I was told that Officers Baskin and Casey were just inside the perimeter

I drove into the desolate parking area, bounded on both sides by the rear walls of buildings, open to the Embarcadero on one end and to San Francisco Bay at the other Panhandlers were known to use this area after hours to gather and sleep

I expected hts to illuminate a scrum of law enforcement vehicles around the crime scene Instead I saw one other solitary cruiser Two uniformed cops had taken up positions near a taped-off area enclosing an inert, lule of ho the cops

A horn honked behind reeted each other, the cold wind co the words out of our mouths