A Wild and Lonely Place (41 page)

On the other side of San Jose Hy suddenly asked, “Say, did Renshaw make good on your ten-times-or-nothing wager?”

“Well, he paid my fee in full, plus a bonus for keeping RKI out of a mess—again. But he welshed on our bet.”

“You want me to send out the leg-breakers?”

“Nah, I’m forgiving it. The reward’s overwhelming enough; I seriously don’t think I’m equipped to handle too much money.”

“Don’t underestimate yourself.”

“Oh, hey—I just remembered something. Take a look at the clipping from last night’s
Examiner
that’s tucked in the side pocket of my bag. I think you’ll find it interesting.”

As he read I could follow along because of the surprised and appreciative sounds coming through the headset. I’d practically
memorized the wire-service story that had appeared on a back page devoted to peculiar incidents. Datelined Marigot, the headline
read FREAK ACCIDENT CLAIMS GERMAN CITIZEN.

Klaus Schechtmann, a German national residing on Jumbie Cay in the Leeward Islands, was killed late Sunday afternoon when
a cannon belonging to a neighbor accidentally misfired.

Schechtmann, 43, owner of the sovereign island, was visiting Zebediah Altagracia, 76, when Altagracia’s Revolutionary War
relic discharged while he was cleaning it. Schechtmann was killed instantly.

Altagracia, a local celebrity since he successfully declared the island independent from the United Kingdom in 1971, said
he was preparing the cannon for Monday’s celebration of the United States’ Memorial Day.

“We celebrate damn near every patriotic holiday known to mankind here,” Mr. Altagracia told the press, “especially those of
people who have been subjugated. I plan to dedicate today to the memory of Klaus Schechtmann. He was a fine man who cared
deeply about this island and its inhabitants. I speak for all of us when I say he will be sorely missed.”

An investigation by Interpol is pending, but sources close to the agency say there is little likelihood that charges will
be filed.

Hy whistled softly. “All I can say is
vive la révolution.
”

The end

“[Sharon McCone is] the new breed of American woman detective…redefining the mystery genre by applying different sensibilities
and values to it.”

—
N
EW
Y
ORK
T
IMES
B
OOK
R
EVIEW

“Marcia Muller invented the hard-boiled female private eye genre.…Many have followed her lead, but Muller remains the best.”

—
S
AN
D
IEGO
U
NION
-T
RIBUNE

“Pace and plotting are very strong, but it’s her characters—especially McCone—who will lure you back.”

—A
TLANTA
J
OURNAL
& C
ONSTITUTION

“Reading the McCone novels in order one can track the astounding literary growth of author Marcia Muller as she hones her
skills to scalpel sharpness…a prime example of just how good the noir novel can be.”

—
C
LEVELAND
P
LAIN
D
EALER

“Muller has gotten quietly, steadily better. She is building up steam, not running out of it.”

—
N
EWSWEEK

In Sharon McCone, Marcia Muller has set the standard for the contemporary female hard-boiled private eye. Her maverick heroine
has evolved from a 1960s idealist into a formidable criminal investigator who has not lost her deep, abiding love of San Francisco
history and values. In her most action-packed novel yet, Muller sends McCone on a dangerous journey that leads from San Francisco
to a secluded Caribbean isle, where family loyalty, patriotism, and secrecy stake their claim on the human heart—which, as
McCone knows too well, can be…

A WILD AND LONELY PLACE

For months, the embassies of oil-rich nations have been the target of an elusive terrorist known only as the Diplo-Bomber.
A federal task force, which includes one of McCone’s closest police contacts, is stumped—until a botched bombing attempt threatens
the San Francisco consulate of Azad, a progressive Arab emirate.

At first McCone is thinking only of the $1 million reward offered by the FBI and the Azadis. But when she learns more about
the consulate household, McCone suspects that someone inside the turbulent ruling family may be linked to the bombing. The
Azadis’ consul general is the western-educated Malika Hamid, one of only a few Muslim women to brave the world of international
diplomacy. An intriguing mix of eastern traditions and modern ideas, Malika is fiercely controlling the lives of her playboy
son and his beautiful, alcoholic American wife. Torn between her troubled parents is the lonely, nine-year-old Habiba, a mischievous
imp of a girl who takes an immediate liking to McCone.

When little Habiba disappears, McCone follows her trail to a desolate Caribbean island that has its own brand of justice.
Now McCone and her allies, including her lover, Hy Ripinsky, find themselves in an arena far larger than any they have been
in so far. Here McCone is risking not only her own life but those of many others as the mission takes her dangerously close
to the edge of disaster. For this is a battle that could destabilize U.S. international relations—and one in which McCone
must literally fight fire with fire.…

M
ARCIA
M
ULLER
is the author of more than twenty novels and many short mystery stories. She has also established a brilliant reputation
as an anthologist and critic of mystery fiction. In 1993 she was awarded the Private Eye Writers of America Life Achievement
award, and her
Wolf in the Shadows
was nominated for the 1994 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Crime Novel and won the Anthony Boucher Award. She lives with her
husband, mystery writer Bill Pronzini, in northern California.