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CHAPTER 36

CHIEF OF POLICE Charles Clapper was the respected top police official in San Francisco. This morning, three days after Jacobi’s death, Clapper called a task force meeting in the war room. As always, he was smartly dressed and closely shaven, with comb marks in his salt-and-pepper hair. To my mind, he shined like a freshly minted silver coin. At the same time, he looked as though he hadn’t slept all week.

I had a crazy hope he was going to tell us that Jacobi’s killer had confessed or had been caught, but that wasn’t it.

Clapper said, “First, I want to let you know that Warren Jacobi’s funeral will be held on Friday—tomorrow. I spoke with Jacobi’s partner, Muriel Roth, yesterday. She’s lived with him for most of the last ten years or so. Some of you may have met her.”

Clapper went on. “As you all know, when a top cop dies, he usually gets a full military-style funeral. A parade from here to the church and then out to Cypress Lawn in Colma. Everyone wears dress blues. Gun salute. Et cetera. And we would like to do that for Warren. However, the degree of pomp in that level of funeral service is up to the deceased’s family, and in this case, Jacobi preplanned and left his preference with Muriel and his lawyer, who brought this note to me.”

Clapper paused, unfolded a sheet of notepaper.

“Jacobi wrote this: “To my family, former coworkers, and dear friends who are also my family, these are my long-considered wishes in the event of my death. “I don’t want a lavish funeral. No parade, no gun salutes, no herd of black cars flying flags making the trip from the Hall to Colma. I’m not that guy. What I’d like is for those who worked, socialized, or shared an elevator with me to please come to St. Mark’s for my funeral service. This is the church that I love and where I have been worshipping since I moved near Hayes Valley. “It gives me great comfort, as I sit on the sofa with my beloved Muriel, to know that when it’s my time, my funeral will be overseen by Pastor Casey Elliot at St. Mark’s, a beautiful church that is so dear to me. And that you will all be with me in spirit.”

Clapper cleared his throat, folded the paper, and returned it to his inside jacket pocket.

“The funeral service begins at 10 a.m. tomorrow. The church holds fewer than five hundred people but standing room is permitted. What’s important is to say good-bye to a great cop and a great friend.”