Dead Secret (28 page)

Vanessa’s face became stern. “Put yourself at ease, Diane. If anyone I know is responsible for this, then I would regard their actions as a betrayal and a threat to all those things I hold dearest to me. I would expect that every effort within your power be made to apprehend and punish them in the most severe way allowed under the law. Anyone who threatens Milo’s museum is not a friend of mine.”

“Thank you for that. And thank you for seeing me unannounced.”

“Did you think I was going to have Hattie kick you out? I think you’re feeling a little sorry for yourself. It’s not like you.”

“I know.” Diane rubbed her temples. “I’m getting pathetic.”

“It looks like you’ve been crying.”

Diane looked over at an ornate mirror hanging on the wall. Her eyes did look puffy. “I had to tell my parents why someone wrecked their lives, destroyed their tranquillity and ruined their reputation. They are very angry with me. My mother blames me for what happened to her.”

“Oh, my dear, I see.”

“She has suffered a lot.”

“No doubt. It was a cruel thing that was done to her. But her blame is misplaced. I know family relationships can be difficult—Lord knows, mine are complicated enough. But you have to keep yourself anchored in reality. The reality is that there are some very bad people out there who are trying to get their way.”

Diane liked talking to Vanessa—she was good at putting things in perspective. She wished she had the same relationship with her family.

“I know that, deep inside. It’s just hard to put into practice sometimes.” Diane looked at her watch. “I need to ask another favor. I couldn’t call Frank on my phone at the museum or my cell phone. May I use yours? It’s long-distance, to Atlanta.”

Vanessa nodded. “Of course, dear. You can use the phone on the desk.”

She pointed to a white French Provençal desk with a glass-covered top. The phone matched the decor—white and gold.

“Would you like me to leave you alone?”

“That’s not necessary.” Diane sat down at the desk and called Frank’s cell. “Frank, it’s me,” she said when he answered.

“Hey, Diane. How are you? I understand you called your parents and they blame you for your mom’s arrest. Did you find out what happened?”

Frank caught Diane completely by surprise. “How did you know?”

“Mike called.”

“Mike called? He shouldn’t have.” Diane felt a little annoyed.

“He called about Neva,” said Frank. “He wants her to stay at my house again.”

Diane’s annoyance evaporated. “Why?” she asked.

“There’s some nut who’s been calling him—says something about being the top of the food chain and Mike isn’t going to get his rabbits.”

“Neva mentioned something about that. They thought it was someone on drugs.”

“He called this morning and told Mike that Neva would make a pretty little rabbit.”

“Oh, my God.” Talking with Vanessa had had a calming effect on her, but now she was scared again.

“It shook him up pretty bad,” said Frank. “He was going to ask you to ask me, but he said you had a lot on your plate and he didn’t want to bother you. What’s going on?”

Diane told him the whole story as she fingered the feathered ink pen on the desk. She wondered if anyone ever wrote with it. She could just see him staring at the phone with his mouth open.

“Did they hurt you?”

“They made my arm sore again. Pissed me off royally. But I’m basically all right.”

“So you think one is a hacker?”

“Yes.”

“I have a database of known and suspected hackers.”

Diane smiled. “David would be envious.”

“Tell me everything you know about him and I’ll start looking for possibilities. If Jin can get his DNA, he may be in CODIS. That was good thinking, by the way, getting them to yell into your ear and leave their DNA.”

“Thanks. I think better in a blind panic.”

Diane told Frank everything she could think of about the men. It wasn’t much, but maybe he could find something useful.

“I’ll come stay with you tonight,” he said.

“That would be a comfort. Bring a bedroll; we’ll be sleeping in the museum.”

Diane hung up the phone. “Thank you, Vanessa. I appreciate your lending me your support and giving me some perspective.”

“I hardly said anything, dear.”

“Just talking it out helped.” Diane looked at her watch. “I need to get back to the museum. I just wanted you to know what’s going on, so you wouldn’t be shocked when I close it up.”

“I appreciate your keeping me informed. Take care of yourself.” Vanessa saw Diane to the door.

Diane drove back to the museum and straight to the crime lab, hoping that David had heard from Jin. He hadn’t. But he had swept the lab and her office for electronic bugs.

“We’re clean,” he said.

“We’re probably giving these guys too much credit,” she said. “At least I know I can talk on the phone now.”

Neva came in from the osteology lab carrying a stack of her drawings of the various victims. She laid them out on the table side by side.

“I have some new drawings,” she said, spreading them out on one of the empty tables.

Diane and David walked over to examine them.

“Frank told me about the phone call. Are you all right, Neva?” Diane asked.

“I’m fine. I think Mike is making too much of it.”

“What phone call? What’s going on?” asked David.

“You know how I told you that Mike’s been getting a bunch of strange messages?” said Neva. David nodded. “Whoever it is called again and made it more personal.”

She related the latest thing he said to Mike. Diane could see she was trying to downplay it.

“Mike’s not making too much of it,” said David. “You know, he’s looking to me like the guy who stabbed Mike.”

“Well, what if he comes back after him while I’m at Frank’s playing Monopoly?”

Neva’s voice was getting high-pitched. As much as she tried to hide it, she was scared.

“I’m staying at the museum for a while, so I’ll ask Mike to go over to my place,” said David. “You can go there too, if you like.” David explained to Neva why he would be at the museum.

While they were talking, Diane was examining the photographs.

“This last one—is this Jane Doe . . . I mean Flora Martin?” she asked.

“Yes. The one next to it is the aged version of the woman in Caver Doe’s snapshot. I sort of thought she would turn out to be Flora Martin, but they are completely different,” said Neva.

Diane had had the same thought, that the snapshot would turn out to be the older woman found in the woods—she wasn’t. But Diane did recognize her, and she could almost hear the dominoes clinking against each other as they started falling.

Chapter 39

Diane surprised David and Neva when she told them who the aged version of the woman in the snapshot looked like.

“It could be a coincidence,” said David, “but her family does have money.” David paused a moment and rubbed his bald head. “You know, you can publish the drawings in the newspaper or give them to the TV stations in Atlanta. I bet you’d have people coming out of the woodwork who recognize the drawings.”

“I agree, but first, I need to secure the museum.” Diane turned to Neva. “David and I are staying in the museum for a few days. You are welcome to stay, or—”

“I’ll stay here with you. Can Mike stay?”

Diane shook her head. “I don’t want any civilians. No one outside the crime unit staff.”

Neva didn’t want to give up. “But what if whoever it is follows Mike to David’s? He would be safest here.”

“I’ll ask Frank to pick Mike up. He’ll see if anyone is following.”

Neva nodded reluctantly. “I hate this. It’s like somebody is after all of us.”

“Not all of you,” said David. “Just you guys who found the body in the cave.”

Diane was taken by surprise at David’s statement. He was right. Finding the body in the cave was like stumbling over a tripwire. Everything started happening after that event was in the newspapers, including all the current murders.

“He’s right,” whispered Neva. “Why didn’t we see that?

It’s so obvious. I mean, obviously Caver Doe is central. We knew that. But I never quite realized that all of us who were in the cave have become targets. The newspaper article named us all.”

She looked at Diane. “MacGregor,” they both said simultaneously.

Diane took out her cell, punched up the list of caving buddies and called MacGregor, who was also with them in the cave.

“MacGregor.” Diane was relieved to hear him answer.

“It’s Diane Fallon, Mac. How are you?”

“I’m fine. How are you?” He sounded slightly puzzled but glad to hear from her.

“Mac, has anything strange happened to you lately?”

“Strange like what?”

“Has anyone broken into your house?”

“No. But there is something kind of weird going on.”

“What’s that?”

“I’ve been getting these calls for the past couple of weeks—some guy tells me that he’s the one who’s the top of the food chain and I’m just a bottom-feeder and that I can’t have his rabbits.” MacGregor laughed. “It cracks me up just thinking about it. I asked him what the heck he was talking about and he just hung up. He’s called several times. Once in the middle of the night. I told him the calls had to stop, and if it made him feel better, I wouldn’t get any of his rabbits.”

“What did your caller ID say?”

“No data. I was hoping to be able to call him back in the middle of the night and tell him I’d changed my mind, that I like rabbit stew.” MacGregor chuckled.

“What was his voice like?” asked Diane. She frowned at Neva and David, who stood watching her closely. The calls were sounding less and less like a prank.

“Kind of high-pitched, like a girl’s, but I could still tell it was a guy.”

“Are you at work?” Diane asked.

“Yes, I’m here at my daddy’s hardware store.”

“Can you stay at your parents’ house for a while?”

“Why?”

“Mike’s getting the same calls. In the last one he referred to Neva as a nice little rabbit.”

“Oh, shit, is this some kind of real nutcase?” MacGregor’s voice went up several decibels, and Diane had to hold the phone away from her ear.

“I don’t know for sure what it is. I can’t give you any details, Mac, but there is some serious stuff going on. Why don’t you stay with your parents, or at your cousin’s?”

“I guess you haven’t heard. My cousin’s place burned down.”

Diane looked wide-eyed at David and Neva. “Mac, your cousin’s home burning falls under the category of unusual things I was asking about,” she said. Diane’s heart beat faster; it was like discovering a danger that she hadn’t known existed.

“I didn’t think about it. Nobody was hurt, but his trailer was gutted. The thing is, my cousin and his wife and kids are staying with my parents and it’s kind of crowded. And frankly, I kind of get on everybody’s nerves, if you know what I mean.”

Diane did. “Is there anyplace else you could stay?”

“You’re serious about this, aren’t you?”

David was making motions with his fingers to give him the phone. Diane handed it to him.

“Hi, Mac, this is David Goldstein; I work with Jin and Diane at the crime lab. I’m going to have Mike stay at my condo, and you can stay there too until we figure this out.” He paused awhile, listening. “You’ll be fine. I’m a paranoid guy, and I have a steel-reinforced door with four different locks, and bars on my windows.” He paused again for several long moments. “Good. Why don’t you come to the museum and I’ll give you directions to my place. Just ask for Diane at the front desk.”

David clicked off the phone and jiggled his ear with his little finger. “The guy can talk up a storm.”

“He’s getting the same calls as Mike?” asked Neva.

“Yes,” said Diane. She squeezed her eyes closed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “You know, this is not fitting together. The threats I’m getting about the museum are completely different in content and tone from the food-chain threats, or whatever they are.” She shook her head. “But MacGregor did say his cousin’s trailer burned down. His cousin owns the land the cave is on. Was that in the paper too?”

Neva nodded.

“I need to get in touch with Jin. Has anyone heard from him since he left?” Jin was in the cave with them too.

“No,” said David. He took his own phone and punched up Jin’s cell. “Jin, this is David. Call the lab as soon as you get this.” He shook his head. “It went straight to the answering service.”

“We need to find him,” said Diane. “Call the DNA lab. If you can’t get him, let me know. Kendel’s set up a meeting with the museum staff. I’ve got to send them home.”

Diane met with her staff in the auditorium on the second floor of the museum. When they were all assembled, she told them she was closing the museum for the weekend so that repairs could be made on a critical environmental system that was failing. It was a lame excuse. But most, she believed, would welcome a free vacation. It was the faculty curators who were conducting experiments whom she expected to have trouble with, and she was not disappointed.

“I have to check on my experiment every four hours,” said the botany curator.

“Turn in your schedule to security and they will escort you to your lab. But you will have to do it yourself; you can’t send a student.”

“What? What’s really going on?” asked the botany curator. Diane could see it was not going to be easy leaving them in the dark.

“This would be a perfect time to work on the velociraptors,” interrupted the paleontology curator, before Diane could answer. “We’ve been wanting to close down the dinosaur exhibit so we can work.”

“This might seem like a good time, but it is not. Now, everyone enjoy your long weekend.”

“Wait a minute,” said Botany. “I can’t come every four hours throughout the night.”

“Why?”

“Well, I just can’t. I’ll be asleep.”

“Who does it for you at night?”

“My graduate student. That’s what they’re for.” There was a ripple of laughter throughout the room.

“We have a critical and difficult system failing, and I have worked out the protocol for repairing it. I’ve tried to accommodate ongoing experiments. However, it will have to be you who takes care of your experiment. I don’t want a student doing it. You don’t have to understand my reasoning, just my instructions,” Diane said.

The botanist looked at her, stunned. “I suppose I can set a clock.”

“Good, before you leave today, I want to see your schedule at the front information desk in the lobby. If it’s not there, you won’t be allowed in.”

“This is ridiculous. I’ve never been treated this way in my life.”

“I’m sorry, really. But I need cooperation. When I don’t get it, I have to enforce it. This is just one weekend. If we get repairs done earlier than expected, I’ll call you and you can arrange for your student to do the work.”

“Very well, since I have no choice.”

This was a different botanist than the one she started with. When she had made the arrangements with the university, the departments were unwilling to send faculty to what they considered basically an unpaid position, and ended up sending the newest-hired or their retired faculty. When it was discovered what kind of lab space she was offering, some departments pulled rank and gave the part-time job to tenured professors. This was one of them. If she was lucky, he’d change his mind about the appointment and she’d get back her original curator. Diane stepped down, even though she was flooded with questions from the curators.

When people left today, the museum would be virtually empty, and a search would be conducted for any devices that might be waiting to burn the museum. The possibility of those devices anywhere on the premises chilled her and made her face hot with anger.

“Look, if it’s the air-conditioning, I’ve worked in heat before,” said the paleontologist. “I’ve excavated in the desert, for heaven’s sake.”

“It’s something more she’s not telling us,” said Botany.

“Now, gentlemen,” said Jonas Briggs. “Let’s not start treating this like the university. If Diane says she has an environmental problem that needs fixing, then let’s take her word and not cause problems.”

“It’s just that I don’t understand why I have to be escorted to my own research lab.”

“Is it going to alter the outcome of your research if you are escorted to the lab to attend to it?” asked Diane.

“No, of course not.”

“Then I don’t see your problem. This is the way it’s going to be.” She paused a moment. “What do you need to do for the experiments? If it’s simply recording observations or readings, I can do it. If we’re lucky, your graduate student can take it up on Sunday.”

“Yes, that will work. Yes. I’ll go write out the instructions and leave them at the information desk.”

Diane left them calling after her and started for her crime lab office to call Garnett. For several days something had been nagging at the back of her mind, something she had forgotten. She rubbed her eyes.
It’ll come to the surface eventually,
she thought. She started up the stairs.

“Diane.” It was Jonas Briggs. “I think it’s obvious to everyone that something is going on. I won’t ask you what, but do you need help?”

“Thank you, Jonas. But I have help coming.”

“You look tired, and if I may say, that is just a terrible haircut.”

Diane laughed and ran her fingers through the sides of her hair where Jin had cut samples. She’d forgotten about that.

“Good, I made you laugh. For some women that would have made them cry,” said Jonas.

Diane laughed again at the thought of what she must have looked like up there talking to the curators.

“I have another suggestion,” said Jonas.

“Shoot,” said Diane.

“If it wouldn’t offend your sensibilities, I could hint that we may have a serious pest infestation that has gotten out of control and you’ll be using some highly toxic chemicals to rid the museum of them. If I can start some gossip in that direction, maybe that will keep their minds occupied. We all know when those pesky dermestids get out, they can reek havoc in a museum,” said Jonas.

Diane nodded. “That’s a good idea. I’ll tell you what’s really going on when it’s over,” she said. “Have a good vacation. I’ll see you next week.”

Diane left Jonas at the foot of the stairwell and climbed up to the third floor. She met David in the crime lab.

“Have you heard from Jin?”

“He’s in the GBI lab in Atlanta. They’re replicating, reproducing or whatever it is they do with DNA.”

“That’s a relief. You told him about the possible danger?”

“Yes. He’ll be careful. He’s going to be staying the night in Atlanta anyway.”

“Do you have everything you need?”

“I told Garnett about your suspicions of Emery. He was skeptical, but he’s bringing his men to search the building tonight.” David paused and put a hand on Diane’s shoulder. “We are going to figure all this out,” he said. “We know a lot. We’ve just got to put it together the right way.”

“I know.” Diane put her hand over his. “I just feel like I’ve forgotten something. You know that feeling?”

“Yeah, I have it too. Something’s nagging at me and I can’t remember what it was. It’s like an idea that passes through your head too quickly to grasp and aggravates your synapses.”

She heard the phone ringing, and Neva answered it. She’d sent the receptionists home and put the museum guards on the crime lab. She trusted her handpicked museum guards more than the crime lab guards that Rosewood hired. And she wanted the museum searched and empty by the time Lane Emery’s men arrived the following evening. She fully expected either Emory or the two kidnappers to try and steal evidence from the crime lab.

“Diane, it’s Sheriff Burns,” Neva called out. “He has some information on Flora Martin.”