Dead Guilty

Mike moved ahead. Neva followed, and MacGregor walked quickly to catch up with Mike. Walk slowly in a cave, thought Diane, but she didn’t say anything. This particular tunnel was clear of breakdown, jutting or overhanging rocks. Not much to bump into or stum ble over. They came to another cross passage. Diane tried to visualize it on the map. She walked slowly, looking at every feature of the tunnel.

Mike had taken the lead, following the things he was interested in, and they all followed him. He fre quently checked the map to be sure they didn’t stray into a wild zone. MacGregor seemed to be trying to regain leadership.

‘‘There’s a small chimney up here,’’ said MacGregor. ‘‘Are you game to give it a try, Neva?’’

‘‘I don’t think so—not this time. Anyone notice that the lights are acting funny?’’

‘‘What do you mean?’’ asked Diane.

‘‘I don’t know. I think someone’s light is flickering.’’

‘‘It’s not Mike snapping photographs?’’

‘‘Maybe.’’

‘‘We better check out the headlamps,’’ said Diane.

As they walked, the tunnel changed midstream, so to speak, from a rectangular passage to a rounded tunnel.

‘‘Well, this is interesting,’’ said Diane.

‘‘Funny how the shape changes,’’ said Neva.

‘‘The slope too,’’ said Diane.

‘‘Yeah, I’ve always wondered about it,’’ said MacGregor.

Mike was scrutinizing the walls. He took photos of the change.

‘‘What do you make of it?’’ asked Diane.

Mike grinned. ‘‘I think it’s a place that marks the change from phreatic water movement to vadose water movement. This is why I love caving. Where else would you get to see this?’’

‘‘Ooookay,’’ said MacGregor, ‘‘I’m glad we cleared up that little mystery—yes, sir, I’ll sleep well tonight. What the heck does that mean?’’

Mike had started to explain, when Diane heard a sharp crack. The next thing she knew, MacGregor was staring at her, a puzzled look on his face.

Chapter 44

The first thing Diane saw after hearing the noise was blood dripping down MacGregor’s shirtsleeve. He clutched at his arm and looked at the blood on his hand, confusion showing in his eyes.

‘‘What the hell?’’ Mike saw him and took a step toward him.

‘‘Gun!’’ yelled Diane. ‘‘Get out of this tunnel.’’

She grabbed MacGregor and pulled him into a side passage. Mike and Neva followed on her heels. The lights from their headlamps made chaotic swaths of light across the walls and ceiling. But she could see they were in a large chamber strewn with breakdown. Diane shoved MacGregor behind a large boulder.

‘‘I’m bleeding. Is somebody shooting at us?’’

‘‘Who the hell are you?’’ yelled Mike. ‘‘Are you crazy?’’

‘‘Dr. Fallon, you’re a hard woman to find. Good thing you left maps and directions for me.’’

The voice sounded familiar, but it was distorted by the echo effects of the large chamber they were in.

‘‘What do you want?’’ she yelled.

‘‘I want my goddamn fucking diamonds.’’

‘‘Diamonds?’’ MacGregor’s voice was approaching a high-pitched squeak. ‘‘What’s he talking about? There’s no diamonds in this cave,’’ he yelled. ‘‘I’d have found them already.’’

Diane turned off her headlamp and Mike and Neva followed suit. She reached over and turned off MacGregor’s. The eerie glow of a flashlight radiated around the corner from the passage they just left.

‘‘I don’t have your diamonds,’’ said Diane.

‘‘You know where they are, and I’m going to haul your ass back to get them.’’

‘‘You know, it’s not safe to shoot off a gun in a cave,’’ said Diane.

‘‘Then don’t give me any trouble.’’

‘‘Detective LaSalle?’’

‘‘Right on the first try.’’

‘‘How did you get here so fast?’’

‘‘I never left.’’

He walked from around the corner, holding a flash light in his left hand just above his left shoulder. He had a gun in his other hand.

‘‘I’m on vacation. I told them at the station up in Buffalo that I was still working on little Alice Little ton’s case, and to forward any calls about it to me. I figured if you ever ID’d the bodies, you’d call the Buffalo