‘‘Why would you go there? Do you know how steep that cliff is?’’ said Peeks.
‘‘It’s a five point seven,’’ said Diane.
The three of them looked blank, startled, and clearly puzzled.
‘‘What?’’ Peeks said.
‘‘You asked me if I know how steep it is. I assume you were asking me about the degree of climbing dif ficulty. So, yes, I know.’’
Diane realized why they didn’t believe her story. They didn’t think that she, in her nice azure pantsuit and Hush Puppies, would climb out onto the side of a steep cliff—or anybody would for that matter. They had a point.
‘‘I’ve climbed that cliff many times,’’ said Diane. ‘‘I’m a caver and I do a lot of rock climbing. I thought if I went out on the cliff, he wouldn’t follow. I was wrong. He thought that if I could do it, he could too, especially since he was an ex–football player. That’s what he was doing out there. He didn’t fall from the top. He wasn’t pushed. He was about fifty feet down on the face of the cliff, coming after me. He panicked and fell. I was twenty feet away from him at the time.’’
‘‘You said he panicked,’’ Pendleton said after a mo ment. ‘‘He just suddenly panicked? Why?’’
‘‘He looked down,’’ said Diane. ‘‘Rock climbing isn’t a sport he had experience in. We were almost five hundred feet up on the side of a cliff. He didn’t realize how frightening it would be when he looked down. It happens. I tried to talk him out of the panic.’’
‘‘You told Officer Wallace that he attacked you. Now, why would Officer Delamore do a thing like that?’’ asked Peeks.
‘‘I have no idea. He didn’t say. He just kept calling me a bitch,’’ said Diane.
Peeks leaned forward, glaring at Diane. ‘‘You know, I’m having a hard time buying your story,’’ he said. ‘‘There’s a lot of holes in it. A lot of holes. And you’re going to stay here until you fill them.’’ He was al most shouting.
‘‘I don’t think so,’’ said Diane. She rose, and Peeks started to reach for her when the door to the interview room opened.
‘‘I don’t think so either.’’
Chapter 7
Colin Prehoda, the museum’s lawyer, came in and took a serious, considered look at Diane.
‘‘Have you seen a doctor?’’ he asked.
‘‘No. I’ve not been allowed to leave,’’ she said.
Curtis and Pendleton stepped forward. Peeks jumped up. For a moment Diane thought the three of them were going to attack her lawyer.
Prehoda was taller than all of them in the room, and heavier. He wasn’t overweight, or even slightly chubby; he was just a big man. Diane thought he was probably very imposing in court.
‘‘You’re leaving now,’’ he said.
‘‘I’ve got a dead officer,’’ said Peeks.
‘‘Who attacked my client,’’ said Prehoda. ‘‘Do you know why he did that?’’
‘‘She hasn’t told us,’’ said Peeks, staring at Diane with puzzling hatred.
‘‘I told them I don’t know why he attacked me,’’ said Diane.
‘‘There you have it. She’s given you all the informa tion she has. Now she is going to the hospital. If you have any more questions, you can contact me.’’
Prehoda helped Diane out of the chair and guided her toward the door. Peeks didn’t try to stop them, but his face was dark with anger.
‘‘This isn’t over,’’ he said to Diane. ‘‘Don’t think you are free of this, and don’t think any of us are going to let this go until we get to the bottom of it.’’
‘‘Good,’’ said Prehoda. ‘‘We expect to be fully in formed of your findings as to why an officer of this police department conducted unprovoked assaults with the use of deadly force upon my client, whom, I remind you, is an officer of the court in good standing. And I must warn you against harassing her. I won’t tolerate it, and I’m sure you have more pressing concerns than appearing in court. Don’t think that I’m bluffing. I think you know me better than that.’’
Prehoda led Diane out of the room and out of the police building. Diane could feel the stares as she passed through the station. She also noticed that not all of them were hostile. Outside, Prehoda walked her to his car.
‘‘I’d prefer to go to the museum,’’ said Diane.
‘‘I’m sure you would, but we need to take you to the ER. Not just for your safety, but for legal issues,’’ he said.
Diane got in and saw that her jacket was in the front seat along with her purse.
‘‘Who called you?’’ she asked.
‘‘Garnett,’’ he said.
Douglas Garnett was the chief of detectives. Diane knew he was having a difficult time with the new ad ministration. She hoped this didn’t put him further on their bad side. She assumed that either Janice or Izzy had alerted him.
