‘‘I came with Janice and I need a ride back, so let’s go to mine,’’ she said.
Van Ross was ending his speech. He made merci fully short ones. He joked that that was why he was elected president of the city council. Diane, followed by Colin, walked up to the front. Edward Van Ross gave her a hug and mentioned how much his mother was looking forward to the Neanderthal bones. He also offered his sympathies for her injuries.
She shook Buford Monroe’s hand and said softly that she was glad to have him back and that she needed to speak with him. Having just been hugged by Edward Van Ross gave her some political credits, she imagined. They stepped away from the crowd.
‘‘I think it would be a good idea to replace Curtis Crabtree as the primary on the murders. Janice Warrick would be a good replacement,’’ she said, coming right out with what she wanted, hoping frankness was the best way.
‘‘Why?’’ he asked.
‘‘Crabtree isn’t objective, and he seems divided be tween the crime lab and being a detective. I think Janice would be better.
‘‘I can’t be seen to favor Garnett. Even though I believe he is innocent,’’ he added. ‘‘I don’t want to load the deck in his favor by eliminating any detective who isn’t on his side.’’
Diane let the bad metaphor go, even though she hated bad metaphors. ‘‘I understand, and you are cor rect in that position. Janice was reprimanded by Garnett—actually demoted by him—but she has worked her way back up to detective and clearly sees this objectively, the way a good detective should. Put ting her in charge wouldn’t be seen as making a judg ment in his favor; it would be seen as making sure everything is evenhanded and not based on grudges.’’ It wasn’t a good argument. But she didn’t think it had to be. Buford Monroe didn’t like any of Peeks’ cro nies, and he knew that Curtis was one of them.
Monroe was nodding the whole time. That was a good sign.
‘‘There’s merit to what you’ve said,’’ he mused.
‘‘I want all this put behind us and not have it reflect on those who were part of the past administration. I want it done well.’’
Monroe seemed to be considering, but Diane knew he had already made up his mind. He was a political animal, and the idea of clearing the names of those under the last mayor—namely, him—appealed to him. Diane waited patiently.
‘‘Okay, I see your point and I agree. I’ll make the change right away.’’ He looked around at the people still in the squad room. ‘‘I’m afraid there is a lot of housecleaning I’m going to be doing before this is over.’’ He looked like he relished the idea.
‘‘I don’t envy your task,’’ said Diane, still sucking up to him.
He shook his head. ‘‘I don’t either.’’
‘‘Thanks for speaking with me,’’ she said.
He nodded. ‘‘Glad to be working with you again,’’ he said.
Colin was talking with Edward Van Ross, so she sought out Pendleton. He was still hostile, but he agreed to speak with her when she said she was work ing to clear Garnett.
‘‘Can you tell me anything that you thought was out of the ordinary going on at either crime scene?’’ she asked. ‘‘You’ve been to crime scenes before and know how they are done.’’
He shrugged. ‘‘They are all different. I wasn’t at the Jefferies crime scene, but at Peeks’. Bryce and that Rikki chick were looking for something. Some kind of list, I heard them mention.’’
‘‘Do you know what kind of list? Names? Num bers?’’ asked Diane.
‘‘No. They didn’t say,’’ he said.
‘‘Anything else?’’ she asked. ‘‘Did they check for fingerprints?’’
He had been slouching but stood up straight. ‘‘Now that you mention it, they didn’t dust for prints at all. Now, that’s strange. Another thing. That Rikki chick pocketed something she found on the floor near the body. I thought it was a silver pen, but I don’t really know what it was. Something shiny. I thought it was something she dropped maybe. That’s all I know.’’
‘‘Thank you for talking to me,’’ said Diane.
‘‘The GBI said that Harve wasn’t pushed. Some thing about the math and something about his foot injuries being consistent with your description. But I don’t know why he would have gone after you. I know he didn’t like you, but . . . this is just strange.’’ He shrugged and left before Diane could comment.
When she and Colin left, Diane was glad to get out of the police station. She never found it to be a comfortable place even before the Jefferies adminis tration. On the way to the museum she told Colin that Monroe would be putting Janice Warrick in as lead detective.
‘‘How did you pull that off?’’ said Colin, looking over at her, then back at the road.
‘‘By trying to be both logical and political. Not easy,’’ she said.
‘‘That will make our job easier. Maybe the worm is finally turning,’’ he said.
‘‘I had Janice take pictures inside the mayor’s house,’’ said Diane. ‘‘I noticed when we were there earlier that there was fingerprint powder only on one corner of the hall chest—no place else. When I saw the pictures of the kitchen, I saw the same thing. There was fingerprint dust only where Garnett had touched the countertop.’’ Diane related her discussion with Garnett to Colin.
‘‘So, Bryce or what’s her name—Rikki—didn’t try to find any other prints, just Garnett’s.’’ Colin whis tled. ‘‘Wow.’’
‘‘I assume they acted on orders from Peeks, but I don’t know,’’ said Diane.
