“You need to tell them about this. This is assault and kidnaping.”
“I think the hospital called. Someone will wander in in a few hours, or days, and take my statement and that will be it.”
“No, it won’t. I’ll see to it. Have you called your family?”
“No.”
“You want me to call them?”
“No. My family isn’t like yours. We aren’t speaking at the moment.”
“I’m sorry, but they might be a comfort if they know you’re injured and in the hospital.”
“I don’t think so. My father would say something like, ‘Well, what do you expect,’ and my mother’s a lot like Crystal McFarland.”
“I didn’t think there could be two of them.”
“Mother’s more refined, but the sentiment’s the same. When I told them I was adopting Ariel, Mother’s comment was ‘Is that wise?’ My sister, Susan, suggested that perhaps it was for the best when I told them she’d died. She couldn’t quite understand that I loved Ariel. To Susan, she was like a stray cat I found by the side of the road that was going to be nothing but problems. So no, my family isn’t a comfort. They certainly wouldn’t go to the lengths your brothers go to for you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Me too. I think the concept of family is a good one.”
Frank managed a laugh, though she could see it hurt him. “Actually, my brothers-they’re great guys, but they aren’t usually this attentive.”
Diane didn’t say anything. He’d probably send them home if he knew she’d asked them to stay and keep a lookout. On the other hand, she doubted they could be run off very easily. She envied Frank for his family.
“How are you? I mean really, how are you?” she said.
“I’m lucky. It could have been much worse, but both bullets managed to miss important nerves and organs-if you don’t count my lung. The repair work the doctors did will take some time to heal, and I’d be out sooner if it weren’t for the infection. But that’s under control.”
Frank sat with her until a nurse ran him back to his bed.
“I’ll visit later,” Diane called after Frank.
“Get some rest,” he said.
Diane slept for about an hour, until Andie came in with an armload of shopping bags. She’d brought pajamas and a robe, a change of clothes, cosmetics and various other sundries, the ToughLove laptop, a new cell phone and flowers.
“Andie, you’re worth every penny I’m paying you, probably more.”
Andie went about the room, putting things in drawers, while Diane showered and changed into the pajamas and robe. The peach-colored silk nightgown was sexier than she would have bought for herself, but it was soft and did have a back to it.
“This is much better. Now I don’t have to go around with my butt hanging out.”
“How’s Frank?”
“He’s doing well. He’s across the hall, if you’d like to peek in.”
“That’s convenient. You can have a midnight rendezvous.”
“His brothers keep a pretty close eye on him.”
“He has brothers? Do they have his eyes? Are they married?”
“Yes, yes and yes, with children.”
“Too bad.”
“What’s going on at the museum?”
“You’re the big topic of conversation. Donald is really upset. It’s strange. I’ve never seen him like this. Do you think he had something to do with this?”
“I don’t see how. It was about the skeleton.”
Andie looked alarmed. “Oh.”
“Any museum business?”
“Korey went to the airport to get some mysterious guest. I called Jonas at the site and told him what happened. He’s very concerned.”
“I don’t think we’ll ever get our chess game finished. I don’t suppose he mentioned finding the skull?”
“No. Still no sign of it. Do you think the murderer cut it off?”
“No. I think it probably got carried off by some animal. It could be somewhere in the woods.”
Andie shivered. “Gruesome.”
“Have Korey call me when he knows something.”
“What exactly is he supposed to know?”
Diane grinned. “I think it’ll be a surprise, a really big surprise. One that’ll get the Graysons off our backs.”
“OK, you got me hooked.”
“Ms. Fallon, I need to talk with you about your attack.”
In the doorway stood Janice Warrick. She wore the same pulled back hairstyle, but its severity was softened by the white blouse, blue blazer and skirt. Her face was smooth, free of the angry lines from their last encounter, but she seemed as reluctant to speak with Diane as Diane was to invite her into her room.
Chapter 45
Diane mentally braced herself for another unpleasant conversation.
“I wonder if we might speak privately,” Detective Warrick said, looking at Andie.
“This is Andie Layne, my assistant. You met her earlier in my office. I trust her with very sensitive museum business. I can trust her here.”
Andie made no move to leave. Diane knew she wouldn’t. Andie could be as stubborn as she, and from the way her chin jutted in the air, she was in full stubborn mode.
“Very well. We’re very concerned, of course, about these attacks on you. But your insistence on linking the attacks to the Boone murders is not helping our efforts. It’s giving people a false impression and, unfortunately, whatever hoodlums are attacking you are giving your theories a false credibility.”
Diane watched Detective Warrick’s eyes as she spoke. They were on her, then they shifted to Andie and back to her. Now she glanced down at her expensive Italian leather shoes. She was worried. Her first murder case and it was a biggie, the kind they write books about. She could go down forever as a hero or a bungler.
Diane heard laughing across the hall and glanced over. Jake Houser was visiting Frank. It gave her a sense of well-being to know that Frank was laughing.
“Has Jake Houser made any progress finding out who shot Frank Duncan?”
“I’d prefer not to discuss an ongoing investigation with a civilian.”
“Yes, they do appear to be.”
“How strange it is, then, that all the attackers wanted was for me to give them the skeleton we excavated from the Abercrombie farm. They abducted me and were taking me to the museum for that purpose.”
Before Detective Warrick responded, Jake had left Frank’s room and walked over to Diane’s.
“Dr. Fallon,” said Jake. “I’m sorry about this. I feel like if I’d been at the museum, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.” He pulled up a chair and sat near the bed.
“It’s not your fault,” she said. “It started here in the hospital parking lot, not at the museum.”
“Here? And you ended up at the museum? Are you saying someone grabbed you and moved you to another location?”
