“Finding anything interesting?” Neva came in from the crime lab smiling. “I just talked to Mike. He says you really owe him.”
“MacGregor wearing thin already?”
“Sort of. He says David has a great home theater system, though.”
“I think Mike’s feeling like he should be here protecting you, rather than hiding out in David’s condo,” said Diane.
“I know. It doesn’t help that I can’t tell him what’s going on.”
“I feel bad about that too, but hopefully it’ll all be over soon.” Diane looked at her watch. “Garnett should be arriving any minute now. I’m going down to meet him. Why don’t you stay here and work on our witch’s face?”
Chapter 41
David ushered Garnett from the loading dock into the Pleistocene room. Behind them followed men from the bomb squad with their dogs. Each officer had a map of the museum from subbasement to attic.
The dogs, German shepherds and Labrador retrievers, stood quietly and looked around the room expectantly, wagging their tails. If they were surprised at the sight of the huge Pleistocene animals, they didn’t show it.
“I appreciate this, Chief Garnett,” she said.
“It’s important that we get this settled. We can’t have this kind of threat to the crime lab-or the museum. However, I think you’re dead wrong about Emery. He’s a decorated marine. I know him.”
“I hope I am wrong,” said Diane. “I don’t want it to be anyone connected to the crime lab or the museum.”
Garnett nodded curtly. “Okay,” he said, “let’s get started.”
“Don’t you worry, Miss Fallon; if there’s something here, the dogs will find it.”
“Thank you, Sergeant. .”
“Remington, ma’am.”
“Good name for a police officer.”
“I think so, ma’am.”
“Everyone should be gone except for my crime lab staff.”
“And they will be going shortly?”
“We thought we would stay.”
“No, ma’am. No one can be here except us. That’s the rules. If we have to get out in a hurry, we can’t be hunting for civilians.”
“I understand. But we-”
He was shaking his head. “No, ma’am.”
“There’s an experiment that has to be attended to every four hours.”
“I’m real sorry about that. I hope it wasn’t one that was going to cure cancer.”
“No.”
“Good.”
Sergeant Remington was good-natured throughout, but Diane could see he was going to win this argument. And he was absolutely right.
“I have to get a few things. It should take about twenty minutes. Is that okay?”
“That’ll be fine. After that, I want everyone out.”
One of the security guards came in, escorting Frank Duncan. Diane smiled when she saw him.
“Detective Duncan,” said Garnett, holding out his hand. “Good to see you. Come to offer assistance?”
“It looks like your men have everything under control. I borrowed my neighbor’s RV. I thought we could watch the grounds a safe distance away.” Diane looked at him, amazed. He smiled at her. “You thought they were going to let you stay and work, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Now see, this guy has the right idea,” said Remington.
“I’m working on a set of bones. I need to get them from my lab,” said Diane. “I also need to get my computer and a few tools. It won’t take long.”
She left Garnett and the others to do their work and walked with Frank up to her lab.
“How are things going here?”
“I’m hoping the dominoes are falling.”
“Closing in, are you?”
“Maybe. I also may be completely wrong and we have nothing. Jin is in Atlanta. They did get some usable DNA. If I’m lucky, the two thugs will be in a database. I’ve been toying with the idea of asking the prosecutor to get a John Doe indictment based on the DNA. Striking at a crime lab. . ” She shook her head. “It’s too lawless. It has to be stopped.”
“I agree completely.” Frank put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. It felt good. “You said you’re working on some bones?” he said.
“Yes. The witch-I think you were there when Gregory called.”
“Ah, yes, the witch that was supposed to be stolen, but was really a roe.”
“That’s the one, only this is the real one.”
Neva was busy working on the face of the Moonhater Cave skeleton when Diane got back to the lab. She’d finished with the skull and had replaced it on the table.
“Neva, pick up your things. We have to get out of the museum.”
Neva turned around in her seat. “Oh, no, they found something?” She looked more disappointed than frightened.
“No. They just don’t want anyone here while they search. Frank brought an RV.”
She looked up at Frank. “You think of everything. I’ll gather up my stuff and go out to the parking lot. I guess they’re running David out too.”
“Yes, everyone.”
Diane packed up the bones, her measuring devices and her field computer. When she had everything, she left the building, with Frank helping her carry her things. It would be like doing forensic anthropology out in the bush again. They met David and Garnett at the door.
“Remington seems like a really competent officer,” said Diane.
“He is,” said Garnett. “Very serious and safe. He’s also my godson, so I’m partial.”
“We’ll be in the RV at the edge of the woods if you need me,” said Diane. Garnett nodded. He still wasn’t pleased about her suspicions of Emery.
David helped them carry their boxes of equipment and bones.
Diane looked at the huge RV as they approached. This would be much more comfortable than camping in the jungle, she thought.
“Thanks, Frank. This is great.”
“I knew you would want to stay, and I knew they would run you out of the building.”
Diane looked around the grounds and saw the distant flashlights of her museum guards as they patrolled the grounds, two at a time, watching for anyone who might be sneaking up to set fire to the museum. She looked back at the huge Gothic structure and tried to think whether she had done everything she could do to protect it. She wished she didn’t feel so guilty for putting it in danger.
Diane invited Garnett to share the RV with them, but he said he needed to go to the office and that he might drop by later. David, Neva, Frank and Diane climbed into the luxury vehicle and settled in for the evening.
The inside was a combination of oak cabinets and gray and blue textiles. Everything was compact and efficient. On one side was a small kitchen, on the other side a dining table and couch. The motor home had a small bedroom and a bathroom on one end and a bunk over the cab on the other. All the comforts of home.
“This is great,” said David. “You Atlanta guys know how to do a stakeout.”
“I wish,” said Frank. “This belongs to my neighbor. He’s trying to sell it, and I’m thinking about buying it. I
