Dead Past

Chapter 38

Darcy Kincaid’s room was filled with bouquets of flowers from well wishers.

“Many are from people Darcy doesn’t even know,” said Mrs. Kincaid. “There were so many we gave some away to other patients so there would be a little space in her room. People really like Darcy.” She rubbed her hands together nervously.

She is probably suggesting that I should like her, too, thought Diane.

“The flowers are all beautiful,” said Diane.

Darcy was sitting up in bed. Her mother held her hand. Her father stood just behind Mrs. Darcy at the head of his daughter’s bed.

Darcy’s face was black and blue still, with a hint of green and yellow. Her eyes were swollen, but not as much as they had been, Diane imagined. Her dark hair was neatly combed and fell like a curtain around her shoulders. Diane imagined her mother had combed it for her.

“How are you feeling?” asked Diane.

“Pretty good,” said Darcy. “A lot better than a few days ago.”

Diane pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed. “Everyone at the museum is thinking of you.”

Darcy closed her eyes. Diane could see she was trying not to cry. Her father caressed her hair.

“There are some things I need to tell you,” said Darcy, after a moment.

“I’m listening,” said Diane.

“I don’t know where to begin,” she said.

“Just start at the beginning,” said her father. “We’re right here.”

“I met Blake on campus,” said Darcy.

Not that far back, thought Diane. But she listened.

“I was giving a presentation at the library about exhibit planning. He was just… just so nice. I’ve never met anyone like him before. He was so interested in what I did, in the museum.”

Her father cleared his throat in a derisive manner. Darcy threatened to tear up again.

“Go on, honey,” said her mother.

“I thought he was really interested in a museum career, I really did. I took him to all the departments and introduced him to all the collection managers. He asked all kinds of questions. I just thought I was so lucky to have met someone like him who was interested in the same things I was.”

Diane could see from the way her father’s lips were pressed together in a grim frown that he was having to make an effort to keep from commenting.

“I didn’t know about the dinosaur egg, I really didn’t.”

“When did you find out?” asked Diane. Dinosaur egg? Diane wondered if that was the first item he stole.

“About a month ago. The collection manager for the dinosaur fossils said she was missing a fossil raptor egg. I had taken some up to the preparation room where we were working on a fossil exhibit. I returned them all and hadn’t been back down, but I knew Blake had, so I asked him if he’d seen them.”

Darcy stopped talking and Diane thought she was going to cry.

“You need to go on and get this done,” said her father.

Darcy’s lips trembled. “I loved him so much, I really did. I’ve never loved anyone like that before.”

“What did he say when you asked him about the egg?” prompted Diane.

“He confessed. He said I’d caught him, but he hadn’t meant any harm. He said it was just one egg that a collector friend wanted and the museum had so many. I told him he had to get it back. He said he couldn’t. The collector had already paid him for it and that he was connected with some bad people. They would beat him up if he tried to get it back.”

Darcy’s father shook his head. Her mother rubbed the back of the hand she held on to. “It’s all right,” she said.

“Go on,” said Diane. “Did you believe him?”

Darcy’s eyes grew wide. “Yes. He wouldn’t lie to me.”

“Darcy…” Her father couldn’t hold it in any longer. “He was lying to you the whole time. Why can’t you see that?”

“You didn’t meet him, Dad. You didn’t know him like I did.”

“Darcy…,” he said again and shook his head.

Diane could see his frustration. Darcy still didn’t know what Blake was. Her father had probably been trying to tell her.

“Continue your story,” said Diane. “Can I get you something to drink?”

Darcy shook her head. “Just a week before the party he said the collector wanted some of the gemstones from Geology. He threatened him if he wouldn’t get them. Blake said he tried, but Dr. Seger had put some really strict protocols in place while he was gone. He couldn’t get near the vault. Shelly, the geology collection manager, is a stickler for carrying out Dr. Seger’s orders.”

Diane noticed that she sounded a little resentful of Shelly, possibly because in her frame of mind right now, she saw Shelly as putting Blake in danger.

“What did he do?” asked Diane. Though she knew what was coming.

“He asked me to get them. He said he had to get the Van Ross diamond and several other gems or he’d be in real trouble. He was really scared. He said I could put some of the other gems in their place and no one would find out for a while. He said that would give him time to make things right.”

Jesse Kincaid gave a derisive huff.

“Daddy, it’s true.”

“Then what happened?” asked Diane.

“I did what he said. I was so afraid for him. I was supposed to bring them to the party and he would get them from me there.”

“What happened?” asked Diane.

“I got what he wanted, including the Van Ross diamond. I put them in a Ziploc bag… but I just couldn’t take them from the museum. When I was leaving I put them in a planter-the one with the really tall palm. They should still be there. I was going to tell him that I would go with him to the police or to his father to get help. They have a lot of money and if he was in trouble, I know they would help him out.”

“Darcy, the guy was using you. Why can’t you see that?” said her father.

She looked up at her father. “Daddy, I know you think that, but you didn’t know him.”

“Darcy,” said Diane. “Listen to your father. He knows Blake Stanton far better than you.”

Her eyes widened. “What do you mean? Dad’s never met him.”

“He knows his type,” said Diane. She saw her father nodding his head.

“You don’t understand…,” began Darcy.

“Darcy, besides being director of the museum, do you know what else I do?”

“Yes, we all do. You’re director of the crime lab.”

Her parents exchanged shocked glances.

“Yes, and in that capacity we investigated Blake Stanton’s murder.”

“The man who was threatening him killed him. He did it, and it’s my fault. If I had just given him the gemstones.” She started to cry.

“Darcy.” This time Diane used her stern voice, the one that scared the herpetologist and the mayor. “I want you to listen to me. There was no such man. He didn’t exist.”

“He must. Blake wouldn’t lie to me.” Her voice sounded in genuine anguish.

“He didn’t just steal the dinosaur egg and the gems,” said Diane. “A Conus gloriamaris, eight Cypraea aurantium, and a giant whelk from Aquatics are missing. A Boloria improba acrocnema is missing from Entomology. You know how rare they are. In all, over thirty thousand dollars’ worth of museum items were stolen.”

Darcy’s eyes grew wider and her mouth dropped open. “No. That can’t be.”