“That would be nice. Thanks.” She wasn’t expecting trouble, but as long as he was here, she might as well make use of him.
“Dr. Fallon,” said Juliet, “How are you? All we talked about at the museum today was the attack on you in your office.”
“Attack?” said Ruby. “What attack?”
Diane gave them a short version.
“It was nothing, really. Just a few stitches.”
“You had to stay all night in the hospital,” said Juliet.
“Just a precaution,” said Diane. She was inching out the doorway, trying to make a clean escape.
“You mean you got something else stolen from you?” said Ruby. “It sounds to me like that museum is a dangerous place to work.”
“Oh, no, it’s not, really. I can’t go into any of the details of what happened right now. You and Juliet have a good evening. I’ll talk with you tomorrow.”
Diane didn’t want to talk about the code with them, either. She wanted to go home. When she finally got away, the security guard walked her down to the parking deck and to her car. She was glad to have him for an escort. She had an aversion to parking decks. They were always dark and usually devoid of people-a place with few witnesses. She was relieved to get in her car and drive home.
Unfortunately, when she got to her apartment, Frank’s car was there. He had beaten her home.
Chapter 53
Frank opened the door when Diane knocked. She expected a scowl. Instead, his expression was one of amusement.
“You know, I bet myself that you’d be gone when I came back, and damn if I didn’t win a bunch of money,” he said.
“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t get Ruby Torkel on the phone and I thought it would be quicker if I just went to her hotel,” said Diane.
She came in and crawled back in her space on the couch.
“Can you stay the night?” she asked.
“Sure. Someone’s got to try to keep track of you. Are you in for the evening?”
“Yes. I’m here. I won’t be going out again.”
“Good. Tell me what you found out,” he said.
Diane gave him a history of the Glendale-Marsh Parrishes.
“They sound like a pretty bad bunch,” she said. “I’m thinking that you were right. The disappearance of the Sebestyen family is connected with their Parrish relatives. Martin Parrish, of the Glendale-Marsh Parrishes, contacted Leo’s twin sister, Leontine, in New York and asked her about the treasure. They expected that she had information on where her brother hid it. Descendants in both branches of the Parrish family knew about the legend of the buried treasure and the secret instructions for finding it. The Glendale-Marsh Parrishes probably believed that their New York relatives had the secret information. When Quinn, a direct descendant of Leontine, came to Florida to look, it alerted his relatives there and they ended up killing him and his family to find the secret. I think young Juliet stumbled upon the aftermath.”
Diane grabbed up the phone and called Jin.
“What did you find out from the authorities in Indiana?” she asked when he answered.
“Hello, Boss,” said Jin. “How you feeling?”
“I’m fine, just hungry for information.”
“They were very interested in what we have,” he said. “They weren’t quite as forthcoming with their info. I didn’t know how much you wanted me to tell them, so I kind of played it close to the vest.”
“What did you find out?” she asked again.
“If you believe what they told me, they don’t know anything beyond what was reported on TV and in the papers. They had completely hit the wall. When they learned that there might be a witness, they got excited. I told them she was a little girl at the time. I didn’t give them her name. They’re coming down to talk with us. I handed them off to Garnett, so I guess you’d better give him a heads-up so he’ll know what the heck these guys from Indiana are talking about.”
“I’ll call him tomorrow. I think he has his hands full right now with Councilman Adler missing.”
“So I guess everything is at a standstill again,” said Jin.
“Until tomorrow,” said Diane. “All of you go home and get some rest.”
She hung up the phone and turned to Frank. “At least we’ve made the Indiana cold case squad happy,” she said.
“I’ll bet,” said Frank. “It’s early. Why don’t we have a quiet several hours of rest, maybe a little TV, and who knows what else? Maybe a little cold pizza.”
“That sounds good to me,” she said, grinning at him.
As soon as the words were out, the phone rang. “Don’t answer it,” he said.
“I’d like not to, but…” She picked it up.
“Diane, this is Cindy. I’m sorry to bother you. Is Frank there?”
“Yes, Cindy. He’s right here,” said Diane.
“Your ex,” she mouthed to Frank.
He frowned and took the phone.
“Is Kevin all right?” he asked. As he listened, his frown deepened. Finally he said, “I’ll be right there.”
He hung up and turned to Diane.
“It’s Kevin. He got his collarbone and arm broken playing hockey and he’s in the hospital. They have to operate on the arm. I have to go.”
“Of course. I’m fine here. I’m going to sleep and won’t wake till morning,” she said.
He kissed her. He smelled like aftershave-the kind that smelled so sexy to her and she could never remember its name. She wished he could stay. A day off for him was such an unexpected gift. She wished she had been here when he got home.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“Don’t be. I understand,” she answered. “I’m sorry Kevin’s hurt. Give him my best.”
He kissed her again and left. Diane watched as he walked down the hallway and down the stairs. She sighed, locked her door, turned off the lights, and went to bed.
Sometime during the night she awoke. She didn’t know what had awakened her but she had an uneasy feeling. She looked at the picture of the chambered nautilus on the wall. No reflection of fire. That was a relief. What then? A dream? She got up for a drink of water and looked out the window. The reflection of the streetlights sparkled off every surface. Ice. It had been sleeting again. Maybe that’s what it had been, the sound of limbs breaking under the weight of the freezing rain. Maybe, but something else tugged at her mind. Something she was forgetting, that was just now making its way to the surface.
In the distance through the barren trees a spot of light shined brightly at her and then was gone. As she watched, the light flickered bright again, and again, moving back and forth in some pattern of activity. She was certain it came from the direction of the burned-out house. Her stomach knotted. Who could be at the crime scene in the middle of the night, and what were they doing?
She dressed quickly in warm clothes and boots and left her apartment building. She considered taking her car but decided not to. Sleet was falling, icing over the streets. She walked across the street, past the darkened houses and into the small copse of trees. Except for her, there was no one about. She stopped just before coming out of the woods and looked across the next street at the charred rubble of the meth house. She could now see moving shadows cast against the surrounding trees by a light shining up from the blackened hole in the ground that used to be the basement. How perfectly odd.
