‘‘And the mold and mildew would look so real,’’ said another.
‘‘True,’’ said the first.
Diane started to say something about the placement of vegetation when her phone rang. It was Kendel, her assistant director. Diane answered it with a tinge of expectation of good news.
‘‘I did it,’’ said Kendel.
Diane could hear the excitement in her voice even over the static of the weak signal between the cell phones.
‘‘You were able to get it?’’ said Diane. ‘‘Kendel, that’s great.’’
The staff working on the exhibit all stopped at the sound of Kendel’s name. They all knew she was nego tiating for a set of Neanderthal bones—a real coup for a small museum like RiverTrail. The museum had casts of various skeletons on display, but none of the real thing.
‘‘It’s the most expensive thing we’ve purchased,’’ said Kendel. ‘‘But, I have to tell you, they are a nice set of bones. You’re going to like them.’’
‘‘Good job, Kendel,’’ said Diane. ‘‘Really good job. We’re all looking forward to seeing them—hopefully the public will too.’’
Kendel had just recently gotten her mojo back after being accused of stealing artifacts—an accusation that nearly cost her her career. Having her back to her old self meant good things for the museum. Kendel was skillful at acquiring quality collections.
‘‘She got the Neanderthal skeleton?’’ the staff said simultaneously when Diane got off the phone.
‘‘Yes, she did,’’ said Diane. She started to elaborate when her phone rang again. This time it was Andie.
‘‘Dr. F, you have a policeman here to see you,’’ said Andie.
‘‘I’m sure it’s about yesterday’s meeting. I’ll be right there.’’ Diane eyed the diorama again and made a suggestion about where to place more vegetation be fore she left to see the policeman. She wondered if Peeks had sent him to arrest her. She sighed.
The policeman was Izzy Wallace, a friend of Frank’s and a man who had not liked Diane very much in the beginning of their relationship, believing she was all wrong for his good buddy Frank. Later, Diane had identified Izzy’s only child as one of many students who died in an off-campus explosion. Rather than hat ing the messenger, he had changed. The experience had formed a kind of bond between them. They both had lost an only child to violence.
Izzy had lost a lot of weight. He used to be a big, barrel-chested guy, but he was thin now. Not lean and trim, but almost wasted looking. Diane guessed it was grief. She ushered him into her sitting room.
‘‘How are you and your wife doing?’’ she asked.
He shrugged. ‘‘One day at a time. People at church have been real helpful.’’ He sat down on the edge of the sofa. ‘‘You know, you always want somebody to make sense of it.’’ He shook his head in a mournful way. ‘‘But there just isn’t any sense to it.’’
‘‘No,’’ said Diane, ‘‘there’s not.’’
He turned down an offer of a drink.
‘‘Not unless you have something stronger than soda,’’ he said with a weak laugh.
Diane wasn’t sure if he was completely kidding. She sympathized. She had gone through all the stages of mourning too. She sat down in the chair next to the sofa.
‘‘I keep meaning to hide some good Kentucky bour bon here for difficult times. But we have so many demanding days, I’d be drinking all the time,’’ she said, smiling.
‘‘I hear you there,’’ he said. ‘‘Difficult times. They keep coming, don’t they?’’
‘‘Sometimes it seems that way,’’ said Diane. ‘‘What can I do for you?’’
‘‘It’s about the murder,’’ he said.
‘‘Jefferies was here just yesterday,’’ said Diane, ‘‘about the crime lab.’’
She was surprised they’d sent Izzy and not a detec tive to interview her. Not that Izzy couldn’t do a good job, but she thought he worked the desk now. She supposed they figured she had little to add to what they already knew. After all, Garnett was also in the meeting. He could tell them everything she could.
‘‘I know,’’ said Izzy. ‘‘I didn’t come to talk to you about that—that is, not exactly. We—me and several police buddies—would like you to investigate.’’
Diane hadn’t expected that. ‘‘What? Me? Why? I can’t intrude on an ongoing investigation. Certainly not one of this significance. And I have no standing to investigate.’’
‘‘We got it figured out,’’ said Izzy.
‘‘I don’t understand. Why would you want me to investigate?’’ she asked.
‘‘Because Edgar Peeks will be in charge of the in vestigation,’’ Izzy said. ‘‘We don’t trust him.’’
Diane was still not understanding. She’d heard there was no love lost between the rank-and-file policemen and the new chief of police, but she didn’t know why. So why would they want her to investigate?
‘‘I don’t—’’ began Diane.
‘‘It’s not out yet, but they’re arresting Douglas Garnett for the murder,’’ said Izzy. ‘‘Peeks is just going to hang it on him with no investigation. And that’ll be it.’’
Chapter 16
‘‘They’re going to arrest Garnett? That’s ridiculous,’’ said Diane.
‘‘It is, but lunacy has never stopped the likes of
Edgar Peeks before,’’ said Izzy.
‘‘Tell me what happened. Why does he think Gar
nett is the murderer?’’ Despite herself, Diane leaned
forward, anxious to hear the story.
‘‘After they left here yesterday, Garnett and the
mayor got into a big argument down at the police
station. I tell you, you really pissed Jefferies and Peeks
off when you told them to take the crime lab out of
the museum. They considered it the jewel in their
crown. It was really important to them.’’ Izzy grinned
broadly. ‘‘I’ve never seen Chief Peeks so mad.’’ ‘‘I wasn’t taking away the lab. I just told them to
move it,’’ said Diane. ‘‘What was the problem?’’ ‘‘They wanted the whole enchilada—the crime lab,
the bone lab, and the DNA lab. They especially wanted
the DNA lab, and as long as the crime lab was in the
museum, they had a chance of getting control of all
of them—they thought. You come along and throw a
wrench in their plans. Then they find out the city
doesn’t even own some of the expensive equipment in
the crime lab; you do. Like I said, they were really
pissed. Warrick—you remember her?’’
Diane nodded. Janice Warrick was a detective she
had butted heads with when she first moved back to Rosewood but who later became a trusted colleague
if not a friend.
‘‘Well, Warrick overheard the mayor talking to
Peeks about replacing you as director of the museum,’’
he said.
Diane laughed. ‘‘What? The mayor has no authority
over the museum or me.’’
Izzy nodded and gestured with his hands. ‘‘I know,
but you see, that’s the way they look at everything.
You’d think Jefferies was elected emperor of the uni
verse and not mayor of Rosewood. They’re crazy. And
let me tell you, you were making them crazier.’’ ‘‘Who knew I had so much power,’’ Diane com
mented drily. ‘‘Did they say how they proposed to
replace me?’’ said Diane.
‘‘No, but I wouldn’t have put anything past them,’’
said Izzy.
Diane hadn’t liked the mayor, or the people he as
sociated with, and had serious doubts about which di
rection their moral compass pointed, but still she was
surprised at the picture Izzy was painting
of them. She said, ‘‘I know they wanted Garnett to lie about
who the forensic anthropology lab belonged to, but
how could they possibly think they would get away
with that? I keep more records than the IRS.’’ ‘‘I don’t know. They just like to throw everything
at an enemy at once, hoping to overwhelm them, I
suppose. Make them more willing to negotiate. That’s
why they threatened to arrest you, you know. They
don’t have much of a prayer to do that.’’
‘‘Why?’’ asked Diane.
‘‘Because the bottom of the gorge is just across the
county line. The GBI handled the scene. Didn’t you
know that?’’
Of course, the county line; she had forgotten. Diane
felt an overwhelming sense of relief. She realized that
she was truly afraid that she was going to be arrested
and framed.
‘‘You been worried about that?’’ he said. Diane nodded.
‘‘Can’t say as I blame you. Who knows how those
people think? They might have tried to come up with
something. I know they would have pulled some other
dirty trick out of their hat to back up what they were
saying about your bone lab. They would have given
you a run for your money. Kept you real busy dealing
with them anyway.’’
‘‘Tell me more about Garnett and the mayor,’’ said
Diane.
Izzy sat back on the couch.
Diane could see this was going to be a long conver
sation. ‘‘Would you like me to have the restaurant
send us up lunch?’’ she asked.
‘‘That would be nice,’’ said Izzy. He grinned. ‘‘You
sort of have a little kingdom here, don’t you?’’ ‘‘A lot of people think so,’’ said Diane.
‘‘Sort of queen of your domain,’’ he said. ‘‘No, just the queen’s knight. Vanessa’s the queen,’’
said Diane.
‘‘I hear you there. Lunch would be nice. I tend to
skip meals since Evie’s been working with this anti
drug group. She’s trying to make some meaning out
of Donald’s death. I guess I should learn how to cook,
but I don’t have much of an appetite anymore.’’ Diane ordered a couple of steaks, baked potatoes,
a salad, and chocolate cake, and asked that it be
brought to her office.
‘‘I won’t turn down a good steak,’’ said Izzy. He
looked like he might have found his appetite. Diane took a pile of books and papers off the table
and readied it for lunch. She and Izzy made small talk
until it arrived. He seemed to appreciate the break.
Diane knew what a struggle it was for him and his
wife—looking for meaning where there was none,
looking for closure that didn’t exist.
‘‘They tell me you moved from your apartment,’’
he said.
‘‘They asked me to leave,’’ said Diane. ‘‘Too many
things happening in and around my apartment for them.’’ ‘‘I hadn’t heard that. Who asked you to leave?’’
said Izzy.
‘‘My neighbors. They met with my landlady and
took a vote.’’
‘‘You know that’s not legal,’’ said Izzy. ‘‘You could
have fought it.’’
‘‘I know, but I understood their position. Sometimes
you just need some peace,’’ said Diane.
Izzy nodded. ‘‘You’re right about that. Sometimes
you just need peace.’’
He stared off in the distance for a moment, then
looked back at her and gave half a laugh as if embar
rassed for getting lost in thought.
‘‘How’s Frank treating you?’’ he said. ‘‘He hasn’t
played that accordion of his for you, has he?’’ Diane laughed. ‘‘No, but he is teaching me the
piano,’’ she said.
‘‘Piano. That’s nice. Evie plays a little bit.’’ It didn’t take long for the order to arrive. Izzy
looked at the food like he’d never seen food before,
or like it reminded him of a life he used to have.
Diane remembered what it was like to not have an
appetite, having grief eat at the pit of your stomach
so you thought it would never hold anything again.
She also remembered that when she began eating
again, her body started coping better.
‘‘This is really good,’’ said Izzy after taking a couple
of bites of his steak. ‘‘I can’t remember the last time I
had a really good meal. I need to bring Evie to the
restaurant here soon. We haven’t been out together
since, well, since before . . .’’ He let the sentence trail off. ‘‘I do like the food here,’’ said Diane.
Izzy ate a few more bites, took a long drink of tea,
set the glass down, and paused as if not really wanting
to talk about what he had come for. Diane under
stood. This must be a tiny respite for him.
‘‘You ever wonder why Garnett didn’t just find a
new job, maybe in Atlanta, the way they were treating
him? It would have been the smart thing to do rather
than waiting for them to replace him like we all knew they would.’’ Izzy didn’t wait for an answer. ‘‘He did it for the rest of us. Peeks began showing himself early on, and Garnett saw what political animals Peeks and Jefferies were. Not that Garnett’s a stranger to politics himself, but he’s always been good to the people
under him.’’
‘‘And Peeks wasn’t?’’ said Diane. ‘‘Didn’t he and
Jefferies purchase new state-of-the-art bulletproof
vests for the police?’’
Izzy made a derisive noise. ‘‘State-of-the-art my...
Those vests were so old they wouldn’t stop rubber
bullets. Everything they did was just for show. They
made sure the newspapers made a big deal of it, but
like I said, it was just show. We figured they ordered
out-of-date vests and pocketed the rest of the money,
but we can’t prove it.’’
‘‘That’s disappointing,’’ said Diane. ‘‘Did anyone in
form the newspapers?’’
‘‘We tried to leak it, but they sent a couple of
vests—good ones—over to the newspaper office to
show them. They’re slick. Garnett thinks Jefferies was
planning a run for governor and maybe from there to
senator, and we were just a stepping-stone.’’ ‘‘What do you think?’’ asked Diane.
‘‘I agree. We were just a stepping-stone.’’ ‘‘You said Garnett stayed to help. With what ex
actly?’’ asked Diane.
‘‘Peeks likes to replace people. You know that; you
were one of them he replaced. But you at least had
another job. He was getting rid of people who didn’t
have a fallback position. People with families, people
with a pension coming. Garnett fought for them. He
got Colin Prehoda involved. Put a stop to a lot of it.
Prehoda drove them crazy too. They hated not getting
Scattered Graves dffi-6 Page 13
