Beverly Connor - Dead Secret

“We have a name,” said David, waving a piece of paper. “That was the eye surgeon who implanted the shunt you found in Jane Doe. I traced him from the number on the shunt. Her real name is Flora Martin. I was about to call Sheriff Burns.”

“Do we have all of her evidence processed?” said Diane.

“Yes. I have a report ready to fax him.”

“Excellent. When the dermestids are finished with her bones and I have a chance to take one more look at them, that case will be closed for us.” Diane felt a wave of relief go through her, and it surprised her.

“We’re making some progress. Look, guys, you all have been working very hard and doing a good job. It’s almost quitting time-I realize we often don’t pay any attention to that, but why don’t we knock off for the evening? I’ll stay on call, and if anything comes up, I’ll phone you,” Diane said.

“I’d kind of like that,” said Jin. “The thing about this job is that it’s hard to have a love life-of course, I could be like Neva and just bring mine to work with me.”

Neva punched him gently in the arm with her fist. David looked lost-as if the prospect of going home early were confusing to him.

“David,” said Diane. “Why don’t you go home and work on that proposal we talked about for teaching photography?”

His face brightened. “I could do that.”

“You could come over to Mike’s for dinner,” Neva said to David. “I’m sure we’re having some variation on tofu. Didn’t you say you like tofu?”

“Good idea,” said Jin. “And tomorrow we can work on lesson two of how to have a life.”

“You guys are really funny,” said David.

“I was serious about dinner,” said Neva.

“Get out of here,” said Diane. “I’ll call you if I need you.”

Diane cleared out her team just as the night receptionist came on duty. He was new. Garnett had suspended the former one while the crime lab breakin was being investigated. So far the former receptionist hadn’t admitted to anything; nor had any money shown up in his accounts. Maybe he was innocent, but Diane had a gut feeling that the breakin was at least partly an inside job. She called Garnett from her osteology office to get an update. As she expected, he was still at work.

“Just curious about the breakin here,” she said when he answered.

“Not much to tell you. We’ve questioned the ladies-the Wiccan and the Druid. They indignantly deny having anything to do with it. Their coven members alibi them, but I imagine that’s what covens are for. I just don’t understand that stuff. In my day, covens were witches, but this woman denies being a witch. I tell you, I don’t know what to make of them.”

“And my receptionist?”

“Nothing there either. The little trace evidence you’ve found hasn’t been helpful either. We just don’t have a thing. I agree that the women don’t seem like the type who could pull off something like this, but I can’t think of a reason why anyone else would want the bones that were stolen. Whoever it was is liable to be disappointed-you say they were actually deer bones?”

“That’s what the owner says was in the box. We never got a look at them.”

“Well, deer bones or human bones, it doesn’t matter. When we catch them they’re going to do jail time for breaking into a crime lab. How’s your arm doing?”

Diane stretched it out in front of her and moved it around. “It’s gradually getting well.”

“And that student? I hear he’s home from the hospital.”

“Yes. Mike’s doing fine too. Neva’s staying with him while she gets her home in order.”

“Neva?”

“Mike’s her boyfriend.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that, or did I? I tell you, I feel overwhelmed here some days.”

Diane knew how he felt. She stared at the watercolor of the wolf and wished she were out somewhere in the wild. “Do you have anything on Neva’s breakin?” she asked.

“Not a thing. I guess that’s why I’m feeling overwhelmed. I’m not able to clear any of these cases that involve the department. Makes us look pretty incompetent.”

“I know how you feel.”

“That mold of the perp’s fingers Neva found was a break. At least if we find a suspect, we can identify him. The mold didn’t match any of the young hoodlums in her neighborhood.”

Diane was disappointed. She was hoping for at least a break in Neva’s case. The attack on Neva’s home worried her. “Thanks for the update,” she said, and sighed as she cradled the phone.

Diane locked up, said good-bye to the evening receptionist and started to close the door when Korey came down the hall rolling a trolley loaded with several boxes.

“Got your new microscopes,” he said.

Diane opened the door and helped him put them on a counter. “We’ll set them up tomorrow. What else you have there?”

Another box twice as large as the microscopes sat on the trolley.

“A messenger brought it a few minutes ago. The label says it’s from Great Britain.”

“Ah, the witch.”

“Another one?”

“The real one. The first one was a decoy.”

Korey shook his head. “You know, sometimes it’s hard to keep up around here.” He carried the witch to the osteology lab.

“It’s awfully big,” said Diane.

“The first one, if I remember correctly, had an outer and an inner box.”

Korey cut open the top with his knife. Inside they found a smaller box surrounded by bubble wrap and the words Moonhater Cave Bones written on the top. Diane took it out of the bubble wrap and locked it inside the vault.

“Thanks, Korey. I understand you had dinner with Neva and Mike last evening.”

“Yes. Had a good time. Mike seems to be getting along pretty good. I have to tell you, I was worried. That was scary at the funeral.” He shook his head, then smiled. “I’m glad you hired him. That was a good choice. He works hard around here.”

Diane locked up the lab again and walked down the hall with Korey.

“You going home or back to the lab?”

“Home. I was in Andie’s office when the stuff came and I offered to bring them up.”

Diane arched an eyebrow and smiled. Korey laughed out loud.

“I can’t pull anything off around you, can I, Dr. F.?”

They reached the elevators. “Spill it, Korey. What is it you want?”

“I’d like to go the International Conference of Museum Conservators.”

“Where is it going to be?”

“Glasgow this year.”

Diane thought for a moment. “Let me see what we have in the budget for conferences. But assuming we have the money, sure, pack your bags.”

“Thanks, Dr. F.” He punched the elevator button. It opened and Frank got off.

“Diane. Just coming to see you. Hello, Korey.”

“Hey, Frank. How’s it going?”

They shook hands and all of them rode down in the elevator together. Korey said good-bye, and Diane walked with Frank to her office.

“I was about to go look at some paperwork and then call it a night.”

“Good timing. How about you take your paperwork home and let me take you to dinner? We can eat here in the restaurant if you like.”

“Actually, I can leave the paperwork. I let the crime staff go home early-well, early for us, anyway. I’ll get on it tomorrow. You look happy.”

“I’m celebrating,” Frank said.

“Good.” Lately everything had been about her-all her problems. It would be nice to spend an evening talking about Frank for a change. “You catch that guy you were looking for?”

“Yes, I did, and I’m celebrating.”

Over a dinner of steak and baked potato in the museum restaurant, Frank told her about the embezzler that everyone, including the FBI, had been looking for.