Beverly Connor - Dead Secret

“My big leaker is in the hospital,” said Burns. “Deputy Singer is our county commissioner’s brother-in-law and a pain in the butt. I try to keep him on easy things, like serving papers and the like. I understand he shoveled up the bones of Flora Martin and delivered her to you in a garbage bag.”

“Yes, he did.”

Burns shook his head. “That’s not how I taught him. I sent him to Atlanta for training with the GBI. I don’t know why he didn’t learn anything.”

Having Burns admit-in a manner of speaking-to a potential leak loosened up Canfield to the possibility.

“I’ll talk to my secretary and deputies. You know, we talk all the time about a break in this case or that, without giving details.”

“That’s the problem,” said Diane. “So do we, and that’s all the information they needed. They didn’t need details.”

“It’s impossible not to talk at all about a case within earshot of the people you work with,” said Garnett. “Like Canfield, we don’t give out details, just. . ‘we’re making progress’ kind of thing. Frankly, I’m surprised anyone takes that seriously.”

They all laughed.

“I may be all wrong,” said Diane. “Maybe they just assumed that we’d be making progress by this time.”

“If they’ve been hanging around the museum,” said Canfield, “they might have picked up something here.” He was not accusatory, but there was still a slight defensive edge to his voice.

“I agree. That’s most likely,” said Diane. She saw Canfield relax, but Garnett frowned. “That’s why I’m checking the phones. We know they have the ability to hack into secure computers. They also bypassed our electronic locks and alarms and disabled the security cameras for the lab break-in. They most likely have other electronic talents, such as tapping phones.”

“We’ll check our offices,” said Canfield.

Garnett’s frown softened. Diane knew it was important to him that the crime lab seem invincible and infallible, but she wasn’t going to get any cooperation from the two sheriffs if she put the burden of a possible leak entirely on their shoulders. In reality, she was concerned that someone overheard her phone call to David when she and Frank were in the restaurant.

“I appreciate all of your cooperation. I’ve got reports for you on the evidence found at your crime scenes.” Diane passed out papers from a stack David had put on the table in preparation for the meeting. She stood up. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to go talk to my security personnel.”

Garnett stayed after the others left. Clearly he needed more debriefing.

“What are you doing to find these guys?”

“David is working the basement. He’ll also be searching the databases for hackers-maybe our guy did time, possibly as a juvenile. We’ll be reviewing the videotapes. Neva is interviewing museum personnel to see if anyone remembers seeing them on the third floor. We don’t have any exhibits up there. It’s all docents, exhibit planners, archives-and us. Jin is processing the evidence we do have.”

“I don’t like this at all. Someone thinks they can come in and bully their way out of trouble. We can’t allow them to get away with these kinds of tactics. I’m glad you didn’t succumb to their threats.”

“That wasn’t going to happen. I have very strong feelings about terrorists. I had to deal with a lot of them when I worked for World Accord International in South America. However, I have to protect the museum, and I will.”

“I’ll do everything I can. All you have to do is tell me what you need.”

Diane knew he meant it. If for no other reason than that she had the power to break the arrangement with Rosewood about the crime lab and he knew it.

Diane called Kendel, Andie, Chanell Napier, her head of museum security, and Lane Emery, head of crime lab security, into her office, closed the door and told them about the threat to the museum. She was beginning to get accustomed to the bug-eyed, openmouthed look. When they recovered she asked for suggestions about closing the museum.

“Should I close the museum for a while? Say we’re putting up exhibits?”

“Can’t give in to terroristic threats,” said Chanell.

“I have to think of the safety of the visitors and staff,” said Diane.

“I agree with Chanell,” said Kendel. “However, we can go to shorter hours and give the same reason-changing out exhibits. God knows, the paleontologists have been wanting us to close so they can assemble the velociraptors without spectators looking over their shoulders. But if we were to close, how would we know how long to stay closed? We couldn’t just stay closed indefinitely.”

“What about the restaurant? Closing would cost the owner,” said Diane.

“The restaurant has its own entrance and exit. It can stay open even when the museum is closed,” said Kendel. “But that doesn’t help, does it? They are still in this building.”

“Andie? Any thoughts?” asked Diane.

“I say business as usual. Don’t give an inch. Another thing you can do is solve it real fast.”

“You haven’t said anything, Mr. Emery,” said Diane.

He had been sitting silently, his lips in a thin grim line.

“I don’t like to give in to terrorists either, but I say we close down the museum-say for the weekend-so we can give it a thorough search.”

“Search?”

“Burning down a place like this wouldn’t be easy; it’s not like they can light a match to a set of draperies. From what you said, it sounds like they’re confident they can carry out their threats. If they’ve been able to come and go at will, they may have already planted a device in the building.”

“Device? Like a bomb?” asked Diane.

Emery nodded. “They could use incendiary bombs loaded with jellied gasoline. There may be more than one. Down deep, I think they’re bluffing. But if we shut down just for the weekend-and say something like, ‘The environmental controls broke down’-we can get dogs in here. If there is a device here, we can find it. But we’ll need everybody out of the building.”

Diane closed her eyes and thought about all the options, everything that everyone had said. Her thoughts were churning. Was the threat credible? She had no choice but to treat it as if it were. There was a silence that began to get uncomfortable. Throats were cleared; there was some squirming in the creaking chairs. A decision suddenly came to her in a flash of insight-or paranoia; she didn’t know which. She opened her eyes and looked at Emery.

“Mr. Emery, I think your points are well-founded. Prudence dictates that we take every reasonable precaution. I want you to organize the search, but let’s do it in such a way as to minimize the disruption. This is Friday. When normal quitting time for the day staff arrives at five o’clock, I want the museum closed, and to remain closed for the weekend.”

There were sounds of surprise from some of the staff. Chanell looked taken aback. After all, she was head of security for the museum. For a moment Diane thought Chanell was going to object. She looked at Diane and shook her head, but then gazed down at her hands and said nothing. It probably seemed to her, thought Diane, that she was being taken out of the loop.

“Andie, I need you to see what tour groups and special activities we have scheduled for the weekend. Offer our apologies and ask them to reschedule. Offer them a seventy percent discount if they will.”

Andie nodded.

“I would hope that twenty-four hours is plenty of time to make all preparations for the search. So let’s say the search will officially begin tomorrow at six P.M. Mr. Emery, can you make arrangements?”

“Yes. I’ll get right on it.”