Beverly Connor - One Grave Too Many

“That Star and maybe her boyfriend came into the house while the parents were sleeping and shot them, stole the coins and jewelry, and on their way out they ran into Jay coming home and shot him. I need to mention that Jay and Star are natural siblings. George and Louise adopted them together when Jay was two and Star was four. She wouldn’t have killed her little brother.”

“But her boyfriend might?”

Frank shrugged. “I don’t know her boyfriend.”

“They haven’t found him?”

“No.”

“You said she was trying to sell the coins. What about the jewelry?”

“Warrick believes they either stashed it somewhere or the boyfriend still has it.”

Diane looked at the photograph again. “Why does Detective Warrick think the parents were killed first?”

“Looks as if they were asleep in their beds.” He gestured to a photograph half exposed under the stack. “If Jay was killed first, they’d have heard the shot. Neither were heavy sleepers, and George was not shy with a gun.”

“What was Jay doing out so late?”

“That I don’t know. It wouldn’t have been like him.”

“Can you find out from his friends?”

“Maybe.”

Diane picked up the photographs, stacked and fanned them. “Are there any more of Jay?”

“That’s all Izzy gave me. You need something else?”

“The tree.”

“The tree?”

“There might be spattering on the tree. I’d like to see it.”

Through the door that joined Diane’s office to Andie’s came the sound of Andie’s voice. She was talking with Korey.

“So you didn’t order all this stuff?” Andie was asking.

“No. You think I was expecting a run on ammonium citrate?” Korey answered.

“Just a minute,” said Diane. She rose from her desk and opened the adjoining door.

“Dr. Fallon,” said Andie. “Korey says-”

“I know. We’ve had some other orders duplicated, too. Did you bring the paperwork, Korey?”

He handed her a folder. “Like you said, I’m sending the chemicals back. We can keep some of the other supplies. Have you had a chance to look at my proposal?”

“Not yet. But I’m sure I’ll like it. You already have Miss Stewart interested in the workshop. And thanks for taking care of her and Mrs. Grayson.”

“No problem. Always glad to tell people what I do. I was wondering, Dr. Fallon, a couple of my assistants and I would like to work late some evenings on the stuff from the basement. It’s like an ancient treasure trove down there. Just yesterday we found a box of Merycodus mandibles.”

“What’s that?” Andie asked.

“A Pliocene antilocaprid,” said Korey, grinning.

“Oo-kay,” said Andie.

“Artiodactyl,” continued Korey.

“Small fossil deer,” supplied Diane.

“I knew that,” said Andie.

“I won’t say no to such dedication,” Diane told Korey.

“I’ll see about finding you some more help. I think I’ll have an intern or apprentice from the tech school within the month. That’ll involve you teaching a course once a week for the school.”

“I can do that. In fact, that might work out. Don’t a lot of people at the tech school have day jobs? Some of them would be perfect for an evening shift here.”

“I’ll let you know when I’ve worked out the details,” Diane said.

Korey left, happily mumbling to himself about his timetable.

“I wish all my staff were so happy in their work.” Diane turned to Andie. “Check with the other departments and see if they’ve been receiving unusual amounts of supplies or double orders.”

“Sure. What’s this about?”

“I don’t know yet. Let me know if you find any. I’m meeting with Frank. Don’t disturb me unless it’s an emergency.” Diane closed the door, sat down and lay Korey’s folder on the stack of eight-by-tens.

“I really appreciate this, Diane. I know you’re busy,” Frank said.

She pointed to Korey’s folder. “Someone’s been placing orders for exhibits and supplies we already have. It’s like some childish prank, except for the amounts of money involved. Almost a hundred and fifty thousand dollars on one order.” She opened the folder Korey had given her. Copies of orders for excessive amounts of supplies for his lab were there-with her signature. “The strange thing is, I appear to have signed all the orders. At least, it looks like my signature.”

“But you didn’t?”

“Not unless I did it in my sleep. Besides, I wouldn’t have signed these order forms, anyway. The department heads would have. It’s hard for me to imagine anyone here forging my name. Doesn’t that take a certain amount of skill? And whoever’s doing it doesn’t seem to have been ordering anything out of the ordinary for themselves. It’s just the things we normally order, only in huge quantities. The purpose seems to be to annoy-or to make me look incompetent.”

“Maybe I can help. Can I see the papers?”

Diane handed him Korey’s folder, along with hers containing the duplicate orders she’d discovered. “I received a call from a supplier verifying the order for dinosaur casts. That’s how I first found out about it.”

Frank took the folders and opened the one on top. “Do you have copies of the original orders?”

“You think you can find out who’s doing this?”

“Maybe.”

Diane buzzed Andie and asked her to bring the paperwork on the particular museum exhibits she’d ordered months ago.

“Hey, Frank,” said Andie, handing Diane the file. “I was sorry to hear about what happened to your friends. I don’t imagine you’ll be coming to the karaoke bar this Friday. We’ll miss you.”

Frank shook his head. “No, not for a while, Andie.”

“Frank mentioned the two of you do karaoke,” said Diane.

Andie nodded. “Frank’s a real. . what exactly was it you called yourself last week?”

“Crooner,” said Frank.

“Well, that’s a side of you I didn’t know about.”

His lips curved into a lopsided smile. “I guess we’re all full of surprises.”

“You should see him in his sunglasses and black suit when he’s imitating the Blues Brothers.” Andie mimed her impression of Frank’s dance moves.

“I can’t wait. You sing too, Andie?” Diane asked.

Andie, in her short black denim skirt, glittery chain belt and shiny gray blouse, looked convincing as she pretended to hold a microphone and did a fair imitation of Britney Spears.

“It’s a lot of fun. You should come sometime.” Andie’s bright grin froze as her gaze rested on one of the photographs on Diane’s desk. “Oh, God. Is that? Oh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be dancing around.”

“It’s all right, Andie,” said Diane. “Thanks for bringing the folder.” Diane watched Andie return to her office, closing the adjoining door.

Both were silent for a moment. Frank took the file folder and sat down at a table against the wall under a trio of Escher prints: a castle with its endless ascending and descending staircase, an impossible self-filling waterfall, and a tessellation of angels and devils.

“I should have covered the photographs,” Diane said.

“It’s my fault,” said Frank. “You said you came back to find some peace. I shouldn’t be bringing this to you.”

“It’s the fault of the murderer,” said Diane.

Diane watched Frank examine two pieces of paper he held up to the bronze desk lamp. “This is it,” he said. “They traced your signature from this letter you sent the Bickford Museum confirming an order of. . whatever these things are.”

“ Albertosaurus, Pteranodon sternbergi, Tylosaurus and a triceratops?”

“Yeah, those guys.”

Diane rose and joined Frank to look at the documents through the light of the lamp.