Beverly Connor - One Grave Too Many

“I’ll drive you home,” said Frank.

“No. I’m fine, really. Stay here with Star. I’ll talk to you later.” Diane started to follow the nurse out.

“I’ll come by your apartment in a few minutes,” said Frank.

When she was almost out the door, Diane thought she heard Star say she was sorry.

Diane managed to get home, but the steps up to her apartment were uncomfortable and she longed for an elevator. Inside, she locked and chained the door, took a pain pill, changed clothes and made herself comfortable on the sofa. She looked up Jonas’ home phone number and dialed. After several rings, the answering machine picked up. She hung up without leaving a message. Next she dialed his cell phone.

“Briggs, here.”

“Jonas, this is Diane. I’m going to be late getting to the site today, so you’re in charge.”

“That’s fine. We’re getting started now. You sound a little weak. Are you feeling all right?”

Diane went into the explanation of what happened to her last evening, trying her best to downplay the event.

“Are you sure you need to come out at all? Shouldn’t you just stay home and rest?”

“I’m OK, really. A few bruises here and there.”

“If they kept you all night at the hospital, you got more than a few bruises.”

“The bruises were on a kidney. But it’s fine.”

“Oh, is that all? A major organ. I think that calls for bed rest. We can manage. We have your excavation plan and we’re all experienced.”

“I know you are. How did things go last night at the Abercrombies’? No one came after you with a knife in your sleep, I hope.”

“What? No. Were they supposed to?” Diane laughed and it hurt. “They were great. Hospitable folk. Mrs. Abercrombie makes a great pot roast and pecan pie. Luther’s pretty indignant that someone’s dumped a body on his land, but his wife enjoys the excitement.”

“I’ll be by my phone if you need anything,” she said.

“Does that mean you’re going to stay home and rest?”

“For the morning, anyway. Then I’ll see.”

After talking to Jonas, Diane called Andie at the museum and had to tell the whole story over again.

“You’re kidding? Why didn’t you call me? I’d have come down to the hospital. I’ll bet you didn’t have any pajamas and had to wear that awful gown with the back out.”

“That’s true, I could have used a nightgown, but I slept all night and was released this morning, so I didn’t need much in the way of clothes.”

“Everything’s running smoothly here. The herpetologist is installing his friends today.”

“I hope I didn’t make a mistake by telling him he could exhibit a few live snakes and lizards.”

“He did say they would all be small, and nothing poisonous.” Andie seemed to be asking as well as repeating what the herpetologist said.

“He gave me a list and I approved it,” said Diane. “We’ll have to make sure he didn’t include anything we can’t live with.”

“I can handle anything that comes up, so you stay home and rest today.”

Diane was beginning to think her presence wasn’t needed anywhere. “I may drop in later on today. I’ll see how I feel.”

“If anything comes up, I can call or E-mail you. Stay home. You’ll thank me tomorrow. Oh, you did get a letter from Dr. Ranjan Patel-same guy that sent the fax. It’s another copy of the same document-much more readable.”

“Thanks. Put it on my desk. Anything else?”

“Yeah, Jonas called with a message. ‘Bishop to queen three.’ He made me write it down and read it back to him. Is that some kind of code?”

“No. We’re playing a game of chess.”

“Oh. I wondered.”

“That’s it, then?”

“Just the usual stuff. Nothing earthshaking. We’re getting a lot of people calling about the museum opening. A reporter called wanting to know if we’re going to move the museum after we just renovated it.”

“What did you tell him?”

“No.”

“Good girl. Keep in touch.”

When Diane hung up the phone she stretched out on the couch and pulled a throw over her. As she drifted off to sleep, she remembered she hadn’t told Frank about food allergies-another long shot, but sometimes they pay off.

She was awakened out of a dream she didn’t want to end by a knocking on the door. She was running through the jungle, Ariel in her arms.

Frank, she thought, stumbling to the door. She released the chain and opened it.

Melissa stood in the doorway, the scowl on her face made darker by the shadows cast from the dim hallway lights.

“You’ve ruined my life. Who are you to interfere in my life? No one asked you. I hardly know you.”

“Melissa? What. .?” Diane thought of the visit from Lacy and Emily. “Come in.”

Melissa marched in, sweeping past Diane so abruptly she almost knocked her over.

“Where do you get off telling people that Alix is beating me up?”

“I didn’t tell people that.”

“You did. Laura’s a busybody, but she’s not a liar.”

“No, she isn’t, and I doubt she told you that I said Alix was beating you up, because what I told her was that it had been reported to me that she was hitting you and making the bruises. I told her I didn’t know if it was true.”

“It isn’t true. Alix and I are friends. Who are you to interfere in my life anyway? What business is it of yours?”

“I was ready to consider firing Mike Seger because I thought he was abusing you and bringing it to the museum. That made it my business.”

“Nobody’s abusing me. You’ve got my parents all worked up over nothing. I’m very active and I get bruises.”

“Fine. That’s all you have to say to Laura. I have to wonder at the level of your anger and why you came to my house. That belies your protest that the story isn’t true.” Diane felt unsteady on her feet, so she went back to the sofa and sat down.

“What’s wrong with you? Are you drunk?” asked Melissa.

Diane looked at Melissa for a moment, her angry flushed face, her clenched fists. “No, I was mugged last night in front of the apartment. I just got home from the hospital.”

“Oh. Well, I want you to stay out of my business.”

No Oh, I’m sorry. How are you? Diane was seeing a new Melissa, a very self-centered one.

“Don’t bring your personal business to the museum,” Diane said.

“I won’t. Alix is really hurt. I wish we’d just let whatever was going on happen to you.”

“What does that mean?”

But Melissa turned and left, almost running into Frank on her way out.

“What was that about?” he asked.

“It’s too odd and convoluted to explain. How’s Star?”

“Feeling a little contrite, which is unusual for her. She really is sorry she snapped at you.”

“She’s right, I’m not her mother.” But it had stung, Diane had to admit. Shakespeare knew what he was talking about-“How sharper than a serpent’s tooth, it is to have a thankless child.”

“You were someone being kind. She needs to respect that. How are you? Tell me about last night. Why didn’t you call?”

“You’ve had enough to worry about. And I can take care of myself.”

“Why didn’t you call?”

“Just what I said-and I don’t want to be dependent.”

“Tell me what happened.”

Diane gave him a blow-by-blow of the event, along with what she remembered of the attacker’s description. “I’ve been thinking about it. I don’t believe it was a random mugging. When he ran, it was down the street and up another street. I think he didn’t want his car to be seen on this street, and he wasn’t looking for just anyone to mug-I think he was looking for me.”