“That was in the doll?” said David. “How did you know to look?”
“Long story,” said Diane.
“It must be,” he said. “It just keeps getting longer.”
“This looks like a cryptogram,” Jin said. “I can do these in my sleep. See, all you have to know is the frequency with which each letter of the alphabet occurs in everyday language-a few other things too-but it’s easy.”
“Good. Do it tonight when you get home. Right now, you and Neva get the cigarette information to Garnett. And David…”
“I know, I’m going,” he said. He grabbed his case and headed for the elevator.
“I’ll meet you out there,” she called after him. “I have some things to do here first.”
“I can do it myself,” he said.
“It’ll be faster if I help,” she said.
The elevator door opened and David stepped in.
“When you guys finish your report, go home,” Diane said to Neva and Jin. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Diane left them and walked downstairs to the conservation lab. She met Korey on the Pleistocene overlook near his lab.
He grinned and his eyes twinkled when he saw her. “I have your forgery, Dr. F.,” he said.
“That’s great. I was just coming to get it. I’m going fishing and I need bait for my hook.” It was in a glassine envelope. She took it out and examined it.
“This looks just like the original,” said Diane.
“I went down to the thrift shop and bought some old books,” he said. “I tore a piece from one of them-they weren’t valuable, I checked. I wrote the message with vegetable ink. It all looks pretty old.”
“Thank you, Korey,” said Diane. “This is excellent. If I decide to go into a life of crime, you’re my man.” She slipped it back in its envelope and put it in her pocket.
“I’m glad to know that’s not what we are doing,” he said still smiling. “Tell me, the jobs you gave to Kendel and Beth, are they related to this?” He gestured to her pocket.
“Yes,” said Diane smiling.
“I really can’t wait for this,” he said.
“I’ll tell you when it’s over, all three of you,” she said and left by the overlook elevator and rode down to the main lobby.
She looked at her watch. Shortly, the night lighting would come on. Andie was probably already gone. She waved at the guard at the information desk and went to her office.
Korey really did a good job, she thought as she moved open the door to the safe. After that, everything went black.
Chapter 46
“Dr. Fallon! Are you all right?”
Who is that talking? Diane was confused and had a pounding headache-and she was on the floor. But someone was helping her to a chair. She sat down and put her head in her hands for a moment, then looked up.
Clarice, one of the night cleaning crew, her long hair in a high ponytail, wearing jeans and a museum sweatshirt, was standing over her with a look of fear on her face.
“You need to go to the emergency room, Dr. Fallon. Your head’s bleeding.”
“Bleeding?” Diane touched the back of her head. It was wet. What is going on?
“Diane?”
The new voice sounded like David.
“What happened?” he asked.
“I just found her on the floor like this,” said Clarice.
“I need to take you to the hospital,” said David.
What I need, thought Diane, is to just sit right here until I feel better.
“I’m fine,” she said.
“No, you’re not,” said David. “I’ll go get the car. Clarice will walk you to the door.”
“What happened?” asked Diane.
“It looks like someone attacked you,” said Clarice. “Here in your office.”
“Don’t clean her office,” said David as he hurried out the door.
Clarice helped Diane toward her door. They were met by a security guard who took Diane’s arm and assisted her the rest of the way.
“I’m sorry, Dr. Fallon. Chanell is going to rip us a new one,” he said. “She’s on her way down here to try and find out how this could have happened-twice. I’m really sorry. We didn’t see anyone.”
“What?” said Diane.
“I was saying that I don’t know how this could have happened,” he repeated.
“Check to see what classes are meeting tonight. Someone could have come and gone with a group that is meeting here,” said Diane.
David appeared and escorted her to his car and helped her in.
“You can take me home,” said Diane.
“No. We are going to the hospital,” he said as he buckled himself in. “What was the last thing you remember?”
Diane thought a moment. Her head seemed to be clearing some. “I saw Korey. He gave me the forgery.”
“You’ve lost me already,” said David. “What forgery?”
“The code. Didn’t I tell you about the code?”
“The one in the doll?” asked David.
“Yes. I asked Korey to duplicate it for me, make it look just like the original, but scramble the letters so they don’t make sense.”
“It doesn’t make sense now. None of this does. When did we make this giant left turn? You said this was about the Cipriano case and lost treasure.”
“David, you know, I don’t feel like explaining it all now. How about in the morning? I’ll get everyone up to speed. Before I forget, I stashed Juliet Price and her grandmother, Ruby Torkel, in a hotel. Museum Security is in an adjoining room, though I’m kind of losing faith in my security of late.”
He drove to the same hospital that stitched up Jin when he was hit on the head. They took Diane immediately and examined her. The doctor looked at her pupils, tested her reflexes, and tended to her head wound, giving her five stitches.
She had the same doctor that Jin had. To Diane he didn’t look old enough to be a doctor. He had one of those baby faces that would probably carry him well into his sixties still looking like a kid.
“Is there an epidemic?” he said when he finished stitching her up.
“Possibly,” she said.
“How do you feel? Headache?”
“Yes, I definitely have a headache.”
“How about dizziness? Weakness in your arms or legs?”
“No,” she answered.
“Have you vomited?”
“No.”
“Do you have any memory loss?” he asked.
“I don’t remember what happened.”
“What’s the last thing you do remember?”
Since David had asked that same question, she had had time to think. “I talked to an employee, went to my office… That’s the last thing I remember.”
“Do you know how long you were unconscious?”
“No. The night lighting in the museum was already on. It comes on at nine thirty. But I don’t know how long it had been on. Actually, I have no idea how long I was out.”
“Have you noticed any irritability?” he asked.
“I’m really pissed at whoever did this.”
He smiled. “I’m going to order a CT scan. Do you know if you’re allergic to contrast dyes?”
“I’m not,” said Diane.
“I’m going to keep you overnight, just to watch you. I think you’re fine, but we need to be sure.”
“You didn’t keep Jin overnight,” she said.
“I suspect you were out longer. I’m just being cautious. It’s nothing to worry about.”
“Just as long as you don’t say it’s because I’m older,” said Diane.
After the CT scan, Diane was taken to a semiprivate room. No one was in the other bed. She was glad of that. The last thing she wanted right now was a room-mate. David came in to see her.