“If your son’s prints are anywhere on file and there’s a match, I will prosecute, vigorously.”
“You think this place is so important. It’s just a collection from somebody’s attic. There’s other things more important, and you’re too stubborn to see it.”
That was quite a long speech for Leonard. And another bit of admission.
“Like the bonus your son would get if he brings Mark Grayson my head on a platter?”
Diane could see the uncertainty in him. The snide facade was cracking under the gentlest pressure she was putting on him. She could almost read his thoughts in his eyes as his gaze darted from one point in the room to another. Indecision-say something to defend his son, or stay quiet until he could get advice? Leonard was a follower, not a leader, and she suspected it was his son who was doing the leading.
“You going to give me my paycheck?”
“Yes, Leonard, I am. We’ll just see what happens when the report on the prints gets back. Don’t think for a minute I won’t follow through.”
“What do you want?”
“I want to know why the conservation lab was broken into.”
“You’ll have to ask Mrs. Grayson.”
“Signy Grayson?”
“You’ll have to ask her. I don’t know anything and neither does my son.”
“How about the attempted break-in at the faunal lab last night?” asked Chanell.
This time Diane was caught by surprise. So, it seemed, was Leonard.
“What? You can’t pin that one on me or my son. I don’t know anything about that-I don’t. Maybe Mrs. Grayson knows about that too.”
“Would you mind holding out your hands and arms so that I can see them?” Diane said.
“What?” Leonard pulled his hands to him reflexively and seemed to step back on his heels.
“Whoever attacked me three nights ago received considerable damage to his hands and his arms. Could I see yours, please?”
Leonard pulled up his shirtsleeves and held his hands out before her, turning them palms-down and then palms-up for her to see. “I didn’t have nothin’ to do with no attack on you.”
He had no swollen fingers, and there were no bruises or bite marks on his arms that would be on her attacker. Diane handed him the check.
“Chanell, I want you to start changing all the locks in the museum.” She spoke to Chanell, but she didn’t take her eyes off Leonard Starns. He turned abruptly and left the room.
“I know it’s going to be a big task,” she said. “But I’m sure he made copies of the keys. From now on, I want you to work up a plan to coordinate the night security with the custodians. But get your paperwork done first. You want your paycheck to reflect your new job.”
“Sure will. I’ll get to everything right now. You want me to see about the faunal lab, too?”
“Tell me about the faunal lab.”
“We had someone try to break in. Bernie scared him off.”
“Bernie?” said Andie. “I’d have thought they would have scared him off.”
“Bernie’s not as wimpish as he looks. He’s just scared of the primate skeletons and the snakes.”
“You have any idea who it was?”
“He didn’t get a look at him. He knocked Bernie down and started to kick him. Bernie pulled his gun, and whoever it was ran off. Bernie said he was dressed in black and had a ski mask.”
“Was he white or black?”
“Bernie said he was white.”
“Did you call the police?”
“Sure. They took our statement and said they’d get back to us. Me and Bernie’s holding our breath. We were going to call you, and I. .” She hesitated. “We handled it, and you were already handling so much, I just thought I wouldn’t disturb your sleep since I was coming in to see you this morning anyway.”
“Looks like you and Bernie had everything under control. Call one of the temporary security companies and get some extra people for the night shift.”
“OK.”
“I’ve given you a lot of work for your first day as the new head of security.”
“You won’t be disappointed.” Chanell left smiling.
Andie stood in Diane’s office with her hands on her hips. “I feel as though there’s a lot of stuff going on in the museum that I don’t know about.”
“There’s stuff going on here that I don’t know,” said Diane. “But I’m going to find out. Send a message to all the departments telling them that no one is to be working alone. And if anyone wants me, give me a call on my cell.”
Diane ran up the stairs and stopped midway when a sharp pain shot through her lower back. It was acute enough to deliver a wave of nausea. “Shit,” she said and tried to remember if she’d been drinking enough liquids, or too much. Probably not enough rest. She waited until the pain subsided and continued up to the lab at a slower pace.
Korey was in his office on the phone. Barbara, one of his staff, came up as she entered.
“Korey told me to help you photograph the skeleton.”
“Good. It shouldn’t take too long.”
They went into the vault where Barbara or Korey had already set up the camera equipment on a long arm so it would reach over the bones.
“I heard someone tried to break in the faunal lab,” said Barbara. “What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure,” said Diane. “Security’s working on it.”
“We seem to be generating our own crime wave. Who’d’ve thunk it in a place like this?”
“It’s going to stop,” said Diane. “I believe some of it has to do with this guy here.”
They set up a shot of the shoulder girdle.
“You think someone’s looking for him? His murderer?”
“Maybe. I’ve just promoted Chanell to head of security, and I’m going to hire extra people. I don’t want anyone to work alone at night until this is solved.”
They photographed the entire skeleton, including close-ups of all the remarkable characteristics. As they worked their way around the bones, Diane explained the history of the skeleton and the steps they’d taken to discover its story.
“Cool stuff. You know, some museums have a forensic unit,” Barbara said.
“So I’ve been told,” said Diane.
She packed up the bones and labeled the box. Just for added security, she put the box in a large empty supply box, taped it up and stored it next to the excess supplies apparently ordered by Leonard Starns. She wrote the initials J. D. on the outside of the box.
When she left, Korey was still on the phone.
As she got back to her office, Sylvia Mercer darted through the closing door.
Chapter 40
“Hi,” she said breathlessly. “Is there such a thing as a forensic zoologist?”
“A forensic zoologist? Is that what you’ve become?” Diane showed her faunal curator into her office. Sylvia sat down at the table under the Escher prints and began spreading out her papers. Diane pulled up a chair, sat down beside her and picked up one of the sheets of paper.
“This looks like a copy of the Abercrombie taxidermy records.”
“It is. I’ve been looking at the animals directly under and over the main part of the human skeleton. We have a Canis lupus directly above, and on that same level we have a Vulpes fulva and four Odocoileus virginianus. Below we have a Sus scrofa and two O. virginianus.”
“Wolf, fox, deer and pig?”
“Right. That was lucky, really lucky. It could have been nothing but O. virginianus above and below, and that wouldn’t have given us much to work with. I’ve been working with Whit Abercrombie on his father’s records. They’re a bit difficult to read.” She paused and looked over at Diane. “By the way, Whit’s a babe. I don’t like what he does for a living-the taxidermy stuff.” She shrugged. “But then again, I collect roadkill.”