what you discover,” said Diane to the two of them. “Knowledge is what will keep me safe.”
“We will,” said Garnett.
Diane nodded. “Did you tell Hanks about my talk with Vanessa?” she asked Garnett.
“We talked about it this morning,” Garnett said.
“You think this woman, this Maybelle Agnes Gauthier, is our Mad Potter?” asked Hanks.
“Mad Potter?” said Garnett.
“What else would you call someone who made pots out of human bones?” said Hanks.
“I guess that’s what I would call them,” Garnett said with a laugh. “Just don’t let the press get hold of that.”
“She may have been,” said Diane. “But, so far, we only know that she was a painter.”
“At least we have a name,” said Hanks. “Easier to ask around about a person if you have a name. I was thinking I might send someone over, one of the girls, uh, women, over to the retirement homes to ask around. Some of those old-timers might remember her.”
“Good idea,” said Diane, rising from her chair. “If I’m finished here, I am going to the lab. I’ll be either there or at the house.”
She left the building, followed by her two bodyguards, and drove to the crime lab.
When Diane put the crime lab in the west wing of the museum, she added an outside elevator that went only from ground level to the crime lab on the third floor. She also added a small room, a lobby and guard post, at the ground-level entrance to the elevator. It was comfortable and had its own facilities. There was a receptionist and a permanent guard on duty. Diane invited the policemen to stay there. The crime lab was secure, she assured them.
“What about the entrance to the crime lab through the museum?” one of them asked.
“There’s a guard on duty there as well. It also has reinforced doors and locks.”
Diane left them in the elevator lobby and rode up to the crime lab. Izzy was there, holding down the fort while David and Neva were at the crime scene at Marcella’s house.
Izzy looked at her wide-eyed when she entered the lab. “Are you all right?” he asked when she walked in. “Jeez, what the hell happened? I’ve been hearing some strange stuff. The news and some of my buddies said someone shot his way into your house.”
Diane explained the events of the previous evening and her visit to the police station.
“Those IA inquiries,” he said, “don’t worry about them. They have to do that. Nobody’s going to fault you for shooting some son of a bitch in your house. Jeez, he shot through the back door.”
“It was very violent,” said Diane. “I intend to find out who sent him and why.”
“This case has been strange from the beginning,” said Izzy. “Attacking Dr. Payden and making off with only a few paintings and a little pottery—what is that about? And that crazy writing on the bottom of the drawer. You know, at first it sounded like the writer was the victim, but now it looks like she might have been the perp. I don’t know what to make of it. And what about that poor Lassiter woman? None of it makes a bit of sense.”
“No,” said Diane. “But it will soon. I won’t have people coming after me and messing up Frank’s house like that,” she said. “I’ll be in my office in the osteology lab. There are two policemen downstairs assigned to watch over me.”
Diane went to her office and called her chief of security and told her what was going on. Diane told her she wanted to make the office wing off-limits to all but museum personnel until this was solved. She then called Andie, her assistant.
“Dr. Fallon, I heard on the news. Was it true? Are you all right?” she asked.
“I’m fine,” said Diane. “I’m working from my osteology office, for the time being. I want you to work from the office up in archives.”
“Why?” asked Andie.
“Because you are in my office and I don’t want anyone in there. I’ve instructed security. And please, don’t talk about this. Just have your workstation routed up there,” she said.
“Sure. You think someone will come here?” she asked.
“I don’t think so. The guy who broke into Frank’s house is in custody. But someone sent him and we don’t know who yet. I just want to be extra cautious and make sure everyone is safe,” she said.
“Sure, I’ll do that. I’m really sorry this is happening,” she said. “You know, people are just crazy.”
“That seems to be the