fallen and hit her head. I called 911 and stayed with her. I talked to her and she came to briefly. That’s when she spoke. It was hard to hear. I may have gotten it wrong.” Jonas hesitated a moment. “Later when I found out someone had attacked her, I tried to remember if I saw or heard anything. I just don’t remember. Everything was fine until I found her on the floor.”
“Thank you for coming down. Please don’t leave town,” said Hanks.
“I have to go to the Atlanta airport to pick up her daughter, Paloma, and her husband,” said Jonas.
“Just make sure you come back,” said Hanks.
Hanks ended the interrogation. It wasn’t as bad as Diane had feared. And it was informative. She found out what was in the empty hutch. If the thieves thought they were valuable artifacts, then they were bound to be disappointed. It was interesting to discover where the desk came from too. Apparently, Hanks didn’t find the note on the back of the drawer important, for he didn’t ask about it. It was also interesting that Marcella had spoken. Diane couldn’t imagine what the words meant either.
Jonas stood up, then sat down again. “I just remembered, Marcella told me earlier she found something she wanted to talk to Dr. Fallon about. She didn’t say what it was. I don’t know whether it is related to what happened to her. What with Diane being the museum director and the crime lab director, it could be something about museum business or something from the dark side.”
“The dark side?” asked Hanks.
“It’s what we in the museum call the crime lab,” he said.
Hanks’ back was to Diane, but she could see the round of his cheek change. Apparently he had smiled.
“Would she have mentioned it in a note or diary?” asked Hanks.
“Most of Marcella’s notes were about her work. I don’t know if she kept a diary,” said Jonas.
“Tell the daughter I would like to speak with her when she is up to it,” said Hanks.
“I will,” said Jonas. He rose again and walked out the door.
Hanks turned around and stared at the two-way mirror for a moment. Diane thanked Garnett for allowing her to watch and hurried out to catch up with Jonas. On the way to the police station she had called her museum assistant, Andie, and asked her to make hotel reservations for Paloma and her husband. She needed to tell him.
“Jonas,” said Diane when she caught up with him at the door.
“Diane. I’m glad you’re here,” he said. They walked out together. “Were you behind the mirror? Do they really do that? It’s not just a TV thing?”
“Yes. I was there,” she said.
“Then you heard the questions he asked. Does he really think I had anything to do with this beastly thing?”
“If I had been the one to find her, I would be the one answering questions,” said Diane. “It’s not uncommon that whoever finds a victim becomes a person of interest. It’s just procedure.”
“It’s not pleasant,” said Jonas.
“It’s not supposed to be. It’s just the way it is. I wanted to tell you that I made Paloma reservations at the Latimeer.”
“That’s pretty expensive. Paloma and her husband aren’t rich,” said Jonas.
“The museum is picking it up. I spoke with her today. She called the house. She wanted to stay there, but I thought with the blood on the floor and all the fingerprint powder, it would be easier if they stayed closer to town. It’s also near the hospital.”
“That’s good of you,” he said, taking her hand and squeezing it. “I’m sure Marcella will appreciate it,” he said.
“Drive safely,” said Diane.
Jonas nodded and got in his car. It wasn’t until he drove away that she realized what he had said in the interrogation room about seeing the paintings over the sofa. When she and her crew were in the house, there weren’t any paintings over the sofa.
Chapter 8
Diane walked back into the police station, past the reception area, past the detectives’ desks, to Garnett’s office. She could see through the window in the door that he was meeting with Detective Hanks. She knocked and entered when Hanks opened the door.
Douglas Garnett had a no-nonsense, no-frills office. The chairs were faux leather and chrome; his desk was gray metal. A long, wood conference table surrounded with wooden chairs sat off to the side. The tan walls were decorated with an array of diplomas, awards, framed newspaper clippings, and photographs of Garnett shaking hands with