doing lab work today. Why, what’s wrong?”
“Get Jin up there with you. Tell him to put one of the Spearmans in charge of the DNA lab. Get the messages from my museum computer. Be discreet. I’ll be right there.”
Diane hung up her desk phone and picked up her cell and started a text message, then stopped. Could it be compromised in some way? She wished she’d listened when David was going on about cells, the way he often did about electronic things. She turned off her computer and went to Sierra’s office.
“Sierra, may I borrow your cell phone?” she asked.
“Sure,” said Sierra.
Diane almost grabbed the cell from her hand, fumbling with it, but finally sent Frank a text message saying she needed him at the crime lab . . . now.
“Sierra, I have to attend to something. You’re in charge of the museum. Call Archives and ask Beth to come down and help. Call me . . . in the crime lab . . . only if the problem is dire.”
“Is something wrong?” asked Sierra.
“Please don’t ask any questions right now. I’ll keep in touch,” she said.
“Okay, Dr. Fallon,” said Sierra, frowning. She looked worried, but Diane couldn’t help it.
Diane left the office wing and took the quickest route to the crime lab, which was the elevator in the lobby to the third floor, and crossing over from there. As she was getting in the elevator, Liam slipped in with her.
“I’m looking for Andie,” he said.
Diane pushed the stop button on the elevator and it came to a jerky halt.
She turned to a startled Liam, grabbed the collar of his shirt, and pushed him against the wall of the elevator.
“Look in my eyes and tell me you are on the level, that there isn’t some secret waiting to come out, that you are who we think you are,” he said.
His stunned expression gave way to alarm.
“Something’s happened to Andie,” he said. He put his hands over hers, but didn’t pull them away. “What’s happened? Please tell me.”
Diane searched his eyes. They were dark blue and looked full of concern, verging on panic. It looked real. Everyone seemed to be able to read Diane’s face, but it was a struggle for her to read theirs. She let go of his shirt.
“Yes, something’s happened. Damn it. Something terrible has happened.” Diane struggled to keep tears out of her eyes. Please, no emotions right now. She had to deal with this. She took a breath. “I’m going to the crime lab. I’ll explain there.”
Her hand shook as she started the elevator back up and used her key to override any call from the second floor. They rode in silence. Liam stared at her, fear in his eyes, but he didn’t push.
On the third floor they got out and Diane rushed to the west wing, waving away anyone who tried to catch her attention. When she entered the crime lab they all were there—David, Izzy, Neva, and Jin. Her team. People she trusted. They all looked grim. They had seen the e-mail attachment.
“I’ve already started trying to identify the background sounds,” said David. He shook his head. “So far . . . white noise. Someone’s effort to stop me from doing what I’m trying to do.”
“What’s going on?” said Liam.
“Show him the video,” said Diane.
They all crowded around the monitor in one of the glassed-in workstations. The video was already on the screen. David played it again. Diane grabbed his hand as it came on. David squeezed back.
On the screen was Andie, her arms and legs bound to a chair with duct tape, sitting in front of a blue-white background that looked to be a sheet. Her Vitruvian Man T-shirt and jeans were drenched in blood . . . her head back . . . her neck glistening in deep red.
Liam sucked in his breath. “Andie. God, no. Please, no.” He sank to the chair.
As if instructed by someone out of sight, Andie lifted her head and stared into the camera. It was a recreation of the other murders. Designed to terrify, it had succeeded.
The screen went blank for a moment and came back with Andie holding a piece of paper. She was shaking and dropped it. The screen went blank again. When it came back moments later she was holding the paper again. She read from the paper in a shaky voice, one that was hoarse . . . on the verge of tears. She stumbled several times in the reading, her eyes