you came with your cousin to the exhibit.” “Was the basket on the pedestal when the evening hours began?” Lin knew she’d asked Mary these same questions before, but wanted to see if she would answer them in the same way. “I don’t know. When I came to work, I entered through the lobby and took my position in the first room.” “Do all the employees come in the same way?” “You mean through the front door?” Lin nodded. “Are any other doors open besides the front? Can employees enter from any other doors?” “There’s a code on the back door. We can go in through that door as well as through the front, but visitors can only enter through the main entrance.” “All the employees get the code? That seems like a breach. Can’t you all just enter any time of the day or night? You punch in the code and you can go in?” “Only during business hours.” Mary pointed to the spot on the small basket where Lin should lace the reed. “At the end of the evening, the curator, or whoever is in charge, disables the door code for the night. It won’t allow access until its reactivated the next morning when someone comes to open up.” “Is it possible that the curator forgot to disable the code and that’s how the basket was stolen?” Lin looked at Mary. “But the basket was on the pedestal during the daytime exhibition hours. It was only noticed to be missing when the evening hours started.” “Couldn’t someone have used the code to come in the back door during the dinner hour when the museum was closed?” Lin wiped her hand on her jeans. “The code only works during the times when the museum is open. It would have been disabled during the dinner hour when the building is closed to the public.” “Were the police told about the back door?” “I’m just a part-time worker. I don’t know what anyone told the police.” Lin spent a few minutes paying attention to her weaving while her mind raced. Someone could have forgotten to disarm the code. The door was unlocked. Anyone could have gone inside and left with the basket. She paused and shifted slightly on the bench to make eye contact with Mary. “Did you know the person who got let go from the cultural museum?” Mary sat straighter and her eyes widened. A flicker of something passed over her face and was gone. She seemed surprised that Lin asked the question. “Who?” “I heard someone got fired. I wondered if you knew the person.” “I don’t think so.” Mary stood up abruptly. “I’m going to check on the others.” Watching the young woman out of the corner of her eye, Lin had the distinct impression that Mary was hiding something.
10 L in and Viv had lunch on John’s boat and then headed a few blocks to a side street tucked off the main section of town. “I can’t believe I’ve never been to this shop.” Viv smiled. “I can’t wait to go in.” “Remember why we’re here though.” Lin spotted the small shop tucked between a gift shop and a clothing boutique. “Keep your eyes and ears open.” The girls entered the tiny, cozy store. Nantucket baskets and trays and purses lined shelves and hung from the low ceiling. The golden wood floor nearly sparkled in the sunlight. An older woman with a long gray braid curling over her shoulder sat hunched at a table in one corner of the place. Lin was surprised that this woman was Mary’s mother. She looked so much older than Lin expected. Despite the woman’s arthritic knuckles, the fingers of her hands moved skillfully weaving the reeds into an oval basket. Viv watched from across the room as the woman performed her craft. Without lifting her head, the woman spoke. “You can come closer.” Viv smiled and moved over to the table. “Do you work the baskets?” The woman lifted her eyes to Viv for just a second and then returned her attention to her work. “I do.” Viv watched the woman weave. “I’m always trying to learn.” “So am I.” A grin