Read Online Dead Hunt by Beverly Connor - Free Book Online
Authors: Beverly Connor
Tags: Fiction, General, detective, Suspense, Thrillers, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths, Suspense fiction, Mystery, Mystery Fiction, Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths, Fiction - Mystery, Police Procedural, Fallon, Women forensic anthropologists, Diane (Fictitious character), Forensic anthropologists, Serial Murderers, Women serial murderers, Mystery And Suspense Fiction
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museum—at best we look incompetent, at worst we look disreputable.’’ Diane paused. The board members exchanged glances.
‘‘Why did you think it was true?’’ Laura asked Madge.
‘‘The reporter told me it was,’’ she said.
‘‘Oh, Madge,’’ muttered Vanessa.
‘‘Christ,’’ said Barclay, snatching off his glasses.
‘‘Why would she say it was true if it wasn’t?’’ Madge looked around to each board member, challenging them to offer an answer.
‘‘If our goal is to protect the reputation of the museum,’’ said Martin Thormond, ‘‘perhaps we should just give the items in question back.’’
Diane was shaking her head even before he finished. ‘‘Protecting the reputation of the museum is more than making sure we don’t display stolen antiquities. We must also protect our ability to acquire them. If it’s known that all it takes for us to back off an acquisition is an anonymous accusation, then we have seriously crippled our ability to compete in a very competitive world. And I also want to add that an important part of our reputation is how we treat the people we employ. The people here look to me to protect them—and I will.’’
Diane stood, walked to a bookshelf, and came back with two magazines she laid on top the newspaper. ‘‘ Best Aging magazine lists Rosewood in the top ten places to retire to. In citing the reasons for the selection they named the RiverTrail Museum of Natural History.’’ She pointed to the other magazine. ‘‘ Good Working named RiverTrail in its list of top one hundred best places to work in the Southeast—citing treatment of employees.’’
Her gaze took them all in before she spoke again. ‘‘This is a good museum and a good place to work. Because of the efforts of Dr. Williams and Dr. Seeger, our geology department has one of the best reference collections in the country. Students from several large universities in the region come here to study our specimens. That kind of scholarly caliber was one of Milo Lorenzo’s goals for the museum. I will not let all we have accomplished be sabotaged by rumors.’’ Diane wondered if her face looked as hot as it felt.
‘‘Where did the newspaper get the information in the first place?’’ asked Harvey Phelps. He had been fingering a copy of the newspaper tucked away on his lap. Diane noticed that he had looked sheepish the entire meeting. Another friend who felt guilty confronting her.
Most of the members had remained quiet, perhaps letting Barclay be the bad guy, a role he seemed to relish. Diane supposed they hadn’t said anything because all the words they had for her were of reproof and they hadn’t wanted to scold her. But they had wanted answers.
‘‘I don’t know who the original source was,’’ said Diane. ‘‘But I will find out. Someone set out to do us harm. And I will find out who they are.’’
Harvey smiled at Diane. He tried making it the avuncular smile he usually had for her, but it came up a little short. ‘‘What are we doing about the problem?’’ he asked.
‘‘I’ve told the registrar’s office . . . ’’ Diane noticed a puzzled look from the newer members. ‘‘That’s where we review provenances,’’ she explained. ‘‘I told them to start reviewing the provenance for the Egyptian artifacts immediately. My best detective has agreed to cut short his vacation and find the source of this attack on us.’’
‘‘Our bank uses a good detective agency I can recommend,’’ offered Barclay.
Diane supposed he wanted to purchase back some of the ground he had lost by now being helpful. She really wanted to ask him what a bank needed with a detective agency.
‘‘David will do an excellent job,’’ said Diane.
‘‘Professionals in the field will do a better job than museum people,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m sure your people are good at researching artifacts, but this investigation needs to be out in the real world.’’
Diane didn’t believe that he
‘‘Why did you think it was true?’’ Laura asked Madge.
‘‘The reporter told me it was,’’ she said.
‘‘Oh, Madge,’’ muttered Vanessa.
‘‘Christ,’’ said Barclay, snatching off his glasses.
‘‘Why would she say it was true if it wasn’t?’’ Madge looked around to each board member, challenging them to offer an answer.
‘‘If our goal is to protect the reputation of the museum,’’ said Martin Thormond, ‘‘perhaps we should just give the items in question back.’’
Diane was shaking her head even before he finished. ‘‘Protecting the reputation of the museum is more than making sure we don’t display stolen antiquities. We must also protect our ability to acquire them. If it’s known that all it takes for us to back off an acquisition is an anonymous accusation, then we have seriously crippled our ability to compete in a very competitive world. And I also want to add that an important part of our reputation is how we treat the people we employ. The people here look to me to protect them—and I will.’’
Diane stood, walked to a bookshelf, and came back with two magazines she laid on top the newspaper. ‘‘ Best Aging magazine lists Rosewood in the top ten places to retire to. In citing the reasons for the selection they named the RiverTrail Museum of Natural History.’’ She pointed to the other magazine. ‘‘ Good Working named RiverTrail in its list of top one hundred best places to work in the Southeast—citing treatment of employees.’’
Her gaze took them all in before she spoke again. ‘‘This is a good museum and a good place to work. Because of the efforts of Dr. Williams and Dr. Seeger, our geology department has one of the best reference collections in the country. Students from several large universities in the region come here to study our specimens. That kind of scholarly caliber was one of Milo Lorenzo’s goals for the museum. I will not let all we have accomplished be sabotaged by rumors.’’ Diane wondered if her face looked as hot as it felt.
‘‘Where did the newspaper get the information in the first place?’’ asked Harvey Phelps. He had been fingering a copy of the newspaper tucked away on his lap. Diane noticed that he had looked sheepish the entire meeting. Another friend who felt guilty confronting her.
Most of the members had remained quiet, perhaps letting Barclay be the bad guy, a role he seemed to relish. Diane supposed they hadn’t said anything because all the words they had for her were of reproof and they hadn’t wanted to scold her. But they had wanted answers.
‘‘I don’t know who the original source was,’’ said Diane. ‘‘But I will find out. Someone set out to do us harm. And I will find out who they are.’’
Harvey smiled at Diane. He tried making it the avuncular smile he usually had for her, but it came up a little short. ‘‘What are we doing about the problem?’’ he asked.
‘‘I’ve told the registrar’s office . . . ’’ Diane noticed a puzzled look from the newer members. ‘‘That’s where we review provenances,’’ she explained. ‘‘I told them to start reviewing the provenance for the Egyptian artifacts immediately. My best detective has agreed to cut short his vacation and find the source of this attack on us.’’
‘‘Our bank uses a good detective agency I can recommend,’’ offered Barclay.
Diane supposed he wanted to purchase back some of the ground he had lost by now being helpful. She really wanted to ask him what a bank needed with a detective agency.
‘‘David will do an excellent job,’’ said Diane.
‘‘Professionals in the field will do a better job than museum people,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m sure your people are good at researching artifacts, but this investigation needs to be out in the real world.’’
Diane didn’t believe that he
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