Read Online One Grave Less by Beverly Connor - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Beverly Connor
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Peru?”
“Why, indeed,” said Diane. “Of course, there is just the caller’s word that he was Brian Mathews.”
“Oh,” said Laura. “Yes, I see. I didn’t think of that.”
“Martin was rather furtive when he approached me as everyone was leaving. I know that Madge noticed him. I suspect she smelled a little gossip and hid in the closet . . . which has doors into the hallway and the boardroom. Apparently she did a little embellishing on the way to the restaurant.”
“Apparently so,” said Vanessa.
“Look,” said Diane, “I’ll take a hiatus until I figure . . .”
Vanessa shook her head. “Every couple of months you offer to step down, whenever some drama happens. Stop it. I’ll have a long talk with Madge. She’ll listen to me.”
Diane wasn’t so sure.
“Why would someone do this?” asked Laura.
“I don’t know,” said Diane. “But I will find out.”
Their meals came and for a short while they concentrated on their food.
“You know,” said Laura after a pause, “Thomas Barclay would be easier to get along with if you would ease up on him during meetings.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” said Diane, cutting her steak and spearing the piece with her fork.
“Yes, you do. You try to get under his skin,” said Laura. “He’s really not so bad.”
“Perhaps. But from the board I need ideas and solutions. The first thing Thomas always wants to do is blame someone. That really doesn’t help. Now, Kenneth was helpful. But for someone whose job it is to keep track of the bottom line, Thomas was far off the mark wanting to close the night classes. But in the spirit of trying to get along with him, I’ll be glad to now have my wedding somewhere—”
“Nice try, dear,” said Vanessa. “The invitations are out, we have your dress, everything is in play, as it were.”
Diane sighed. “I hope it isn’t a white dress with a veil.” She had left all the wedding planning to Vanessa. “I’ve done the white dress thing.”
“No, dear. No white dress, no veil,” said Vanessa.
“I don’t want one of those floppy hats either . . . or a tiara . . . though I might be persuaded by a simple gold coronet.”
Vanessa smiled. “I’m sorry, dear, I get to wear the coronet. You’ll have to wait to find out about the rest. We won’t embarrass you.”
“You’ve seemed unsettled lately,” said Laura.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about Ariel. And about Frank. Frank’s a good father. What he’s done with Star after her family was slaughtered is fantastic. And his son, Kevin, is a great kid. Ariel would have thrived in this environment,” said Diane. “I . . .”
“Feel guilty about being happy,” said Laura.
Diane shrugged. “Perhaps. It’s that terrible might-have-been that keeps after me.” She paused and pinched the bridge of her nose to keep herself from tearing up. “But this is what is. I’ll deal with it.”
They ate in silence for several minutes.When they did speak it wasn’t about the museum break-in. It was clear that Vanessa hadn’t told Laura about Simone Brooks. That was what had Diane worried at the moment. What was that about?
It had been a long day. Diane had thin-sectioned the bone—cutting a paper-thin slice from it for examination under the microscope. The thin-section revealed that the child had normal bone growth. He or she wasn’t undernourished and the bone showed no sign of disease. A healthy child before tragedy struck.
When Diane finished her examination she took a bone sample down to Deven Jin, the director of her DNA lab in the basement, for stable isotope analysis. The types, numbers, and ratios of stable isotopes absorbed from food and water the child had consumed would tell them the types of foods that were in the child’s diet. If they were lucky, they would be able to identify the area from which the foods had come—maybe even pinpoint the local population in which he or she had lived. That could lead to a DNA
“Why, indeed,” said Diane. “Of course, there is just the caller’s word that he was Brian Mathews.”
“Oh,” said Laura. “Yes, I see. I didn’t think of that.”
“Martin was rather furtive when he approached me as everyone was leaving. I know that Madge noticed him. I suspect she smelled a little gossip and hid in the closet . . . which has doors into the hallway and the boardroom. Apparently she did a little embellishing on the way to the restaurant.”
“Apparently so,” said Vanessa.
“Look,” said Diane, “I’ll take a hiatus until I figure . . .”
Vanessa shook her head. “Every couple of months you offer to step down, whenever some drama happens. Stop it. I’ll have a long talk with Madge. She’ll listen to me.”
Diane wasn’t so sure.
“Why would someone do this?” asked Laura.
“I don’t know,” said Diane. “But I will find out.”
Their meals came and for a short while they concentrated on their food.
“You know,” said Laura after a pause, “Thomas Barclay would be easier to get along with if you would ease up on him during meetings.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” said Diane, cutting her steak and spearing the piece with her fork.
“Yes, you do. You try to get under his skin,” said Laura. “He’s really not so bad.”
“Perhaps. But from the board I need ideas and solutions. The first thing Thomas always wants to do is blame someone. That really doesn’t help. Now, Kenneth was helpful. But for someone whose job it is to keep track of the bottom line, Thomas was far off the mark wanting to close the night classes. But in the spirit of trying to get along with him, I’ll be glad to now have my wedding somewhere—”
“Nice try, dear,” said Vanessa. “The invitations are out, we have your dress, everything is in play, as it were.”
Diane sighed. “I hope it isn’t a white dress with a veil.” She had left all the wedding planning to Vanessa. “I’ve done the white dress thing.”
“No, dear. No white dress, no veil,” said Vanessa.
“I don’t want one of those floppy hats either . . . or a tiara . . . though I might be persuaded by a simple gold coronet.”
Vanessa smiled. “I’m sorry, dear, I get to wear the coronet. You’ll have to wait to find out about the rest. We won’t embarrass you.”
“You’ve seemed unsettled lately,” said Laura.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about Ariel. And about Frank. Frank’s a good father. What he’s done with Star after her family was slaughtered is fantastic. And his son, Kevin, is a great kid. Ariel would have thrived in this environment,” said Diane. “I . . .”
“Feel guilty about being happy,” said Laura.
Diane shrugged. “Perhaps. It’s that terrible might-have-been that keeps after me.” She paused and pinched the bridge of her nose to keep herself from tearing up. “But this is what is. I’ll deal with it.”
They ate in silence for several minutes.When they did speak it wasn’t about the museum break-in. It was clear that Vanessa hadn’t told Laura about Simone Brooks. That was what had Diane worried at the moment. What was that about?
It had been a long day. Diane had thin-sectioned the bone—cutting a paper-thin slice from it for examination under the microscope. The thin-section revealed that the child had normal bone growth. He or she wasn’t undernourished and the bone showed no sign of disease. A healthy child before tragedy struck.
When Diane finished her examination she took a bone sample down to Deven Jin, the director of her DNA lab in the basement, for stable isotope analysis. The types, numbers, and ratios of stable isotopes absorbed from food and water the child had consumed would tell them the types of foods that were in the child’s diet. If they were lucky, they would be able to identify the area from which the foods had come—maybe even pinpoint the local population in which he or she had lived. That could lead to a DNA
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