Dead Guilty

them.
‘‘Diamonds were found among Raymond’s things, and they are real. One of the geologists here at the museum verified that.’’
‘‘Oh. Garnett said they’re valuable.’’
‘‘Yes, they are. Would you like to see them?’’
‘‘Well, yes, that would be interesting. If I’m sus pected of stealing them, I’d like to see what it is I was supposed to have stolen.’’
‘‘Did he really accuse you?’’
‘‘He kept asking if maybe Raymond found them in Chris Edwards’ clothes.’’
‘‘Chris Edwards wasn’t wearing any clothes,’’ said Diane.
‘‘Don’t think I didn’t tell him that. He suggested that they may have been hidden in his shorts. Now, I ask you. I would have noticed if Raymond found any thing in Chris Edwards’ tighty whiteys. Then he asked me about the clothes on the hanging bodies. Well, I told him you were there for the first two, and there was nothing in Red’s clothing.’’
Diane took Lynn to the second floor, and for the second time today she took the diamonds from the safe. She set them down on a table in the lab and opened the box and eyed Lynn closely.
‘‘They don’t look like diamonds.’’
‘‘They’re uncut,’’ said Diane.
‘‘They look large.’’
‘‘They are.’’
‘‘And these were in Raymond’s things?’’
‘‘Yes.’’
‘‘Oh, Raymond, what were you into?’’ she whispered.
Diane put the diamonds back in the safe and es corted Lynn to the lobby. By the time they got there, Lynn’s anger had abated and she was all sugar again. Diane had about decided that the next flare-up, she wasn’t going to coddle her anymore. As she opened the door for Lynn, Diane’s cell rang.
Finally, she thought, as she looked at the display. Garnett had called back.
‘‘John Doe is dead,’’ he said, before she could tell him about the Hooten cousins. ‘‘It looks like someone killed him.’’

Chapter 41
    ‘‘What happened?’’ Diane asked Garnett when she arrived at the hospital.
    They sat in the waiting room near the critical care unit. Sheriff Braden was twirling his hat in his hands, not saying much.
    ‘‘Apparently, someone came in and slit his throat,’’ said Garnett. ‘‘The nurse had just left to check on another patient. She remembers an orderly. It must have happened quickly. When she got back, he was bleeding out. They tried to save him, but he had lost too much blood. And what with his other injury, well, he didn’t make it.’’
    ‘‘This is strange.’’

    ‘‘That’s one word to describe it,’’ said Garnett.
    ‘‘Somebody is mighty desperate for something.’’ ‘‘If we can identify the victims,’’ said Braden, ‘‘I can
close this damn case. Are you any closer to finding
out who they are?’’ he asked Garnett.
Garnett looked annoyed, and she guessed that he
and Braden had had a disagreement. Cobber’s Wood
was the only one of the crime scenes in Braden’s juris
diction, and she got the idea he probably didn’t care
if Garnett solved his cases or not, even if they were
all related.
‘‘I may know who they are. I’ve been trying to call,’’
said Diane.
This got Braden’s attention.
‘‘The sheriff and I were called back here as soon as
we got back to our offices,’’ said Garnett. ‘‘They made
us turn off our cell phones inside the hospital, so we
didn’t get your call. You know who the victims were?’’ ‘‘Maybe. I told you about the discussion boards and
lists Neva was checking on the Internet. She got a hit
from a plastic surgeon in upstate New York. He sent
photos of two of his patients, and I have to tell you,
they look a lot like our victims.’’
‘‘She get names?’’
‘‘Yes.’’ Diane related the entire story she got from
Neva. ‘‘When I couldn’t get you on the phone, I called
the numbers the doctor gave her for them. Justin
Hooten’s family wasn’t home. Ashlyn Hooten’s father
brushed me off. I think that they’ve had some dealings
with the law before.’’
If Braden or Garnett were angry at her initiative,
neither showed it, so she pressed on. ‘‘I’d like to try
again.’’
‘‘Be my guest,’’ said the sheriff. ‘‘The sooner this is
out of my hair, the better.’’ He rose and stalked off
toward the restrooms.
‘‘What’s that about?’’ asked Diane.
‘‘I was pretty hard on Lynn Webber. I was thinking
that maybe the diamonds were on Chris Edwards’
person—hiding in his underwear, some place an in
truder