Dead Hunt

division came to talk to me. I’m still a free woman, so I guess things are going pretty well.’’
‘‘Why don’t I come and pick you up?’’ said Frank.
‘‘I still have to talk to my crime scene people. And I have an FBI agent wandering around in the building that I need to keep track of. I also have to speak with the museum restaurant people.’’
She told him about Kingsley’s accident and her suspicion about the source of the barbiturates.
‘‘I hardly know what to say,’’ Frank said when she finished.
‘‘I know. It’s not easy being me.’’ Diane fingered a geode on Mike’s desk. She picked it up and examined it. It looked like a tiny cave filled with sparkling crystal.
‘‘You need to alert your security people at the museum to watch out for you.’’
Diane could hear the concern in his voice and it made her feel guilty. ‘‘Thanks for letting me stay at your house.’’
‘‘You know you can stay here as long as you like.’’
She put the geode back down and leaned back in the chair. ‘‘I know, and it’s tempting.’’
‘‘If you ever get back here, I’ll really tempt you,’’ Frank said.
Diane smiled. ‘‘That’s worth hurrying up for. Oh, I almost forgot. The marshals said they know you— Chad Merrick and Dylan Drew. Do you remember them?’’
‘‘Yes, I do. Rather tenacious. They aren’t going to like not having a body.’’
That’s what I figured, she thought.
When Diane hung up, she felt a cold stab of fear in the pit of her stomach. She was quickly losing control of everything around her and the thought panicked her. She gripped Mike’s geode tightly, inhaled deeply, and let her breath out slowly. She had to solve the mysteries—all of them—or she could never make her world right. She set the geode down, got up, and headed down to the restaurant, hoping that the young woman who waited on her and Kingsley was working today.

Chapter 26
    The museum restaurant with its tall old-brick archways and vaulted chambers looked very much like a medieval castle. In the evenings all the tables were lit by candles. It was a cozy restaurant and served good food. This evening the restaurant was packed, as it had been the previous evening when Diane was there with Kingsley. She glanced around the room and saw several people she knew. So far no one had noticed her. She spoke to the hostess and asked if Karalyn was working tonight. She was. Diane asked to see her in the manager’s office.
    ‘‘Sure. Is everything okay?’’ asked the hostess.
    ‘‘Fine,’’ said Diane, hoping her smile didn’t look as fake as if felt. ‘‘Just ask her to meet me, please.’’
Diane hated this kind of interview. Karalyn was young and had worked at the restaurant for several months while attending Bartram University. Diane couldn’t really imagine her drugging the patrons—or her. Diane walked to the back of the restaurant, looking straight ahead. She saw someone wave to her out of the corner of her eye. She pretended she didn’t notice.
Diane went into the office, a small room with a desk piled high with papers and restaurant catalogs. She pulled out two chairs, sat down in one, and waited for Karalyn.
‘‘Sorry I took so long to see you . . . someone didn’t show up for work and I have to fill in for him,’’ she said, a little out of breath.
‘‘Did you lose someone?’’ asked Diane. She motioned to the chair and Karalyn sat down.
‘‘One of the wait staff didn’t show up and the manager can’t get hold of him. It’s common in this business, unfortunately. Some people don’t bother to call.’’ She frowned and smoothed her long skirt.
‘‘Do you remember me and a gentleman eating dinner last night?’’
‘‘Sure. He was here most of the day,’’ said Karalyn.
‘‘When we were eating, did you fill the drinks you brought us?’’
‘‘Why...no, as a matter of fact, Bobby Banks did.’’ said Karalyn. ‘‘He’s the one who didn’t show up. Was something wrong with the drinks?’’
‘‘Why did he fill them and not you?’’ asked Diane.
Karalyn’s frown deepened. ‘‘He offered,’’ she said. ‘‘We were so busy. I just thought he was trying to get on my good side, to ask me out.’’ She paused a moment. ‘‘He wasn’t, was he?’’
Diane shook her head. ‘‘No, I don’t think he was. Do you have an address for him?’’
‘‘Sure.’’ Karalyn jumped up and went to a filing cabinet and started looking through the