Dead Past

on?
    “Diane?”
    The new voice sounded like David.
    “What happened?” he asked.
    “I just found her on the floor like this,” said Clarice.
    “I need to take you to the hospital,” said David.
    What I need, thought Diane, is to just sit right here until I feel better.
    “I’m fine,” she said.
    “No, you’re not,” said David. “I’ll go get the car. Clarice will walk you to the door.”
    “What happened?” asked Diane.
    “It looks like someone attacked you,” said Clarice. “Here in your office.”
    “Don’t clean her office,” said David as he hurried out the door.
    Clarice helped Diane toward her door. They were met by a security guard who took Diane’s arm and assisted her the rest of the way.
    “I’m sorry, Dr. Fallon. Chanell is going to rip us a new one,” he said. “She’s on her way down here to try and find out how this could have happened—twice. I’m really sorry. We didn’t see anyone.”
    “What?” said Diane.
    “I was saying that I don’t know how this could have happened,” he repeated.
    “Check to see what classes are meeting tonight. Someone could have come and gone with a group that is meeting here,” said Diane.
    David appeared and escorted her to his car and helped her in.
    “You can take me home,” said Diane.
    “No. We are going to the hospital,” he said as he buckled himself in. “What was the last thing you remember?”
    Diane thought a moment. Her head seemed to be clearing some. “I saw Korey. He gave me the forgery.”
    “You’ve lost me already,” said David. “What forgery?”
    “The code. Didn’t I tell you about the code?”
    “The one in the doll?” asked David.
    “Yes. I asked Korey to duplicate it for me, make it look just like the original, but scramble the letters so they don’t make sense.”
    “It doesn’t make sense now. None of this does. When did we make this giant left turn? You said this was about the Cipriano case and lost treasure.”
    “David, you know, I don’t feel like explaining it all now. How about in the morning? I’ll get everyone up to speed. Before I forget, I stashed Juliet Price and her grandmother, Ruby Torkel, in a hotel. Museum Security is in an adjoining room, though I’m kind of losing faith in my security of late.”
    He drove to the same hospital that stitched up Jin when he was hit on the head. They took Diane immediately and examined her. The doctor looked at her pupils, tested her reflexes, and tended to her head wound, giving her five stitches.
    She had the same doctor that Jin had. To Diane he didn’t look old enough to be a doctor. He had one of those baby faces that would probably carry him well into his sixties still looking like a kid.
    “Is there an epidemic?” he said when he finished stitching her up.
    “Possibly,” she said.
    “How do you feel? Headache?”
    “Yes, I definitely have a headache.”
    “How about dizziness? Weakness in your arms or legs?”
    “No,” she answered.
    “Have you vomited?”
    “No.”
    “Do you have any memory loss?” he asked.
    “I don’t remember what happened.”
    “What’s the last thing you do remember?”
    Since David had asked that same question, she had had time to think. “I talked to an employee, went to my office. . . . That’s the last thing I remember.”
    “Do you know how long you were unconscious?”
    “No. The night lighting in the museum was already on. It comes on at nine thirty. But I don’t know how long it had been on. Actually, I have no idea how long I was out.”
    “Have you noticed any irritability?” he asked.
    “I’m really pissed at whoever did this.”
    He smiled. “I’m going to order a CT scan. Do you know if you’re allergic to contrast dyes?”
    “I’m not,” said Diane.
    “I’m going to keep you overnight, just to watch you. I think you’re fine, but we need to be sure.”
    “You didn’t keep Jin overnight,” she said.
    “I suspect you were out longer. I’m just being cautious. It’s nothing to worry about.”
    “Just as long as you don’t say it’s because I’m older,” said Diane.

    After the CT scan, Diane was taken to a semiprivate room. No one was in the other bed. She was glad of that. The last thing she wanted right now was a room-mate. David came in to see her.
    “I’m fine,” said Diane, as he walked in the door.
    “I talked to the doctor,” said David. “He said if everything looks good tonight you’ll be going home in the morning. Do you want me to call