Dead Past

He sat down at the table, nodding at Diane’s staff.
    “What brings you here?” asked Diane. She got up, poured a cup of coffee, and brought it to the table for Garnett. She passed the cup of black coffee over to him.
    Garnett’s dark hair looked like it had more gray in it. His eyes had weary lines at the corners that she hadn’t noticed before. But maybe it was her imagination.
    “Several things.” He picked up the coffee and took a sip. “Hot. That’s nice. It’s cold outside. First, I wanted to find out how the explosion analysis is going.”
    “You’re joking, right?” said Diane. “You know we don’t have the evidence.”
    “I mean the remains. That’s really the most important. That’s what everyone is interested in.”
    “As the MEs have probably told you, all the intact bodies have been identified. On some of the remains we are waiting on the DNA. Some samples have been sent to the GBI lab. Jin is extracting samples from the last remains to be found. I haven’t finished analyzing all the bone fragments, but I’m working on it. I expect the DNA will be more important to the identification than my analysis.” Diane paused. “You know, don’t you, that much of the physical evidence is compromised? Any good defense attorney will ream whatever unlucky person gets on the stand to discuss the evidence. I can tell you this, it won’t be any of my people.”
    “I agree. But McNair’s people are good. . . .”
    “Garnett,” said Diane, “that doesn’t matter. Do you want a list of all the bags he broke the seal on and pawed through?”
    Garnett sighed. “I know. The DA’s very upset. We are going to have to somehow work around what McNair did. I don’t have to tell you we don’t need to make it public knowledge.”
    “No,” said Diane, “you don’t. But a lot of people know about it. Are you sure some of his own people won’t make it public? Are all of them satisfied with his stewardship of his position?”
    “Look, I know this is a mess and I know the commissioner behaved like a . . .”
    “Titty baby,” supplied Jin. “Wimp, weenie, chicken, sellout . . .”
    Garnett looked over at him and grimaced. “I suppose that’s several ways to put it.” He took another sip of coffee. “However, I also had another reason for coming over. We managed to get those two guys with the baseball bats to talk.”

Chapter 20

    “You know who they are?” asked Diane. “Who? What was it about? Not the museum, I hope.”
    “No. It was about you.”
    “Me?” Diane received that news with mixed relief. She certainly didn’t want thugs targeting patrons of the museum, but neither did she like being a target herself. “Why?” she asked.
    “The two work for the Stanton Construction Company. Patrice Stanton hired them.”
    “The little carjacker’s mother?” said Jin. “She hired hit men? God, what a family.”
    “I suppose I don’t need to ask why,” said Diane.
    “No. She is really pissed at you for having her arrested and for accusing her son of trying to hijack your car. The men said she offered them a bonus if you had to have your jaw wired shut.”
    Diane winced. So did her staff. David rubbed his jaw.
    “She’s a mean woman,” said Garnett. Her jailers were about ready to pay her bail just so they wouldn’t be around her anymore before her husband came and got her. I just wanted to warn you. I don’t think you’ve heard the last of her. She’s the type of woman who won’t let go.”
    “That’s comforting,” said Diane. “Any suggestions?”
    “None legal,” said Garnett.
    Diane gave him a rueful smile. She could ask security to walk her to her car every evening, but when she got home she’d just have to make a run for it. Damn those crazy people.
    “How bad is this problem with the councilman . . . who did you say? Albin Adler? McNair’s uncle.” asked Diane. She probably ought to pay more attention to local politics but she found them petty and a waste of time and energy.
    “No one thing he’s done is too bad. It’s just that he keeps coming up with new jabs. He’ll accuse you of beating your wife, then announce to the newspapers that he’s going to question you about allegations that you beat your wife. He’s a dirty fighter. He knows that rumor and gossip are more powerful than the truth.”
    “You have friends in the media,” said Diane.
    “That’s no help,” said David. “You know the media these days. They don’t do their own work, and