Dead Secret

just below her shoulders. She had deep circles under her eyes.
    “Hi, Neva. You’ve met Frank.”
    Neva nodded. “Yes. At the opening of the Egyptian exhibit. Hi.”
    “How are you and Mike doing?”
    “I’m fine. Mike’s already itching to get out of here. Considering he’s just healed up from that gunshot wound, he’s really doing great. Some of the nurses remembered him.”
    Neva gave a halfhearted laugh. “I’m having a hard time convincing them that he’s really the kind of person who avoids violence.”
    Neva started to lead them to Mike’s room, but Diane pulled her aside and leaned close to her ear. His room was just a door away, and she didn’t want to chance her voice carrying into his room.
    “You’re off the hook. Sylvia Mercer witnessed the episode and voluntarily told me about it last evening at the museum.”
    Neva’s eyes grew wide. “Really? She saw it?”
    “Yes. And heard it.”
    She took a deep breath. She looked as if she had been holding it since she first spoke with Diane. “You don’t know how relieved I am.”
    “I’ll have to talk to Mike about it. I just wanted you to know first.”
    Neva nodded and they all walked into his room. He was sitting up in bed reading a copy of the Journal of Geomicrobiology .
    “You look good,” said Diane. The color was back in his face, but the sight of him in a hospital bed was incongruous, despite the fact that this wasn’t the first time she’d seen him wounded and laid up. Mike was meant to be active. He had chosen a profession that by its very nature required activity. Even his hobbies were physical.
    “I feel great. I’m planning to bust out of here soon.” He paused, looking behind her. “Hi, Frank.”
    Frank grinned at him. “Hi. Sorry to hear about your attack.”
    “Lots of nuts out there, and they seem to be able to find me real easily—Doc here, too.” He turned his head back to Diane and motioned toward her arm with a question on his face.
    “Sore,” she said in response.
    “I’ll bet. You don’t know how much you use that tricep muscle until it’s all stove up,” Mike said.
    Diane curled her arm up and back as if lifting a weight. “It’ll be a while before either of us can go caving.”
    “Damn, don’t I know it,” said Mike. “I was looking forward to following that water sound.”
    Diane looked at the flowers that lined his room, walked over and smelled one of the roses. “You have lots of admirers.”
    He laughed. “Looks like it, doesn’t it? Lots of them are from people at the museum. That huge vase full over there is from Dr. Mercer. That was nice. I hardly know her.”
    Diane sighed heavily, and then went over to his bed so she could see his face. “When the doctor gives you the okay, you can report to work at the museum.”
    It took a fraction of a second for Mike to catch on, but when he did, his face broke into a wide smile. “You accepted my proposal.” He turned to Frank. “Work proposal.”
    Frank chuckled. “I gathered.”
    “It’s part-time,” said Diane. She handed him an envelope. “This is your salary. It’s the best I can do. I hope it’s acceptable.”
    Mike tore open the envelope and looked at the slip of paper. Diane watched his mouth spread into a broad grin. “This is great. Look, thanks. Really. I appreciate this.”
    “You are now the new curator of the geology exhibit.”
    His mouth dropped. “Curator? But Dr. Lymon—”
    “Dr. Lymon was made head of the Geology Department at Bartram.” Mike frowned. “She severed the relationship between the Geology Department and the museum. She said it wasn’t working for them. That left me with an opening for a curator. Fortunately, you had that great proposal. Kendel really liked your ideas,” she added.
    “I don’t know what to say. Thanks for trusting me with the responsibility. I wasn’t expecting this.”
    “According to the collection manager, you’ve been doing all the work.”
    “Wow—curator.”
    Diane paused. “There’s something else I need to talk to you about.” She turned to Neva and Frank. “Do you two mind letting me speak with Mike alone?”
    Mike face wore a puzzled expression as he watched Frank and Neva dutifully file out of the room.
    “Dr. Sylvia Mercer came to me last night and told me a disturbing story of something she witnessed.”
    Mike glanced over at the vase of flowers and back at Diane. “Dr. Mercer?”
    “Yes. This is likely to be very uncomfortable for you, and