Dust to Dust

hotel in Rosewood. It would be closer to the hospital.”
    “Oh, that would be very kind. Thank you,” said Paloma, clearly liking the idea.
    “Do you have someone to pick you up at the airport?” asked Diane.
    “Jonas Briggs. He’s a family friend. He’s going to meet us,” she said.
    “Fine. I’ll let him know your hotel,” said Diane.
    “This is very kind of you,” she said.
    “I wish you were visiting under better circumstances,” Diane said. She paused a moment. “I’m in your mother’s workroom. She has a lot of work in progress and the house just had a break-in,” said Diane.
    “A break-in? You mean after Mother was attacked? No.”
    “Yes, several hours after. I don’t know what they took. But they didn’t get her computer equipment. I was wondering if you would allow me to take her work and her computer to her office at the museum?”
    “That would be good. Mother’s work is really important to her, and I know she has a lot of it on the computer. She does all kinds of three-dimensional scans of her pottery sherds. She would want it kept safe.”
    “Good. I’ll give you an inventory of what we take,” she said.
    “She just bought a big-screen TV that she loves. Did they get it?” asked Paloma.
    “No. It’s in her bedroom,” said Diane.
    “That’s a relief. Could you take that to her office as well?” she asked.
    “Certainly,” said Diane. “I’ll see if the police will keep an eye on the house too.”
    “Thank you—for everything,” said Paloma.
    Diane stood for a moment after the call and looked at the computer equipment, then at the television in the bedroom. None of this was taken. Did they not have time? They seemed to have cleaned out only a hutch and an old desk in the living room. That was odd.
    “Diane,” called Neva from the lower floor, “can you come down here? I’ve found something strange.”

Chapter 6
    Downstairs in Marcella’s living room Neva was standing over the desk with a magnifying glass in her hand. She had removed the middle drawer and set it upside down on the top of the desk.
    “What you got?” asked Diane.
    “I’m not sure,” said Neva. “The drawer doesn’t have a handle or knob, so I thought there might be prints under the bottom rim where you have to grab to pull the drawer out, and, well, what I found is just really weird. I don’t think it’s important—I mean, it’s old. It looks old. It’s just really strange.”
    Diane looked down at the desk to see what had Neva all tongue-tied. The back of the desk drawer was raw unvarnished wood discolored with age. Nothing noteworthy about it except there was small handwriting in one of the corners.
    Neva gave her the magnifying glass and Diane moved the desk lamp to view the writing. It was in a small, clear hand, a combination of cursive and printing, composed into simple declarative sentences and phrases. It was odd, poignant, and a little chilling.
They want to make me disappear. I don’t know what to do. There is no one I can trust, no one to call for help. If I disappear, they have taken me. To where, I don’t know. I’m afraid. Please look for me if I disappear. Please. MAG
    “Well,” said Diane, straightening up. “What do you make of that?”
    “I have no idea,” said Neva. “Is it a joke? Is it Marcella’s handwriting?”
    “No,” said Diane. “I’ve seen hers, and it’s nothing like this.”
    “Then what? Where did the desk come from, I wonder? Did she buy it in some antiques shop, get it at Goodwill, a family heirloom?” asked Neva.
    “That’s something we can ask when we can talk with Marcella,” said Diane.
    “I wonder how old the message is?” said Neva. “Is someone in trouble? I suppose if they are, it’s too late to help them now. It looks to me like it was written a long time ago.”
    “It does to me too, but we’ll let David take a look at it. I’ll get Korey to have a look too.”
    Korey Jordan was Diane’s head conservator at the museum. She frequently called upon him for various jobs where his expertise would be useful.
    “Questioned Documents might have some insight,” said Neva. “Couldn’t they?”
    “Yes,” said Diane, “but I doubt this has anything to do with what happened to Marcella. It looks too old—a kid may have done this years ago as some kind of play. We can’t devote many resources to it.”
    “I know, but, well, it’s spooky,” said Neva.
    “It is. How about the other drawers?” she asked.