One Grave Less

was there for you. I was afraid . . .”
    “I know. We are mopping up here. Maybe you should come stay at the museum. We have some guest rooms in the basement.”
    As Diane spoke to Frank, she watched as Liam took the plastic restraints from Chanell and secured the kidnapper’s hands behind him, then his legs together. Diane could see that her kidnapper still had enough left in him to resist. But Liam didn’t seem to be having too much trouble.
    After Liam had him restrained, he took the knife that had bounced off Pendleton’s Kevlar vest.
    “What are you going to do?” said Chanell.
    “Are you still there?” asked Frank.
    “I’m sorry, I was watching Liam restrain the guy. He’s been shot two or three times and Liam still had to sedate him. It’s like taking care of a velociraptor.”
    “I think staying at the museum this evening is a good idea,” said Frank. “I’m going to take a couple of days off and help you solve this.”
    “Frank, I’ve been thinking . . .”
    “Don’t make any decisions without me,” he said. “We’ll talk when I get over there.”
    Liam was cutting off the man’s clothes when Diane hung up. Everyone watched in fascination. Diane wasn’t sure if it was because Liam was doing it or the shock of the musculature on the guy.
    “The clothes will be easier to search now. I can help if you like,” said Liam.
    “You need to check to see if he has a weapon up his ass,” said Gracey.
    Diane was sure all of them had a retort for Gracey, but they all kept their mouths shut. Liam helped the paramedics tend the wounds and then truss the guy to the stretcher with the normal belts, but Liam added duct tape. The guy was out by now, snoring away.
    “Officer Pendleton,” said Liam. “He really needs to wake up in a prison hospital. Can you arrange that?”
    “I’ll give it a try. You know how bureaucrats are,” he said.
    “You have backup outside?” asked Liam.
    “The place is surrounded by police cars,” said Chanell.
    “Tell them to be on the lookout for a van painted flat black. There will be several of his heavily armed buddies in it, and they will want to get him back,” said Diane.
    Pendleton was looking pale. Diane was glad to finally watch them go out the door to the hospital.
    She turned to Liam. She really wanted to know why he thought she could kill with such precision and ease.

Chapter 54
    Maria knocked again. Panic was sending electric waves of pain through her body. She felt weak and sick. Please, no . “Ro-Rosetta, honey, are you there?”
    She heard a sound on the other side of the door. A tip-toe on wood floor. Maria was afraid to feel relief.
    “Rosetta, sweetie,” she said.
    The door opened and Maria could see one eye surrounded by dark hair peeking at her. The door opened wide and Rosetta ran into her arms. Maria hurried inside and closed the door, locking it.
    “Rosetta, baby, what’s the matter?”
    “That bad woman grabbed me. She tried to take me,” said Rosetta, crying into Maria’s chest.
    Maria sat down on the bed and pulled Rosetta into her lap. She waited, letting her cry. When the tears subsided, Maria asked her what woman had tried to grab her.
    “The one that asked you all those questions at the restaurant, Gabina,” said Rosetta.
    “Did she say why?” asked Maria.
    “She wanted to talk to me without you. She said I was afraid of you. I don’t know why she would say that,” said Rosetta. “I told her she was a liar and pulled away, but she held my arm. I bit her and she let go and I ran and locked myself in the room and got under the bed.”
    Maria thought she knew what happened. Gabina believed that Maria had indeed kidnapped Rosetta. She wanted to speak with the child alone, in case Rosetta was afraid of talking in front of Maria. But Gabina had handled it all wrong.
    Maria rocked back and forth with Rosetta until she hiccupped herself to sleep. She tucked the child into bed and set about securing the door. The chair seemed inadequate, but there was nothing else.
    Damn that woman, she thought. She hoped her bite got infected. She went back to Rosetta and sat on the bed with her. Rosetta opened her eyes.
    “The bad man knows who I am,” said Rosetta. “He knows my name.”
    “What did he say?” said Maria.
    “He said I am a pretty little mermaid. You know, The Little Mermaid —her name is Ariel. Then he said my name. Then he whistled my song—‘Hall of the Mountain King.’ I played it on my CD player that Mama