One Grave Less

brought down on her mother by someone who wanted to hurt Diane. She didn’t want anything to happen to Frank and his family for the same reason.
    “You said I’m high maintenance. That hardly covers it, does it?” she said.
    “Hardly,” he said, grinning for a moment, then frowning. “We were all terrified when we discovered you were missing. Gregory and Garnett included. I knew then I didn’t want to lose you . . . ever.”
    Diane looked over to see Gregory, David, and Steven deep in conversation. Neva had called David in for help, and he and Liam had processed Megaman’s clothes, collecting an amazing array of weapons.
    Garnett had contacted the GBI for help with the terrorists, as he described them. After hearing details of the wave after wave of assault on Frank’s house, the GBI agreed with the classification. This put all kinds of things into play. If the guys were smart, supertrained or not, they would lie low, thought Diane.
    She nodded to Frank. A rather noncommittal nod agreeing at least not to talk any more about changes in their plans until the drama ended. Frank went to see about Star. Diane walked over to Gregory and the others. She had yet to tell them about the information she had gained from Martine and from Korey and Jonas.
    “My girl, you look bloody awful,” said Gregory.
    “I feel bloody awful,” Diane said. Her head and arm throbbed. She would really rather go to her office and curl up on the couch.
    “Liam told us about the ninja guy,” said David. “He said you acquitted yourself quite admirably.”
    “I basically got my butt kicked. Had it not been for Liam, there would have been a much worse outcome,” said Diane.
    All of them frowned. “This is just way out of hand,” said Steven. He rubbed his hand through his damp hair. Diane remembered he and David said it was raining and looking as if it would get worse. Perhaps everyone could hole up until the storm was over. Perhaps some things would solve themselves by then.
    “Gregory said you discovered what is going on right before the shit really started hitting the fan,” Steven said.
    Garnett came over and drew up a chair.
    “I thought I would join the secret detective club you guys have organized,” he said.
    He didn’t look mad, but Diane could see he was determined. She had purposefully not included him in what they had been doing. But now she could hardly keep him out of the loop, especially if there was a connection with the death of Madge Stewart. She still couldn’t wrap her brain around that one. She nodded to Garnett.
    “In the beginning we just wanted to find out who was trashing us. That wasn’t anything we could really worry the police with. And now, as Steven said, things have gotten way out of hand.”
    “So,” said Gregory, “what did Martine have to say?”
    Diane shifted her attention back to all of them. She didn’t bother to explain who Martine was to Garnett. He would figure it out as they went along.
    “Martine didn’t know she had any information. I asked her if there were any odd conversations she’d had with Oliver, anything that didn’t make sense at the time but might be more understandable now. She remembered this one time when they were watching the birds.”
    Diane told them how a pensive Oliver connected up cruelty to animals and cruelty to children.
    “I don’t follow,” said Steven.
    “Did you know that the illegal trafficking in wild animals is second only to drugs in terms of money generated? Then you have slavery—particularly child slavery. Oliver must have just discovered something when he spoke with Martine.
    “The items we found in the museum—the ones we think Simone brought with her—have to do with endangered parrots and other animals that smugglers prey on. There was also the bone of a child. At first I thought . . .”
    She hesitated a moment. Still trying to stop the tears from coming.
    “I thought she may have found Ariel.” Her voice cracked and she stopped again.
    “Oh, Diane,” said Gregory, putting a hand on her arm.
    “I now think perhaps it has something do with the trafficking of children, either for sex or domestic slavery or both.”
    “But it was a bone—its owner was dead,” said Steven. “That indicates something else.”
    “Perhaps a child died and was dumped with the animals that died. Most of the birds die before they reach the end buyer. They are stuffed into socks and hidden on the bodies of smugglers for transport. I’m sure