One Grave Less

that. That was a guess on Simone’s and Oliver’s part, but Diane thought they were probably right.
    One day several months before the massacre, Cameron was about to be discovered with a truckload of women and children whom he could not deliver because the buyer had just been arrested. There was nothing to do with the human cargo on the spur of the moment, so Cameron shot them. Oliver acquired a photograph taken by a partner in crime that showed Cameron, gun in hand, shooting a child in the head. He also acquired the man’s testimony.
    Diane sat down and put her head in her hands. Ariel started to come over to her, but Lindsay whispered in her ear and Ariel waited.
    “You are disgusting,” said Gregory to Cameron. “In the name of heaven, how can you live with yourself?”
    Cameron lay on the couch in pain from the broken bones Lindsay had given him, one forearm over his forehead as if shading his eyes.
    “You pompous bastard,” said Cameron. “It’s all about the money. A fucking lot of it. Life is cheap. You and Diane proved that every time you opened a mass grave. People come and go. That’s the way it is.”
    Gregory shook his head, like Diane, unable to fathom Cameron’s and Steven’s thought processes.
    The paramedics arrived and took the two of them away. Diane was glad to be rid of them. She put her face in her hands. She felt so tired. Ariel jumped out of Lindsay’s lap and ran over to Diane and hugged her.
    “He was a bad man,” said Ariel.
    “Yes, he was,” said Diane.
    Lindsay stood up. “I think we will be going,” she said. “I’d like to go to sleep for about a week or two. And I’d like to stop and see Korey and Jonas in the hospital before we leave town.”
    Diane walked over to her. “Thank you. I wish I had the words to express how grateful I am for what you did for Ariel—and for me.”
    “Ariel saved my life,” said Lindsay. “I am grateful for that. I’m grateful to know her. She is just the neatest kid.”
    Lindsay squatted to Ariel’s level and hugged her. “You are a great kid,” she said, tears threatening to spill over the rims of her eyes.
    Diane noticed that Ariel was about to cry too. She stooped down with them.
    “What are all these tears?” she said. “Lindsay lives just down the road, only two hours away,” said Diane. “We can visit next week if you like.”
    “Really?” said Ariel.
    “Really. If it’s okay with Lindsay,” said Diane.
    “You are welcome anytime,” she said. She hugged Ariel again.
    John West spoke to her in Cherokee. Ariel repeated it and gave him a hug.
    “We need a ride to our car,” said Lindsay. “Korey brought us to the museum in one of your vehicles. We’re parked at the motel down the road.”
    “I can take them,” said David. “I need to get out for a while.”

    Diane was about to go to her tiny bedroom and lie down for a nap. She was sure Ariel must be exhausted too. Just as she rose from the sofa where she was sitting with Frank and Ariel, Neva walked in carrying a notebook. She looked grim. Not any more grim , thought Diane. Not today. I’ve had enough .
    Neva smiled. “Congratulations. Little Ariel. I can’t believe it. What you must be feeling,” she said.
    “Can hardly put it into words,” said Diane.
    Neva sighed and frowned again. “You were right,” she said. “Lots of drawings. Vanessa and your friend Laura brought all Madge’s artwork to Vanessa’s house for safekeeping. Vanessa is the executor of Madge’s will. I didn’t have to drive to Atlanta to find it. I just had to go to Vanessa’s. Anyway, Madge wrote a romance comic book about the two of them. You know, the kind they used to do in the fifties. It’s pretty good, or would be if it weren’t so poignant.”
    “Anyone we know?” said Diane.
    “Surprise, surprise,” said Neva. “He’ll be here any minute. I’ve asked him to come by. He doesn’t know he’s meeting Chief Garnett. The storm did some damage to the police station, blew half the roof off. So Garnett has, in effect, deputized the museum.”
    Diane took the notebook, which was actually an artist’s drawing book, and opened it, looking at the pictures of a love story with Madge as the focus. It made sense now.
    Diane walked up to her office where Neva had arranged for him to come. She met Garnett on the way. Vanessa was with him.
    “Diane, is it true? Is Ariel alive? Is she here? Harte and I have been beside ourselves since we heard the news.”
    Garnett