One Grave Less

looked at Diane, surprised. “Your Ariel? Your daughter, Ariel?” he said.
    Diane grinned. “Yes, my daughter, Ariel. That’s part of what all this was about, the rumors, everything. I’ll tell you all about it later. It’s a remarkable story.”
    “Can we meet her?” said Vanessa.
    “Yes. She’s with Frank. They’re playing with the kids in the basement. Apparently Andie and Star did such a good job of entertaining them all, they don’t want to go home.”
    “Why don’t you go meet her now, Mrs. Van Ross?” said Garnett.
    “Oh?” she said.
    “Please, let me, Neva, and Diane do this. You know, police business,” he said.
    “You’re right, of course. I’d rather meet little Ariel anyway.” Vanessa smiled and went off to find Frank.
    Diane, Neva, and Garnett proceeded through Diane’s office into her private lounge area.
    Martin Thormond stood up and greeted them, wearing his usual tweed sports coat with the patches on the elbows, looking like the history professor he was.
    “It was certainly a stormy night last night,” he said, stroking his short beard.
    “It was indeed,” said Diane.
    “Martin, there is no way to ease into this,” said Diane. “We know you were helping the men who were harassing me. What I don’t know is why.”
    Martin sat slowly down on the sofa. The others pulled up chairs and sat across from him.
    “They came to me and told me that I would help them or they would kill me—after they cut my hands and feet off. I believed them. You don’t know what they were like.”
    “Oh, I think I do,” said Diane. “I got to know them up close and personal.”
    “Then you know what vicious thugs they were. They were looking for some kind of package sent to you at the museum and wanted me to find it. They also wanted me to spread these rumors about you and say they were from a reporter. It was go along or die. Like I said. I believed them. I’m sorry. It wasn’t something I wanted to do. Or even enjoyed doing.”
    “What about the money?” said Garnett.
    Diane knew he was guessing. To Martin he must have sounded totally convincing. His shoulders slumped even farther.
    “I know this sounds crazy, but they made me take the money. They grinned, saying they paid well. And, yes, it was a lot of money and I like money, but they forced me to do what they asked and then forced me to take money for it.”
    “Did they force you to kill Madge Stewart?” said Diane.
    Martin blanched. Diane thought he was going to disappear into the couch, he was sinking so low.
    “I didn’t kill her. It was an accident,” he said. “She slipped and fell into the water trying to act like a young girl. I didn’t do anything to her,” he said.
    “You didn’t help her,” said Diane.
    Martin sneered and for the first time looked like he might rise from sinking into the sofa. “She hated you, you know,” he said. “She loved the idea of smearing you.”
    “Liking me isn’t a prerequisite for a person’s right to live,” said Diane. “I’m hardly that arrogant. How did Madge get involved?”
    “That was so stupid. She overheard me talking with one of the men and was just all giddy with the notion of helping me, like we were spies or something. It was embarrassing. It got to where I hated coming to board meetings. I couldn’t seem to get rid of her.”
    “But you did,” said Neva.
    “I didn’t kill her,” he said.
    “Why didn’t you get help?” said Garnett.
    “I didn’t kill her,” Martin repeated.
    “You just watched her drown,” said Garnett.
    Martin stood up. “If I’m not under arrest, and I assume I’m not, since I’m in the museum, I’m leaving,” he said. He got up and walked out, his back ramrod straight and chin high. No one tried to stop him.
    “Is he going to get away with it?” said Neva.
    “Unless you can prove she was murdered,” said Garnett.
    “Well, damn it,” said Neva. “How about the guys who attacked Diane? Are they going to get away with everything they did?”
    “No, they aren’t,” said Garnett. “We’ve got Diane’s testimony, we’ve got Liam’s testimony, we’ve got Frank’s, Star’s and that English guy’s testimony. We’ve got a lot of fiber evidence from the crime scenes that, according to David, is pretty diagnostic. And we’ve got the guys that hired them that we can flip. So, no they aren’t getting away with it.”
    “Do we still have them in custody?” said Diane.
    “The GBI picked them up, most of them.