One Grave Less

Halloran, a reporter from a small TV station in Atlanta, but judging from the logo on the screen, she was now on assignment for one of the major networks.
    “Dr. Diane Fallon, director of the RiverTrail Museum of Natural History, and director of the Rosewood Crime Lab, is on Interpol’s most-wanted criminals list. According to Interpol, Fallon allegedly murdered four men in Río de Sangue, Brazil. There is an uncorroborated report that the killings were in connection with a drug deal that went bad. It has been rumored for some time that Dr. Fallon was involved in drug smuggling while she was working for a human rights organization in Brazil, but that, as I said, is just a rumor at this point. In a strange note to this story, Fallon was questioned recently in regard to charges of soliciting in the city of Rosewood. So far, neither Diane Fallon nor Rosewood’s chief of detectives, Douglas Garnett, have returned our calls. Odd story, Kimberly. We’ll keep you informed as it unfolds.”

    Diane slowly sank down in the stuffed chair near her. Garnett’s face was red and contorted, the veins bulging in his swollen neck.
    “What the hell . . . ,” he said after a moment.
    Diane put her hands over her face. Disaster didn’t begin to describe the situation. This is not survivable , she thought.
    “Andie, roll the phones over to the secretary and tell her to say that there will be a statement to the press forthcoming. You get on the phone to Kendel and tell her to return from Mexico; she needs to take over as director . . .”
    “No,” said Andie.
    “Hopefully it will be temporary, but we can’t let the museum grind to a halt while I sort this out.”
    “But it will look like you are guilty . . . and you were here yesterday and, by the way, one day is an awfully short time for all this to happen. How long does it take to get someone on an international most-wanted list? This is just wrong in so many ways.”
    Diane stood up. “I already look guilty. I need the free time to clear myself. Make the call. Kendel and you will be in charge until I can sort this out. I need to call Vanessa.” She put the tips of her fingers to her eyes and rubbed. “Jesus. First Madge and now this. Vanessa must be beside herself.”
    The phone rang again as Diane started for her office.
    “ AJC ,” mouthed Andie as she started to tell them that they would hear something from the museum later.
    Garnett held out his hand for the phone. “Allow me to talk to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution ,” he said. “I’m sure they are trying to get me anyway.”
    Andie looked at Diane and she nodded. Andie handed Garnett the phone.
    “Chief of Detectives Douglas Garnett here,” he said.
    Pause.
    “No, I’m not here to arrest Dr. Fallon. I’m here investigating the most cynically vicious case of identity theft that I have ever had experience with. Dr. Fallon has had her e-mail hacked and stolen. She has been the victim of vicious rumors, and is now the victim of Interpol having their own system hacked. I don’t know who is targeting Dr. Fallon, or even if she is the primary target and not the crime lab or the museum. However, I will get to the bottom of this and I am asking the Atlanta computer crimes and fraud unit for help in the investigation.”
    He stopped talking for several moments.
    “No, she has not been to Brazil. In fact, I and a great many other people were meeting with her here in Rosewood at the times when these men were supposedly murdered. I might add, we haven’t been able to verify who these men are and if they are indeed dead . . . or even exist.”
    When he hung up, Garnett looked at the phone with distaste. “That will help some,” he said.
    “Thank you,” said Diane.
    “We have to stop this. It’s not only you and the museum at stake. Every case the crime lab has processed is in danger,” he said.
    “Are you really going to ask Frank’s unit for help?” asked Diane.
    “Yes. I’m hoping they have some international connections that I don’t. It sounds like you have connections that I don’t.”
    “Our contact at Interpol is Cameron Michaels, who worked with us in Porto Barquis. He was our liaison with the United Nations. He’s now Interpol’s representative to the UN. He’s looking into it for me,” she said.
    “Andie’s right,” said Garnett. “This is happening too fast.”
    “It’s obviously just rumormongering,” said Diane. “They don’t really care whether authorities believe the