One Grave Less

heart you are her daughter. It just means I have to adjust the plan, but I’m going to get you to her, I promise. The United States has a constant problem with illegal aliens crossing the border, so how hard could it be?” She smiled at Rosetta and hugged her. “You are going to get home to your mama. I won’t leave you here.”
    Maria took the bandanna from around her neck and wiped Rosetta’s tears. Then she wrapped Rosetta’s head with it like she had her own.
    “There, we both look very fashionable,” she said.
    “You promise?” said Rosetta.
    “I do. If it looks like we will have a hard time crossing the borders, we’ll just call your mama to come down here. No problem.”
    “She’ll come, won’t she?”
    “She would walk over hot coals to get here. We’ve gotten away from the bad men. We just have to get to a place we can make a call.”
    Rosetta hugged Maria hard. She picked up her bowl and the two of them finished eating. Maria helped Rosetta clean the dishes and they packed everything away.
    Now, for the moment she had been dreading. Would the truck start? She didn’t really want to walk to Benjamin Constant. She got in the truck, pressed the gas pedal, and turned the key.

Chapter 29
    Vanessa answered the phone herself.
    She was probably expecting my call , thought Diane.
    “Vanessa,” she said, “have you seen Pris Halloran on the news?”
    Of course she had. But Diane’s mind was a blank about how to start the conversation. “Hello, how are you?” didn’t seem to fit the situation.
    “I have,” said Vanessa. “I suppose this is payback for all those crime scenes you threw her out of.”
    “I suppose so,” said Diane, wondering how Vanessa knew about that. It wasn’t anything she ever had occasion to discuss with her.
    “I’ve recalled Kendel from Mexico,” continued Diane. “She and Andie will take care of the running of the museum while I find out what is going on.”
    “I hate the necessity,” said Vanessa, “but I see your point.”
    Vanessa hadn’t tried to talk her out of it. Diane was faintly disappointed.
    “This has just been terrible,” said Diane. “I . . .”
    “Don’t apologize, girl,” said Vanessa. “Just find out who is behind all this. Do you think it has anything to do with poor Madge?”
    Diane hadn’t thought of that. Hadn’t really thought that Madge’s death was anything but an accident . . . except for the shoes.
    “I don’t know,” said Diane. “We don’t know yet exactly what happened to her. It’s so sad.” Then she added, “Madge was wearing tapestry-covered heels. Weren’t they her favorites?”
    “Yes, she loved those shoes,” said Vanessa. “Why?”
    “I’ll tell you when I understand it better myself,” said Diane. She paused for several moments. “I think, with all that’s happened, I had better put off . . .”
    “No,” said Vanessa. “You are not postponing your wedding. There has to be a limit to how much we allow nefarious strangers to control our lives.”
    “Did I tell you that Gregory Lincoln arrived for the wedding?” said Diane.
    “No. I received an RSVP from him. Good, I’m glad he’s here. Does he have a place to stay?”
    “He’s staying with Frank and me,” said Diane.
    “I’ll be delighted to meet him.”
    Diane bid Vanessa goodbye and hung up. She didn’t think it was a good idea to continue with the wedding, but she was only the bride. Whatever . . . She didn’t feel like having an argument about it. She and Frank should have just eloped and told everyone the news when they returned.
    Diane called Colin Prehoda next. He had also seen the news broadcast. It was sinking in that almost everyone in the viewing area must have seen it. How many people, she wondered, believed that she was a murderer? For most people, an accusation repeated in the news media was enough to make them believe it. Accusations are powerful weapons. That’s probably why whoever was behind this had chosen rumors and character assassination as their weapon—send up smoke signals and hope people would cry fire.
    “You want to sue her and the station?” said Prehoda.
    “Yes,” she said.
    “What would you consider a remedy?” he asked. Prehoda was all business when he was talking about a case. She liked that in him.
    “At the moment I can’t think of one strong enough. I would like to strip her and the station of everything. And I want a retraction without weasel words running all through it.” Diane