One Grave Too Many

she swam out from under the bridge for shore and climbed out, frightening one of the gardeners, a young Hispanic man, heading for the toolshed. She must look like the swamp creature.
    “Lady, what you doing in the lake? You shouldn’t be there. You hurt?”
    “What’s your name?” Her words came out in a hoarse whisper.
    “Hector Torres, ma’am.”
    “Hector Torres, I’m very glad to meet you. I hired you. I’m Dr. Diane Fallon, the director of this museum. I know that appears unlikely at the moment, but could you help me get out of here?”
    “Hector? What’s going on?” Luiz Polaski, the head groundskeeper, was driving down the trail in a golf cart.
    “This lady says she’s the director of the museum. She walked out of the lake.”
    “Dr. Fallon, what happened to you? My God, sit down.”
    Diane let them lead her to the golf cart.
    “I was attacked.” She didn’t want to get into the details. It would take another night.
    “Again?”
    “Yes, again. Will you take me to the museum, please?”
    “Of course.”
    “Dr. Fallon, thanks for the job,” yelled Hector Torres as they drove off.
    “How is he working out?”
    “So far he’s found you, so I guess he’s doing pretty good. He says his mother is a women’s guard at the jail?”
    “Yes. She said her son was looking for a job.”
    “I know there are some interesting stories here,” he said as he drove the cart up to the rear of the museum. “Can I help you inside?”
    “If you don’t mind walking with me. I’ve been in the water all night.”
    “All night?”
    “I know this must all sound incredible, and when I can I’ll tell you all about it.”
    They walked down the hallway past the restaurant to the mammal exhibit, where she cut through to the Pleistocene room and to the lobby just as Andie, Korey and Mike Seger entered through the large double doors.

Chapter 44
    “Dr. Fallon. Oh, my God, what happened to you!” Andie came running and grabbed her around the waist just as her knees were giving way.
    Diane could only imagine what she must look like, not to mention smell like. She felt like a wet cat, standing in her bare feet, dripping water onto the marble floor. The initial relief of getting out of the lake was wearing off, and now she felt herself sinking against Andie, unable to stand. Several more staff arrived and they all gathered around, some helping Andie support her, others mumbling and asking questions. She felt suffocated—and afraid.
    Donald was among them. He elbowed his way through the crowd, his features tight and his face pale. “Diane? What happened?”
    “You need to go to the hospital,” said Korey. “I’ll take you.”
    “You need to take care of our arriving guest. Andie, you’re in charge for a while—and I need you to get me another cell phone.”
    “I’ll take you to the hospital,” said Mike.
    “I can drive.”
    “No, you can’t,” they all said simultaneously.
    “You’re right—my car’s at the hospital,” she said.
    Mike picked her up. “My SUV’s just outside.”
    Diane didn’t remember ever being carried by a guy. Even as a child, she didn’t remember her father picking her up. It was an odd feeling, a very vulnerable feeling.
    “I’ll call the hospital and tell them you’re on the way,” Andie called after them.
    Mike put her in the passenger’s side, got in and drove her to the hospital.
    “Thank you,” she told him.
    “I owe you.”
    “For what? Not unjustly firing you?”
    “No. Melissa told me something a while ago. Things seemed to be all right and I was in my usual mind-my-own-business mode, so I didn’t mention it. But now I see I should have.”
    Diane had been about to drift off to sleep, but she was now wide awake. “What was it?”
    “It happened at that party you had.”
    “The contributors’ party?”
    “I suppose. The one where the quartet played. They saw some woman in a slinky red dress switch drinks with you.”
    “What? Signy Grayson? She did what?”
    “Alix saw it, and she and Melissa switched them back. Not because Alix was feeling righteous. The woman was hitting on Dylan and it pissed her off. Melissa said they made quite a show of it. She said neither of you suspected a thing.”
    Diane remembered talking to Signy at the giant short-faced bear exhibit. Signy spilling, then catching her drink, before the whole glass spilled. Diane had turned her back to clean it up as Alix and Melissa came over, talking to each of