One Grave Too Many

could speak again, several minutes of trying to breathe deeply, trying to stop the flow of tears. When she began again, her voice was a tremor. “All that death was aimed at me because I’d nailed his lies—but I hadn’t counted on his vengeance. I thought maybe Ariel had run and hidden in the jungle. There were often survivors from his massacres. That’s how we found eyewitnesses. I ran through the bush yelling for her, looking everywhere until they—my friends—dragged me away.”
    Again they sat in silence. Frank rested his chin on the top of her head as they sat intertwined on the couch. Diane listened to the rain’s steady drive on the roof.
    “I said some insensitive things about how I’d go crazy if I lost Kevin, especially like George lost Jay. I’m so sorry—I had no idea.”
    “You didn’t know. Very few people here do.”
    Diane shifted and lay her head on his shoulder and looked through the photographs of Ariel. Besides grief, the worse feeling was the regret at not just taking her and leaving. Why did she wait for the damn paperwork? Ariel could be here, right now, with her.
    “Gregory—he was my boss—changed out teams. My objectivity was compromised along with everyone else’s on my team. I took a leave of absence for a year.”
    “What did you do?”
    “For a while, nothing. I came back to the United States and hid out in my apartment, taking benzodiazepine to try to deaden the pain, until some of my caving friends talked me into exploring a few caves. Caves are very peaceful places—like being in a womb, I suppose. Caving helped. Milo asked me to come here. I almost said no, but I spent a few months learning about museums in general and RiverTrail in particular.”
    “Why didn’t you call?”
    “I wasn’t really fit company for anyone. I was very bitter, angry at the drop of a hat. I had to work my way through a lot of stuff before I wanted to see anyone.”
    “I would have understood.”
    “I didn’t want anyone’s understanding. I didn’t want to feel good for a long time. I didn’t deserve to feel good.” Diane fought back the tears. She was so tired of crying. Her head hurt and her eyes were sore and swollen.
    “The museum has been good for me,” she said, “even with all its little problems with the board.” The rain increased and lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the tree line for a second. The crack of thunder rattled the windows. “Ariel wasn’t afraid of the thunder and lightning. She thought it was a great show, and she was really into loud noises. I worried about her little ears. I wouldn’t let her have earphones, no matter how much the nuns begged me.”
    “ ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ was written on the note you gave me to analyze.”
    “Yes. Someone, I don’t know who, left the note for the musicians to put it on the playlist.”
    Frank pushed away and stared at Diane. “A coincidence?”
    “Perhaps.” Diane told him about her conversations with Gregory and about the possibility of one of Santos’ associates being in the United States.
    “Diane, why didn’t you tell me? This is serious.”
    “It’s also a long shot. He’s run the president out of Barquis. I doubt it’d be worth the effort to come after me. These days the U.S. is in no mood for terrorists. I’m sure Santos is aware of that. I’ve suspected that it has something to do with Mark Grayson trying to get me to sell the museum property.”
    “That would be a cruel thing to have done. Is he that mean?” asked Frank.
    “I believe he, like a lot of dictators, wants what he wants.”
    “Have you confronted him?”
    “I have no proof whatsoever. But I’m getting pressure from all sides.” She told him about the unpleasant visit from the mayor. “So I’ve heard that rumor about me before.”
    “I’ll tell Izzy. He didn’t know. . . .”
    Diane stood up and began gathering the pictures. “He didn’t know. I wonder why, then, he felt justified in relaying the rumor.”
    “He was looking out for me. I’m sure he’ll apologize.”
    “I suggest he doesn’t come around me for a while, or he won’t like the consequences. The mayor didn’t.”
    Diane looked at the clock on the wall. “It’s almost four A.M. Maybe we can get a couple of hours’ sleep before we have to get up. You don’t have to go in to work tomorrow, do you?”
    “No. I’ve had some time coming to me. I’m using it to try to take care of things.” He stood up and