Scattered Graves

appreciate your
cooperation. Diane, remember, I will fire the gun in
the museum. I know you have security guards and they
have guns, but they will be very reluctant to use them
around visitors. Just let me leave and then you can
try to find me,’’ she said. ‘‘If I see any of you coming
after me, I will fire the gun. Now, I really hate to run,
but I gotta go.’’
Diane nodded. ‘‘You’re free to go.’’
‘‘I’m glad we have an agreement.’’
Rikki closed the door as she backed out. Diane
heard her say good-bye to Andie as she left. When Rikki was gone, Diane started for her com
puter in her office.
‘‘You want us to go after her?’’ said Izzy. ‘‘No,’’ said Diane. ‘‘She had me pegged right. I
won’t take a chance on her firing a gun in the
museum.’’
When Diane was at her computer, she called up a
program that allowed her to see the security camera
feeds on her monitor. Four screens came up, each in
its own window. Diane caught sight of Rikki as she
was going out the door. Diane switched to the park
ing lot cameras
Geo and drive
parking lot.
and watched her get in an orange down the hill, leaving the museum
    Diane picked up the phone and called the police. ‘‘And you just let her go with the numbers?’’ said
    Janice.
‘‘She had a gun,’’ said Diane. ‘‘There are too many
innocent people who could have been hurt. I’m sure
you understand.’’
‘‘Yes, I suppose so. You say she’s in an orange Geo.
Did you get the plates?’’
‘‘No, that will take a little finesse with the comput
ers. I thought you would want to know right away.
She can’t have gotten far.’’
‘‘Of course,’’ said Janice. ‘‘We’re on it right now.’’ ‘‘Tell them to block all the exits to the museum,’’
said Frank.
‘‘Hold the phone a minute,’’ she said to Janice.
‘‘She’ll be gone by then.’’
‘‘Maybe not,’’ said Frank. He took the phone from
Diane. ‘‘Quicker this way,’’ he said, smiling. ‘‘Warrick,’’ he said. ‘‘This is Frank Duncan. She
may be changing cars before she gets off museum
property. There are several access roads around the
museum. Have your people get to those roads—
quickly. Diane will have her security on the way too.’’ Diane called her security and told them basically
what Frank had relayed to Janice. She put down the
phone and looked at Frank.
‘‘What makes you think that’s what she’s going to
do?’’ said Diane.
‘‘She said she had a plan,’’ said Frank. ‘‘What’s that
movie that always cracks you up— Tremors ? And what
is it about a plan that guy says that you just love?’’ ‘‘ ‘Running’s not a plan; running’s what you do
when a plan fails,’ ’’ said Diane.
‘‘Well, getting out on the highway in a car she
knows you will have seen is not a plan. That’s
running.’’
Izzy laughed out loud.

Chapter 43
    Diane, Frank, and Izzy were in Frank’s car trailing the museum security SUV. Frank and Diane were in the front seat, Izzy in the back. Frank followed at a dis tance. They didn’t want to capture Rikki themselves, but they did want to be extra eyes looking for her.
    ‘‘I think she’ll use that old roadway down by the river,’’ said Frank.
He was speaking of the Dekanogee River—which was the river referred to in the RiverTrail Museum. He turned off onto the old dirt road, leaving the security vehicle to cover the more heavily used access roads.
‘‘Why do you think she would come this way?’’ asked Diane.
‘‘She wants to dispose of the hard disk so no one else can get the numbers,’’ said Frank. ‘‘And she needs to get rid of it as soon as possible. I suspect she intends to throw the disk into the river. This is a good place to do that and a secluded place to change vehicles.’’
The woods were dense in this section of the prop erty, and the roadbed was old and rough. The bottom of Frank’s Camaro scraped the ground in the deep ruts, and the car bounced around badly enough that Diane tightened her seat belt and pressed the flat of her hand on the roof above her to hold herself in place.
‘‘I have to tell you guys, my first day on the job has been a real kicker,’’ said Izzy.
‘‘It’s not over yet,’’ said Diane. ‘‘What’s that?’’ she said, pointing toward some bushes just ahead.
Through the tangle of undergrowth Diane thought she saw a glint from a mirror and a flash of orange. Frank slowed the car as they