Scattered Graves

here until you fill them.’’ He was al most shouting.
‘‘I don’t think so,’’ said Diane. She rose, and Peeks started to reach for her when the door to the interview room opened.
‘‘I don’t think so either.’’

Chapter 7
    Colin Prehoda, the museum’s lawyer, came in and took a serious, considered look at Diane.
‘‘Have you seen a doctor?’’ he asked.
‘‘No. I’ve not been allowed to leave,’’ she said.
Curtis and Pendleton stepped forward. Peeks jumped up. For a moment Diane thought the three of them were going to attack her lawyer.
Prehoda was taller than all of them in the room, and heavier. He wasn’t overweight, or even slightly chubby; he was just a big man. Diane thought he was probably very imposing in court.
‘‘You’re leaving now,’’ he said.
‘‘I’ve got a dead officer,’’ said Peeks.
‘‘Who attacked my client,’’ said Prehoda. ‘‘Do you know why he did that?’’
‘‘She hasn’t told us,’’ said Peeks, staring at Diane with puzzling hatred.
‘‘I told them I don’t know why he attacked me,’’ said Diane.
‘‘There you have it. She’s given you all the informa tion she has. Now she is going to the hospital. If you have any more questions, you can contact me.’’
Prehoda helped Diane out of the chair and guided her toward the door. Peeks didn’t try to stop them, but his face was dark with anger.
‘‘This isn’t over,’’ he said to Diane. ‘‘Don’t think you are free of this, and don’t think any of us are going to let this go until we get to the bottom of it.’’
‘‘Good,’’ said Prehoda. ‘‘We expect to be fully in formed of your findings as to why an officer of this police department conducted unprovoked assaults with the use of deadly force upon my client, whom, I remind you, is an officer of the court in good standing. And I must warn you against harassing her. I won’t tolerate it, and I’m sure you have more pressing concerns than appearing in court. Don’t think that I’m bluffing. I think you know me better than that.’’
Prehoda led Diane out of the room and out of the police building. Diane could feel the stares as she passed through the station. She also noticed that not all of them were hostile. Outside, Prehoda walked her to his car.
‘‘I’d prefer to go to the museum,’’ said Diane.
‘‘I’m sure you would, but we need to take you to the ER. Not just for your safety, but for legal issues,’’ he said.
Diane got in and saw that her jacket was in the front seat along with her purse.
‘‘Who called you?’’ she asked.
‘‘Garnett,’’ he said.
Douglas Garnett was the chief of detectives. Diane knew he was having a difficult time with the new ad ministration. She hoped this didn’t put him further on their bad side. She assumed that either Janice or Izzy had alerted him.
Colin took Diane to the hospital. She didn’t have to wait long to be seen. After a lot of examining, blood taking, prodding, and a head X-ray, the doctors pronounced her fine. She thought she was. She was sore but didn’t feel seriously injured.
Diane didn’t know Chief of Police Peeks, and his hostility toward her was puzzling.
‘‘What’s going on?’’ she asked Colin as he drove her to the museum.
‘‘I don’t know,’’ he said. ‘‘The mayor and the people he’s picked are giving a lot of people trouble, particu larly in the police department. Garnett has asked me to handle appeals of several firings. He suspects that he himself is going to be replaced soon.’’
‘‘Mayor Jefferies does seem to be blitzkrieging his way through the government, doesn’t he?’’ said Diane.
‘‘That’s the word for it. Neither he nor Peeks gives notice. They just show up and fire,’’ he said.
Diane told Colin about Curtis Crabtree appearing unannounced at the DNA lab and demanding a job.
‘‘I’ve noticed that Jefferies has an inordinate need for control,’’ said Colin. He grinned suddenly. ‘‘Did you know that he and Peeks both wear pinky rings embossed with the profile of Alexander the Great?’’
Diane smiled and it hurt. ‘‘No, I didn’t know that.’’ She shook her head at the thought. ‘‘How sophomoric.’’
Colin had arranged for her car to be brought to the museum. It sat in her parking space as they drove up. Diane looked at the people flowing in and out of the museum and asked Colin to take her around back.
‘‘I don’t want to scare away the visitors,’’ she