Scattered Graves

prisoners’ strength when they looked at it. Diane wondered why they had orange prison suits, since that color was sup posed to energize and excite. She thought they must have just gotten the paint cheap. At least the room wasn’t dull gray.
    ‘‘A witness says you were at the mayor’s house the night he was murdered. Tell me about it,’’ said Diane.
He smiled slightly. ‘‘Strange being on the other end. I never realized you sounded so harsh.’’ He folded his arms on the table and sighed. ‘‘I wasn’t there long. I didn’t get past the entryway at the front door. The mayor said he didn’t have anything else to say and that he was busy. I left. That was it. Apparently some one saw me drive away. It was dark, but I suppose they recognized the car. No, wait. After I went out the gate I pulled over and turned on the light to make a call. A car went by. They could have seen me. Doesn’t matter. As I understand it I was also on the security camera, and I admit I was there.’’
‘‘How did your prints get in the house?’’ asked Diane.
Garnett’s shoulders went up an inch and fell. ‘‘I was also there the evening before. But I wasn’t there long then either.’’
‘‘Tell me about it,’’ said Diane.
‘‘That morning Peeks told me he wanted to replace Neva and Izzy. He said Izzy wasn’t pulling his weight. It wasn’t true. I could have told him Izzy was still grieving and to cut him some slack, but I didn’t. The man had no compassion.’’ He shook his head. ‘‘I don’t know what he had against Neva. She’s very compe tent.’’ He smiled. ‘‘Much more than I thought she would ever be. She really blossomed at the crime lab.’’
‘‘So you went to talk to the mayor about it that same night?’’ prompted Diane.
‘‘I got there around eight o’clock that evening. It was dark, of course.’’
‘‘Was anyone else there besides the mayor?’’ asked Diane.
‘‘Peeks was there; that’s all. He arrived the same time as I did.’’
‘‘What did you touch?’’ asked Diane.
Garnett wrinkled his brow. ‘‘What?’’
‘‘The fingerprints. What did you touch?’’ she asked.
Garnett sat back and thought a moment.
‘‘I knocked on the door. Didn’t use the knocker. Just my knuckles on the wood. The mayor opened it. Peeks came up just as I got inside and brushed past me, almost knocking me over. He likes doing that. I touched that table by the wall—chest or whatever it is—to steady myself. Peeks patted me on the back and said something like ‘Sorry, fella.’ We all went into the kitchen, where Spence was making nachos in the microwave. I told the mayor I didn’t think letting Izzy or Neva go was a good idea.’’
Garnett shook his head, put his hands flat on the table, and looked at them. His wedding ring was gone, and his watch, taken and put in a labeled envelope until he got out of jail. Diane wondered if sitting in a cell was giving him a new perspective on things.
‘‘What happened?’’ asked Diane.
‘‘He started off by telling me how Izzy wasn’t pull ing his weight. Same words Peeks used. I told him Izzy worked the desk and was good at it. Peeks said I had low standards, that Izzy was lazy. I told them Neva was a fine officer. They said she spent too much time working at the museum for you, but they might hold off on both of them if I would consider searching my memory about the disposition of the bone lab. That I should remember that you turned over the lab to the city.’’
‘‘Surely they didn’t think that would work,’’ said Diane.
‘‘Apparently my testimony was part of some plan they were concocting. I don’t know. I told them the whole thing was ridiculous; they didn’t have a hope in hell of getting your lab. Evidently they thought it was theirs to begin with. I never briefed them on who owned the bone lab. They knew you had just put in the DNA lab, and I think they wanted to put one of their own people in it to eventually replace Jin. But they thought the bone lab was part of the crime lab. It was a blow to find out it wasn’t, and they just didn’t want to let go. To tell you the truth, I don’t know what they had in mind to do about it. Except maybe force you to change your mind by threatening to arrest you for Delamore’s murder.’’
‘‘What else did you touch?’’ asked Diane.
Garnett thought a moment.
‘‘I remember leaning on the kitchen counter, you know, that island in the middle of the