The Night Killer

to be a tourist trap. How could we maintain the morals of our kids if they lived in a tourist trap, with outsiders coming in with their drugs and alcohol?”
    “Whatever went on in Conrad’s past or whatever is going on now can never be an excuse for what he did to me,” said Diane. “The only acceptable excuse would be if someone were holding a gun to his child’s head and would pull the trigger unless he put me in the cell with those men. That’s the only duress I’ll accept. And for the life of me, I don’t understand why the excuses you listed are good enough for you. Now I need to go.”
    “You think you are so smart.” Maud was almost shaking. “You can outtalk us; I’ll give you that,” said Maud. “But what’s right is right. Leland is a good man and we don’t want you smearing his name.”
    “It’s out of my hands,” said Diane. “Good men don’t do what he did. And good people don’t approve of it.”
    Maud sucked in her breath.
    “Well, just how did you survive it?” said Earl. His confident manner suggested he’d thought of some loop-hole in Diane’s logic. “They were three strong men.”
    “I fought,” said Diane. “I know anatomy and I know how to hit where it will hurt. The man with me—the one Conrad put in a cell for no reason whatsoever—is a retired military officer with combat experience. He told me what to do to try to save myself, and he was able to grab one of the men through the bars who was coming for me. I fought,” Diane said again. “I fought hard to not let that happen to me, and I was lucky. Good people came with the GBI to get me out.”
    Earl frowned and his lips quivered. Diane could see his anger and it pissed her off. How could they think it was right to do that to anyone?
    “The sheriff said you don’t have faith,” said Maud.
    “Is that what he said?” said Diane.
    “It’s this place.” Maud pointed at the museum. She reached out and grabbed Diane’s sleeve. Her voice was soft and had a sincerity to it. “What you teach—it’s robbed you of your faith.” She let go of Diane’s sleeve and clasped her hands together.
    Diane supposed it was a brief attempt at what Maud considered kindness. Diane didn’t feel kindness. She didn’t feel kind, at the moment.
    “I’m not even going there,” said Diane.
    “I can see there’s no reasoning with you,” said Earl. “Let’s go, Maud.”
    He and his wife got back in their car and Diane watched them drive away.
    She turned to get in the museum’s SUV. Hers hadn’t yet come back from being repaired. She noticed Andie’s car was still there. Liam’s black Mercury Cougar was gone. Diane smiled. Maybe he had taken her out after all. She shook off the bad taste Maud and Earl had left her with, got in her vehicle, and drove home, looking forward to seeing Frank. Looking forward to some sane conversation and some affection.
    Diane arrived home and enjoyed an evening with Frank, leaving thoughts of murder, Sheriff Conrad, and Rendell County behind her. She showered, changed into soft, comfortable, blue-gray drawstring pants and a matching tee. Frank brought food from a French restaurant this time, salmon marinated in vodka and orange juice, roasted vegetables, French onion soup, and gâteau au chocolat for dessert.
    “Well, this is heavenly,” said Diane.
    “Not bad,” said Frank, smiling. “There’s some of your favorite science fiction on tonight. I thought we’d curl up on the couch, watch a little, and turn in early.”
    “Great plan,” she said.

    Diane arose a couple of hours later than usual the next morning feeling refreshed. She rolled out of bed, stretched, showered, dressed, downed a protein drink, and drove to the museum. The parking lot was full and there was a tour bus of schoolchildren from Atlanta. She hurried up the steps and walked to Andie’s office. She turned the knob but the door was locked. She took out her keys and opened it. Andie wasn’t at her desk. Diane wondered if she was meeting with the webcam project committee. She went into her own office and booted up her computer. There were no messages from Andie on her desk. That was fine with Diane; she could use a slow morning. She felt refreshed, but she was still sore. The six-mile hike to the cave and back didn’t work out as many kinks from her muscles as she would have liked.
    She worked for several minutes at the computer, responding to e- mail replies to the ones she sent the day before. She noticed