The Night Killer

that the phones weren’t ringing in her or Andie’s office—something unheard-of around there. Were the phones out? She picked up the phone. Dial tone. Fine.
    Diane called Sierra the secretary. Dorette down the hall in Publicity answered.
    “This is Diane. Where is Sierra?”
    “Oh, Dr. Fallon, there was a problem with the tour from Atlanta and she went to check on it. I’m catching the phones. I’ve got lots of messages if you want them.”
    “Where is Andie?” asked Diane.
    “Well, we thought maybe she was coming in late too,” said Dorette.
    “Her car is here,” said Diane.
    “Is it? Then I guess she’s somewhere in the building.”
    “Thank you, Dorette. Are any of the messages urgent?”
    “Well, I don’t know.” She paused. “I’m good at publicity,” she said. “God, that sounded lame, didn’t it?”
    Diane smiled. “I understand. I’ll go see what the problem is with the tour.”
    She hung up the phone and left the office in search of Sierra. She met her in the hall.
    “What happened with the tour?” asked Diane.
    “Wrong day,” said Sierra. “I don’t know who made the error—us or them—but I got one of the docents to take charge of it. There was another group coming at the same time, so we combined them, and I called in another docent who was on her day off. I think it will all work out.”
    “Good thinking. Have you seen Andie?” asked Diane.
    “No, but her car is here. When the problem with the tour group came up and I found her office dark, I called her home—thinking, like, maybe her car wouldn’t start and she got a ride home last night and needed one back today. I got her answering machine. She didn’t answer her cell either,” said Sierra. “But she’s got a bunch of meetings scheduled, so I just figured that’s where she is.”
    “Thanks. You did well,” said Diane.
    Diane went back to her office and tried Andie’s home phone again and her cell. Still no answer at home and the cell just rolled over to voice mail. Diane called Liam as she checked her e-mail again. Sometimes Andie left messages for her there. She heard Liam’s voice on the phone say, “Hello,” but all she could do was stare at the computer screen. She placed her phone back in its cradle and put her hand over her mouth.

Chapter 53
    Diane sat at her desk shaking.
    Oh God. Oh God.
    She reached for the phone—the private one connected to the crime lab.
    “David here.”
    “David, who’s in the crime lab?” she asked.
    “Me, Neva, and Izzy. We’re all doing lab work today. Why, what’s wrong?”
    “Get Jin up there with you. Tell him to put one of the Spearmans in charge of the DNA lab. Get the messages from my museum computer. Be discreet. I’ll be right there.”
    Diane hung up her desk phone and picked up her cell and started a text message, then stopped. Could it be compromised in some way? She wished she’d listened when David was going on about cells, the way he often did about electronic things. She turned off her computer and went to Sierra’s office.
    “Sierra, may I borrow your cell phone?” she asked.
    “Sure,” said Sierra.
    Diane almost grabbed the cell from her hand, fumbling with it, but finally sent Frank a text message saying she needed him at the crime lab . . . now.
    “Sierra, I have to attend to something. You’re in charge of the museum. Call Archives and ask Beth to come down and help. Call me . . . in the crime lab . . . only if the problem is dire.”
    “Is something wrong?” asked Sierra.
    “Please don’t ask any questions right now. I’ll keep in touch,” she said.
    “Okay, Dr. Fallon,” said Sierra, frowning. She looked worried, but Diane couldn’t help it.
    Diane left the office wing and took the quickest route to the crime lab, which was the elevator in the lobby to the third floor, and crossing over from there. As she was getting in the elevator, Liam slipped in with her.
    “I’m looking for Andie,” he said.
    Diane pushed the stop button on the elevator and it came to a jerky halt.
    She turned to a startled Liam, grabbed the collar of his shirt, and pushed him against the wall of the elevator.
    “Look in my eyes and tell me you are on the level, that there isn’t some secret waiting to come out, that you are who we think you are,” he said.
    His stunned expression gave way to alarm.
    “Something’s happened to Andie,” he said. He put his hands over hers, but didn’t pull them away. “What’s happened? Please tell