“Guard,” Star yelled. “Get them out of here.”
But the guard was not on duty. Diane walked into the room. Crystal stood by Star with a sheaf of papers, trying to force a pen into Star’s hand.
“You’d better leave,” said Diane. “If you don’t, you’ll be in more trouble than you want.”
“Well, if it isn’t Frankie’s bone woman. Heard about you on television digging in ol’ Abercrombie’s carcass pile. Just what do you think you’re doing here?”
“Running you out of Star’s room.”
“This is my-granddaughter.” She almost choked on the word.
“She’s trying to get me to sign over Mom and Dad’s property,” said Star.
“I am not. This is just something to let me keep her money safe so the lawyers won’t get it all. I explained that to her.”
“Even if you could coerce her into signing, it wouldn’t be legal. She’s a minor.”
“Not no more. They’re going to try her as an adult.” Crystal nodded her head with emphasis.
“That’s not a shortcut to majority. You’re attempting to coerce a minor. Now get out of here before her guardian comes and throws you out.”
“I have more right to be here than you.”
“You have absolutely no right to be here at all.” Frank stood in the doorway glaring at the McFarlands.
As Crystal turned to Frank, Diane saw a phrase on one of the pages Crystal held. Diane snatched the papers from her hand without thinking.
“Why, you damn bitch! What do you think you’re doing? Give those back.”
Diane darted past her and made it to Frank, avoiding both Crystal and Gil grabbing at her. “This isn’t just to sign over property, this second page is a confession.”
Star screeched. “You fucking sorry bitch. Take your boy toy and get the hell out of here.”
The guard, an older heavyset man, rushed into the room. “What’s going on in here? Who are all you people?”
“These two slipped in here and were trying to force Miss Boone to sign a confession,” said Frank, showing the new guard his badge. “I’m Miss Boone’s guardian.”
“We’re just visiting our granddaughter.”
“She’s not my grandmother. She’s just an old whore who can’t get anybody to fuck her except some no-butt moron.”
“Star,” said Frank. “That’s enough.”
“It’s true. Look at him. He’s so skinny he looks like somebody sliced off his butt. He can’t even fill out a pair of tight jeans.”
“That’s enough,” Frank said again.
“You’re going to fry, little girl, you’re going to fry, fry, fry. . ” sang Gil McFarland, screwing up his face and bending his lanky frame in her direction.
“All right, you’re out of here.” Frank took Gil by the arm and propelled him out the door. “You too, Crystal.”
“You’ve not heard the last of this,” Crystal spat out, marching out of the room, joining her husband.
“We can hope,” Star yelled after her.
The guard stood for a moment as if waiting for someone to tell him what to do. “I just got here an hour ago,” he said. “They must have been watching for me to take a break.”
“I’m sure,” said Frank.
The guard took up his post at the door and Frank turned to Star. “What did I tell you about that mouth?”
“They started it. Crystal’s mouth’s worse than mine.”
“One of the nurses said something very wise to me about behaving according to your own principles and not someone else’s. Think about the kind of person you want to be when you open your mouth,” said Diane.
“You’re not my mother.”
“Star!” said Frank. “Diane’s gone to a lot of trouble on your behalf. You can treat her with some respect.”
The way Star sat back on her pillows, her lips in a pout, hair mussed, and tied to the bed, she looked like she should be expecting an exorcist to arrive any minute.
“Don’t you get it? Nothing’s going to do any good. Nothing. If I go to prison, at least I’ll have a place to live.”
“Star, you have a place to live.”
“Where? In that house by myself? I never want to set foot in it.”
“With me-and Kevin when he’s with me. You have a home. When this is over, you’re going back to school and graduate and you can decide if you’d like to go to college. I’m going to get your life back for you. I need your cooperation.”
Star stared at him for a long time. “You mean you’d let me live with you?”
“Of course. We’ve known each other for a long time. Your father was my best friend. You’re like my niece-my daughter. Now, can you calm down a little?”
“Did you see his face when I called him a no-butt moron?”
“Star.”
“Oka-ay.”
“How are you feeling?”
“I’d feel better if I weren’t tied to the bed. I’d like to get up and walk around. I get dizzy every time I get up.”
“I’ve talked to the detectives in charge, and they consider you a flight risk. I’m sorry. I know it’s not fair.”
“Did you tell them my arms are much too tired to attempt flight?”
“Didn’t think of that. Star, when you’re feeling better, I want to talk to you about getting counseling, and getting off drugs.”
“I don’t do drugs.” Frank looked at her. “I don’t. I smoke marijuana sometimes, that’s all.”
“Marijuana’s a drug.”
“No, it’s not, not like cocaine or ecstasy. It’s just a smoke. Did you know they used to call marijuana Mary Jane? I learned that in school.”
“It destroys your brain cells. Did they teach you that?”
“We’ll just have to agree to disagree.”
“We’ll just have to stop smoking.”
The nurse came in holding some papers. “They said you’d come down to visit Miss Boone,” she said to Diane. “I have your release papers. If you come with me, I’ll get a wheelchair and you can go home. Do you have someone to drive you?”
“I have my car here,” she said.
Both Frank and Star stared at Diane.
“What’s she talking about?” asked Frank.
“I stayed in the hospital last night. Someone mugged me outside my apartment. I’m fine, just a few bruises.”
“Why didn’t you call me? Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine. I’m going home right now. I’ve got to call Jonas and tell him I’ll be late.”
“You’ll be staying home and resting,” said the nurse. “That’s what the doctor ordered.”
“I’ll drive you home,” said Frank.
“No. I’m fine, really. Stay here with Star. I’ll talk to you later.” Diane started to follow the nurse out.
“I’ll come by your apartment in a few minutes,” said Frank.
When she was almost out the door, Diane thought she heard Star say she was sorry.
Diane managed to get home, but the steps up to her apartment were uncomfortable and she longed for an elevator. Inside, she locked and chained the door, took a pain pill, changed clothes and made herself comfortable on the sofa. She looked up Jonas’ home phone number and dialed. After several rings, the answering machine picked up. She hung up without leaving a message. Next she dialed his cell phone.
“Briggs, here.”
“Jonas, this is Diane. I’m going to be late getting to the site today, so you’re in charge.”
“That’s fine. We’re getting started now. You sound a little weak. Are you feeling all right?”
Diane went into the explanation of what happened to her last evening, trying her best to downplay the event.
“Are you sure you need to come out at all? Shouldn’t you just stay home and rest?”
“I’m OK, really. A few bruises here and there.”
“If they kept you all night at the hospital, you got more than a few bruises.”
“The bruises were on a kidney. But it’s fine.”
“Oh, is that all? A major organ. I think that calls for bed rest. We can manage. We have your excavation plan and we’re all experienced.”
“I know you are. How did things go last night at the Abercrombies’? No one came after you with a knife in your sleep, I hope.”
“What? No. Were they supposed to?” Diane laughed and it hurt. “They were great. Hospitable folk. Mrs. Abercrombie makes a great pot roast and pecan pie. Luther’s pretty indignant that someone’s dumped a body on his land, but his wife enjoys the excitement.”
“I’ll be by my phone if you need anything,” she said.
“Does that mean you’re going to stay home and rest?”
“For the morning, anyway. Then I’ll see.”
After talking to Jonas, Diane called Andie at the museum and had to tell the whole story over again.
“You’re kidding? Why didn’t you call me? I’d have come down to the hospital. I’ll bet you didn’t have any pajamas and had to wear that awful gown with the back out.”
“That’s true, I could have used a nightgown, but I slept all night and was released this morning, so I didn’t need much in the way of clothes.”
“Everything’s running smoothly here. The herpetologist is installing his friends today.”
“I hope I didn’t make a mistake by telling him he could exhibit a few live snakes and lizards.”
“He did say they would all be small, and nothing poisonous.” Andie seemed to be asking as well as repeating what the herpetologist said.
“He gave me a list and I approved it,” said Diane. “We’ll have to make sure he didn’t include anything we can’t live with.”
“I can handle anything that comes up, so you stay home and rest today.”
Diane was beginning to think her presence wasn’t needed anywhere. “I may drop in later on today. I’ll see how I feel.”
“If anything comes up, I can call or E-mail you. Stay home. You’ll thank me tomorrow. Oh, you did get a letter from Dr. Ranjan Patel-same guy that sent the fax. It’s another copy of the same document-much more readable.”
“Thanks. Put it on my desk. Anything else?”
“Yeah, Jonas called with a message. ‘Bishop to queen three.’ He made me write it down and read it back to him. Is that some kind of code?”
“No. We’re playing a game of chess.”
“Oh. I wondered.”
“That’s it, then?”
“Just the usual stuff. Nothing earthshaking. We’re getting a lot of people calling about the museum opening. A reporter called wanting to know if we’re going to move the museum after we just renovated it.”
“What did you tell him?”
“No.”
“Good girl. Keep in touch.”
When Diane hung up the phone she stretched out on the couch and pulled a throw over her. As she drifted off to sleep, she remembered she hadn’t told Frank about food allergies-another long shot, but sometimes they pay off.
She was awakened out of a dream she didn’t want to end by a knocking on the door. She was running through the jungle, Ariel in her arms.
Frank, she thought, stumbling to the door. She released the chain and opened it.