Scattered Graves, page 34
part #6 of Diane Fallon Forensic Investigation Series
The museum would be having the white-tie party in the Pleistocene Room. Diane was putting the Neanderthal diorama and bones temporarily in the huge room so the Friends of the Museum could get a preview of the new acquisition at the party.
Henry, who was now a museum intern after school, worked with Jonas Briggs on the exhibit. Diane knew the Wilsons worried about their grandsons Caleb and Henry. The Wilsons were religious people and were having a hard time of it. Diane was sure atonement was on their minds as well.
She didn’t know if justice had been served. She didn’t know anymore if complete justice was possible. She touched the glass case that held the bones of the young female Neanderthal and wondered what she would make of the world now.
Professor Emeritus Alexander de Houten sat in his leather chair twirling the pinky ring on his finger. He pulled it from his finger and angrily threw it in the trash. The anger was directed at himself for miscalculating. It was a mistake to trust sociopaths. He thought people free of emotions would carry out his ideas in perfect order. But he hadn’t realized that sociopaths aren’t free of emotions, just empathy. They have plenty of emotions for themselves. They are selfish to their core. He wouldn’t make that mistake again. And Rosewood had been such a perfect place for his plan—small town, easily manipulated, with its own crime lab. Just perfect. He sighed. He should just count himself lucky they didn’t connect him with their unfortunate events.
He turned on his computer and watched as it booted up. He touched his mouse. A screen with text popped up—
and a voice.
‘‘Hello, Professor de Houten. Would you like to play a nice game of chess?’’
‘‘What the hell is this?’’ he said loud enough for his secretary to hear and knock on his door.
Beverly Connor, Scattered Graves
