Dust to Dust by Beverly Connor Read Free Book Online Page B

themselves. Or in some cases, the perpetrators made sure she was involved.
    Since Izzy joined her team, he had become her conscience in that regard—trying to make sure the Rosewood detectives had a good impression of Diane and the crime lab. She started to tell him that the county sheriff didn’t have any problems with how she did her job, but her cell rang. She looked at the display. It was Garnett, Rosewood’s chief of detectives. Diane answered.
    “Hey, Diane. Just giving you a heads-up. Hanks is bringing Jonas Briggs down here for questioning. Thought you might want to observe.”

Chapter 7
    Diane, still in the change of clothes she kept in her car for emergencies and still with Styrofoam packing peanuts clinging to her, stood in the observation room looking with some apprehension at Jonas Briggs on the other side of the glass in the police interrogation room. Douglas Garnett was standing next to her.
    Garnett was his usual well-dressed self: dark charcoal suit, crisp white shirt, and light blue silk tie. He was a tall man, fiftyish with thick, graying, well-styled hair and dark eyes. He hadn’t called Diane because he was personally concerned for Jonas Briggs; his concern fell more under the heading of protecting the museum from bad publicity and political repercussions. The crime lab, a really big jewel in Rosewood’s somewhat thorny crown, was housed in the museum building. Garnett and the mayor knew if anything bad happened to the museum because of the crime lab, Diane would move the crime lab out. And having the museum house the lab worked out so well for the city that it was worth the little extra political trouble to watch out for the museum’s welfare. Plus, Garnett owed Diane for pulling him out of hot water. And Diane did have a personal interest in the welfare of Jonas Briggs.
    Jonas was sitting there alone, his forearms resting on the table. He was dressed in a light denim jacket, white shirt, and Dockers. He looked worried, but Diane guessed he was worried about his friend Marcella, not the circumstances he found himself in at the moment. Garnett told her that Jonas had waived his right to council. She didn’t think it was a good idea, but Garnett’s help stopped at allowing Diane to talk to Jonas before Hanks did.
    Diane’s fears had been correct. Jonas had discovered Marcella Payden, which made him an automatic person of interest.
    Diane heard the rattle of the door and Detective Hanks walked into the interrogation room. He didn’t look particularly threatening, with his arm immobilized and his neck in a brace because of his broken collarbone.
    Jonas raised his eyebrows at Hanks but didn’t mention Hanks’ condition. He waited for Detective Hanks to speak.
    “How well do you know Marcella Payden?” asked Hanks.
    “Very well. She is a fellow archaeologist and a friend. I know her family,” replied Jonas.
    “Did the two of you get along?” Hanks asked.
    “Of course,” Jonas said.
    “Were the two of you dating?” asked Hanks.
    “Dating? That sounds like such a young term. We went places together and had a good time. Is that what the young do on dates these days? There is an element of romance that goes along with dating, so I guess you could say we were dating,” said Jonas.
    “Were you intimate?” asked Hanks.
    “Now, young man, that’s a very private question. However, I will answer. No.”
    “Did that make you frustrated?” asked Hanks.
    Diane felt uncomfortable for Jonas. She wanted to bang on the window and tell Hanks to be more respectful.
    Garnett must have felt her frustration. He leaned toward her and said, “He has to ask these questions.”
    Diane nodded. But she didn’t have to like it.
    Jonas chuckled. “Do I look like I’m nineteen? What kind of question is that?”
    “You may have wanted to go faster in the relationship than Dr. Payden,” said Hanks. “Take it to the next level.”
    Jonas shook his head. “Next level? Where do you young people come up with