“About a month ago. The collection manager for the dinosaur fossils said she was missing a fossil raptor egg. I had taken some up to the preparation room where we were working on a fossil exhibit. I returned them all and hadn’t been back down, but I knew Blake had, so I asked him if he’d seen them.”
Darcy stopped talking and Diane thought she was going to cry.
“You need to go on and get this done,” said her father.
Darcy’s lips trembled. “I loved him so much, I really did. I’ve never loved anyone like that before.”
“What did he say when you asked him about the egg?” prompted Diane.
“He confessed. He said I’d caught him, but he hadn’t meant any harm. He said it was just one egg that a collector friend wanted and the museum had so many. I told him he had to get it back. He said he couldn’t. The collector had already paid him for it and that he was connected with some bad people. They would beat him up if he tried to get it back.”
Darcy’s father shook his head. Her mother rubbed the back of the hand she held on to. “It’s all right,” she said.
“Go on,” said Diane. “Did you believe him?”
Darcy’s eyes grew wide. “Yes. He wouldn’t lie to me.”
“Darcy…” Her father couldn’t hold it in any longer. “He was lying to you the whole time. Why can’t you see that?”
“You didn’t meet him, Dad. You didn’t know him like I did.”
“Darcy…,” he said again and shook his head.
Diane could see his frustration. Darcy still didn’t know what Blake was. Her father had probably been trying to tell her.
“Continue your story,” said Diane. “Can I get you something to drink?”
Darcy shook her head. “Just a week before the party he said the collector wanted some of the gemstones from Geology. He threatened him if he wouldn’t get them. Blake said he tried, but Dr. Seger had put some really strict protocols in place while he was gone. He couldn’t get near the vault. Shelly, the geology collection manager, is a stickler for carrying out Dr. Seger’s orders.”
Diane noticed that she sounded a little resentful of Shelly, possibly because in her frame of mind right now, she saw Shelly as putting Blake in danger.
“What did he do?” asked Diane. Though she knew what was coming.
“He asked me to get them. He said he had to get the Van Ross diamond and several other gems or he’d be in real trouble. He was really scared. He said I could put some of the other gems in their place and no one would find out for a while. He said that would give him time to make things right.”
Jesse Kincaid gave a derisive huff.
“Daddy, it’s true.”
“Then what happened?” asked Diane.
“I did what he said. I was so afraid for him. I was supposed to bring them to the party and he would get them from me there.”
“What happened?” asked Diane.
“I got what he wanted, including the Van Ross diamond. I put them in a Ziploc bag… but I just couldn’t take them from the museum. When I was leaving I put them in a planter-the one with the really tall palm. They should still be there. I was going to tell him that I would go with him to the police or to his father to get help. They have a lot of money and if he was in trouble, I know they would help him out.”
“Darcy, the guy was using you. Why can’t you see that?” said her father.
She looked up at her father. “Daddy, I know you think that, but you didn’t know him.”
“Darcy,” said Diane. “Listen to your father. He knows Blake Stanton far better than you.”
Her eyes widened. “What do you mean? Dad’s never met him.”
“He knows his type,” said Diane. She saw her father nodding his head.
“You don’t understand…,” began Darcy.
“Darcy, besides being director of the museum, do you know what else I do?”
“Yes, we all do. You’re director of the crime lab.”
Her parents exchanged shocked glances.
“Yes, and in that capacity we investigated Blake Stanton’s murder.”
“The man who was threatening him killed him. He did it, and it’s my fault. If I had just given him the gemstones.” She started to cry.
“Darcy.” This time Diane used her stern voice, the one that scared the herpetologist and the mayor. “I want you to listen to me. There was no such man. He didn’t exist.”
“He must. Blake wouldn’t lie to me.” Her voice sounded in genuine anguish.
“He didn’t just steal the dinosaur egg and the gems,” said Diane. “A Conus gloriamaris, eight Cypraea aurantium, and a giant whelk from Aquatics are missing. A Boloria improba acrocnema is missing from Entomology. You know how rare they are. In all, over thirty thousand dollars’ worth of museum items were stolen.”
Darcy’s eyes grew wider and her mouth dropped open. “No. That can’t be.”
Her parents were clearly stunned. Probably wondering now if it was a good idea for them to encourage their daughter to confess and take her medicine.
“That’s not all. He was doing the same thing to the university. Rare books are missing, as well as money from the petty cash drawers of several departments. Darcy, your father is right: Blake Stanton was using you to gain access to valuable items. I know this hurts, but you can’t defend him. For your own sake, when the police question you, don’t defend him.”
Darcy started sobbing. Diane felt guilty for being so harsh. Both her parents looked very concerned.
“Darcy didn’t know about the other things,” said her mother.
“You can see this guy was using her,” her father said. “The police will be able to see that.”
Diane nodded. “Darcy, Blake’s behavior was typical of a sociopath. One of their special gifts is to get trusting people to believe them. He was a seriously disturbed young man and not worth the emotions you have invested in him.”
“You didn’t know him; he was so nice to me,” said Darcy.
Her father looked at the ceiling in frustration.
“Darcy, honey,” said her mother.
“Darcy,” said Diane, “after the explosion, all of us who lived near the house had to evacuate. While I was trying to leave, Blake came up from the explosion, pulled a gun on me, and tried to hijack my car. I was able to escape on foot, but he fired shots at me from a pistol he was carrying.”
Her mother sucked in her breath.
“Oh, God,” said her father. “I knew he was no good, Darcy.”
“Is that true?” said Darcy.
“Yes, it is. He was not a nice boy.”
Darcy started to cry. Diane hoped she had gotten to her.
“What are you going to do?” asked her father. “I believe my daughter didn’t know about the other thefts.”
“So do I. What do you want, Darcy?” asked Diane.
“I don’t know. I love working in the museum, I do. I’m sorry about the diamonds. They are in the planter, they really are.”
“I know. They have been found. Darcy, I know you loved working at the museum, but you still broke not only my trust, but the trust of the people you work with.”
“I know,” she said.
Her mother patted her hand again. She looked so sad for her daughter.
“However,” continued Diane, “if you are willing to become a docent, where you don’t have access to the museum vaults or exhibits, you can work your way up again and salvage your career in museums.”
“You mean you won’t fire me?” said Darcy. She looked stunned.
“No, I’m not firing you. You can work as a docent. If you choose to quit, you won’t get a letter of recommendation.”
“Does everyone have to know?” asked Darcy. She looked around at all the flowers.
“No, you can tell them you want to work with kids, if you want.”