One Grave Too Many by Beverly Connor

for it to pay off for the museum in the way you’re suggesting.”
    “I move we table this until Mark develops a line-by-line detailed budget for the sale of the property and building and moving the museum compared with the current figures for the renovated museum.” Laura was smooth and casual in stating her motion. Diane wondered if Mark noticed how detailed it was.
    “I second,” said Kenneth.
    “All in agreement with Laura’s motion raise your hands.” Laura, Kenneth Meyers, and Harvey Phelps raised their hands. Three votes out of the seven board members present. Mark looked around the room and smirked. His gaze shifted to Diane, whose hand was also raised.
    “You can only vote to break a tie,” said Madge.
    “You’re forgetting, I have Vanessa Van Ross’ proxy. All those against Laura’s motion.”
    Mark Grayson, Gordon Atwell, Craig Amberson and Madge Stewart all raised their hands, producing a tie vote.
    “I vote for Laura’s motion,” said Diane. “We’ll table this discussion until Mark has his figures together.”
    “Why don’t we all just send you a rubber stamp with our signatures, and we won’t have to waste our time showing up for these meetings?” said Mark. “I don’t know why we even have a board, since you will do what you want anyway.”
    “Milo intended the board members to offer their expertise for the good of the museum,” said Diane. “Why do you consider having to get your facts and figures together a defeat?”
    Diane didn’t wait for an answer. She stood and took a stack of papers and began passing them out. “Here are the new figures for the opening. They include some workshops we will be offering to the public.”
    “Stop ignoring legitimate questions for a moment. This is something we need to discuss.”
    “You mean the purpose of the board? That’s covered in the hand—”
    “I know, Milo’s handbook. Milo is dead, yet every time anything comes up about the museum, you or your friends trot out his name like he’s going to show up any minute and judge what we’ve done to his museum. Time goes on, and there are new considerations.”
    “Milo may not be here with us, but he left us his plans in his will—along with his money. His death didn’t change the validity of his plans for the museum. Nor did it change Mrs. Van Ross’ commitment to see his plans realized.” Diane gazed around at the board members. Most were looking at her handouts.
    Mark detected the sudden lack of support and stood up. “I need to get Signy home. Perhaps there will be a future time when this is not such a forbidden topic.” The way he left the room reminded Diane of a spoiled child.
    There was a moment of silence finally broken by Madge Stewart. “This conservator’s workshop, what’s that?”
    “Korey Jordan, our head conservator, thought members of the community would be interested in learning how to protect some of their family heirlooms,” said Diane.
    “Oh, I’d be interested in that,” said Madge. “I have this quilt. . . .”
    Craig Amberson let out a sigh, and Madge glared at him.
    “I think the meeting’s clearly over,” said Diane. “Have a look at the budget I’ve handed out and we’ll discuss it next meeting. Come with me, Madge, and I’ll take you to meet Korey. He can give you some acid-free tissue paper and a box to store your quilt in.”
    “Well, this was a big waste of time.” Craig Amberson stood up and stuffed the budget papers in his briefcase.
    Gordon Atwell looked at his watch. “I might have just as well stayed at the bank. We should have at least talked about Mark’s plan, if nothing else but to get it over with.”
    “Nothing to talk about without figures,” said Diane. “Until we have those, it’s all speculation—that’s a waste of time.”
    Craig muttered something under his breath and walked out the door with Gordon. Diane took Madge to the conservation laboratory. It was not a large laboratory. Many of their items were