I’ve never seen any evidence of it. Why do you ask?”
“Just curious,” Gerald said, rubbing his still-tender shoulder. “Thanks anyway.”
Gerald was out in the corridor before he realized that Sam and Ruby weren’t with him. He was about to go back when two things happened. First, a roar from behind the door confirmed that the twins were still inside. And secondly, three people emerged from the elevator at the end of the corridor. A tall and elegantly dressed man led the way, limping slightly on a wooden walking stick. His short silver hair was combed neatly with a gun-barrel part on the side, suggesting an early life in the military or, at the very least, boarding school. His back was ramrod straight, though he did tilt a bit to the right on account of the limp. He was followed by a plump, middle-aged Indian man in a bottle-green suit, his neck swelling at the collar and his face a deep shade of purple. Gerald guessed from his expression of bottomless anger that this was the owner of the missing diamond. With them was a girl, perhaps two years older than Gerald. She wore a sari, the same bottle green as the plump man’s suit. Her dark hair was pulled into a single thick braid that reached well down her back. The girl glanced at Gerald, revealing dark almond eyes and a beautiful face, but she looked away, tilting her slightly upturned nose even higher, as if she’d just passed a dodgy fish shop.
The door behind Gerald opened and Sam and Ruby bundled out into the corridor, followed by a blustering Professor McElderry.
“Damned cheek. Going through my papers!”
Sam stood defiantly and held up his index finger, which bore a livid red mark.
“I was not,” he said. “Your stupid turtle bit me. Look!”
“It’s a tortoise, you twit,” McElderry said, looming over Sam. “Better than a guard dog, he is. He knows when someone’s up to no good.”
“Pity he wasn’t guarding your precious diamond then, isn’t it!”
McElderry’s awninglike eyebrows shot up and he opened his mouth to speak when the silver-haired man stepped forward.
“Knox, I hope we haven’t arrived at an awkward time?” It was a voice of quiet authority.
McElderry looked up and was startled to find three new faces in the corridor, each one staring at him.
“Sir Mason,” he said, withdrawing his raised fist. “What a pleasant surprise.”
“Hardly a surprise, Knox, I’m sure,” the tall man said. “You remember Mr. Gupta?”
The plump man elbowed past Sam and barreled up to the professor. His head came up to McElderry’s hairy chin but he didn’t appear at all intimidated.
“Remember me? He’ll rue the day he met me if I don’t get my diamond back!”
McElderry’s whiskers bristled.
“That diamond was under the protection of the Metropolitan Police, and I’ll be blowed if I’m going to take blame for any—”
The silver-haired man coughed into his hand.
“Perhaps, Knox, this conversation would be best held inside your office?”
The professor and Mr. Gupta eyed each other. McElderry mumbled something and opened the door.
Mr. Gupta motioned to the girl, who had been standing sullenly to one side.
“Come along, Alisha,” he said. “This concerns you as much as anyone.” The girl glided past Gerald without sparing him a glance, jasmine-laced fragrance wafting after her. The silver-haired man went to follow his companions when his eyes came to rest on Gerald.
“I think I know you,” the man said.
Gerald looked up, surprised, and shook his head. “Um, I don’t think so.”
“You’re Gerald Wilkins. I was at your great-aunt’s funeral. Mason Green, chairman of the Museum Trust.”
He shook Gerald’s hand in a firm grip. Gerald thought maybe he did recognize the man from the church hall.
“I’m sorry about this unpleasantness,” Green said, nodding toward McElderry’s office. “Touchy business, this diamond thing. Mr. Gupta and his daughter have been on a plane all night to get here from
“Just curious,” Gerald said, rubbing his still-tender shoulder. “Thanks anyway.”
Gerald was out in the corridor before he realized that Sam and Ruby weren’t with him. He was about to go back when two things happened. First, a roar from behind the door confirmed that the twins were still inside. And secondly, three people emerged from the elevator at the end of the corridor. A tall and elegantly dressed man led the way, limping slightly on a wooden walking stick. His short silver hair was combed neatly with a gun-barrel part on the side, suggesting an early life in the military or, at the very least, boarding school. His back was ramrod straight, though he did tilt a bit to the right on account of the limp. He was followed by a plump, middle-aged Indian man in a bottle-green suit, his neck swelling at the collar and his face a deep shade of purple. Gerald guessed from his expression of bottomless anger that this was the owner of the missing diamond. With them was a girl, perhaps two years older than Gerald. She wore a sari, the same bottle green as the plump man’s suit. Her dark hair was pulled into a single thick braid that reached well down her back. The girl glanced at Gerald, revealing dark almond eyes and a beautiful face, but she looked away, tilting her slightly upturned nose even higher, as if she’d just passed a dodgy fish shop.
The door behind Gerald opened and Sam and Ruby bundled out into the corridor, followed by a blustering Professor McElderry.
“Damned cheek. Going through my papers!”
Sam stood defiantly and held up his index finger, which bore a livid red mark.
“I was not,” he said. “Your stupid turtle bit me. Look!”
“It’s a tortoise, you twit,” McElderry said, looming over Sam. “Better than a guard dog, he is. He knows when someone’s up to no good.”
“Pity he wasn’t guarding your precious diamond then, isn’t it!”
McElderry’s awninglike eyebrows shot up and he opened his mouth to speak when the silver-haired man stepped forward.
“Knox, I hope we haven’t arrived at an awkward time?” It was a voice of quiet authority.
McElderry looked up and was startled to find three new faces in the corridor, each one staring at him.
“Sir Mason,” he said, withdrawing his raised fist. “What a pleasant surprise.”
“Hardly a surprise, Knox, I’m sure,” the tall man said. “You remember Mr. Gupta?”
The plump man elbowed past Sam and barreled up to the professor. His head came up to McElderry’s hairy chin but he didn’t appear at all intimidated.
“Remember me? He’ll rue the day he met me if I don’t get my diamond back!”
McElderry’s whiskers bristled.
“That diamond was under the protection of the Metropolitan Police, and I’ll be blowed if I’m going to take blame for any—”
The silver-haired man coughed into his hand.
“Perhaps, Knox, this conversation would be best held inside your office?”
The professor and Mr. Gupta eyed each other. McElderry mumbled something and opened the door.
Mr. Gupta motioned to the girl, who had been standing sullenly to one side.
“Come along, Alisha,” he said. “This concerns you as much as anyone.” The girl glided past Gerald without sparing him a glance, jasmine-laced fragrance wafting after her. The silver-haired man went to follow his companions when his eyes came to rest on Gerald.
“I think I know you,” the man said.
Gerald looked up, surprised, and shook his head. “Um, I don’t think so.”
“You’re Gerald Wilkins. I was at your great-aunt’s funeral. Mason Green, chairman of the Museum Trust.”
He shook Gerald’s hand in a firm grip. Gerald thought maybe he did recognize the man from the church hall.
“I’m sorry about this unpleasantness,” Green said, nodding toward McElderry’s office. “Touchy business, this diamond thing. Mr. Gupta and his daughter have been on a plane all night to get here from
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