who had reopened the case and was seated beside his wife fitting the linked bracelet over her slim wrist.
It fitted perfectly, and when he closed the safety clasp she lifted her arm and turned it slowly to strike crimson flashes of reflected fire from the red stones.
Mark Dustin nodded and said, “I think it looks right nice, Ceil. Good enough for your second wedding anniversary?”
“Oh, Mark!” She flung her arms around his neck and sobbed happily. Shayne felt Lucy’s fingers tighten on his arm. He looked down at her and was surprised to see two tears rolling down her cheeks as she gazed at the embracing couple.
He got out his handkerchief and wiped her face and asked, “What the devil are you crying about?”
She said, “They’re so darned sweet. And after being married two whole years.”
Dustin untangled himself from his wife’s arms and told Voorland cheerfully, “She seems to like the gadget, so I guess that settles it. How much?”
“A hundred and eighty thousand dollars,” said Mr. Voorland, and munched on his wad of gum contentedly.
Mark Dustin sat very still and wrinkled his sun-bronzed forehead. “I guess I don’t hear very well.”
Mr. Voorland appeared to be enjoying himself completely. He repeated, “One hundred and eighty thousand dollars is the price of the bracelet. Plus tax, of course.”
“Now I know star rubies wouldn’t look good on you,” Shayne said to Lucy with a broad grin.
Celia Dustin’s face had gone white. She murmured, “That’s ridiculous, Mark. That’s a fortune.” She began nervously picking at the safety catch on the bracelet about her wrist.
He said, “Maybe it isn’t ridiculous, honey. Let’s don’t go off half-cocked.” He asked Voorland, “Is that an asking price or a selling price?”
Voorland seated himself in his favorite attitude, with both hands on his knees. “It is a selling price-as of today. I assure you that if the gem market were not at low ebb the price would be above two hundred thousand.”
“Six stones?” asked Dustin suspiciously. “The largest one eight carats?”
“Eight and a quarter,” Voorland corrected him.
“But diamonds aren’t worth-”
“Diamonds,” said Voorland with a smile, “are worth only what the buyer will pay for them. Rubies are appraised exactly the same way. An eight-carat diamond is not at all unusual. An eight-carat star ruby is an act of God. You know something about prices, Mike. Tell Mr. Dustin I’m not out of line.”
“I don’t know.” Shayne scowled. “I’m not stooging to help you make a sale. A hundred and eighty grand took my breath away just as it did his. But I don’t know.” His scowl deepened. “I remember something Randolph, the insurance appraiser, once told me about rubies. That a perfect four-carat ruby was worth at least four times as much as a diamond of the same size.”
“And he wasn’t talking about a star ruby either, Mike. Just a good pigeon’s-blood gem. You don’t have to make up your mind at once, Mr. Dustin. If you wish to take a little time to think it over-”
Dustin drew in a long breath. “Today is our anniversary. Not tomorrow or next week. I’ll tell you, Shayne’s mention of an insurance appraiser gives me an idea. You realize I’m not questioning your honesty, Voorland, but I know nothing about such things and-”
“I understand perfectly, Mr. Dustin. You’d like to request a disinterested appraisal before making up your mind.”
“Yes. Someone like an insurance appraiser. That’s a splendid idea. I’ll have to have it insured if I do buy. What portion of the appraised value do those people generally write coverage on?” he asked Shayne.
“Up to eighty percent. Sometimes more. Depending on the reputation of the dealer, the current market, things like that.”
Voorland nodded approvingly. “In general cases, you are quite correct, Mike. But this isn’t a general case. This bracelet is unique and therefore practically priceless. I’m ready to stake my professional reputation that any reputable insurance company will be glad to issue you a policy covering the full purchase price.”
“That’s good enough for me. You’ve made a sale if you can fix up a policy on that basis.”
Mr. Voorland chuckled and smacked over his gum. “Is Earl Randolph in town, Mike?”
“I saw him a couple of days ago.”
“Mr. Randolph is one of the shrewdest appraisers in the business,” Voorland told Dustin. “I showed him this bracelet two months ago when I was holding it at two hundred thousand, and he asked for a chance to write a policy on it when I sold it. I’ll get hold of him at once and I’m sure we’ll have no difficulty.”
“In that case, I presume you’d like to have a little cash on the line.” Mark Dustin’s voice was strained, as though he realized for the first time what he was letting himself in for. He reached in a side pocket of his slacks, adding, “Naturally, I don’t carry that kind of cash around with me.”
“Naturally not, Mr. Dustin.” Voorland’s voice was soothing and understanding.
“But the bangtails have been coming in for me,” Dustin explained as he withdrew a thick clip of bills. “Suppose I give you ten thousand down to bind the sale, and a check for the balance.”
“Perfectly all right, Mr. Dustin.”
“It will have to be a check on my bank in Denver. I’m just here for a short time.”
“I quite understand,” Voorland purred. “Of course you won’t expect to take possession until your check has cleared through my local bank.”
“Of course not. Wait a minute.” Dustin turned to his wife. “When is that shindig in Miami? That fancy concert at the White Temple.”
“Next Friday, Mark. But it doesn’t matter-”
“The hell it doesn’t. The Crowthers will be there, and the Buckleys. And old lady Bastrop with all her diamonds. Do you think I can have it for my wife to wear Friday night?” he asked Voorland.
“This is Monday.” Voorland pursed his lips and looked doubtful. “I’m sure I can have the insurance coverage arranged by that time, but the check on Denver will scarcely have time to get back.”
“Nonsense,” said Dustin. “Give your bank instructions to send it through special. By airmail. And have the Denver bank wire when it clears. Shouldn’t take more than two days.” His manner evidenced the westerner’s contempt for the conservative pace of easterners, and it brought an indulgent smile to Voorland’s lips.
He nodded and said, “Very well. If you’ll step back to the office, Mr. Dustin, we’ll take care of it right away. Wander around and see what you’d like,” he added over his shoulder to Shayne as the three of them went toward his private office. “This will take only a few minutes.”
“Who is he?” Lucy exclaimed when they were out of hearing. “He looks like a cowboy-or something. I could live in luxury the rest of my life on the money he’s throwing away on that trinket.”
Shayne grinned and tweaked her ear. “You thought it was pretty in the beginning.”
“I still do, but a hundred and eighty thousand dollars! It’s criminal to spend money that way. Think how many loaves of bread that would buy for starving children all over the world.”
“Let’s not think about it.” Shayne led her toward the long row of showcases. “Start looking around, but don’t stop if you come to any star rubies.”
Chapter Four
Mark Dustin’s sports roadster was one of an unending parade of cars rolling across the Venetian Causeway toward Miami Beach. The last race of the day had been run at Tropical Park, and Dustin was content to relax while the procession crawled at a snail’s pace. He had hit a freak daily double at 420 to 1 with a ten-spot, and his four grand winnings made a comfortable wad in his pocket.
Celia was supremely happy beside her husband, pressing close against his shoulder and dreamily contemplating the shifting mass of fleecy clouds above the palm-fringed shore eastward. She was always happy when Mark won at the races. It gave her a deep-rooted sense of security to know that Mark was one of those
