Anya pocketed thephone. “He will pick us up in front of building in fifteenminutes.”
Volkov was early, andhe held the door for the two beautiful women who were sworn todestroy him, although that thought was still days from entering hismind. To him, Anya was a woman scorned by a man who tried to pawn offa fugazi as the real thing, and a woman like her clearlydeserved nothing but the finest of everything New York, and theworld, had to offer.
Viktor shot his cuffsand checked his watch. The Patek Philippe of the night before hadbeen replaced by a Cartier of significantly lower value, but a farmore chic design. “Good morning, just barely, ladies. I hope yourday has been good so far. I promise your afternoon will beunforgettable.”
Anya laced an armthrough his and raised herself to gently kiss his cheek. “Ourmorning was great, and I got to see Statue of Liberty from the EmpireState Building.”
“The view from way upthere couldn’t possibly be as beautiful as the two of you. Pleasemake yourselves comfortable, and I will show you the most valuablecity block in the world.”
Anya followed Gwynninto the back seat, and both were surprised to see another womansitting with legs crossed on the rearward-facing seat. She had aflute of champagne in one hand and a jeweled clutch in the other.
Viktor nestled into theback of the limousine beside the woman, and introductions were made.“Anya, Gwynn, this is Veronique. She works with me in getting mystones placed in the finest shops. I thought perhaps you would enjoymeeting her.”
Anya assessed the womanfrom foot to head, just as she’d done with Volkov. The glamour ofthe red soles of the thousand-dollar Louboutin heels didn’t stop ather ankle. The skin of her lower legs was flawless and disappearedbeneath the hem of a designer dress that must have cost even morethan the shoes. She wore her hair and makeup like the crown of aprincess atop the elegance of her body.
Gwynn suddenly feltlike Cinderella’s stepsister and shrank into the plush leatherseat.
Anya, unthreatened bythe woman, leaned forward and offered her hand. “Ravi de vousrencontrer, Véronique. Je suis Anya.”
Apparently unimpressedwith Anya’s French, the woman squeezed her offered hand andresponded in flawless Russian. “Kak priyatno poznakomit'sya,Anya.”
Viktor closed the door,and the unseen driver pulled into traffic. Minutes later, the limocame to a stop at the corner of 47th Street and 5th Avenue. Viktor’sdriver held open the door, and the four stepped from the car and ontothe sidewalk. Gwynn stepped into the shadows near the buildings, asif trying to hide.
Anya noticed and turnedto Veronique. “Don’t you hate women like my friend Gwynn who arebeautiful the moment they wake every morning? The rest of us mustspend hours to look so nice. I am certain you know exactly what Imean.”
Gwynn smiled, steppedfrom the shadows, and forgot all about the glamorous lady fromFrance, regardless of her countrymen’s generosity with the statue.
10
SVOP
(THESWAP)
Veronique slid hermanicured hand inside Viktor Volkov’s left arm as the foursome madetheir way west on 47th Street. To Anya, the scene was nothing shortof chaos, where cars, taxis, and delivery trucks flowed continuallydown the one-way street. But the constant noise rising from thesingle city block came from the throngs of hawkers, speaking indozens of languages, pleading with passersby to step inside and buyone of the world’s most precious lumps of carbon.
Anya’s eyes tracedthe movements of the men of faith. “There is synagogue here?”
Volkov laughed. “Yes,over two thousand of them, but not synagogues to the God of theTorah. Another god is worshipped here. His name is Mammon. Do youknow this god?”
Anya shook her head.“No, but how can he have two thousand synagogues here inside cityand I do not know of him?”
Volkov led them into analcove away from the crowded sidewalk. “Mammon is the demon ofgreed. His power is so strong that he can lure innocent men to himand consume them with endless desire for more wealth. This is the godof Forty-Seventh Street.”
Anya laid her palmagainst his chest. “You are here. Are you one of these innocent menlured by Mammon?”
Volkov looked away andthen back. “Sometimes, I am, but not always . . . and certainly nottoday. Today is about you and finding a beautiful setting for abeautiful diamond for the finger of a beautiful woman.”
They pressed by thehawkers and into a small shop with a U-shaped glass counter filledwith hundreds of pieces of magnificent jewelry.
A young,used-car-salesman-type reached across the counter. “Viktor, myfriend. How are you? Where have you been? It’s been too long sinceyou’ve been in my shop.”
“I have been out oftown, my friend, but I’m here now, and we must find the perfectsetting for my friend’s diamond.”
The car salesman tiltedhis head. “Out of town? Where?”
Volkov leaned towardthe man. “I do not ask where you go when you leave your shop. Iexpect the same courtesy, my Hebrew friend.”
The man behind thecounter turned to face Anya. “I’m Levi. Tell me about yourdiamond.”
“Is beautiful diamondof color E, IF clarity, cut round, and two carats.”
Levi shot a look atVolkov and back at Anya. “That’s quite a stone. Would you happento have it with you?”
Anya reached into herpocket. “Of course. You could not put in setting if I do not havewith me.”
“I love your accent,”Levi said. “You must also be from Russia like my friend Viktor.”
“I was born inRussia, yes, but I am now American. You would like to see diamond,yes?”
Levi laid a black,cloth-covered board on the glass in front of Anya, and she unwrappedthe diamond from its brivke, the folded white paper containingher stone. Levi pulled a pair of long locking tweezers from hispocket and rolled the stone across the cloth until it was facedown.He slid the tweezers around the diamond, squeezed, and locked thestone into the tool. Raising it to his eye, he peered through aloupe, twisting and turning the diamond as he examined every facet.Still squinting into the magnifier, he asked, “Who told you it wasIF? I can’t find a flaw, and I have perfect eyes.”
Anya looked up atVolkov, who said, “I agree, but it was graded by the GIA. What canyou do?”
Levi continuedsearching. “I think the
