Read Online Gentlemen Prefer Nerds by Joan Kilby - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Joan Kilby
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unique qualities of this special gemstone.”
Maddie smiled at Grace and thanked her then turned to the crowd. Camera lights popped, blinding her. She raised her voice above the murmur. “The Rose is the rarest and most valuable pink diamond known. At 28.2 carats it’s one of the largest flawless fancy intense pinks in existence. A bid has recently been made for this unique diamond worth over twenty million dollars. In a moment I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have about the stone but for now, I give you—” she whisked away the mantle of black silk, “—the Rose!”
Oohs and ahhs rose from the crowd as the huge pink diamond, set on its black velvet background, glittered and sparkled beneath the fiber-optic light. Camera flashbulbs popped and the corded purple rope holding the crowd back strained at its posts as people pushed forward to see better.
Over the top of the display case Maddie exchanged a triumphant smile with Grace. She’d never had such a magnificent gem in her care and, given the rarity of the Rose, probably never would again. Pride filled Maddie’s chest as she glanced down at her diamond.
She gasped.
“It is fabulous,” Grace said, seeing the direction of her gaze. “What a success!”
Maddie’s skin turned to ice. She could hardly hear what Grace was saying for the ringing in her ears. Stunned, she raised her eyes to Grace and opened her mouth but nothing came out. A second later, when she could speak, she whispered hoarsely, “That’s not the Rose!”
Grace’s joyous smile froze. She sidled closer to Maddie so no one could overhear their whispered conversation. “Of course it’s the Rose.”
“It’s a fake!” Maddie insisted in an undertone, agonizingly aware of the photographers snapping pictures of the two of them standing behind the display case, ignoring the shouted questions of the reporters. “It’s the right size but the color is too light. It’s more grapefruit than raspberry.”
“How can that be?” Grace clasped her hands together so hard her knuckles turned white. “It looks right to me.”
Maddie shook her head. “I’ve spent countless hours with that stone and I’m telling you, that is not the Rose.”
“Kim didn’t say anything.”
“He wouldn’t know.”
Grace stared down at the diamond. “Well, if that’s a fake, where is the Rose?”
Maddie tasted bile and swallowed hard on the upwelling from her empty stomach. She rubbed her arms, trying to warm herself. “It must have been…stolen.”
“Stolen!” Grace exclaimed, forgetting to whisper. Her face paled to paper white. Her knees started to buckle beneath her.
Maddie caught her just before she hit the marble tiles and half led, half dragged her behind the counter to a chair. “Quick, Tiffany! Call the police!”
A buzz went up in the crowd. The word stolen was repeated over and over until it was a roar. The restraining rope was knocked over and people spilled into the space around the display case, trying to get a look at the phony diamond. Tiffany spoke urgently into the telephone.
“Please, everyone, stand back.” Maddie waved her arms, trying to get the crowd away from the display case.
More flashbulbs popped. In the distance, police sirens wailed.
Cold and shivery, Maddie hugged herself. Rose, where are you?
* * *
Across the street, Fabian cursed himself for failing to prevent the theft. Since he was no diamond expert, he’d had to take Maddie at her word last night that the real Rose was locked inside the safe. But he’d followed that up by camping in the warehouse across the alley and keeping close watch on the shop door. No one had entered all night. He would have sworn on his ancestral home that the pink diamond was safe.
Clearly, he’d been wrong. It rankled—badly. The Chameleon could not be allowed to best him.
With a pair of small binoculars he discreetly kept tabs on what was happening inside the shop. After taking statements from everyone in the
Maddie smiled at Grace and thanked her then turned to the crowd. Camera lights popped, blinding her. She raised her voice above the murmur. “The Rose is the rarest and most valuable pink diamond known. At 28.2 carats it’s one of the largest flawless fancy intense pinks in existence. A bid has recently been made for this unique diamond worth over twenty million dollars. In a moment I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have about the stone but for now, I give you—” she whisked away the mantle of black silk, “—the Rose!”
Oohs and ahhs rose from the crowd as the huge pink diamond, set on its black velvet background, glittered and sparkled beneath the fiber-optic light. Camera flashbulbs popped and the corded purple rope holding the crowd back strained at its posts as people pushed forward to see better.
Over the top of the display case Maddie exchanged a triumphant smile with Grace. She’d never had such a magnificent gem in her care and, given the rarity of the Rose, probably never would again. Pride filled Maddie’s chest as she glanced down at her diamond.
She gasped.
“It is fabulous,” Grace said, seeing the direction of her gaze. “What a success!”
Maddie’s skin turned to ice. She could hardly hear what Grace was saying for the ringing in her ears. Stunned, she raised her eyes to Grace and opened her mouth but nothing came out. A second later, when she could speak, she whispered hoarsely, “That’s not the Rose!”
Grace’s joyous smile froze. She sidled closer to Maddie so no one could overhear their whispered conversation. “Of course it’s the Rose.”
“It’s a fake!” Maddie insisted in an undertone, agonizingly aware of the photographers snapping pictures of the two of them standing behind the display case, ignoring the shouted questions of the reporters. “It’s the right size but the color is too light. It’s more grapefruit than raspberry.”
“How can that be?” Grace clasped her hands together so hard her knuckles turned white. “It looks right to me.”
Maddie shook her head. “I’ve spent countless hours with that stone and I’m telling you, that is not the Rose.”
“Kim didn’t say anything.”
“He wouldn’t know.”
Grace stared down at the diamond. “Well, if that’s a fake, where is the Rose?”
Maddie tasted bile and swallowed hard on the upwelling from her empty stomach. She rubbed her arms, trying to warm herself. “It must have been…stolen.”
“Stolen!” Grace exclaimed, forgetting to whisper. Her face paled to paper white. Her knees started to buckle beneath her.
Maddie caught her just before she hit the marble tiles and half led, half dragged her behind the counter to a chair. “Quick, Tiffany! Call the police!”
A buzz went up in the crowd. The word stolen was repeated over and over until it was a roar. The restraining rope was knocked over and people spilled into the space around the display case, trying to get a look at the phony diamond. Tiffany spoke urgently into the telephone.
“Please, everyone, stand back.” Maddie waved her arms, trying to get the crowd away from the display case.
More flashbulbs popped. In the distance, police sirens wailed.
Cold and shivery, Maddie hugged herself. Rose, where are you?
* * *
Across the street, Fabian cursed himself for failing to prevent the theft. Since he was no diamond expert, he’d had to take Maddie at her word last night that the real Rose was locked inside the safe. But he’d followed that up by camping in the warehouse across the alley and keeping close watch on the shop door. No one had entered all night. He would have sworn on his ancestral home that the pink diamond was safe.
Clearly, he’d been wrong. It rankled—badly. The Chameleon could not be allowed to best him.
With a pair of small binoculars he discreetly kept tabs on what was happening inside the shop. After taking statements from everyone in the
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