The QE2 Is Missing

Fritz was the only one not fascinated by the operation. He had picked up Sergeant Pradera’s gun and now held it in his lap as he sat against the wall, watching the doors and everyone in the room.

De Groot put the open satchel on the floor beside him and reached down to take out the first chamois bag. Their eyes followed his every movement. He put it in the center of the cloth and examined the tag.

“Number 178-J,” he said. Wielgus took a small looseleaf notebook from his pocket and opened it; then made a mark with his gold-barrelled pen.

“Very well. Proceed.”

De Groot carefully shook the stones out upon the cloth. Their facets twinkled with every color of the rainbow under the glare of the spotlight as he pushed them around with his tweezers.

“Seventeen stones,” he said. Wielgus nodded agreement and made another mark in his book.

It was slow, careful, precise work. Each stone was first wiped clean, then carefully weighed and an entry made. Then De Groot would hold the stone before the light and bend forward, the magnifying jeweller’s loupe screwed into his eye, turning the diamond over and over, again and again. Only after careful examination of color, quality and cut would he come to a decision and make an entry into the calculator. He would then place the stone back in the bag and proceed to the next one.

The process went slowly. The only change from routine occurred when he found one stone that bothered him. He put it down on the cloth and took a low-power microscope from his capacious bag and used it to examine the diamond. This resolved whatever doubts he had and he nodded and entered a figure into the machine.

“What is wrong?” Wielgus asked.

“Nothing is wrong. It is chust that this particular stone happens to haf a flaw. A small one, but still a flaw.”

“Show it to me on this list,” Wielgus said, putting the notebook down on the desktop, then tapping the page with his finger. De Groot looked down the page slowly, then pointed out an entry.

“This one,” he said.

Wielgus looked at the record. “How much is the stone worth?” he asked.

“The best price, sold individually, would be three thousand dollars. No more.”

“That cannot be. I paid over ten thousand for this, some years ago, from a very reputable dealer.”

“You vere cheated.” De Groot picked up the next stone and held it to the light. “I do not make mistakes. That is vy my fee is so high.”

One hour, then two hours went by, and De Groot never faltered. Only Wielgus remained interested, as stolid and careful as the Dutchman. Watching every movement, marking off the stones and sacks one by one. At the end of the third hour De Groot laid the loupe down on the cloth and stood up.”

“I will now take fife minute rest. I vould appreciate a cold mineral water.”

He stood and stretched, then walked about the room while he sipped at the water. Wielgus did not move from his chair. At the end of the five minute period De Groot returned to his work.

It was evening before the job was done. The last stone was examined in the same methodical manner, no slower and no faster than the others had been, then put into the final bag. This was sealed and placed with the others; a last entry made into the calculator.

“You will now add these up and give me a’total,’ Wielgus said. “You will not speak the sum aloud but will give me the piece of paper. You will then clear your machine and give me all of the printed records. Is this understood?”

“Uf course.”

De Groot did as he had been instructed. He did not bother to mention that as soon as he went to his stateroom he would make a record of the total and of the value of each of the little bags. He had a remarkable memory for money and for diamonds. He would also record the description of the unusual stones. It would be interesting if he ran across any of them again some time.

Wielgus put his notebook away and examined the printouts closely. “This total,” he said. “How accurate is it?”

“It is what I vould get if I sold the stones on the open market. But only an aferage, mind you. If I sold them one at a time, taking months to do it, the price vould be higher. If I sold them quickly, in bulk lots, it vould be lower. An aferage, as I said.”

This satisfied Wielgus who nodded agreement. “All right. Go now. Tell your principals what you have told me. I assume you can describe the stones and prices to them.” He had been involved in buying diamonds for a long time and knew the abilities of experts in this field.

De Groot nodded and restored his equipment to the bag with the same meticulous care that he had used in taking everything out in the first place. He even put the items from the floor back onto the desk before donning his jacket. He left without a word. Wielgus waited until the man had gone and the door was locked before he spoke again.

“Major, get the General,” he ordered. “You, soldier, open some champagne.”