ویلایی نزدیک تولدو

CHAPTER TWO

A villa near Toledo

Two days later in the Harmans’ Madrid flat, Clare turned on the radio while she was making breakfast. ‘Hurry up’ she shouted to Nick in the bedroom. ‘We’re going to be late.’

‘OK, OK, I know. but I can’t find my shoes,’ replied Nick’s voice.

Clare smiled. ‘There’s always something,’ she thought.

Just then the radio news began. At first Clare didn’t listen very carefully, but suddenly.

‘Last night two of Spain’s most famous and expensive diamonds disappeared from the Prado Museum. The diamonds - the Eyes of Montezuma - were in a special glass case on the museum’s second floor. Police have begun.’

Nick walked into the kitchen with a pair of shoes in one hand. ‘I’ve found them,’ he said. Then he saw Clare’s face and stopped. She was pointing at the radio. ‘What is it’ he asked.

‘Someone’s stolen the Eyes of Montezuma,’ Clare replied quietly. ‘Listen– only ten days ago,’ the voice on the radio continued. ‘Before that they were in the Montalban family for two hundred years. And now the sports news.’

Clare got up and turned off the radio. ‘When did it happen’ asked Nick. He sat down and put on his shoes.

‘Last night,’ Clare answered. ‘Strange, isn’t it? We were talking about them only two days ago on the ship. Now.’

Nick looked at his watch. ‘Oh no, we really are going to be late. Come on, you can tell me the story in the car.’

The Countess of Montalban’s eighteen-year-old grandson, Jose Duero, was one of Nick’s students that morning. After the lesson Nick said, ‘I heard about your grandmother’s diamonds, Jose. It’s terrible. Have you had any news?’

Jose looked at his hands sadly. ‘No, not a word, Mr Harman,’ he said. ‘They’ve gone, and we’re never going to see them again. I’m sure of it.’ He lifted his face and looked at Nick. ‘You know,’ he continued, ‘my grandmother really loved the Eyes of Montezuma. Only a month ago she told me, “One day I want to give them to the people of Spain”.’ He stopped for a second and looked down again. ‘That was the last time I saw her alive.’

Later that afternoon Nick had to give a lesson outside Madrid. On the way back he stopped because he needed some petrol. While he was waiting to pay, a man came out of the supermarket across the street. He was tall, fat and had dark hair. ‘Where have I seen him before’ thought Nick. ‘A student? No. Did he work at the hospital with Clare? No.’

At that moment the man looked up at the sky, then put on a pair of sunglasses. Suddenly Nick remembered. ‘You were the one behind the wheel of Shelley Marn’s car’ he thought. Yes, he was sure of it. Quickly he paid and walked outside.

Just then a blue Renault stopped a few metres in front of the dark-haired stranger. The door opened and a woman’s voice called, in English, ‘Don’t just stand there, you fool. Let’s go.’ The car began to move, and then Nick saw something. On the back seat there was a bag with the letters U.C.L.A on the side. The University of California in Los Angeles. Shelley’s university.

‘I don’t like this,’ thought Nick. ‘I don’t like this at all.’ He began to walk towards a telephone box, but stopped. No, there wasn’t time to call the police. He turned, ran back to his car and started the engine. There was only one answer. He had to follow the blue Renault.