The Jewels of Paradise

by Donna Leon

  “But he must have believed,” Moretti said, almost shouting. “He must have believed these were the Jewels of Paradise.” He turned back to the table and ran his hand over the first of the leather bags.

  Caterina, who had once thought of his hand running over skin of a different type, shivered at the sight. “But maybe he didn’t believe, Dottore. You’re an intelligent man, so you have to know that’s possible. Maybe he bought them knowing they were trash. And maybe he wanted that. Maybe it was time to pay everyone back. He was dying, remember, and he must have known that, so he didn’t need money any more. And he didn’t need the habits of a lifetime of patience.” She stopped then, already ashamed of some of the things she’d said and of the desire that had animated her in saying them. But she gave in to temptation and turned to the cousins. “You’ve got your Jewels.” Then to Moretti: “And you’ve got your Paradise.”

  She walked over and picked up her bag. She opened it and took out the keys, all of them. She put them on the table and turned toward the door.

  “You can’t leave,” Scapinelli said. “Your work isn’t finished. There might be other things.”

  “I’m not working hard enough for you, Signor Scapinelli, remember?” From his expression, she saw he understood. “So find yourself another researcher, why don’t you?” Then, because she felt like saying it, she added, “Ask your son to help.”

  She went to the door and did not turn around. She heard Roseanna’s footsteps coming after her: click, click, click, just like her typing. She waited in the corridor. They went down the steps one after the other. In the calle, they felt that the warmth had increased.

  Caterina felt the tiny shiver of her phone as an SMS came in. For some reason, she flipped it open and read.“Dear Caterina. It’s the University of Saint Petersburg. They want me to be the chairman of their Musicology Department. But I always refused to learn Russki, so I told them I will accept only if you come with me as my assistant, but with the rank of full professor. And they agree. So please come with me, and we will discover vodka together.” There was no signature.

  Thinking that it was time the Romanian learned a bit of Russian, Caterina typed in one word, “Da,” and she and Roseanna went off for a prosecco.