Jacob settled in November's chair at the desk. Kimberly, peeking through her fingers, sat in fetal position as far from Jacob as she could get, and Rose lay in a heap by the open door. Jacob crossed his legs and bits of dirt fell off his shoes onto his daughter's leg. November turned away.

“Now, don't be shy, November," Jacob said. "I know you kept the diamonds.”

“The one you found fell out when I gave them to the police,” November said, thinking fast. What could she do? She remembered the police officer in Stuart's trunk and what he had wanted her to do. Distraction. It seemed to be all she was good for, and while it didn't seem like a heroic talent, it was better than nothing.

Swallowing her fear, November blurted out, “What I still don't understand is your connection to Jean Mortier? Do you know him? Does he work for you?”

Jacob laughed.

“I thought you’d guessed by now that I am Jean Mortier,” he said. “Or, at least, I borrowed the name. I didn't actually make the shoes myself. A sweet little lady in Switzerland did that. Quite gifted, isn't she? Clever too. She never once asked why I wanted the soles hollowed out. I suppose she thought I just wanted them lighter.”

“How many of those shoes had diamonds in them?”

“All of them,” Jacob smiled. “That’s a lot of diamonds.”

“But where did you get so many?” November asked. “And why did you hide them? Owning diamonds isn’t illegal.”

“It is when you buy them with stolen money,” Jacob examined the gun in his hand, then he looked up and frowned at November. "No one knew anything about it until you started messing with my system. I planted Rose in your shop to keep the shoes in the hands of my own people, but she got sloppy.” He nudged his daughter with the tip of his shoe. She didn't stir.

“You planted Rose in my shop?” November repeated. "No, you didn't. I hired her. We've been friends for years!"

“I chose your shop because Rosie knew you. She was sure you would give her a job.”

Jacob looked at his watch.

“Ten o’clock,” he said. “Time to go, but you still haven’t told me where you hid my diamonds.”

He aimed the gun at November again. His eyes were cold. Kimberly let out a tiny gasp.

“I told you the truth,” November insisted. “I gave them to the police. I didn’t know they were full of diamonds when I handed them over. The police discovered the empty soles, not me.”

Jacob’s face hardened as the truth sank in. Kimberly looked up, but November met her eyes and shook her head very slightly. Kimberly swallowed and covered her eyes again.

“You gave my money to the police,” Jacob said angrily. “I’ll never get it back now.”

“Why do you care?” November asked. She remembered Stuart's gun in her pocket and put her fingers around it. “You have many millions already. All those shoes—“

“What does that have to do with it?” Jacob was surprised. “It’s my money. All of it. I earned every penny and I want it back! Now, thanks to your interference, I’ll never get it!”

His cheeks flushed and he gripped his gun.

November knew that their only hope was for her to get out and find the police, but she couldn't get away with a madman staring at her.

Jacob stood and held his gun in both hands. When the phone rang, November jumped and Jacob looked toward it. November didn't hesitate. She ran through the open door and down the hall. She tried to pull out the gun, but in her hurry she dropped it.

Jacob ran after her, but Kimberly grabbed his legs. He fell heavily and cursed as he got to his feet again, scrambling for the door. He aimed a kick at Kimberly, but she dove under the desk. He couldn't reach her and he didn't have time to try.

November ran onto the selling floor and sprinted for the door, but she had locked it behind her. She fumbled with the lock.

The lights came on around her and she heard the phone still ringing and heavy steps running toward her. She managed to get the lock undone, but not in time.

"Turn around, November."

She turned, but she couldn’t see his face because the barrel of his gun filled her line of sight.

It was inches from her face, so as not to give her room for escape.
Two gunshots fired, but not at November. The window on her right shattered inward, scattering shards of glass across the floor and Rose's beautiful displays. In the dim light, they gave the appearance of diamonds filling the room.

November and Jacob turned away to avoid the glass and November dove for the large display in the center of the room.

She peered around one side to see what had come through the window.

It was a body. Not a person, November thought. Not anymore. It was too obviously dead.

Jacob bent over it, slightly obscuring her view, but November knew who it was.

Tall with Mrs. Holister's nail marks on his arms, Mr. Stuart stared at November’s glittering gold ceiling with unseeing eyes.

He had been shot twice in the chest.

 Copyright © 2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Laura Lyle