“Yes.”
“We have several other beautiful collections at lower price points.”
Diana looked at her.
“I asked for this one.”
Patricia inhaled.
Then lifted the necklace.
Her movements became exaggeratedly careful.
She placed it on a velvet presentation board but kept both hands close to it.
Diana leaned forward.
For a moment, the manager disappeared from her mind.
This was jewelry.
Her jewelry.
She studied the central stone under the light.
Excellent symmetry.
Beautiful fire.
The surrounding stones created a subtle gradient.
Then she looked at the mount.
There it was.
The upper-left prong.
Slightly misaligned.
Not dangerous yet.
But wrong.
“The third prong on the left needs resetting.”
Patricia blinked.
“What?”
Diana pointed without touching.
“There.”
Patricia looked.
“I don’t see anything.”
“You probably won’t without magnification.”
“Our jewelers inspect every piece.”
“They should inspect this one again.”
Patricia’s cheeks colored.
“It passed quality control.”
Diana continued examining.
“The center setting is also sitting perhaps half a millimeter high.”
Patricia stared.
“How would you know that?”
“Experience.”
“What kind of experience?”
Diana looked up.
“The relevant kind.”
Patricia did not like that answer.
She took the necklace back sooner than necessary.
“Our master jewelers are among the best in the industry.”
“I know several of them.”
Patricia’s expression became openly skeptical.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Which ones?”
Diana almost smiled.
“Daniel Ruiz did the first setting design. Mei Nakamura corrected the articulation problem near the collar section. Lucas Bennett revised the clasp after wear testing.”
Patricia went still.
Those names were not publicly associated with the piece.
They appeared in internal development records.
Diana saw the confusion.
Patricia should have asked a question.
Instead, pride supplied an answer.
Perhaps Diana had read an article.
Perhaps she knew someone.
Perhaps she was pretending.
Patricia had already decided what kind of person stood before her.
Evidence now had to fight its way through that decision.
Before either spoke again, the entrance chimed.
Patricia turned.
Her face transformed.
“Mr. and Mrs. Blackstone.”
The warmth was immediate.
Real.
Arthur and Elaine Blackstone entered together, both in their sixties, elegantly dressed and visibly familiar with the space.
Patricia crossed the showroom.
“It is so wonderful to see you.”
Elaine smiled.
“Good morning, Patricia.”
“Anniversary shopping?”
Arthur laughed.
“She remembered.”
“How could I forget? Forty-two years this month.”
Elaine glanced toward Diana.
Patricia lowered her voice, though not enough.
“Sorry for the delay. We get all kinds wandering in here.”
Diana heard every word.
Something inside her hardened.
Patricia guided the Blackstones toward the private seating area.
“Champagne?”
“At nine in the morning?” Arthur said.