She took the classic crime story into the Stalinist era. Read an excerpt from the book “Heaven all in diamonds”

Julija Yakovlev, “Heaven All in Diamonds”, trans. Michał Rogalski, Czarna Owca Publishing House – excerpt:

Opals bring misfortune … the bacchantes and gladiators turned their heads in unison. Even Sashenka rose from his armchair. She screamed so loudly that the surprised operator stopped turning the handle.

She didn’t seem to see the black and white colosseum painted behind me. She dropped to her knees, rustling her dress. Not because of worship, of course. Her legs simply refused to obey her.

– War … War … – teeth chatted.

I unhooked her cold fingers from the edge of the tunic. I noticed blood on the edges of the dress. She cut her hands for embroidery, she didn’t even notice. They must, Wieroczka’s maid, shuddered. I made a sign to Saszeńka, who had already opened an angry mouth.

“Five minutes,” he sighed. Sashenka didn’t know how to get angry with me! At least since Khanżonkov opened his enterprise in Moscow.

Bacchae immediately left their scarves on the shoulders covered with goose bumps. Gladiators smoked in a hurry. The fired headlamp went out with a crack. I did not see anything. My eyes were not used to the St. Petersburg daylight.

– Must, and now everything is in order.

I should, of course, have kissed her then. She got hysterical.

– She said go straight to you. Only for you.

She was pulling me towards the exit. I barely had time to grab my sable stole from the backrest. And the hat.

I was lost in my guesses. Wieroczka had no reason to like me. Moreover, I was even sure of the haughty contempt she had for me. So what suddenly happened? And what was she doing in St. Petersburg? It had to be serious. “Nothing,” I decided, because I was consumed by curiosity, “Saszeńka will wait.” This is not the first time since Khanzhonkov opened his enterprise in Moscow.

Frost began to bite my legs sticking out of the tricot. I looked at my sandals and the snow with amusement. The sable fur tickled my cheeks.

“The cab … the cab …” Musia whispered.

And at this point, however, I gave her a cheek. She blinked her eyes, but shut up.

“Musiu, I followed you, and I don’t know exactly what’s going on.”

All I can see is that the matter is serious and personal.

She shook her head and clung to me again:

– They can’t see it. Can not!

Actresses from the so-called serious theaters are “priestesses of art”. They are crazy about secrets because they want to pass for vestals. In addition, something really bad happened and Wieroczka gave the maid precise instructions. I could only guess.

I waved my hand at Michel. He immediately put on his goggles. Mainly to create style. My isotta’s engine hummed. Only me had this champagne-colored car. Sashenka was not stingy. At least since Khanżonkov opened his enterprise in Moscow.

The maid turned pale. If only he could turn even more pale. She looked at the car as if it were some kind of dragon.

“You can’t! … She is in danger!” On the verge of life and death. You have to keep a secret.

“Underground scraper?” I thought as I put my foot on the step. So that’s why she came here from Moscow – to the St. Petersburg aborter. Hush! Without a word. Bad business.

“You know what, Mus …” I put a pin in my hat. I covered my knees with a fur blanket. – If anyone sees that I am going somewhere in a horse-drawn carriage, all of Petersburg will talk about it. No. Only by car! – She was reluctant. – In order for no one to notice, you have to put something on top.

The maid stared blankly. She didn’t understand what I was talking about.

-… Come on!

I touched Michel’s back. The maid lost her balance and fell onto the polar bear skin seat. And my isotta moved on.

We passed the Peter and Paul Fortress. Then we crossed the bridge. On the Nevsky Prospect, Michel had to squeeze the horn with all his might. We finally got to Morska.

Musia led me towards the kitchen door, and I made my way to the front entrance. The porter was already opening them. If you want to keep a visit secret, don’t hide! Wieroczka threw herself at me from the threshold. Offstage, she seemed paler and older. She had wrinkles around the eyes and mouth, and a lot of unnecessary skin all over her face. You can’t help it, theatrical makeup accelerates aging if you don’t put extra effort into it.

– Warieńko! You are my only hope! She waved her hands and added, “Please don’t ask, don’t ask.”

Her forehead was sweaty. There was no sign of blood.

See you.

“We’re going,” I ordered immediately. In such cases, you need to act quickly. Instantly and decisively.

Wieroczka stuffed a black suede pouch into her purse. Musia threw a fur over her. She pinned her hat on.

“I couldn’t… alone,” she mumbled in the car.

I held her by the lighted hand. I took my handkerchief out of my sleeve and wiped her forehead.

– I had no one to ask. It’s such a delicate matter … Only you. After all, you will not lose anything on this … And no one will believe you.

“Thank you for the compliment,” I thought, but I didn’t stop my hand, I kept rubbing her forehead. Perhaps in her fever she did not know what she was talking about and talked about what her saliva had brought on her tongue.

– And he…

She jerked as if not a lacy batiste on her forehead, but a mark of Cain. Because of this, I dropped a handkerchief, which got lost somewhere under my feet. I didn’t ask if he “knows”. Of course he knew.

“He can’t know … He’s a remarkable man.”

Even the roar of the engine made her teeth chatter. Eh, those dramatic artists! Everything must be unusual for them.

The address didn’t tell me anything. Who is her lover? Since there is so much discretion, so much mystery?

Nevsky Prospect, the bridge, Pietropawłówka, and the villa of Mala Krzesińska, we have now passed in reverse order. The address was fashionable: Kamiennoostrowski prospectus. One of those famous giants equipped with everything, even kitchen lifts and electric potato peelers.

An elegant secretary led us to the office. The doctor turned out to be French. They took Wieroczek.

I looked down through the double glazing, at the Kamiennoostrowski Avenue: at the stream of horse-drawn carriages, ladies’ hats, horse-drawn trams, at a mosaic of passers-by. Soon it will be tighter here than on Nevsky.

– And you?

I turned around. The secretary was smiling at me with an advertising smile. This is to be discretion?

– Coffee for me. Thank you, I demanded coldly.

– ABOUT.

She came back with the coffee and smiled expectantly again. I took the cup from the tray.

“Your bust looks great,” she began. “But I dare to point out that perfection and splendor have no limits.

In such a place, everyone will mistake you for a kept. Or maybe the beast just envies my fur. She opened the brochure for me. I wasn’t looking where her manicured finger was pointing. What would I be looking at? The stages of fetal development? Thank you very much.

And the other spoke again. I couldn’t believe my ears.

– Swinski … what?

But then Wieroczka returned. She tried not to look at the doctor. And this one had what I could call “fat” smirk on his face, but I don’t like cheap word games.

– Everything’s fine. Slight inflammation, nothing more.

“And if they … again?”

– Aligned form and size. No worries. We can consider the case closed …

And an ambiguous pause.

Wieroczka, without looking, handed him a suede pouch. The doctor untied the ribbon with skillful fingers.

“I hope it will be enough,” grunted Wieroczka. Apparently everything worked out, and now she wanted to leave as soon as possible. Something flickered in the doctor’s hand.

“Madame,” he said dryly. He gave his secretary a telling look. The kindness immediately vanished from her face. In its place, a coldness has taken over. The secretary quickly crossed the room and turned the key in the door.

Wieroczka looked at the doctor helplessly. Apparently, this is a look from the play Wolves and Sheep. I didn’t see him, but my companion was definitely stunned.

– Please pay.

– You … you … They are diamonds and opals.

– They’re slides.

The secretary was looking at Wieroczek as a louse.

“It can’t be,” my companion said, blushing. – He gave them to me …

The name was impressive. Hence the whole secret: Prince Akhtynetsev made a huge fortune on railway loans.

He was even posted a minister’s portfolio. But the doctor was French and apparently had little idea who was who in Russia. Big mistake in his profession. I thought it would ruin him soon.

– Madame, please pay or we’ll call the police.

– It is impossible – Wieroczka whispered incessantly. She was on the verge of fainting.

And this viper has already picked up the telephone.

“Please wait,” I stopped her.

I took the earrings out of my ears. Undoubtedly, the set of brilliant soliterers were genuine. After Khanzhonkov had opened a film studio in Moscow, Sashenka would not have dared risk something like what Prince Akhtynetsev had done … The Frenchman and his secretary exchanged glances. I held out my pierced hand without looking.

– Please take. Well!

The gesture was just right. Gesture of the Roman empress. As for the vote, I’m not sure. In the cinema, the voice is not needed. Neither at Saszeńka, nor at Chanżonkov.

Jędza handed him the earrings. He looked. With the eyes of an experienced cheater. And put them in his pocket.

– And I’m taking this. As a souvenir. I grabbed the jewelry from his hand: glass opals and glass diamonds. I grabbed the almost unconscious Wieroczek. – Key.

Jędza handed it to me, looking shyly at her master. We went out into the corridor. I looked at the tall standing mirror. Wieroczka was purple like a curtain in a real drama theater. And you could have sworn she owed her only beauty to nature. But not only hers. Well, the prince paid Wieroczka for fake breasts full of pig fat with fake diamonds. “And he could be real,” I thought. But that’s probably why the prince is a millionaire and I’m not. It can be said that the feeling Wieroczka bestowed on him turned out to be completely disinterested. It’s lovely! I laughed.

Wieroczka was looking at me in confusion, wondering if I might be hysterical. I couldn’t explain to her what made me laugh so much.

Make-up, I pointed at the mirror. – I came straight from the set.

My face was covered with a thick layer of yellow pomade, which only comes out white as skin on the tape. I wanted to wipe off the smudged pomade. I reached for my handkerchief, but remembered I had dropped it in the car.