average human’s Reviews > Control My Night > Status Update

Situated near Positano, the Camardo crime family had their fingers in many industrial pies and were notorious for dealing in everything from art to weapons to narcotics. My father had worked hard to ensure he didn’t fall in with them—or fall out. The Czech Republic had been free of their influence until the last few years, but they planted roots wherever they landed. Mixing business with the Camardos is a slippery slope, he’d said. The house always wins.
No wonder Lissandra sat there with the feminine equivalent of Big Dick Energy. She didn’t need Arwood. She and her family were scary enough. My burgeoning girl-crush popped like Anika’s bubblegum, along with any hope that Waldemar would help me.
“I know you, Wald. You’ve thrived between both sides, but make no mistake—it’s because we’ve allowed you to. Your manipulation is not serving you, and I would appreciate it if you ceased at once.”
“Yes, yes, my sincerest apologies—”
“Furthermore,” Lissandra said, “we’ve come to learn you’ve stepped outside the boundaries of your agreement with us. Who are you supplying to?”
“Supplying what, my lady?”
“The gems you’re repackaging upstairs.”
For some reason, Waldemar shot me a look of such fury I had difficulty comprehending it. “You’ve heard rumors, have you? I wonder where. Well, I fear you are misinformed. I—”
Anika pulled a plastic package of stones from her pocket, lowering it on the desk the way someone would present the final card in Rummy.
Lissandra nudged it. “We would never place our name behind something so tawdry. You are well-versed in the rule that counterfeit trade of any kind is not approved. That’s not what this is?”
Waldemar’s chest puffed as much as his waistcoat allowed. “Of course not! I only trade in the highest quality dia—”
“Banshee?” I jumped as Anika addressed me. “Daddy Backhus teach you how to spot a fake?”
Oh no. Oh no, no. I shouldn’t have been so confident with the white jade in the lab. “I mean, I’m alright at it, but—”
Lissandra reached over, plucking the loupe out of Waldemar’s waistcoat pocket.
“My lady, this is not—”
“—it’s been months since I’ve studied a diamond, and—”
“—as it appears, I assure you that—”
“—I’m not sure I’ll—”
Between our sputtering, Lissandra must have hit her limit, because she barked “Enough!” and beckoned for me to come closer. She thrust the loupe into my hands. “Are they as he says?”
I blinked, torn, the loupe dangling from my fingers. If I condemned Waldemar, he’d never help me. But if I lied, would Lissandra be able to tell? This felt like a test, especially since she struck me as someone who would know diamonds—or at least, know what wasn’t.
“I left my glasses at home,” she said, as if hearing my thoughts. “Otherwise I’d assess it myself.”
I bit my lip, peering through the loupe. It didn’t take long. A flip of the gem to vary the angle told me all I needed: there was a double refraction. Given the brilliance and color, it was most likely moissanite. In itself, not a crime—unless you’re charging diamond prices.
I tried to keep my face blank as I considered what to do, but Lissandra took one look at me and turned to Waldemar.
“There must be a mistake, my lady!” He extracted a navy wrapped package. With it came a tangy, metallic aroma I most definitely did not want to smell.
No one commented on the scent, not even Steadman.
“I swear to you, if there are replicas in this building, they are not of my doing. This is my newest approved intake. See?”
He unclasped the box, revealing a pile of individual gems.
The pungent smell grew worse as he defended the cut and clarity. I tasted its familiarity on the back of my tongue: the concrete nightclub room, Arwood’s plastic-lined interrogation room.
Death. Danger.
The smell grated my senses. Move, the beast urged. We’re not safe.
Beside me, Anika rolled her eyes at the jeweler’s protests. She’d think I was crazy, but she probably already thought I was. I gestured to her, drawing a finger across my jugular.
Anika raised her eyebrows, signaling for Steadman’s attention.
Waldemar urged Lissandra to lean closer. “See the way the light reflects—”
And he swung a knife upward, aiming for Lissandra’s exposed neck.