Page 103 of The Scene of the Crime

‘And you decided to seek Duante’s help.’

‘I knew he had contacts in the South African jewellery business, but I didn’t tell him about Cole or his plan. I just said I was in financial trouble, didn’t want our father to find out and asked him if he could source a few diamonds for me that I could sell to a dodgy jeweller I knew. He said he would ask around, but getting the diamonds might take a few weeks.’

Michelle crossed to the window, the blind was partially down, and she eased it up a fraction. Looking out onto the car park, she tried to digest everything Johan had told her. She remained standing with her back to him as she asked how Duante acquired the diamonds. Johan explained that his brother got hold of a diamond mine worker from a nearby shantytown. This worker would hide a homing pigeon in his lunchbox. He carefully packed rough diamonds into small sackcloth bags, bindingthem to the bird’s feet and under each wing. When no one was watching, he would send the pigeon flying home with the diamonds.

Michelle could hardly believe what she was hearing. She recalled watching a TV programme about diamond smuggling with Johan when they were last in South Africa. ‘I hope you are ashamed of yourself. Those kids steal stones worth hundreds of thousands to a jeweller but only get pennies per carat themselves. The guards beat them and break their fingers if they get caught stealing. Some have been murdered, and the companies hush up their deaths. How could you be part of that?’

‘No one got hurt, and anyway, the smuggling has stopped now.’

‘How many diamonds did your brother smuggle over?’

‘Thirty or forty in different sizes and carats.’

‘How much are they worth?’

‘I don’t know exactly. Cole said some are worth a lot of money, others not much.’

‘And how long has this scam been going on?’

‘About five months, maybe a bit longer.’ She couldn’t believe this had all been going on under her nose without her noticing. While she was going through IVF treatment and then having the joyous and long-awaited confirmation she was pregnant, her husband was dealing in stolen diamonds to pay off debts she knew nothing about. She took a deep breath, resisting the temptation just to walk out.

‘So tell me, if Cole showed clients the stolen diamonds, why were they in your safe?’

‘He said that it would be safer if I looked after them. When he needed some to show a client, I would take them to him, or he’d come to me and give them back to me afterwards.’

‘So you felt you could trust him?’

‘I had no reason not to. We were partners. I even gave him some diamonds to keep on Friday as a parting gift.’

She put her hands to her head. ‘I can’t believe how naive you are, Johan. Can you not see Cole has played the long game with you?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Just think about it, Johan. He manipulated you from the start to get the big payoff. He probably never showed any buyers the stolen diamonds. He just wanted you to think he had. How many times has he been to our house?’

‘Just a couple of times.’

‘Then he’s aware we have no CCTV or other security. Did you mention anything to him about going to the christening over the weekend?’

‘He asked if he could give me the money on Saturday, but I said I was away for the weekend and Friday would be better.’

‘Why didn’t you come with me to the christening?’

‘Because I wanted to put the cash Cole gave me through the books.’

She shook her head. ‘If you had come with me, you wouldn’t be lying here now. Can’t you see Cole got someone to break into our house? He knows you can’t tell the police the diamonds were stolen. And you can’t claim all that cash back on the insurance as they will want proof the money was from business sales.’

‘Look, I’m sorry I ever got involved with Cole, all right, but I did it for us. If my business went under, I thought we might lose everything.’ His eyes welled with tears. He reached out for Michelle’s hand, but she pulled away.

‘Don’t you dare give me all that “I did it for us” crap. If your business was failing, you should have told me. I would have helped you find a way round it. We could have sold the house.’

‘I couldn’t tell you. That house was what you’d always wanted, we worked so hard to make it perfect, the perfect home for a family . . .’ Tears started running down his cheeks.

‘If you cared about me and the child we are expecting, you would never have contemplated getting with a scumbag like Cole,’ she said bitterly.

‘I was planning for our baby’s future . . .’ he said feebly.

‘Well, your plan has gone tits up, hasn’t it!’ she retorted.