19
Escape Hole
19. ESCAPE HOLE
Nikolai’s brow furrowed like a caterpillar contorting its way up a tree trunk. He looked up over his fat, crooked nose at me, as confused as I was. He shook the handbag upside down, but nothing came out. He threw it back at me. “Pick up your shit.”
I squatted and gathered my things, stuffing them back in my bag.
What the frig? Where the hell was the diamond?
I backed away and stood with the other girls.
Antonenko held out his arms. “I’m sorry, my friends, but we must search you too.”
Nikolai and his heavies moved in amongst the crowd and pulled out guests at random. Grumbles. Complaints. Resistance from the guests.
“Ridiculous!”
“Are you calling me a crook?”
“Take your hands off me!”
“Vladimir! How could you think—”
“It will only take a moment,”
