“The one in the bright blue dress with curly copper-colored hair and the big handbag.”

The old man understood. “Kate Milligan.” He spread his arms wide out. “Macher…shot big.”

“He means big shot,” Rina answered.

Milligan took a notebook out of her purse and briskly flipped through the pages. Decker said, “Ask him if he sees her at the Bursa a lot.”

Rina did, then translated Yalom’s answer. “He said it’s unusual. But everyone knows who she is because she’s a macher—a big shot—with VerHauten. You know about VerHauten?”

“Yes, I know about VerHauten. Ask him, why does he think she’d be here talking to Yosef Menkovitz.”

Rina asked the question, then translated Yalom’s answer as best she could. “She wants to see how many stones come from VerHauten…I don’t know exactly what he means.”

“I think I do,” Decker said. “Ask him if stones from sources other than VerHauten’s pipes have been showing up in the Bursa?”

Rina stared at him. “Repeat that again, slowly.”

Decker did and Rina translated. It took a few moments, Decker’s eyes fixed upon Milligan. She was still thumbing through her notebook. Then she checked her watch.

Yalom’s answer deepened Rina’s frown. “I don’t know if I’m getting this right. He said something like…the stones come from all over. Most come from VerHauten. But some dealers go to Russia and buy stones there.”

The old man continued to talk. Rina knitted her brow as she listened.

She said, “There are also some stones that…go around. I think he means float around. People don’t ask questions about them.”

Yalom continued talking.

Rina said, “People are afraid of Milligan. The dealers must buy a certain amount of stones from VerHauten. If it gets back that they are buying diamonds from other places, she can make trouble.”

Decker said, “Ask him if it’s rare to see her on the floor.”

Rina asked the question, then listened to Yalom’s answer. “Yes, it’s rare to see her on the floor. She mostly goes to offices or to the lounge upstairs where it’s quieter and more private. VerHauten likes privacy.”

“So why is she on the floor?”

The old man shrugged a response.

Milligan moved back into the sea of white shirts.

Yalom talked. Rina said, “Milligan has dealt with Menkovitz in the past. He’s big and VerHauten knows all the big dealers.”

“Does he know Milligan no longer works for VerHauten?”

Rina translated. The old man’s eyes grew wide. Decker said, “Guess he didn’t.”

Again, Milligan withdrew from the crowd. She snapped her book shut and walked crisply down the Bursa, all eyes watching the click of her heels.

Decker lurched forward, then pulled back.

Rina said, “You want to follow her, Peter?”