Free Rosa and the Veil of Gold by Kim Wilkins Page B

seat.”
    Daniel turned to look at the bear and smiled. “She has her seatbelt on.”
    “Why do we call her ‘she’ anyway?”
    “Because Rosa does, I suppose.”
    “It’s a distraction. Really, I think she’d be better off packed away in a bag.” Em was already out of the seat, snatching up the bear to nestle it safely in a shopping bag. “There, that’s better.”
    Daniel had opened his lunch and was busy eating. Em started the car and put the radio back on. “Okay, let’s get going.”
    “Poor bear. She was probably enjoying the drive.”
    “She’s been stuck in a wall for over a hundred years. I’m sure the shopping bag won’t bother her.” Em shook her head. “And let’s stop talking about her as if she’s real.”
    “Not afraid of her are you?”
    Em laughed. “No. Of course not.”
    The rattle and click of keys at the front door made Rosa look up from the television. It was late at night, and she was alone. Was somebody trying to break in? Or was it another resident of the apartment block, too drunk to find their own door? She hurried over and slid the chain across.
    “Who’s there?” she said.
    The door opened, caught on the chain.
    “Rosa, it’s Vasily.”
    Vasily? What was he doing home? Rosa quickly unhooked the chain and let him in. He had someone with him, a pale thin man dressed in a dark suit. Finding her manners, she offered the stranger a smile before turning her attention to Vasily.
    “I hadn’t expected you home until late next week,” she said, trying to sound bright and not at all guilty.
    “Pah! The conference was a shambles, full of nobodies and no-hopers, and the hotel rooms were icy. When I complained they tried to charge me another ten thousand roubles a night! I walked out.” He dropped his keys on the bench and turned to smile at her. “My pretty girl. You’ve kept the apartment so tidy.”
    “You were only gone a day.” She pointedly turned her gaze to his friend.
    “Forgive me,” Vasily said. “Rosa, this is Yuri Fedorov. Yuri, this is my niece Rosa.”
    “It’s a pleasure,” he said.
    Vasily touched her chin gently. “Rosa, will you make us some coffee?”
    Rosa scurried into the kitchen, hoping until it hurt that Vasily wouldn’t ask about the bear. What could she do? Daniel was probably already halfway to Arkhangelsk by now.
    “It was my good fortune to meet Yuri tonight, Rosa,” Vasily said as he settled on the sofa and invited Yuri to do the same. “Wewere next to each other on the plane and we got talking and do you know what Yuri does for a living?”
    “No. What?” said Rosa, spooning coffee into the espresso filter and filling the machine with water.
    “I’m a jeweller,” Yuri offered.
    Rosa forced her hands to be still. “Is that so?”
    “Not just a jeweller,” Vasily said, “but a valuations expert for an insurance company. I told him of my…find, and he graciously offered to come back here with me and tell me what it’s worth.”
    “On the proviso that I get first refusal if he decides to sell it,” Yuri said, with a smile which wasn’t altogether pleasant.
    Rosa winced. “Ah, the bear.”
    “Yes, the bear, Rosa. Where is she? Yuri can look at her while you make coffee.”
    Rosa carefully set out three cups and put her back to the coffee machine. “Vasily, I’m sorry. The bear isn’t here.”
    A twitch of annoyance crossed his brow, and Rosa realised that for the first time she would be on the receiving end of one of his infamous tirades. She braced herself.
    “Not here, Roshka. Where else could she be?”
    “My friend came up from Novgorod. He says it’s definitely gold, but couldn’t date the object himself. So I let him take it—”
    “You let him take it!” Vasily roared. Then, remembering himself, he turned to Yuri with his charming smile. “I’m sorry, Yuri. I’ve brought you out of your way needlessly.”
    Yuri stood and handed Vasily a business card. “I understand. When the bear returns, I’m