Diamond Solitaire (33 page)

He glanced towards Dr. Masuda. "In that case, what I would really like is to hold her daughter's hand for a moment."

"I think that would satisfy decorum."

After it was explained, Dr. Masuda nodded.

Naomi was standing beside her, gazing at the wall.

Diamond took a step closer and offered his hand.

Dr. Masuda said something in Japanese.

Naomi placed her hand in his. She didn't look up, or do anything else, but that was enough. It satisfied decorum for a Japanese lady and it brought a lump to the throat of an unsentimental Englishman.

The ceiling still wanted decorating in the basement flat in Addison Road.

"I'll get some more paint tomorrow," he promised.

"A bit of a comedown after all your globetrotting," Stephanie said.

"Not at all. Domestic life has its attractions."

She smiled faintly. "That doesn't sound like the man of action I read about in the paper this morning."

"Man of action? With my figure?" He dismissed the idea with a laugh.

"You don't fancy yourself as a sumo wrestler, then?"

"No chance."

"The paper says you tossed an armed man over your back. It says you're Britain's sumo champion."

"Get away!"

"Really. Do you want to see?"

"No, it's rubbish, and we both know it. I'm just glad to be home with you."

Her smile became more definite. "Did you, by any chance, remember the sneakers?"

Big he may have been, but he felt himself shrinking.

"There just wasn't an opportunity. Sorry, my love."

She said, "I wouldn't have mentioned it, but you did phone me from New York to check the size."

He got up abruptly to delve into the hold-all he'd brought back from Japan. He took out a shoe box. "But I got these for you yesterday afternoon in a Yokohama shoeshop. They don't look quite so comfortable as American sneakers, but I was told they're better for the feet. They call them
geta."

With anticipation she lifted the lid. Then she gave Diamond a frown. She lifted out a small pair of traditional wood and leather flip-flops.

"No sneakers?"

He shook his head. He'd been tempted to call them Japanese sneakers, but there were limits.

She took off her shoes and tried on the
geta.

"Do they fit?"

She tottered over and aimed a mock punch at him. "You're the bloody limit. I suppose I can wear them around the house."

"Good," he said, removing Yamagata's
geta
from the bag. "I was given this pair myself and I'd quite like to wear them sometimes."