For thousands of years, descendants of an ancient people called the Vels have kept a sacred relic of the people of Atlantis. And they will keep it until the time comes when humanity is ready to accept the priceless gift of its ancestors. No one knows what this artifact is or where it is hidden. Many scholars have begun to doubt its existence. Many treasure hunters have given up hope of finding it. Many—but not all.
At the center of strange events in the northern capital is Nadezhda Lebedeva—an ordinary housewife from St. Petersburg and, in addition, a great fan of detective stories. She has to figure out how the mysterious death of her neighbor is connected with the artifact that has become the stuff of legends.