The Law of Paired Cases

The private detective Alexander Shibayev has never had clients like this! Alois Moltke, a descendant of emigrants from Germany, wrote to him asking to find relatives and places remembered connected with his family. Moltke’s ancestors—once well-known people in the city—had many legends about them, and the main legend concerned a large diamond of an unusual lilac shade, which disappeared without a trace.

In search of information, Shibayev went to the city archive and discovered the body of a strangled employee—right in the very department where the documents he needed were kept. Could someone be conducting their search in parallel with him, but clearly pursuing their own goals?