Later that evening, the lights flickered and died. A transformer had blown three blocks away, plunging the marble hall into pitch blackness. In the scramble for phone flashlights, a frantic cry went up. Mrs. Sterling had tripped, and the silk thread of her $20,000 heirloom had snagged on a stray nail.
"A trade," Mrs. Sterling said. "For the ones you broke to save us." buy fake pearls
Elena didn't panic. She reached up, gave her three-dollar strand a sharp yank, and felt the plastic beads spill into her hand. Later that evening, the lights flickered and died