"A Watch for Mr. Kelly" by Arkady and Georgy Vainer, summary Automatic translate

This book is the literary debut of the renowned writing duo, brothers Arkady and Georgy Vainer. Published in 1967, it introduces readers to Stanislav Tikhonov, a young inspector in the Moscow Criminal Investigation Department. The plot is based on a true crime case from the police career of investigator Arkady Vainer, who personally uncovered fraud involving precious watch parts. The authors faithfully depict the workings of the Soviet police, adding lively dialogue and a tense detective storyline to the text.

The story has been adapted for the screen twice. In 1979, director Samvel Gasparov made a film based on it, "Certificate of Poverty." Later, in 2016, this crime story was incorporated into the television series "Investigator Tikhonov."

Pedestrian collision

The action begins on a bright day in Moscow. A Volga car hits an elderly pedestrian. Police Captain Sergei Prikhodko, on duty, arrives at the scene. At the hospital, the officer examines the victim’s belongings. The captain finds a heavy glass bottle of Corvalol. Inside are ten thousand tiny metal objects. An expert from the scientific and technical department determines the origin of these objects. They are balance wheels for a brand-new Stolica wristwatch. The victim turns out to be 67-year-old Porfiry Korzhaev. The old man denies ownership of the valuable find, calling it someone else’s and hurriedly leaves the hospital.

Returning to his old room, Korzhaev realizes his failure. He quickly writes a coded letter. The old man sends it to a certain Dzhaga. The text contains a request to urgently warn Khromoy of danger. Soon the doorbell rings. A neat young man with glasses appears on the threshold. The stranger poses as an inspector from the OBKhSS (Department for Combating the Embezzlement of Socialist Property). He conducts an illegal search. Korzhaev demands to see his ID. The criminal pulls out a heavy knuckle duster and kills Korzhaev with a blow to the bridge of the nose.

The police find the body of an old man. Detectives discover the murdered man’s true identity. Korzhaev turns out to be a seasoned shady businessman from Odessa. He has several criminal records. Investigators discover an iron box in his wife’s grave. Hidden within are a large amount of cash, foreign currency, and diamonds. Commanding officers assign Captain Prikhodko to fly to the capital. The officer must find the killer and unravel a web of large-scale thefts.

Victor Balashov’s concept

Korzhaev’s killer is returning to Moscow by plane. He is a dangerous repeat offender nicknamed "Krot." The criminal’s real name is Gennady Kostyuk. Krot is overcome with panic and fears every police officer he encounters. In the city, Krot meets his boss, Viktor Balashov. Balashov runs a watch repair shop with a warranty. He limps slightly on his left leg. The lame Balashov hates the Soviet system and considers himself a lone genius.

Balashov orchestrated a theft on an unprecedented scale. His henchmen stole cases and winding mechanisms from a watch factory. The gangsters secretly assembled finished "Stolitsa" watches from these parts. They planned to sell a large quantity wholesale to a foreign smuggler. A visiting businessman, Max Zinkler, was prepared to pay a huge sum.

Krot is blackmailing Balashov. Before killing Korzhaev, he hid in a closet. Krot overheard the old man’s conversation with the foreigner. Now the gangster demands a third of all foreign currency earnings. Balashov remains outwardly calm and gives Krot a cash advance. Krot himself, however, decides to eliminate the brazen criminal immediately after completing the deal with the foreigner.

In Moscow, Prikhodko meets an old friend. MUR inspector Stanislav Tikhonov willingly assists the investigation. They begin actively searching for Dzhaga, the alias of mechanic Yuri Mosin. Dzhaga works at a watch factory and regularly steals hidden parts. Later, Mosin takes a decommissioned press to Balashov’s dacha outside Moscow. In the village of Zhavoronki, he begins stamping out the missing watch crystals.

Observation and search

Detectives are checking medical records at clinics. They want to identify the lame employee. Prikhodko spends his days poring over the accounting records. He carefully analyzes the documentation of Balashov’s workshop. The accounting figures show a huge surplus of some parts and a shortage of others. Specifically, components for the "Stolitsa" model are missing.

Police Inspector Valya Radina travels to Zhavoronki. The woman disguises herself as a bored summer resident. She rents a room next to Balashov’s property. Valya oversees a garbage burn in a neighboring yard. She finds scraps of plexiglass in the ashes. Later, the inspector witnesses the arrival of a beautiful messenger. This young woman delivers a message to Balashov from Zinkler. The foreigner demands an immediate exchange of goods.

Tikhonov finds out the home address of Krot’s fiancée. Her name is Lisa. The inspector talks to the little boys in the neighboring apartment. The children tell him about a sullen man with a sailboat tattoo on his chest. Krot stays indoors all the time. Lisa has long suspected her fiancé’s dirty dealings. The girl speaks frankly with Tikhonov. She mentions a black pistol. Lisa gives him the address of a wooden shack in the Ostankino district. That’s where Krot rented a room from a pensioner.

Assault during a thunderstorm

Mole senses mortal danger. Balashov may turn him over to the police for his own safety. The bandit flees to his old house. That night, Tikhonov and Major Sharapov surround the dilapidated building. Suddenly, a severe summer thunderstorm begins. Thunder rumbles. Bright flashes of lightning flash.

The police turn on a powerful spotlight. The beam of light blinds Krot. The criminal tries to jump out the window. He becomes hysterical. The bandit fires his gun right through the wooden door. Tikhonov slips a crowbar under the door. The officers kick down the door. A German Shepherd knocks the armed criminal to the floor. Handcuffs jingle.

During interrogation, Tikhonov presents Krot with irrefutable evidence. The investigator shows him the stolen savings books of the murdered Korzhaev. The detective displays a heavy knuckle duster. The broken criminal begs for mercy. He reveals the exact time and place of Balashov’s meeting with Zinkler.

The final on Minsk Highway

Early in the morning, a snow-white car leaves a hotel in the capital. Max Zinkler is at the wheel. The foreigner drives along the Minsk Highway, followed by secret police cars. At the 108th kilometer, the businessman meets Balashov. The lame man hurriedly loads four metal canisters onto the roof of the German car. Inside are thousands of assembled clockwork mechanisms. Balashov receives a heavy paper package containing currency. The cars drive off in different directions.

The detectives immediately detain Balashov. Inspector Tolmachev records the entire exchange for film. Meanwhile, Zinkler calmly makes his way to Brest. The foreigner is confident of his complete success. Customs officers ask him to fill out a declaration. The inspector notes the suspicious weight of the canisters. The officer asks the foreigner to recall the specific gravity of the gasoline. The difference in the liquid’s weight proves the presence of contraband. The border guards open the false bottom of the suitcase. A huge sum of money is hidden inside.

Tikhonov interrogates Balashov in his Moscow office. The investigator says, "Your tricks won’t work here." Dzhaga is also arrested right in the hallway of his apartment. The criminal syndicate has been completely dismantled. At the airport, Prikhodko prepares for his flight home. He oversees the loading of a legal shipment of Soviet watches. This export shipment is destined for a British buyer, Mr. Kelly.