"Why have you come to me instead of going to the police?"
"I thought I would get more consideration from you. I know you are searching for Mrs. Heredith's necklace. Here it is."
He drew from his pocket a small parcel wrapped in dirty tissue paper, and put it on the table. The untidy folds fell apart, exposing the missing necklace, but the diamond was missing from the antique clasp.
"The diamond is in that," he said, placing a small cardboard box beside the pearls. "I wish I had never seen the cursed thing."
"How do you come to have Mrs. Heredith's necklace?"
Nepcote hesitated before replying.
"I was terribly upset by Mrs. Heredith's death," he said at length. "I knew her before she married Phil Heredith. We were old friends."
The inconsequence of this statement convinced Colwyn that he was seeking time to frame an evasive answer.
"If that is all you have to say it is useless to prolong this interview," he coldly remarked.
"I—I am going to tell you where I got the necklace," Nepcote said, with downcast eyes. "Mrs. Heredith gave it to me."