"Mr. Hoges: I shall be unable to accept the work which you offered me. I am returning the money paid me as an advance fee."
Penny was jubilant at the way matters had ended. She had many questions to ask Cron and Max Lynch but she decided to postpone them, realizing that the men were not likely to reveal anything which could be used as evidence against them.
As the four crooks were led away, the captain waited to compliment Penny for her valuable assistance.
"Tell me, young lady," he commanded admiringly, "how did you know Mrs. Dillon's pearls were hidden inside that clay figure?"
"I wasn't absolutely certain," Penny admitted. "But a number of things made me suspicious. First, I recalled that the man who snatched the necklace from Mrs. Dillon ran into this studio."
"Could you identify that man?"
"I think you already have him under arrest. I don't know his name, but I feel certain he is the same person now that I have viewed him closely."
"He ran into this studio you say?"
"Yes, and when I entered I found Hanley Cron modeling the Black Imp. The possibility did not occur to me at the time, but now I know he must have received the pearls from the actual thief, and molded them into the wet clay."
"A very clever scheme."