She jumped lightly down and ran to unfasten the door. Mr. Nichols entered and closed it behind him, turning the night lock.
"We'll have to work fast," he said crisply. "Old Herman may come back any minute."
"What do you expect to find?" asked Penny.
"Perhaps the necklace or at least some evidence which will attach Herman to the crime. I'll start searching in the upstairs bedrooms. You might go through that desk."
With a nod of his head, the detective indicated an old fashioned secretary which stood in one corner of the living room.
The desk was filled to overflowing with papers of all sorts. A quick inspection satisfied Penny that the diamond necklace was not there, but if she had time she meant to examine the papers carefully.
"When you finish with the desk, start looking through the kitchen cupboards," Mr. Nichols called down from upstairs.
Penny was working swiftly at her task when the detective came down to assist her.
"There's nothing in the bedrooms," he reported. "I thought Old Herman might have hidden the jewels in one of the mattresses. Having any luck here?"
"None yet, but there are a lot of papers in the desk."