“A real treasure!” exclaimed Penny.
The box contained several bracelets, one of them set with rubies and diamonds, countless rings, four watches, and several strings of matched pearls.
“Stolen loot!” ejaculated the publisher.
“And what a collection!” chuckled Penny as she examined the separate pieces. “There’s enough plunder here to start a jewelry store.”
“Likewise sufficient evidence to put this Celestial Temple gang out of circulation for a long, long time,” added her father.
“I learned a lot tonight, Dad. Wait until I tell you!”
“A scoop for the Star?”
“You’ll be able to use your largest, blackest headlines.”
Penny began to tell her story, interrupting only when Slippery and Pete were brought into the building handcuffed together. Starting again, she made her charges, accusing Slippery not only of having committed the Henley burglary, but also of having robbed the Kohls and many prominent Riverview families.
After inspecting the jewelry found in the wooden box, one of the police officers definitely identified several of the pieces as stolen goods. He expressed an opinion that the jewelry had been hidden in the belfry because it was too “hot” to be disposed of by fences.