“Let us see the jewels,” suggested Douglas.
Eleanor opened the box and pulled off the top layer of cotton, then rolled the necklace of rubies on the table, where the stones lay glittering under the strong light.
“They are superb!” exclaimed Douglas, while a low murmur of admiration broke from Lane.
“Their almost priceless value frightened me more than anything else,” explained Eleanor. “I could not imagine who had sent them to me——”
“That’s easily answered.” Brett picked up the necklace and examined it minutely. “This necklace was sent you by the man who stole it.”
“What?” ejaculated the two men, while Eleanor collapsed limply in her chair.
“These are the Hemmingway rubies,” went on Brett. “They were stolen about a month ago in New York, and the police of this country and Europe were notified of their loss. I have here,” drawing out a leather wallet and extracting a thin, typewritten sheet, “one of the notices sent to headquarters. Let me refresh my memory.” He skimmed over the lines, then a shout of exultation escaped him. “Listen: ‘Mrs. Hemmingway was entertaining a house party at the time of the theft. Among her guests were Mr. and Mrs. Henry St. John, of Philadelphia; Miss Snyder, of Chicago; Colonel Dana Thornton, of Washington——’”
“Oh, no, no!” Eleanor cried, throwing out her arms as if to thrust the idea from her, then dropped forward and buried her head on her arms on the table.
Douglas started to move over to her side, but Brett checked him. “Let her alone,” he advised in an undertone; “it’s a shock, but she will recover.” Then, in a louder tone: “By Heavens! that man was a positive genius!” in reluctant admiration. “He probably heard that the case had been turned over to the police, although the Hemmingways had asked to have the search conducted quietly, and therefore it did not reach the papers. Fearing to keep the necklace in his possession, he sent it to his niece with a cryptic message which he knew she would not, under the circumstances, dare show to others, and also reasoned that she would keep the necklace concealed for the same cause. I don’t doubt he expected her eventually to ask his advice about the jewels and then he would get them back again, as soon as all danger of detection was over, on the plea that he would have them returned to the rightful owner, or some such plausible excuse.”
“Upon my word, such villany exceeds belief.” Lane gazed incredulously at the detective. “And yet I don’t doubt you have guessed the right solution of the problem.”