“I’ll trouble you for that necklace you just caught,” Klein announced quietly.
“I—I don’t know what you mean.” Jarge was plainly upset, and was sparring for time.
“Don’t hedge. I saw it. A necklace was dropped to you from that window. Give it to me!”
“I don’t know——” began the other.
Klein advanced another step, gripped Jarge’s wrist with one hand, and allowed the other to drop into the detective’s pocket. Quick as a flash Jarge turned, but not in time to prevent the discovery. Klein’s fingers brought forth the necklace from the pocket.
“You——” gasped the enraged detective.
“Don’t waste your good breath,” Klein interrupted, placing the necklace in his own pocket. “If I’m not greatly mistaken, you’ll need all of it later on. By the way, do you happen to have Miss Lydecker’s brooch with you to-night? I mean the one you got away with last week. Rather a neat plan, Jarge. Posing as a detective is quite a help, isn’t it? And winning the respect of Mr. Lydecker by first stealing his daughter’s jewels, then returning them, is another clever move on your part. You’re an artist!”
Gradually Jarge was recovering from his first shock. And as Klein finished with his accusations he shrugged his shoulders and laughed.
“Very good, Mr. Klein,” he announced curtly. “Your deductions are well conceived. You’re almost as clever an artist as myself.” He laughed again. “But whatever you’ve discovered—and I admit it isn’t a thousand miles from the truth—you’ll keep to yourself. If I have been clever in one way I have been in others. You see, Mr. Klein, I work out all my plans according to system, and they seldom fail me.”
“I’m afraid this will fail,” Klein answered.