"
"You should have come here at first, Mr. Levendale," said the Inspector, a
little sourly. "You'd have saved a lot of trouble--to yourselves as well
as to us. But that's neither here nor there--I suppose you've something to
tell us, sir?"
"Before I tell you anything," replied Levendale, "I want to know
something." He pointed to the morning papers which he had brought in.
"These people," he said, "seem to have got hold of a lot of information--
all got from you, of course. Now, we know what we're after--let's put it
in a nutshell. A diamond--an orange-yellow diamond--worth eighty thousand
pounds, the property of Mr. Stephen Purvis there. That's item one! But
there's another. Eighty thousand pounds in bank-notes!--my property. Now--
have any of you the least idea who's got the diamond and my money? Come!"
There was a moment's silence. Then Ayscough spoke.
"Not a definite idea, Mr. Levendale--as yet."
"Then I'll tell you," said Levendale. "A Chinese fellow--one Chang Li.
He's got them--both! And Stephen Purvis and I have been after him for all
the days and nights since we disappeared--and we're beaten! Now you'll
have to take it up--and I'd better tell you the plain truth about what's
no doubt seemed a queer business from the first.
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