Starkey, a journalist in search of his lost watch, is taken by a colleague, Johnson, to see fortune-teller Madam Zina, and instead gets a clue to the whereabouts of a stolen diamond. He visits Cork, who is sceptical but follows the lead and recovers the diamond in an abandoned building. Cork visits Madam Zina posing as 'Mr Boggis', a fishmonger, and is puzzled when she asks if he has had any dealings with the police; Superintendent Rodway then calls in an official capacity in case she can provide any further insight into the actual theft, but she foretells the theft of a valuable necklace from Lord Westworth. Rodway is rather embarrassed to warn Westworth of the danger but finds him a strong believer in mysticism and prepared to take the threat seriously, wishing to see Madam Zina in person.