The Silver Chain

First I'd like to tell you the version I'm reading: hardcover published in 2008 by Macmillan,530pages.

Then let's come to the silver chain which is a vital prop in this novel.

As far as I can recall, this silver chain first appeared on Page 121, when Danny asked'What's hanging from the chain round your neck?' and got no answer.

Before Nick left the prison to attend his father's funeral(Page151), he left the chain to Danny's care because 'I trust you more than most of the people I'm going to meet up with later today'.

Then after Danny's appeal being turned down, on Page 199, he gave the chain along with Nick's ring and watch(which appeared for the first time) back to Nick.

After Leach killed Nick by mistake, the watch, ring and silver chain reappeared on Danny, the author explaining that it's 'for safekeeping'.

As I have not finished reading the whole book and maybe it's too early for me to draw a conclusion, but it seems that the chain (with a key attached to it) should have been given to Danny with better excuses as it seemed to be so important(a token of Nick's identity and maybe a key to some treasure). What's more, as we have read previously that when Danny was thrown into the prison, he was deprived of all of his personal belongings except for a pair of trainers(Page95). How come Nick had been so privileged to keep so many things?