Penny Nichols and the Mystery of the Lost Key

by Joan Clark

  CHAPTER II A Mysterious Key

  Unfolding the paper, Penny noticed that the message had been writtenunder the letterhead: "J.C. Elfhedge, attorney, Brookport." Thecommunication stated briefly that Rosanna Winters was the sole heiress ofthe late Jacob Winters, her uncle, and that she had inherited hismountainside estate at Raven Ridge. A key to the property was enclosed.She was urged to inspect the estate at her earliest convenience.

  "Well, what do you think of it?" Rosanna questioned as Penny studied theletter in silence.

  "Why, it's fine," Penny returned after a slight hesitation. "Did you knowJacob Winters well?"

  "I didn't know him at all. In fact I never even met him."

  "Oh! Then the inheritance must have come as a surprise."

  "It did. Even now I can't help thinking there must be some mistake. Didyou ever hear of Raven Ridge?"

  "Yes, indeed," Penny told her. "It is a lovely spot near Snow Mountain."

  "I must go there as soon as I can," Rosanna said. "Will the car fare bevery much do you think?"

  "Probably not more than ten dollars."

  "That's a large sum for me," Rosanna smiled ruefully. "Of course, nowthat I've actually inherited Uncle Jacob's estate, I suppose I shouldn'tworry about money."

  "Well, I shouldn't spend lavishly until I was certain there would be noslip-up about getting the property," Penny advised bluntly. "Perhaps Ishouldn't say it, but there's a certain tone to this letter that I don'tlike."

  "What do you mean?" Rosanna questioned.

  Penny found it difficult to explain.

  "Brookport is only a few miles from here and yet I've never heard of alawyer by the name of Elfhedge. It seems a trifle strange too that heshould enclose a key to the property."

  "It struck me that way too at first," Rosanna admitted unwillingly. "Ofcourse, I do have an uncle named Jacob Winters--my mother often spoke ofhim. He was always considered queer."

  "It may be all right. No doubt you have inherited a fortune. Only I thinkI'd be a trifle cautious until I was certain it wasn't a hoax."

  "But what can I do except to obey the letter and visit the property?"

  Penny glanced again at the letterhead. "Why not visit this lawyer andhave a talk with him? Brookport isn't far from here and it might save youa trip to Raven Ridge."

  "Can I reach Brookport by train or bus?"

  "I'm afraid not," Penny said. "It's off the main line of travel. Youhaven't a car of your own or one you could borrow?"

  "No."

  "I'll take you to Brookport if you like," Penny offered generously. "Wemight go tomorrow."

  "Oh, I shouldn't like to trouble you, Miss Nichols. I can probably rent acar."

  "There's no need of it for I would enjoy the ride. Besides, I am curiousto learn if there is an attorney by the name of Elfhedge living inBrookport. Suppose I call here for you around ten o'clock tomorrowmorning."

  "All right," Rosanna smiled. "It's good of you to offer. Perhaps I canrepay you someday."

  The girls parted, Penny driving directly to her own home. Entering thehouse by the back door she found Mrs. Gallup, the housekeeper, cookingdinner. The kitchen was permeated with the delightful aroma of fryingchicken.

  "Is Dad home yet?" Penny inquired, pausing to sniff the air.

  "He's in the study," the housekeeper informed.

  Penny found Christopher Nichols occupied at his desk. Sometimes it wasdifficult for her to realize that she was the daughter of a detective whohad gained state-wide recognition for his ability in solving bafflingcases. Mr. Nichols had served an apprenticeship on the police force, hadrisen from the ranks, and later had started his own private detectiveagency. Yet, despite his success, he was quiet and unaffected.

  Mr. Nichols had no real hobbies and only two absorbing interests inlife--his work and his daughter. Penny had been left motherless at anearly age. Because there had been only a slight feminine influence in herlife her outlook upon the world was somewhat different from that of theaverage high school girl. She thought clearly and frankly spoke her mind.Yet if she enjoyed an unusual amount of freedom for one so young, shenever abused the trust which her father placed in her.

  Penny loved adventure. Recently, somewhat to her father's chagrin, shehad involved herself with a daring gang of automobile thieves. The storyof her exciting encounter with underworld characters has been recountedin the first volume of the series, entitled, "Penny Nichols Finds AClue."

  "Now what?" Mr. Nichols demanded gruffly as his daughter perched herselfon the corner of his desk. "Has that car of yours broken down again?"

  Penny laughed as she shook her head.

  "No, believe it or not, I still have a few dollars of my allowance left.I'm after information this time."

  "What sort of information?"

  "Preferably accurate," Penny smiled. "Tell me, did you ever hear of alawyer by the name of Elfhedge with an office at Brookport?"

  "No, I never did," Mr. Nichols returned instantly. "There is an attorneyin the Stover building by the name of Hedgel. Perhaps you're mixed up."

  "I have the name right," Penny insisted. She then related the contents ofRosanna Winters' letter.

  "It sounds like someone's idea of a practical joke," Mr. Nicholsdeclared. "I'd advise the girl not to spend any money until she's done alittle investigating."

  "That's what I did tell her."

  "I'll look this man Elfhedge up in a day or two if you like," Mr. Nicholspromised. "It sounds like a fictitious name to me but of course theletter may be _bona fide_."

  Mrs. Gallup interrupted the discussion to announce that dinner was ready.Immediately after the meal had been served, Mr. Nichols left for hisoffice and Penny saw him no more that evening. He left the house beforeshe was up the next morning so she had no opportunity to explain that shewas driving Rosanna Winters to Brookport that day.

  At ten o'clock she rang the doorbell of the rooming house on Sixty-fifthStreet. Rosanna already was waiting.

  "I thought you might have changed your mind about wishing to make thetrip," she declared, following Penny to the car.

  "No, I'm more curious than ever to talk with your lawyer. It will bewonderful, Rosanna, if the estate turns out to be a valuable one."

  Rosanna smiled a trifle ruefully. "Yes, I will have plenty of use for themoney. I can't believe yet that Uncle Jacob left everything to me."

  Penny refrained from saying anything which might disturb Rosanna.Actually, she had not the slightest reason for doubting that the girl hadcome into an inheritance, save that the letter from Mr. Elfhedge did nothave a genuine tone. It occurred to her that a scheme might be under wayto induce the orphan to part with her own savings.

  During the ride to Brookport, Rosanna mentioned a few of the hardexperiences she had undergone in the past year. First her mother haddied, then an aunt with whom she made her home, likewise had been takenfrom her. She found work of a sort in a grocery store, but long hours andtrying conditions had worn her down. She had taken sick. Hospital billsclaimed the greater part of the money which her mother had left her. Shecould not secure her old job back, nor could she find a new one. Indesperation she had decided to come to Belton City, hoping that she mightsecure a position there.

  "You can imagine that I was pretty well discouraged when the letterarrived from Mr. Elfhedge," Rosanna ended. "You don't know what a frightyou gave me by suggesting that it might be a hoax."

  "I'm sorry if I caused you worry. I had no reason for thinking thatsomeone wrote the letter for a joke."

  "Uncle Jacob was noted for doing queer things," Rosanna informed. "Inever met him but Mother often mentioned his name. He was quite atraveler, I believe, and collecting was his hobby."

  "What did he collect?"

  "Oh, things from the Orient and antiques from all over the world."

  "Then if you've come into his property, you may have inherited some realtreasures," Penny commented. "It would be fun to visit that house atRaven R
idge."

  "Yes, but I dread going there alone. Penny, I wish you could go with me."

  "I wish I could too, but I guess I'll have to stay at Belton City thissummer."

  It was only a little after eleven o'clock when the girls reachedBrookport. The town was less than a hundred thousand population and Pennyhad no trouble in finding the main business section. After cruising aboutfor some minutes, they located the street where Mr. Elfhedge had hisoffice. The number which they sought brought them to an imposingseven-story brick building.

  Penny parked the roadster and they went inside, searching the directoryfor Mr. Elfhedge's name. It was not listed.

  "That's odd," Rosanna remarked with a troubled frown. "His office must behere somewhere in the building."

  Penny went over to make inquiry of the elevator boy.

  "There's no one in this building by that name," he insisted.

  Thinking that the boy might be misinformed, Penny and Rosanna sought thebuilding superintendent. To satisfy them, the man looked carefullythrough his list of tenants. No one by the name of Elfhedge occupied anoffice in the building.

  "There is an attorney in Room 309 but his name is Rogers," thesuperintendent told the girls. "You might talk with him. He may know thisman Elfhedge."

  They went up to Room 309 and after a brief wait were ushered into thelawyer's private office. Rosanna was too shy to state the purpose of hervisit, so Penny explained why they had come. The lawyer had never heardof a colleague by the name of Elfhedge.

  "He's never been in this building and I doubt that he's even located inthe city," they were told. "You must have made a mistake in the address."

  The girls had made no mistake, that they knew. The address was plainlywritten on the outside of the envelope which Rosanna had in her purse.She showed it to the lawyer.

  "Yes, that seems to be this building," he admitted. "It looks as ifsomeone used a fake address."

  They left the office completely discouraged. Penny felt sorry for hercompanion. Rosanna had counted so heavily upon the inheritance. Now itappeared that someone had played a cruel joke upon her.

  "You were right," Rosanna acknowledged as they walked slowly back to thecar. "You were suspicious of that letter from the first."

  "It struck me as peculiar that it was written in longhand instead of on atypewriter," Penny explained.

  "I suppose it is nothing but a joke," Rosanna acknowledged, "and yet whyshould a key be enclosed in the letter?"

  "It's beyond me, Rosanna. Even if the trip is wasted, you might feelbetter about it if you went to Raven Ridge and investigated."

  "I'd go in an instant if I had the money to spare."

  "I'll loan it to you."

  Rosanna shook her head.

  "No, I can't take it although it's kind of you to offer."

  "I wish I could help you, Rosanna."

  "You've helped me a great deal already. Perhaps a little later on I'llfind some way of getting to Raven Ridge."

  Penny tried to urge the loan, but Rosanna, who was unusually proud, wouldnot hear of it. The girls parted at the latter's boarding house onSixty-fifth Street.

  "I'll see you within a day or two," Penny promised as she drove away."Perhaps by that time Father will learn something about Mr. Elfhedge."

  She did not really believe that Mr. Nichols could find anything toreport. Doubtless, the name had been a fictitious one. Yet who had playedthe joke upon Rosanna and for what purpose?

  "There's more to the affair than what appears on the surface," shereflected. "If only I had the chance, I'd do a little investigating."

  Penny smiled at the thought, little dreaming that such an opportunity wasto present itself very shortly.