Both girls could hear a peculiar grinding sound as if from machinery turning inside the shack. The building was windowless, so it was impossible to see what was going on.
“This is maddening!” Penny muttered with increasing impatience. “I wonder—?” She broke off, and gazed thoughtfully at the flat roof of the shack.
“Lou, how is that building lighted?” she demanded.
“From here it looks as if there might be double panels of glass in the roof—a make-shift skylight.”
“Lou, if we could get up there, we might be able to see what is going on!”
“And get caught too!”
“Not if we’re careful. We can climb that tree which brushes against it, and perhaps see from there.”
“What if we should be caught?”
“We’ll decide that part when the time comes,”Penny chuckled. “This should be fun.”
Circling the shack, they climbed into the low-hanging boughs of a giant, scraggly maple tree. Inch by inch lest they make a sound which would betray them, they climbed out on the heavy branches.
“Penny, we’re taking an awful chance,” her chum murmured nervously. “If that man should look up—”
“He won’t,” Penny whispered confidently. “He’s too busy with whatever he’s doing.”
Lying flat on the branch, she could look directly through the glass. In the room below she saw at least four large, oval-shaped mines without detonators, made of steel.
Evidently the man had finished whatever work had brought him to the shack, for he laid aside a tool, and then went out the door, carefully locking it behind him again.
“We were too late,” Penny whispered in disgust after the man was a safe distance down the beach. “I wish I knew why he came here! One thing is certain, he’s mixed up with Professor Bettenridge on this secret ray invention.”
“Do you still believe the man is the one who was pushed off the Snark?”
“Yes, I do, and that part we can learn!” Realizing that much valuable time was being wasted, Penny slid down from the tree, snagging a stocking in the process. She helped Louise to reach the ground.
“What’s the plan now?” her chum asked.
“Webb evidently is returning either to Professor Bettenridge’s shack or to town. Let’s overtake him and I’ll ask a few questions. After helping fish him out of the river, I certainly have the right.”
The man walked directly toward the shack which contained the secret ray apparatus, but when he drew close, paused and whistled twice as if in signal. No response came from within the cabin. Seemingly the man expected none, for he turned and selected a trail which led toward the road.
At that moment, the shack door opened. Professor Bettenridge, his wife, and Mr. Johnson came out together, chatting pleasantly. Without paying the slightest heed to Webb, they walked toward the farmhouse.
“What do you make of all that?” Louise asked in perplexity.
“I’m not sure,” Penny admitted. “But I have a suspicion the professor doesn’t want Mr. Johnson to know Webb is here today. He might insist on a test of the secret ray machine.”
“Why all the mystery? Professor Bettenridge certainly can’t expect to sell the invention unless he can give a successful demonstration.”
“I suspect that may be the point, Lou. Things aren’t properly set for a successful test today. Tomorrow night may be a different story.”
“But if the machine is as good as the professor claims, it should explode mines as well one time as another.”
“It should,” Penny agreed, “but whether or not it does, is a horse of a different color. My guess is that the professor is a fraud, and that Webb helps him in his scheme.”
The man believed to be Webb walked so rapidly that the girls realized they would lose sight of him unless they hastened on. Cutting across a field, they were able to get ahead of him.
“Yes, it’s Webb,” Penny whispered as they waited for the man to approach. “I’m certain.”
Not until he was quite close did the man see the girls. Momentarily startled at recognizing Penny, he ignored her, and would have passed without a word.
“Webb!” she exclaimed. “Don’t you remember me?”
The man halted, gazing at her with ice-cold, unfriendly eyes.
“Webb ain’t my name,” he said gruffly. “I never saw you before.”
“You may not remember. I helped pull you out of the river after you had fallen from the deck of the Snark.”
“Are you coo-coo?” the man demanded. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I think you do,” Penny said, losing patience. “You stayed with Ben Bartell at his shack by the river. For saving your life, you repaid him by stealing his watch!”
“Say, young lady, better be careful what you’re sayin’!” the man snapped. “No one can accuse me of being a thief!”
“I want Ben’s watch.”
The man started on down the road, but Louise and Penny stood their ground, blocking his way.
“I want the watch!” Penny repeated firmly. “If you won’t give it up, I’ll report you to the police.”
“Oh, you will, eh?” The man whirled toward her, his face convulsed with anger. “You’ll get no watch from me, but here’s something to teach you to mind your own business!”
With a cruel laugh, he pushed her so hard that she sprawled backwards into the ditch.
CHAPTER 13
BEHIND OFFICE DOORS
“Are you hurt, Penny?” Rushing to her chum, Louise helped her out of the ditch where she had fallen.
“No!” Angrily, Penny brushed dust from her slacks. “But I’m as mad as a hornet! If that man thinks he can push me around—”
Already Webb was well down the road, walking at a leisurely but arrogant pace.
“Forget it, forget it,” Louise soothed. “We’d get no place picking a quarrel with a man like that. Anyway, you more or less accused him of thievery.”
“And a thief is exactly what he is!” Penny retorted. “There isn’t a doubt in my mind that he’s the one who stole Ben’s watch!”
“Then the thing for us to do is report him to the police. We’ll get nowhere talking to him ourselves.”
“We’ll stop in town—I think the place is called Newhall—and notify the sheriff,” Penny decided. “I certainly shall ask for the man’s arrest.”
Returning to the car, she turned it around, and they drove toward the town, less than a half mile away. Soon they approached Webb who was walking at the side of the pavement. Deliberately, he ignored them as they passed.
At Newhall, the girls found the sheriff, and rather excitedly, poured out their story. Although the official took a few notes, he seemed somewhat bored by it all.
“You don’t know the last name of the man,” he recited. “You think he may be employed by Professor Bettenridge, but you are not sure. You believe he may be a thief, but you are not positive of that either.”
“One thing I am sure of!” Penny exclaimed. “He pushed me into a ditch. So at least he’s guilty of that!”
“Are you willing to sign charges and appear against the man?”
“You mean I would have to come back here later on?”
“Certainly.”
Penny’s enthusiasm waned. “Maybe I couldn’t get here,” she said, thinking of her newspaper work. “Oh, well, let it go.”
“I’ll keep an eye on the man anyhow,” the sheriff promised. “Think you have the situation sized up wrong though. We’ve already investigated Professor Bettenridge. He has fine credentials, and his invention seems to have merit.”
“You believe it actually will explode mines?” Penny asked incredulously.
“I saw it done. Fact is, Professor Bettenridge invited me to the first demonstration he gave at the lake.”
“What happened?” Louise questioned eagerly.
“A mine was dumped into the lake. Then the professor exploded it with his machine. I didn’t understand
how it was done, but I saw the flames shoot up when it went off. It was the real thing.”
Decidedly let-down, Penny and Louise took leave of the sheriff and drove to Riverview. But as they passed through the downtown section, Penny suddenly stopped in front of the Gables Hotel.
“I suppose I’m silly,” she acknowledged, “but I still doubt the honesty of Professor Bettenridge. Just for the fun of it, I intend to run in here and learn if those Navy officials are registered.”
Leaving her chum in the car, Penny was gone nearly fifteen minutes. When she returned, her face had taken on animation, so Louise knew she had interesting news.
“Just as I thought!” Penny exclaimed, sliding behind the steering wheel. “Not a Navy officer registered in the hotel, and none expected! So how could Professor Bettenridge have an appointment here tonight? He merely told Mr. Johnson that to impress him.”
“It does look that way. Still, it’s possible the officers might have registered at another hotel.”
“Possible but hardly probable. Lou, I believe Professor Bettenridge is a crook. I wish we could witness that demonstration of his tomorrow night!”
“I’ll never be able to go,” Louise said regretfully. “I’m playing in a recital—worse luck.”
“I might get Salt to ride over with me,” Penny thought aloud. “Well, we’ll see.”
The following morning she took time from her work to seek the photographer. He was in the darkroom, but the door was open. As she stepped inside, he whirled around, his face startled.
“Oh, it’s you!” he chuckled in relief.
“Why, Salt!” Penny teased. “You acted as if you thought I might be a holdup man. Why so jumpy?”
“Was I?” the photographer asked, his tone queer.
“You certainly were. Anything wrong?”
“This place was entered again last night,” Salt said reluctantly. “I can’t figure it out.”
“Anything taken?”
“Not a thing so far as I can discover. That’s the strange part of it. But the films were disturbed, as if someone had searched through them.”
“How did the person get in?”
“Apparently through the skylight. It was ordered locked, but it got hot in here yesterday. One of the boys opened it up, and then forgot to snap the lock.”
“Did you search the roof?”
“Yes, we found footprints leading to a hall window of the next building. That was as far as they could be traced.”
“Do you suppose it could be anyone from the adjoining building, Salt?”
“Not necessarily. The person may have entered it from the street. We know he stepped out onto the roof from the hall window rather than from one of the office rooms.”
Before returning to the newsroom, Penny told Salt about yesterday’s adventure in the country.
“I sure would like a chance to go there with you tonight,” he declared promptly. “Maybe we can get my camera back, even if those birds deny having seen it.”
The morning passed slowly, and Penny found it difficult to keep her mind on her work. Elda, however, no longer bothered her. With more important problems to worry about, Penny was not the least bit wounded by the little slurring remarks the girl made.
At noon she lunched on a sandwich and chocolate at a corner drugstore close to the Star building. With half an hour to spend, she suddenly was struck by an idea.
“Why don’t I talk to Jason Cordell, the Mirror editor, about Ben?” she thought. “Perhaps their difficulties are based on misunderstanding.”
Crossing the street to the Mirror building, she found Mr. Cordell’s office on the third floor. There, a secretary asked her to wait a few minutes.
Apparently an argument was in progress within the inner room, for she heard angry voices. Then a door slammed. Presently, Penny was told that she might go in.
Mr. Cordell sat at his desk, a scowl on his face. He was busy writing and barely glanced up as she entered. Finally he looked straight at her, demanding: “Well?” in a tone which sapped Penny’s courage.
She wished she might retreat, but it now was too late.
“I—I am Miss Parker,” she stammered. “My father is publisher of the Star.”
“Oh, yes, yes indeed,” the editor now became more friendly, and Penny took heart.
“I came to talk to you about one of your former employes—Ben Bartell.”
A mask-like expression came over Mr. Cordell’s face. He waited for Penny to continue.
“You discharged Ben, I believe. He’s had a very hard time ever since.”
“Indeed? Is he a friend of yours?”
“In a way. I feel sorry for him and I want to find newspaper work for him.”
“Then why doesn’t your father give him a job on the Star?”
Penny was prepared for the question. “I think my father would if he were assured that Ben had done nothing so very dishonorable. That’s why I came to you. Why was he discharged?”
“Unfortunately, I can’t reply to that question. Nor can I assure you that Ben was discharged on a trivial offense. The opposite is true.”
“But what did he do?”
Mr. Cordell arose. “I am sorry, I can’t discuss it, Miss Parker. If you will excuse me for saying so, I think the matter really is not your concern. My advice would be to leave Ben Bartell entirely alone. He sent you here, I suppose?”
“Indeed, he didn’t.”
“Where is Ben now?”
“Living in a shack on the waterfront. Because you blacklisted him, he has been unable to get a newspaper job anywhere.”
Mr. Cordell’s smile was hard and triumphant. Penny knew then that she had made a grave error in thinking she might appeal to the man’s sympathies. Obviously, he was highly pleased to learn of Ben’s difficulties.
“I am sorry I can’t help you,” the editor said coldly. “Do drop in again sometime.”
He opened the door for her, a pointed hint that she was to go.
As she stepped out into the outer waiting room, a man who evidently expected to see the editor, arose. He had entered the outer office only a few minutes before, and this was the first time that Penny had seen him. Upon recognizing him, she stopped short, for it was Webb.
“You can go in now, Mr. Nelson,” the secretary told Webb.
Bestowing a sneering smile upon her, he entered the private office.
Then the door closed.
CHAPTER 14
A NOTE FROM BEN
After Webb had gone into Mr. Cordell’s office, Penny debated her next action. Could Webb and Cordell be friends? Or was this merely a business call? In any case, the two men were obviously of such different type and personality that she failed to understand what basis there might be for a friendship.
Deciding she could accomplish nothing by waiting and questioning Mr. Cordell, she left the office. As she passed down the corridor, an open window at its far end, drew her attention.
Pausing for an instant, she glanced out upon the rooftop of the Riverview Star building. The tin flooring, only a few feet below the level of the sill, easily could be reached by anyone climbing through the window.
Tempted to take a short cut to the office, Penny impulsively stepped through the opening. From the rooftop she could see the city spread out below in rigid pattern, and to the eastward, the winding river.
Crossing the dusty floor to the skylight above the Star photography room, Penny peered curiously down. No one was visible below.
“I wonder if a person really could get through that skylight,” she speculated. “It would be quite a feat, but I believe it could be done.”
A star athlete in high school, Penny felt a challenge. Giving no thought to her clothes, she squeezed through the narrow opening and snagged her sweater. As she freed herself, she noticed a tiny bit of blue cloth that had impaled itself on the nail.
The cloth was not from Penny’s garments, and looked as if it might have been torn from a man’s wool suit. Freeing it from t
he nail, she slipped it into her pocket for later examination.
Now, with her feet dangling into space, she considered how she was to get down into the room below. No longer was it possible to swing from the opening to the top of a filing cabinet, for Salt had carefully moved the heavy case to the far side of the room.
Seizing the skylight chain, Penny swung downward. The tiny brass rings cut into her hands and half-way down, she was forced to let go, dropping to the floor with a loud thump.
From the inner photography room came a terrified scream. Elda Hunt, her face white with fear, appeared in the doorway.
“You!” she exclaimed, recovering from the shock of Penny’s unexpected entry.
“Now take it easy, Elda,” Penny advised, brushing dirt from her sweater. “I was only experimenting.”
“Experimenting!”
“I wanted to see if it would be possible for a person to get into this room through the skylight. It is possible!”
“You don’t say!” Elda commented sarcastically. “I’ll bet you were the one who pulled that stunt in the first place!”
“How ridiculous!” Penny was irritated. Not wishing to discuss the matter, she turned and walked out of the photography room.
In the corridor she met Salt Sommers who stopped her to ask when they were to visit Professor Bettenridge in the country.
“Eight o’clock tonight, if you’re willing to go,”Penny said eagerly. “I very much want to see the professor demonstrate his ray machine for Mr. Johnson.”
“And I want to find out what became of my camera,”Salt added grimly. “Is it a date?”
Penny nodded.
“Then suppose we start right after dinner. Can you meet me here at seven o’clock?”
“Let’s make it a little earlier,” Penny suggested. “I have a hunch that by getting there before the start of the demonstration we may learn more.”
“Okay,” agreed Salt. “Make it six-thirty.”
Having over-stayed her lunch hour, Penny quickly washed her grimy hands and returned to her desk. As she sat down at the typewriter, she noticed a sealed letter thrust behind the roller. Addressed to her, the writing was in a bold scrawl she did not recognize.
The Penny Parker Megapack: 15 Complete Novels Page 154