“You’re not suggesting that the man may have had something to do with Atherwald’s disappearance?”Jerry questioned, mildly amused.
“I knew you would laugh.”
“Your theory sounds pretty far-fetched to me, I’ll admit. It happens there are any number of burly, tough looking boatmen on the Kobalt. You can’t arrest a man for a crime just because of his appearance.”
“All the same, there is supporting evidence. Mrs. Latch told me that Atherwald’s note had been handed to her by a boy who in turn received it from someone in a boat.”
“Boats are rather common too. Your theory is interesting, but that’s all I can say for it.”
“All right,” said Penny. “I was about to tell you another idea of mine. Now I won’t do it.”
No amount of coaxing could induce her to reveal her thought, and the remainder of the drive to Andover was made in silence. It was well after five-thirty when the car finally drew up in front of the City Club.
Penny was not surprised to find the doors locked and no sign of Louise or Miss Frome.
“I thought they would go home without me,” she said to Jerry. “I only wanted to make certain.”
For many miles the road led through pleasant countryside and then swung back toward the Kobalt river. The sun had dropped below the horizon by the time the automobile sped through the town of Claxton.
“Thirty miles still to go,” Jerry sighed. “I’m getting hungry.”
“Two souls with but a single thought,” remarked Penny.
Directly ahead they noticed an electric sign which drew attention to a roadside gasoline station with an adjoining restaurant. Jerry eased on the brake.
“How about it, Penny? Shall we invest a few nickels?”
“I could do with a sandwich,” Penny agreed. “Several, in fact.”
Not until Jerry had parked the car did they notice the dilapidated condition of the building. It stood perhaps fifty yards back from the main road, its rear porch fronting on the Kobalt.
“Strange how one is always running into the river,”Penny remarked absently. “It seems to twist itself over half the state.”
Jerry had not heard her words. He was gazing at the restaurant with disapproval.
“This place doesn’t look so good, Penny. If you say the word we’ll drive on.”
“Oh, I’d brave anything for a beef barbecue,” she laughed.
Through the screen door they caught a discouraging glimpse of the cafe’s interior—dingy walls, cigarette smoke, a group of rough looking men seated on stools at the counter. Upon the threshold Penny hesitated, losing courage.
“Let’s not go in,” Jerry grunted in an undertone. “They’ll probably serve cockroaches in the sandwiches.”
Penny half turned away from the door only to stop short. Her attention focused upon two men who were sitting at the far end of the cafe drinking coffee from heavy mugs. In the indistinct light she could not be absolutely sure, yet she was instantly convinced that the heavy-set fellow in shirt sleeves was the same boatman who had been seen near the Kippenberg estate.
To Jerry’s surprise, Penny resisted the tug of his arm as he sought to lead her toward the car.
“This place isn’t half bad,” she said. “Let’s try it and see what happens.”
Boldly she reached for the knob of the screen door and entered the cafe.
CHAPTER 13
TWO MEN AND A BOAT
Penny ignored several empty tables at the front of the dreary restaurant and selected one not far from where the two men sat. As they glanced at her with insolent, appraising eyes, her pulse quickened. She was almost certain that the heavy-set man was the same fellow she had noticed near the Kippenberg estate.
A waiter in a soiled white apron shuffled up to take their order.
“Hot roast beef sandwich and coffee,” said Jerry. “With plenty of cream.”
“Make mine the same,” added Penny without looking at the menu.
All her attention centered upon the two men who were now talking together in low tones. After the first glance they had taken no interest in her and were unaware of her scrutiny. The heavy-set man bent nearer his companion and with the point of his knife drew a pattern on the tablecloth.
“What do you think of this route, Joe?” he asked.
“Too risky,” the other muttered. “Once we start we got to make a quick shoot to the sea.”
“Any way we take we might run into trouble. Y’know, I wish we had never agreed to do the job.”
“You and me both!”
“Dietz ain’t to be trusted,” the heavy-set man said and his shaggy eyebrows drew together in a scowl. “He’s thinking first and last of his own skin. We’ve got to watch him.”
“And the girl, too. She’s a dumb one and plenty apt to talk if the going gets rough.”
Penny lost the remainder of the conversation as Jerry spoke to her.
“We couldn’t have picked a worse place,” he complained. “Look at all the breakfast egg on the tablecloth. I’m in favor of walking out even now.”
“I’m not,” replied Penny.
“Say, what’s got into you anyway?” Jerry demanded. “You’re acting mighty funny.”
“Notice those two men at the last table,” she indicated.
“What about them?”
“See that heavy-set fellow with the tattooed anchor on his arm? Well, I’m satisfied he is the same boatman who cruised near the Kippenberg estate yesterday afternoon.”
“It might be,” Jerry agreed, unimpressed. “The Kobalt is only a stone’s throw away. And this place seems to be frequented by rivermen.”
“You didn’t hear what they were saying?” whispered Penny. “Listen!”
Jerry immediately fell silent, centering his attention upon the two men. But by this time they had lowered their voices so that only an occasional word could be distinguished.
“What were they saying anyway?” Jerry asked curiously.
Before Penny could answer, the proprietor came from the kitchen bearing two plates of food which he set down before them. The sandwiches were covered with a dark brown, watery gravy, potatoes bore a heavy coating of grease and the coffee looked weak.
“Anything more?” the man inquired indifferently.
“That’s all,” Jerry replied, with emphasis. “In fact, it’s too much.”
At the adjoining table the two men abruptly hauled to their feet. Paying their bill they quitted the restaurant.
“Let’s leave, too,” suggested Penny. “I should like to see where they go.”
Jerry pushed his plate aside. “Suits me,” he agreed. “Even my cast-iron stomach can’t wrestle with such food as this.”
He paid at the cash register and they went out into the night. Penny looked about for the two men and saw them walking toward the river.
“Hold on,” said Jerry as she started to follow. “Tell me what all the excitement is about.”
Tersely, Penny repeated the conversation she had overheard.
“They’re tough looking hombres all right,” Jerry admitted. “Likely as not mixed up in some dirty business. But to say they’re involved in the Kippenberg affair—”
“Oh, Jerry,” Penny broke in impatiently, “we’ll never learn anything if we take that attitude. We must run down every possible clue. Please, let’s see if they go down to the river.”
“We ought to be getting our story back to the office,” Jerry reminded her. “If we miss the last edition there will be fireworks.”
“It will only take a minute,” Penny insisted stubbornly. “If you won’t come with me, then I’m going alone!”
She started away and the reporter had no choice but to follow. A narrow, well-trod path led down a steep slope toward the river. Long before they came within sight of it they could hear the croak of bullfrogs and feel the damp, night mists enveloping them like a cloak.
Drawing closer to the two men, Penny and Jerry slackened pace and moved with greater care.
But if they hoped to learn anything from the conversation of the pair ahead they were disappointed. The talk concerned only the weather.
Reaching the banks of the river, the two men boarded a sturdy cabin cruiser which had been moored to a sagging dock.
“It’s the very same boat,” Penny whispered jubilantly. “I knew I wasn’t mistaken.”
“Even so, what does that prove?” demanded Jerry. “It’s no crime to run a motorboat near the Kippenberg estate. The river is free.”
“But you must admit there is other evidence. Oh, why can’t we follow them? We might learn something really important.”
“We’re not going off on any wild chase tonight,” stated Jerry sternly. “Come on, it’s home for us before your father sends a police squad to search for his missing daughter.”
“You’re losing a golden opportunity, Jerry Livingston.”
“Listen, by the time we located a boat those men would be ten miles from here. They’re leaving now. Use your head.”
“Oh, all right,” Penny gave in. “We’ll go home, but I’ll bet a cent you’ll be sorry later on.”
She waited until the cruiser was lost to view in the darkness and then allowed the reporter to guide her back up the steep path.
“At least let’s try to find out who the men are,”Penny urged as they came near the cafe. “The restaurant owner might know.”
More to please her than for any other reason, Jerry said that he would inquire. He re-entered the cafe, returning in a few minutes to report that the proprietor had never seen either of the men before.
“And now let’s be traveling,” he urged. “We’ve killed enough time here.”
During the remainder of the ride back to Riverview, Penny had little to say. But long after she knew Jerry had forgotten the two boatmen she kept turning their conversation over in her mind. She only wished she might prove that her theories were not ridiculous.
Presently, the automobile drew up in front of the Parker residence.
“Won’t you come in, Jerry?” Penny invited. “Dad may wish to talk with you about the case.”
“I might stop a minute. I have a question or two to ask him.”
The door of the house swung open as Penny and the reporter crossed the front porch. Anthony Parker stood framed in the bright electric light, a tall, imposing figure.
“That you, Penny?”
“Yes, Dad.”
“I’m glad you’re home safe,” he said, not trying to hide his relief. “Mrs. Weems and I have both been worried. It’s going on nine o’clock.”
“So late? Didn’t Louise telephone you?”
“Yes, she said you had gone on to the Kippenberg estate. Knowing you, I worried all the more. What mischief did you get into this time, Penny?”
“None. Jerry took care of that!”
Mr. Parker held the door open for his daughter and Jerry to pass through. “Have you had your dinners?” he asked.
“We stopped at a roadside cafe, Dad. But the food was horrible. We didn’t even try to eat it.”
“Mrs. Weems can find something for you, I’m sure. She’s upstairs.”
“Don’t call her just yet,” said Penny. “First, we want to tell you what we’ve learned.”
Mr. Parker listened attentively as Penny gave a detailed account of her visit to the estate, the finding of the silk hat, and finally of her encounter with the two boatmen at the river cafe.
“I might have learned a lot more if only Jerry hadn’t played grandmother,” she said crossly. “He refused to follow the boat down the river—said it would only be a wild chase.”
“Jerry, I’m glad you had will power enough to overrule her,” declared Mr. Parker. “The possibility of those men being connected with the Atherwald case seems very vague to me.”
“Dad, you should have heard what they were saying! The one man drew a design on the tablecloth and asked his companion what he thought of the route. They talked about a quick get-away to the sea.”
“The men may have been fugitives,” Mr. Parker commented. “But even that isn’t very likely.”
“They spoke of being uneasy about a certain job they had agreed to do,” Penny went on earnestly. “They mentioned a girl and said that a fellow named Dietz would bear watching.”
Mr. Parker leaned forward in his chair. “Dietz?” he questioned. “Are you certain that was the name?”
“Yes, I heard it clearly.”
“I don’t see how there could be any connection,”Mr. Parker mused. “And yet—”
“Where did you hear the name before, Dad?”Penny asked, all eagerness.
“Well, DeWitt has been digging up all the facts he can about James Kippenberg. As it happens, the man once had a business associate named Aaron Dietz who was dismissed because of alleged dishonesty.”
“Then there must be a relationship!” Penny cried. She whirled triumphantly to face the crestfallen reporter. “You see, Mr. Jerry Livingston, my theory wasn’t so crazy after all! Now aren’t you sorry?”
CHAPTER 14
THE STONE TOWER
Louise Sidell was washing the breakfast dishes when Penny walked boldly in at the back door.
“Don’t you ever answer doorbells, Lou?” she demanded. “I stood around front for half an hour, ringing and ringing.”
“Why, hello, Penny. I didn’t hear you at all,” apologized Louise. “The radio is on too loud. I see you reached home last night.”
Penny picked up a towel and began to dry dishes. “Oh, yes, and did I have a day!”
“What happened after you left Andover?”
“It’s a long story, so I’ll begin at the end. Last night, coming home with Jerry we stopped at a cafe along the river. Guess whom we saw!”
“Knowing your luck, I’d say Charlie Chaplin, or maybe the Queen of England.”
“This particular cafe wasn’t quite their speed, Lou. Jerry and I saw that same boatman I told you about!”
“The fellow you saw cruising about the Kippenberg estate? What’s so remarkable about that?”
“It just happens I’ve dug up other evidence to show he may know something about Grant Atherwald’s disappearance,”Penny revealed proudly. “Jerry and I overheard a conversation. It seems this man and a companion of his are mixed up with another fellow named Aaron Dietz.”
“Which doesn’t make sense to me,” complained Louise, scrubbing hard at a sticky plate.
“Aaron Dietz was a former associate of James Kippenberg. Dad said he probably knew more about the Kippenberg financial affairs than any other person. Oh, I tell you, Jerry feels pretty sick because we didn’t follow the men last night! Dad assigned him to try to pick up the trail today. He’s chartered a motor boat and will patrol the river.”
“If you don’t mind,” said Louise patiently, “I’d like to hear the first part of the story now. Then I might know what this is all about.”
Talking as fast as she could, Penny related everything which had happened since she had taken leave of her chum at Andover.
“Which brings me to the point of my visit,” she ended her tale. “How about going out there with me this morning?”
“To the Kippenberg estate?” Louise asked eagerly.
“Yes, we may not be able to get across the river, but I mean to try.”
“You know I’m wild to visit the place, Penny!”
“How soon can you start?”
“Just as soon as these stupid dishes are done. And I ought to change my dress.”
“Wear something dark which won’t attract attention in the bushes,” advised Penny. “Now get to working on yourself while I finish the dishes.”
Louise dropped the dishcloth and hurried upstairs. When she returned ten minutes later, her chum was swishing the last of the soapsuds down the sink drain. Another five minutes and they were in Penny’s battered car, speeding toward Corbin.
The sun rode high in the sky by the time they came within view of the drawbridge. Noticing that a press car from a
rival newspaper was parked at the end of the road, Penny drew up some distance away. She could see two reporters talking with the old watchman.
“Evidently, they’re having no luck in getting over to the estate,” she remarked.
“Then what about us?”
“Oh, we have our own private taxi service,” Penny chuckled. “At least I hope so.”
Taking a circuitous route so they would not be noticed by the bridgeman, the girls went down to the river’s edge. Far up the stream Penny saw the familiar rowboat drifting with the current. At her signal the small boy seized his oars and rowed toward shore.
“I was here at eight o’clock just as you said,” he declared. “That fellow up there by the bridge offered me a dollar to take him across the river. I turned him down.”
“Good,” approved Penny.
“Do you want to go across the river now?” the boy asked.
“Yes, please.” Penny stepped into the boat and made room for Louise. “Keep close to the bank until we are around the bend. Then I’ll show you where to land.”
“I guess you’re afraid someone will see you,” the boy commented.
“Not exactly afraid,” corrected Penny. “But this way will be best.”
The boat moved quietly along the high bank, well out of sight of those who stood by the drawbridge.
“The cops were here this morning,” volunteered the boy as he pulled at the oars.
“You saw them visit the estate?” Penny questioned.
“Sure, there were four of ’em. They drove up in a police car and they made old Thorndyke let the bridge down so they could go across.”
“Are the policemen at the estate now?”
“No, they left again in about an hour. What do you suppose they wanted over there?”
“Well, now, I couldn’t guess,” replied Penny. “Like as not they only wished to ask a few questions. Are the Kippenbergs at home?”
“I saw Mrs. Kippenberg drive away right after the police left.”
“And her daughter?”
“I guess she must be still there. Anyway, she wasn’t in the car.”
The boat rounded the bend, and Penny pointed out a place on the opposite shore where she wished to land.
The Penny Parker Megapack: 15 Complete Novels Page 8
