Dorothy made a face at Bill.
“We know that these men have headquarters somewhere in this state,” she began airily. “Why? Because Donovan said they must get me over to Connecticut. And later, in the warehouse, he told Peters not to rob me because the boss wanted me delivered just as I was. Daddy Bolton believes that because these men have been spotted so quickly that you are mixed up in it, Bill, their headquarters are much nearer to this house than we figured: that the chances are, it is only a very few miles from here that they’re to be found—or their system of spying on us couldn’t be so perfect!”
“That’s right,” concurred Mr. Bolton. “This smuggler boss or his accomplices over here must live in the neighborhood. Some of his servants know ours—have known them for some time or they would not have been able to ask questions without causing suspicion.”
Mr. Dixon looked suddenly serious. “You can’t mean that our neighbors along this ridge are mixed up in it? The Clarks, old Holloway, the Denbys, Miss Cross—and ten or a dozen others—are all old friends and eminently respectable people! Why, it’s preposterous to think—”
“I’m not trying to pin it on anybody yet,” countered Bill’s father. “But mark my words—when this business is cleared up, you’ll find that some eminently respectable New Canaan household is mixed up in it!”
Chapter XIV
UP AGAINST IT
It was finally decided that Dorothy and Bill should make a series of circular patrols, centering above New Canaan.
“We’ll each take a plane,” said Bill, “and keep each other in sight.”
“What’s the use of doing that?” Dorothy asked. “Why not make the patrols separately? When I come down, you go up. In that way we can stay in the air twice as long on the same amount of gas, and take a rest once in a while.”
“Too risky. These smugglers are desperate. We’ve already thrown a good-sized monkey-wrench into the works of their organization. That Mystery Plane is quite likely to pack along a machine gun—and use it if the pilot finds out we’re trying to follow him.”