Elsie Brand reached for the telephone, then held her hand over the receiver, lifting her eyebrows questioningly at Bertha Cool.
Bertha said, “If it’s going to bother your conscience to tell them I’m not here, this will fix it so you won’t have to lie about it.”
She jerked the door open and stepped out into the corridor.
10
The Twirp Turns
Bertha Cool came marching triumphantly into the office, a folded newspaper under her arm.
She grinned at Elsie Brand. “Seen the paper, Elsie?”
“Yes. Isn’t it wonderful? I was trying to reach you to tell you about it, but I couldn’t locate you. You’d left the hotel.”
“Got up at daylight to catch the tide,” Bertha explained.
“Any luck?”