"I was quite right," declared Miss Todd emphatically. "Because something did happen. There was a wreck. The train jumped off the track. It was a terrible wreck. There were five people killed and it was a blessing Todham and I weren't killed too. But we were hurt. We were badly hurt. I've never felt the same since. My nerves have never been right. As for Todham, he always had been a nervous sort of man, and after that wreck he went all to pieces. The doctor said he would be all right after a while, that all he needed was rest and quiet, and I believed he was right. But we sued the railway for damages."
"Did you win the suit?" asked Mr. Hardy.
"It has not come to trial. The lawyers delayed everything. In the meantime, poor Todham was acting strangely. You wouldn't think he was the same man. He was very queer. I used to wonder if the railway wreck had affected his mind. Instead of getting better, he became worse. Then one night, just before the trial was to come off, he disappeared."
"Disappeared!"
"He walked out of the house one night and from that minute to this we haven't seen hide nor hair of him," declared Evangeline Todd. "We have heard of him, but he's like a will-o'-the-wisp. We have heard of him in different places, but when we come to look for him, he's gone. He has never written to us. There hasn't been any real trace of him. The shock was too much for me, and I collapsed and I haven't been well since. Not a bit well. My nerves have been completely shattered."
"When did your brother disappear?" asked the detective.
"Months ago. This happened four months back."
Fenton Hardy frowned.
"Four months ago! That makes it more difficult. If you had come to me earlier I would have had a better chance of helping you."
"Don't say you won't help me, Mr. Hardy," entreated the woman. "Please don't say you won't take the case."