"I never meant to either," said Parrish. "Forget it!"
"It was none of my business. I should have shut up and left. Tell her I'm sorry when you get a chance; she'll probably never speak to me again."
He wondered if he could get Smith's permission to move his desk. On second thought, he wondered if he would come out of this with a desk to move.
"Sure she will," said Parrish. "She's really just a good-natured kid. It wasn't anything serious. You startled us, that was all."
Beryl and Lydman turned the corner, leaving the two followers free to increase their pace. They rounded the corner themselves in time to see Lydman going through the double doors.
"It was too bad he came along when she was yelling to be let out," said Parrish. "He didn't understand."
"You mean he actually thought we were trying to keep her there against her will?" asked Westervelt.
"Well, we were, I suppose, or at least I was. He doesn't seem to think any further than that in such situations. If someone is being held against his will, that's enough for Bob. Did you know Smitty had to post a bond for him?"
"A bond!" repeated Westervelt. "What for?"
"They caught him a couple of times, trying out his new gadgets around the city jail. I'll tell you about it sometime."