“I for one,” Kitty said, “have no intention of going down to that shed. I’m going into the house and Mal is going with me and we’re going to lock ourselves in.”
“Fine,” Jimmy said. “That solves the problem. Phil can leave his gun with Mal just in case.”
“Okay,” Mal agreed and stuck Phil’s little pistol into his pocket. After the Donahues had gone into the house the others headed for the shed.
Jimmy had brought a flashlight with him, and when they got inside the shed he flashed it all around. Just as they were about to leave, he shouted, “Look!” and pointed to a spot near the broken wall where Penny had fallen through earlier that day.
The floor of the shed had been opened and plainly showing in the earth under it was a footprint. “Someone has been here since we left,” Jimmy cried excitedly. “That footprint was made by a man wearing a shoe with a rubber sole. And we were all wearing sneakers.”
“You’re right,” Phil said soberly. “But the man who made that footprint might not have been our prowler. It could have been left by one of the delivery boys whose curiosity was aroused when he heard about Penny’s accident.”
Penny nodded. “One of them might have biked back out while we were having supper just to have a look. Kids are like that.”
“But,” Jimmy argued, “they don’t have such big feet.”
“Oh, yes, they do,” Marjorie said with a giggle. “Take a look at what’s on the end of your own ankles.”
“Maybe the prowler was just a curious kid,” Penny said suddenly. “Have you thought of that, Phil?”