"Never mind," he said quickly. "I'll ride in the rumble."
"It's not very comfortable," Mr. Nichols warned.
"No matter. I'd rather sit back there."
He climbed into the rumble and Mr. Nichols drove on down the road. Now and then when Penny would glance back through the glass she could see the man gazing intently at her. His scrutiny made her feel very uncomfortable. She wondered if her father shared the feeling. Mr. Nichols was paying close attention to the road, and his masklike face revealed none of his thoughts.
Soon the car drove into the little sleepy village of Kendon which had been settled at the foot of Knob Hill.
"Look for Judd Kilkane's real estate office," the detective told Penny.
"There it is!" she cried a moment later. "On the north side."
Mr. Nichols parked the car in front of the building.
"I'll be back in just a minute," he said to Walter Crocker. "I want to get the key to our cottage from Judd Kilkane."
The man in the rumble made no reply. He sat hunched over in the seat, head bent low.