"I'm afraid I made a great mistake in hiring her," confessed the detective. "She'll talk us crazy."
"At least you must admit it's interesting to have all the inside information about our landlord."
"I'm not concerned in Crocker's affairs," Mr. Nichols rejoined. "Anyway, I'd not believe a word that woman said about him. Obviously, she bears a grudge."
Penny and her father made their purchases in one of the grocery stores, finding the owner a pleasant, genial individual. During the course of the conversation he remarked upon the automobile accident which had occurred the previous night.
"It's a funny thing about it," he said. "The owner of the car disappeared and no one seems to know the driver."
"Why, my daughter and I brought him to town last night," declared Mr. Nichols quickly. "He was Herman Crocker's nephew, or so he told us."
"You don't say! Well, that's the first time I ever heard that Herman had a living nephew. Shall I carry these packages out to the car for you?"
"Yes, please," requested the detective.
The storekeeper deposited the grocery order in the automobile and then went back into his shop.
"Dad, Mr. Crocker asked me not to tell anyone about his nephew's having been here," Penny said as they started up Knob Hill.