"I can't be absolutely certain," Penny admitted. "I've never been inside the house."
"Always there are two sides to every question," Mr. Nichols said slowly. "Folks around here with the exception of Mrs. Masterbrook, seem to think that Crocker isn't a bad sort."
"I'm positive he's not the right person to have entire control of a child, Dad."
"That may be. However, he gave the boy a home when no one else came forward to take him in."
"How do you account for Walter Crocker's car being in Herman's barn?"
"I don't see anything so mysterious about that, Penny. They are relatives. Walter probably asked Herman to have the car hauled there until he came back from the city."
"How do we know he ever went to the city, Dad?"
"What?" asked Mr. Nichols blankly.
Penny repeated her question.
"You're not hinting that something may have happened to Walter Crocker?"