"We did give a young man a lift to town," Mr. Nichols said. "But his name was Walter Crocker."
"Then I'll not trouble you further," said the visitor, arising. "Thank you for your time."
He bowed to Penny and her father and drove away in his car.
"He was afraid to tell me any more about the case for fear I'd charge him a fee," chuckled Mr. Nichols. "Very likely by the time Mr. Madden gets back to Chicago his partner will be there too."
"Dad," said Penny thoughtfully, "maybe the man we picked up really was Jay Kline."
"What was that?" Mr. Nichols demanded.
"I said, perhaps the fellow who rode to town with us wasn't Walter Crocker at all but merely told us that name—"
"I can't keep up with your theories," Mr. Nichols laughed. "You have a new one every minute."
"That's because there are so many new developments, Dad. I wonder if it's too late to stop Mr. Madden?"
"He's a mile down the road by this time. And I'm glad of it because I don't want you to make yourself or me look ridiculous. What gave you the idea that Jay Kline and Walter Crocker are one and the same person?"