“It looks as if you’ve won the reward which the Bresham Store offered for the capture of Laponi,” he told her. “Five hundred dollars.”
“Don’t turn it down,” Rosanna urged.
“I won’t,” Penny laughed. “In fact, I know just how I’ll use that money when I get it.”
“How?” her father inquired.
“I’ll buy myself a new car.”
“I thought perhaps you’d use it to go into business in competition with me,” he teased.
“Some day I’ll solve a mystery which will be so big and important that you’ll not be able to twit me about it,” Penny announced.
“I wasn’t really teasing, my dear. I think you did a fine bit of work this time and I’m proud of you.”
“Honestly?”
“Honestly,” Mr. Nichols repeated, smiling broadly. “And I predict that you’re only starting on this career of crime detection which you find so very thrilling.”