"But you don't really think he'll come?"
"I have no way of knowing, Penny. I must admit I'll be rather surprised if he appears."
Penny relapsed into moody silence as she walked toward the house with Mr. Nichols and her chum. She had begun to regret her hasty action.
"I left your roadster at a downtown garage," Mr. Nichols commented, switching to a different subject. "I notified the police that the wheels had been stolen but I did not have time to see the insurance company. I can attend to it in the morning unless you care to do it yourself."
"I may as well," Penny agreed listlessly.
She was feeling very gloomy indeed. Although her father had refrained from blaming her, she knew that he was amused if not annoyed at her behavior. Above all else, she coveted his admiration.
"Cheer up," he said lightly as the three entered the house. "What if you did make a slight blunder? All detectives must learn by experience."
"A fine detective I'd make!" Penny sniffed. "I fail at the very first test. I'm just soft hearted I guess."
"Part of the blame should fall on me," Susan declared. "Jerry Barrows didn't seem in the least like a criminal, Mr. Nichols. I was impressed with his story too."
"I feel sure he must have been a very persuasive talker," the detective smiled. "However, I don't consider that either of you committed any great crime in permitting the boy to escape so I shouldn't worry about it now that the deed is done."