She handed it to him.
"Penny, you've done a fine piece of work," he praised.
"But I let him get away."
"You couldn't help that. This license number may make it possible for us to trace him. I'll telephone police headquarters right now and see if they know anything about the car."
He sought a telephone in an adjoining room. Penny lingered by his elbow while he made the call. After talking for some minutes, he hung up the receiver.
"I was afraid we might run into this, Penny. The license number which you noted down belongs to a stolen car."
"Then it won't be of any use to you."
"Probably not a great deal. But don't feel disappointed. It wasn't your fault that the man got away. He has eluded some very clever investigators."
"I had another queer experience when I went to meet Susan," Penny related. "Did you ever hear of a policeman by the name of Jerome Davis?"
"Yes, why?"