“She even vanished on purpose,” Pauline agreed. “It’s clear to me—”
“It’s clear to me, too,” Judy interrupted. “It’s perfectly clear that we haven’t found out a single thing. Isn’t it about time we started using our heads? Peter doesn’t jump to conclusions without examining the evidence. If he’s willing to risk his life to turn up a few facts to present at preliminary hearings, the least we can do is discuss this with him before we decide who’s guilty.”
“Guilty of what?” asked Flo. “Making us dream?”
Suddenly all three girls began to laugh. It seemed ridiculous for them to be taking their dreams so seriously. But their laughter died in their throats when they reached Mr. Lawson’s house. Judy was the first to notice the shattered glass in the door. It was broken in a peculiar way. Several round holes with cracks radiating from them told the story.
“Bullet holes!” she exclaimed. “This was the place where it happened. You’re too late, Pauline. You won’t find Mr. Lawson—”
Meantime Flo had rung the bell. A heavy-set woman came in answer to it just in time to hear the name. She peered at the girls through the shattered glass before she opened the door.
“So it’s Mr. Lawson you want, is it?” she inquired. “And what would you be wanting with the good man?”
Good man! Judy could hardly contain herself. Did the woman know what sort of man he really was? Or had he fooled her just as he had fooled the people in Pauline’s church? He had even outwitted Peter.
“We did want to see him,” Pauline began, affecting a timid voice. “We came to make a donation—”
“Indeed!” the woman interrupted. “I’ll take it, if you please, and forward it to him. He’s away for a couple of weeks.”