Judy was out of Horace’s car in a flash.
“Here I am, Peter! Were you looking for me?” she asked, running toward him.
“That,” declared Peter, “is the understatement of the year. I practically searched the whole woods.”
“I’m sorry we didn’t wait. Were you all alone?” Judy asked anxiously.
“Not at first,” Peter replied. “There were two of us in the official car, but the other agent left as soon as I spotted the Beetle. He didn’t think I’d have any trouble finding you, but he was wrong. I was about to wake the Jewell sisters and question them when I discovered that woods road and decided we’d missed each other and Horace had driven you home.”
“So you drove all the way back only to find nobody there,” Judy anticipated.
“Nobody but a hungry cat. Red had been there, as usual, to take care of the barn chores, but he forgot Blackberry. He jumped in the car and went along to help me hunt,” Peter continued. “We were on our way back to the beaver dam.”
“Were you there before? Did you see the beavers?” Holly questioned from Horace’s car.
Peter said he hadn’t been looking for beavers. He was looking for Judy.
“I’ll take Holly home,” Horace volunteered. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Sis, unless you’ve changed your mind about going back to visit your lady.”