“That may cramp your style a little, but I doubt it,” declared Louise. “I do wish I could go along.”
The girls talked with Mrs. Sidell, but as they both had expected, it was not practical for Louise to make the trip.
“I’ll come to the airport to see you off on your plane,” Louise promised as Penny left the house. “You’re starting Thursday, aren’t you?”
“Yes, at ten-thirty unless there’s bad weather. But I’ll see you again before that.”
All the next day Penny packed furiously. Mr. Parker was unusually busy at the office, but he bought his daughter’s ticket and made all arrangements for the trip to Pine Top. Since Mrs. Weems also planned to leave Riverview the following day, the house was in a constant state of turmoil.
“I feel sorry for Dad being left here alone,” remarked Penny. “He’ll never make his bed, and he’ll probably exist on strong coffee and those wretched raw beef sandwiches they serve at the beanery across from the Star office.”
“I ought to give up my vacation,” declared Mrs. Weems. “It seems selfish of me not to stay here.”
Mr. Parker would not hear of such an arrangement, and so plans moved forward just as if his own trip had not been postponed.
“Dad, you’ll honestly try to come to Pine Top for Christmas?” Penny pleaded.
“I’ll do my best,” he promised soberly. “I have a hunch that Harvey Maxwell may still be in town, despite what we were told at the hotel. I intend to busy myself making a complete investigation of the man.”