“But he told me such remarkable things about Cousin David,” protested Mrs. Weems. “Facts which couldn’t be faked.”
“Oh, Gepper doesn’t make many false moves,” acknowledged Penny. “He’s a smooth worker. All the same, he’s a fake.”
“How could he have faked Cousin David’s message? You forget we actually saw the picture of my relative painted without the aid of a human hand.”
“Did the picture closely resemble your cousin?” inquired Mr. Parker.
“Oh, yes, indeed. It looked exactly as I saw him many years ago.”
“Isn’t that rather odd?” demanded Penny. “One would expect Cousin David to age a little.”
“Penny believes that a photographer’s agent who came here a few days ago was sent by Gepper to obtain a picture of your relative,” explained Mr. Parker. “Did the man ask you many questions about your cousin?”
“Well, yes, he did,” Mrs. Weems admitted unwillingly. “I made a mistake giving him the photograph.”
“It seems fairly evident that the picture was used by Gepper,” Mr. Parker commented. “Whether he plotted to steal your money remains to be proven. Penny, you saw the man plainly?”
“No, I didn’t, Dad. Not his face. He was about the same build as Gepper.”