“Yes, she said you had gone on to the Kippenberg estate. Knowing you, I worried all the more. What mischief did you get into this time, Penny?”
“None. Jerry took care of that!”
Mr. Parker held the door open for his daughter and Jerry to pass through. “Have you had your dinners?” he asked.
“We stopped at a roadside cafe, Dad. But the food was horrible. We didn’t even try to eat it.”
“Mrs. Weems can find something for you, I’m sure. She’s upstairs.”
“Don’t call her just yet,” said Penny. “First, we want to tell you what we’ve learned.”
Mr. Parker listened attentively as Penny gave a detailed account of her visit to the estate, the finding of the silk hat, and finally of her encounter with the two boatmen at the river cafe.
“I might have learned a lot more if only Jerry hadn’t played grandmother,” she said crossly. “He refused to follow the boat down the river—said it would only be a wild chase.”
“Jerry, I’m glad you had will power enough to overrule her,” declared Mr. Parker. “The possibility of those men being connected with the Atherwald case seems very vague to me.”
“Dad, you should have heard what they were saying! The one man drew a design on the tablecloth and asked his companion what he thought of the route. They talked about a quick get-away to the sea.”