She jumped as the receiver was taken down and a voice barked: “City desk.”
“This is Penny Parker over at Corbin,” she began weakly.
“Can’t hear you,” snapped DeWitt. “Talk up.”
Penny repeated her name and DeWitt’s voice lost some of its edge. Gathering courage, she started to tell him what she had learned at the Kippenberg estate.
“Hold it,” interrupted DeWitt. “I’ll switch you over to a rewrite man.”
The connection was made and Penny began a second time. Now and then the rewrite man broke into the narrative to ask a question.
“All right, I think I have it all,” he said finally and hung up.
Penny went back to the car looking as crestfallen as she felt.
“I don’t know what they thought of the story,” she told Salt. “DeWitt certainly didn’t waste any words of praise.”
“He never does,” chuckled the photographer. “You’re lucky if you don’t get fired.”