“The man may have been a sleep walker,” she thought. “Possibly the owner of the estate, Mr. Deming.”
The cab had reached the business section of Riverview. Upon impulse Penny decided to stop at the Star plant to make sure that everything was going well.
“It won’t take me long,” she assured Mrs. Weems. “Why don’t you wait in the cab?”
Only a skeleton night force was on duty at the Star office. The advertising department had been closed, and on the floor above, scrub women were busy mopping up. A sleepy-eyed desk man greeted Penny as she entered the deserted newsroom.
“Everything’s Okay,” he assured her. “The final edition’s out, and most of the boys have gone home. I was just taking a little cat nap.”
“Any news?”
“Not about your father. The police have been kept busy chasing down false rumors. About four hours ago a report came in your father had been seen in Chicago.”
“Chicago!”
“Just a fake report.”
“Oh, I see,” said Penny weakly. “No word from Jerry, I suppose?”