Louise helped her chum over the back fence and guided her toward the parked taxi. Midway there Penny paused to stare up at the dark windows of the second floor.
“Lou!” she exclaimed. “That man must have been Dad even if he didn’t know me!”
“Oh, Penny, don’t start that all over again,” Louise pleaded. “You’re only torturing yourself.”
“I’m going back!”
“No, we can’t let you, Penny.”
Louise held her chum’s arm firmly. Joe opened the door of the taxi and they pushed her in. Penny protested for a moment, then submitted.
“All right, but we’re going straight to the police station!” she announced. “I’ll not be satisfied until that man positively is identified as Lester Jones.”
A few minutes later, at the police station, Detective Fuller heard the entire story. It was the first he had learned about Mrs. Botts, for Penny’s earlier message had not been delivered by Policeman Burns.
“For that matter, I’ve not seen Burns today,” the detective explained. “I’ll go to the estate at once and question the woman.”
Again Penny and Louise taxied to the estate, this time trailed by a police car. Detective Fuller broke the padlock on the gate and led the party to the front door.