“No, don’t take me away!” she pleaded anxiously. “My employer is coming home tonight. I just received the telegram. If I’m not here when he arrives, I may lose my job!”
Actually Detective Fuller had little evidence against Mrs. Botts and doubted that he could hold her many hours in jail. Far more might be gained by allowing the woman her freedom and keeping watch of the house.
“We’ll let you stay here,” he decided after a moment’s thought. “However, you’ll be wanted for questioning a little later. Make no attempt to leave the premises.”
“I won’t try to go away,” Mrs. Botts promised. “I want to cooperate with the police. All I ask is that my employer, Mr. Deming, doesn’t hear of this. I’m innocent and it’s not right for me to lose a good job.”
Very shortly the party bade the woman goodbye and left the estate. Detective Fuller assigned a policeman to keep watch of the property and then returned to Riverview. Louise and Penny, completely bewildered, left with their driver, Joe, debated their next action.
“Where to?” the cabman inquired. “Home?”
“I suppose so,” sighed Penny. “I never was in such a muddle in all my life. What became of that man I thought was Dad?”
“He must have left the house while we were at the police station,” Louise declared. “It was a surprise finding Mrs. Botts there too! She must have returned in a hurry after we went away.”
“Mrs. Botts got rid of Lester Jones somehow,” Penny said with conviction. “Oh, she’s a slick one!”
As Joe shifted gears, the girls observed a dark figure approaching the estate from down the road.