“I didn’t know,” murmured Mrs. Botts. “When they came in the taxi, they offered me money.”
“And you took it?”
“I tried not to, but they forced it on me.”
Penny sprang to her feet. Only by the greatest effort of will could she keep from telling the housekeeper what she thought of her contemptible actions.
“You sent Dad away with those men,” she repeated mechanically. “Didn’t he realize who they were?”
“I told him they were his friends. I really thought so. He went willingly enough.”
Penny was sick with despair. From the first, the situation had been grave, but now there seemed little hope. From Mrs. Botts’ story she could only conclude that her father suffered from a brain injury. Even if she were fortunate enough to find him, he would not be likely to recognize her as his daughter.
“Oh, Salt,” she pleaded, turning to the photographer. “What are we to do? What can we do?”
His reply though prompt, was not completely reassuring.
“We’ve already put every policeman in Riverview on the trail of those men!” he answered soberly. “And we’ll scour every nook and cranny of this town ourselves! Chin up, Penny! Why, we’ve only started to fight!”