Penny’s thoughts were momentarily distracted as she heard indistinct voices from the direction of the Harper dock. Lights had been turned on in the house and basement.
“Those men are getting rid of the stolen brass,” she reasoned. “If they try to sell it to Heiney, they still may be caught.”
Presently the motorboat moved away from the Harper dock, its engine laboring. The craft was sunk low in the water as if from a heavy load.
The boat did not turn down stream as Penny expected. Instead, it crossed the river at right angles, stopping in mid-stream at the deepest part of the channel. There the engine was cut off.
“Now what?” thought Penny.
Claude Harper likewise seemed puzzled by the action, for he turned to stare, muttering to himself.
Though Penny could not see what the men were doing aboard the boat, she heard a loud splash as something heavy was dropped overboard.
“The fools!” Claude Harper exclaimed. “The fools!”
Another splash and still another followed. Then the boat turned and came toward the grass patch. Claude Harper hailed the men with an angry exclamation.
“You idiots! After all the risk we’ve taken, you dump our profits in the river!”