Hastening there, Penny saw no sign of them. Nor was the gateman on duty. However, hearing low voices inside the gatehouse, she stepped to the doorway. No one was in view, but two men were talking in the inner office.
“It worked slick as a whistle,” she heard one of them say. “The girl was caught with the stuff on her, and they fired her.”
“Who was she?”
“A new employee named Sally Barker.”
“Good enough, Joe. That ought to take the heat off the others for awhile at least.”
The name startled Penny who instantly wondered if one of the speakers might be Sweeper Joe. Confirming her suspicion, the man came out of the inner room a moment later. Seeing her, he stopped short and his jaw dropped.
“What you doin’ here?” he demanded gruffly.
“Waiting for Mr. Gandiss,” Penny replied. “And you?”
Joe did not answer. Mumbling something, he pushed past her and went off toward the main factory building.
“He’s certainly acting as if he deliberately planned to get Sally into trouble,” she thought resentfully.