“I’m so glad you came!” she exclaimed, before they could explain what had happened. “Nearly an hour ago someone telephoned, asking for Penny. I think the message may be important.”
“Who was it?” Penny asked.
“A man named Edward McClusky.”
“The river diver!” Penny exclaimed. “What did he want, Mrs. Weems?”
“At first he wouldn’t tell me, saying he had to talk to you personally. However, I finally persuaded him to trust me with the message. He said: ‘Tell Miss Parker that her friend Ben Bartell went aboard the Snark last night and hasn’t been seen since.’”
CHAPTER
24
A RAID ON THE SNARK
“Oh, why didn’t Mr. McClusky call the police instead?” Penny cried anxiously. “Ben may be in serious trouble!” Turning to her father she added: “Dad, we must go there right away!”
“To the Snark?” Mr. Parker frowned and reached for the telephone. “The matter is one for the police, Penny. I’ll call the night inspector.”
Contacting the police station, the publisher explained why he believed it advisable to search the Snark. He was assured that a squad would be sent there at once to investigate.
“We’ve had other complaints about that vessel,” the inspector said. “So far we’ve not been able to find anything out of the way.”