“Oh, no! Certainly not! I just thought—” Penny became confused and finished: “The camera was expensive and didn’t belong to me.”
“I know nothing about the matter! You certainly have your nerve accusing me!”
“Come, come,” said the professor, giving his wife a significant, warning glance. “There is no need for disagreement. The young ladies are quite welcome to search the car.”
“We’ve already looked,” Penny admitted. “The camera isn’t there.”
“Isn’t it possible you were mistaken in the automobile?”
“I may have jotted down a wrong license number,” Penny acknowledged reluctantly. “I’m sorry.”
She turned to leave.
“That’s quite all right,” the professor assured her, his tone now becoming more friendly. “Do you girls live near here?”
“In Riverview,” Louise supplied eagerly. “We drove over for a picnic. Mrs. Leonard told us about your light ray machine!”
“Indeed.” Professor Bettenridge looked none too pleased.