“Mr. Ayling came here to find you and your grandmother. Then he went to Chicago and hasn’t returned. I’m afraid something has happened to him.”
“I’ve seen no one here except members of the society,” Rhoda said. “Sometimes though, I wonder what goes on in the cellar. Once I heard a dreadful commotion! And the way Julia screams when she is upset!”
“She’s a simple soul.”
“Simple perhaps, but she knows more than anyone else about the real secrets of this house.”
“Speaking of secrets,” said Penny hesitantly, “I’m wondering what ever became of the star sapphire?”
“It’s safe—at least I think so,” Rhoda replied. “Not even Grandmother knows where I have hidden it.”
“Then there’s no chance Father Benedict can get his hands on it while I go for police?”
“Not unless he forces me to tell where the gem is hidden. And I’ll die first! But I’m afraid he may torture Grandmother in an attempt to make her reveal what she doesn’t know.”
Penny prepared to close the peephole. “I’ll go for the authorities now as fast as I can,” she promised. “Keep up your courage until I return.”
“Do be careful,” Rhoda warned nervously. “If Father Benedict should catch you trying to escape, there’s no guessing what he would do!”