Mr. Parker said no word, but he pulled her to him in a rough embrace. The next moment he was trying once more to enter the building, intending to save important papers.
“Take it easy, Parker,” advised the fireman, barring the door with his hose. “The smoke’s bad in there.”
“Will the building go?”
“We’ll save most of it,” the fireman assured him confidently.
Penny plucked at her father’s sleeve. “Dad, oughtn’t the police be sent after Peter Fenestra? He’s responsible for this, and a lot of other things, too!”
“You mean Fenestra set the fire?”
Above the roar of flames, Penny tersely disclosed how the man had compelled her to take refuge in the inner office room. Jerry also heard the story, and when she had finished, he said to Mr. Parker:
“Chief, let me take a couple of policemen and nail that fellow! Maybe we can arrest him at the farm before he makes a get-away.”
“Go ahead,” urged Mr. Parker.
“I’m going along,” declared Penny, and darted away before her father could stop her.