CHAPTER 6 _AN APARTMENT BURGLARY_
Together Penny and Jerry ran down the street, their eyes raised to theunevenly lighted windows of the separate apartment houses. They wereuncertain as to the building from which the cry had come.
Suddenly the front door of the corner dwelling swung open, and a youngwoman in a maid's uniform ran toward them.
Jerry, ever alert for a story of interest to the _Star_, neatly blockedthe sidewalk. Of necessity the girl halted.
"Get a policeman, quick!" she gasped. "Mr. Kohl's apartment has beenrobbed!"
"Mr. Kohl--the banker?" demanded Penny, scarcely believing her ears.
"Yes, yes," the maid said in agitation. "Jewels, silverware, everythinghas been taken! The telephone wire was cut, too! Oh, tell me where I'llfind a policeman!"
"I'll get one for you," offered Jerry.
The information that it was Mr. Kohl's house which had been burglarizeddumbfounded Penny. As the reporter darted away to summon help, sheshowered questions upon the distraught maid.
"I don't know yet how much has been taken," the girl told her excitedly."The rooms look as if a cyclone had swept through them! Oh, what will theKohls say when they learn about it?"
"Mr. and Mrs. Kohl aren't home yet?"
"No, they went to the theatre. They must have stopped at a restaurantafterwards. When they hear of this, I'll lose my job."
"Perhaps not," said Penny kindly. "Surely you weren't to blame for theburglary."
"They'll think so," the maid responded gloomily.
"I am acquainted with Mr. and Mrs. Kohl. Perhaps, if I speak a good wordfor you it may help."
"I doubt it," the girl responded. "I was supposed to have stayed at theapartment the entire evening."
"And you didn't?"
"No, I went to a picture show."
"That does throw a different light on the matter," commented Penny.
"I didn't think it would make any difference. I intended to get hereahead of the Kohls."
"The robbery occurred while you were away?"
"Yes. As soon as I opened the door I knew what had happened! Oh, I'lllose my job all right unless I can think up a good story."
"I wouldn't lie if I were you," advised Penny. "The police are certain tobreak down your story. In any case, you owe it to yourself and youremployers to tell the truth."
A misty rain had started to fall. The maid, who was without a wrap,shivered, yet made no move to re-enter the building. Overhead, all alongthe dark expanse of apartment wall, lights were being turned on.
"I am afraid your scream aroused nearly everyone in the building," saidPenny. "If I were in your place I would return to the Kohl apartment andnot answer many questions until the police arrive."
"Will you stay with me?"
"Gladly."
The apartment door had slammed shut and locked with the night latch.Fortunately the maid had a key with her so it was not necessary to ringfor the janitor. Ignoring the persons who had gathered in the hall, theytook an automatic lift to the third floor, letting themselves into theKohl suite.
"This is the way I found it," said the maid.
She switched on a light, revealing a living room entirely bare of rugs.Where three small Oriental rugs had been placed, only rectangular rims ofdirt remained to mark their outlines.
Beyond, in the dining room with its massive carved furniture, thecontents of a buffet had been emptied on the floor. Several pieces ofchina lay in fragments. A corner cupboard had been stripped, save for avase and an ebony elephant with a broken tusk.
"The wall cabinet was filled with rare antiques," disclosed the maid."Mrs. Kohl has collected Early American silver for many years. Some ofthe pieces she considered priceless."
The bedrooms were in less disorder. However, bureau drawers had beenoverturned, and jewel cases looted of everything save the most trivialarticles.
"Mrs. Kohl's pearls are gone, and her diamond bracelet," the maidinformed, picking up the empty jewel box. "I am pretty sure she didn'twear them to the theatre."
"I wouldn't touch anything if I were you," advised Penny. "Fingerprints."
The maid dropped the case. "Oh!" she gasped. "I never thought of that! Doyou think the police will blame me for the robbery?"
"Not if you tell them the truth. It surely will be unwise to try to hideanything."
"I won't hold anything back," the maid promised. "It happened just like Isaid. After Mr. and Mrs. Kohl left I went to a picture show."
"Alone?"
"With my girl friend. After the show we had a soda together, and then shewent home."
"What time did you get here?"
"Only a minute or two before I called for help. I tried the telephonefirst."
"Why didn't you summon the janitor?"
"I never thought of that. I was so excited I ran outside hoping to find apoliceman."
Penny nodded and, returning to the living room, satisfied herself thatthe telephone wires actually had been cut.
"You didn't notice anyone in the halls as you went downstairs."
"No one. Old Mr. Veely was on the lower floor when I came from the show,but he's lived here for seven years. I don't see how the burglar got intothe apartment."
"I was wondering about that myself. You're quite sure you locked thesuite door?"
"Oh, yes, I know I did," the maid said emphatically. "And it isn'tpossible to get into the building without a key. Otherwise, the janitormust be called."
Penny walked thoughtfully to the living room window. The apartment stoodfully thirty-five feet from a neighboring building, with the spacebetween much too wide to be spanned. Below, the alley was deserted, andno fire escape ascended from it.
"The burglar couldn't have entered that way," declared the maid. "He musthave had his own key."
Before Penny could respond, a sharp knock sounded on the door. Theservant girl turned to open it. However, instead of the anticipatedpolice, the apartment janitor, George Bailey, peered into the disorderedroom.
"I heard someone scream a minute or so ago," he said. "Some of thetenants thought it came from this apartment. Maybe they were mistaken."
"There's no mistake," spoke Penny from across the room. "The Kohls havebeen robbed. Will you please come inside and close the door?"
"Robbed! You don't say!" The janitor stared with alarmed interest. "Whendid it happen?"
Penny allowed the maid to tell what had occurred, adding no informationof her own. When there came a lull in the excited flow of words, she saidquietly:
"Mr. Bailey, do you mind answering a few questions?"
"Why should I?" the janitor countered. "I'll tell you right now I knownothing about this. I've attended strictly to my duties. It's not mylookout if tenants leave their suite doors unlocked."
"No one is blaming you," Penny assured him. "I merely thought you mightcontribute to a solution of the burglary."
"I don't know a thing about it."
"You didn't let anyone into the apartment building tonight?"
"Not a soul. I locked the service door at six o'clock, too. Now let meask this: Who are you, and how did you get in here?"
"That's fair enough," smiled Penny. She told her name, explained that shewas an acquaintance of the Kohls, and had been summoned by the maid.
"Please don't think that I am trying to play detective," she added. "Iask these questions in the hope of gaining information for my father'spaper, the _Star_."
"Well, it looks to me as if it was an inside job," the janitor replied,mollified. "Come to think of it though, I've seen a suspicious-actingfellow hanging around the building."
"You mean tonight?"
"No, several days ago. He stayed on the other side of the street and keptwatching the doorway."
"What did he look like, Mr. Bailey?"
"Oh, I don't remember. He was just an average young man in a grayovercoat and hat."
"Gray?" repeated
Penny alertly.
"It may have been light blue. I didn't pay much attention. At the time Isized up the fellow as a detective."
Penny had no opportunity to ask additional questions for just then voiceswere heard in the hallway. As she opened the door, Jerry Livingston,followed by a policeman, came toward her.
"Learn anything?" the reporter asked softly in her ear.
"A little," answered Penny. "Let's see how much the officer turns upbefore I go into my song and dance."
Making a routine inspection of the rooms, the police questioned both themaid and the janitor. From an elderly lady who occupied the adjoiningsuite he gleaned information that the Kohls' telephone had rung steadilyfor fifteen minutes during the early evening hours.
"What time was that?" interposed Penny.
The policeman gazed at her with sharp disapproval. "Please," he requestedwith exaggerated politeness.
"Sorry," apologized Penny, fading into the background.
"It rang about eight o'clock," the old lady revealed.
"The information is not significant," said the officer, glancing again atPenny.
She started to speak, then bit her lip, remaining silent.
"Well, sister, what's on your mind?" he demanded abruptly.
"Excuse me, officer, but I think the information does have importance.Couldn't it mean that the crooks, whoever they were, telephoned theapartment to make certain it was deserted before breaking in?"
"Possibly," conceded the policeman. His frown discouraged her. "Any othertheories?"
"No," said Penny shortly.
The policeman began to herd the tenants into the hall. For a moment hepaid no attention to Penny and Jerry, who with the maid were permitted toremain.
"Never try to show up a policeman, even if he is a stuffed shirt,"remarked the reporter softly. "It gets you nowhere."
The door closed and the officer faced the pair.
"Now young lady," he said, quite pleasantly. "What do you know about thisburglary? I'll be very glad to listen."
"I don't really know a thing," admitted Penny. "But here's a little cluewhich you may be able to interpret. I can't."
Leading the policeman to the window, she started to raise the sash. Theofficer stopped her, performing the act himself, his hand protected by ahandkerchief.
"There is your clue," said Penny.
She indicated two freshly made gashes on the window ledge. Separated bypossibly a foot of space, they clearly had been made by a hook or sharpinstrument which had dug deeply into the wood.