CHAPTER XIV
Brunner's Explanation
Jerry Barrows had recognized Penny instantly. Before she could recoverfrom her surprise at seeing him, he wheeled and left the office by aside door.
Involuntarily, Penny started to follow, but without appearing to do sointentionally, the manager neatly blocked her path.
"A disgruntled employee of mine," he announced blandly. "I've had agreat deal of trouble with him. He's a fine workman but difficult tomanage."
"What sort of work does he do?" Penny inquired alertly.
The manager was slightly taken aback at the question. He answeredevasively:
"Oh, he runs my tow truck and does odd jobs about the garage."
"I've seen him before," Penny remarked. "But his name has slipped mymind. It's not Jerry Barrows is it?"
The manager scrutinized her intently for a moment. His eyes held afleeting expression of annoyance and dislike.
"Now I'm sorry but I can't tell you his name," he said apologetically."I don't know that I ever heard it, although it must be on our payrolls. Of course, I remember very few of my employees by their names."
Penny and Susan exchanged a quick glance which the manager noted. Theywere both firmly convinced that Brunner knew the name but did not wishto reveal it.
"Since the boy is an employee of yours, probably I could get his nameand address from the pay roll," Penny suggested pointedly.
Brunner hesitated, although only momentarily.
"Why certainly," he said genially. "I'll secure it for you myself.Drop in any time next week and I'll have it for you."
"Couldn't I get it today?" Penny persisted.
"I am afraid that is impossible," Brunner smiled a trifle coldly. "Itis nearly time for me to leave the office now. Did you young ladieswish to see me about another matter?"
Susan recounted her many unpleasant experiences in regard to the newlypurchased automobile. The manager listened politely but withincreasing frigidity.
"You must have misunderstood me, Miss Altman," he said when she hadfinished. "We can't undertake to guarantee every car which leaves ourshop. As a courtesy to our customers we do occasionally make a fewminor repairs free of charge. We have found it impractical to gofurther than this."
"But in my case, the car has run less than five hundred miles!" Susanprotested with growing anger. "It seems to me I'm entitled to service."
"You must see my repair man, Miss Altman. He adjusts all such matters."
"I have seen him, and I've had no satisfaction at all!"
"Then I'm afraid there's nothing more we can do for you."
"Your guarantee means nothing?"
"We stand behind our cars, Miss Altman, but you must have misunderstoodmy promise to service your new automobile free of charge."
"You said that at the end of five hundred miles my car would receive acomplete overhaul!"
"But my dear young lady, you have just received this service."
"Your workman spent less than twenty minutes going over my car."
"Have you driven it since?"
"Well, no, I haven't," Susan admitted reluctantly.
"Then I know you will find everything satisfactory for our workmen areefficient. Good afternoon, Miss Altman."
The manager opened the door in pointed suggestion that the girls leave.Outside in the hall they gave vent to their pent up feelings.
"You were right, Penny," Susan declared angrily. "I should have boughtmy car at another garage!"
"I never did like that man," Penny added. "He's such a smooth talker,and yet down under he's mean and selfish. I wonder if Jerry Barrowsactually does work for him?"
"He was threatening him when we surprised them in the office."
"I know, and it annoyed Brunner because we saw him talking with the boyat all. I am as sure as anything that he'll never give me his realname or address."
"That's why he suggested that you come back later for it," Susanagreed. "When you return he'll have some other excuse."
"I mean to go back and annoy him just the same. Doesn't it strike youas odd that Jerry would be working for him?"
"Well, perhaps a trifle," Susan said thoughtfully. "But it may be thathe hired the boy without inquiring too carefully into his past."
"The fact remains that Brunner was threatening him," Penny pointed out."It didn't appear to me that it was about any casual matter either."
The girls lowered their voices for they had come within earshot of agarageman who was working in the repair shop. Susan's car was nearby.After some difficulty she managed to start it, but the engine knockedas badly as before.
"I suppose there's nothing to do but take the car to another garage,"Susan said irritably. "I'll never come here again. I know that."
"Let's go for a swim and drown our troubles," Penny suggested. "TheBig Dipper will be open."
Since the day had been sultry, the proposal appealed to Susan. Theystopped at their homes only long enough to get their bathing suits, anda few minutes later arrived at the picturesque outdoor pool.
Penny found several of her school friends performing at the divingboard and soon they were all rounded up for a vigorous game of waterpolo. After a fierce battle which left everyone exhausted, Penny'sside conquered the opponents. The girls sat down on the edge of thepool to rest.
"Isn't that Betty Davis over there under the beach umbrella?" Susanpresently inquired, indicating a girl in a black bathing suit who satalone.
"Why, it is!" Penny agreed. "Shall we go over and speak to her?"
"After the way she treated us this afternoon?"
"We can't be certain she was in the house when we called."
"I think she was," Susan maintained. "She doesn't care for ourcompany, that's all."
"She seemed to like us well enough at first. Betty is the sensitivetype, Sue. It may be that she's embarrassed on account of all herfather's trouble. I believe I'll swim over and speak to her at anyrate."
Penny arose from the side of the pool. Without having appeared tonotice the action, Betty Davis hastily left the reclining chair underthe umbrella and disappeared into the dressing room.
"I guess you're too late!" Susan laughed. "She saw you first."
Penny sat down again, a trifle nettled.
"You're right, Sue. She's deliberately avoiding us."
"She's a queer sort anyway," Susan said indifferently. "Let's ignoreher from now on."
Penny gazed thoughtfully toward the dressing room door.
"There must be some reason for the way she's acting, Sue. I have anotion to corner her in the dressing room so that she'll have to saysomething to me."
"You're inviting a snub if you do. Forget her, Penny! Come on, I'llrace you to the end of the pool!"
She plunged in and Penny reluctantly followed. They swam two lengthsand then dived a few times from the high board.
"Oh, let's go home," Penny proposed presently. "I've had enough."
They stood for a few minutes under the cold shower, then entered thedressing room. To their surprise they observed a group of excitedgirls clustered around the matron's desk.
"I tell you it's my ring!" one of the bathers insisted angrily. "Thisgirl stole it from my locker!"
"It isn't true. The ring is my own. Why, it belonged to my mother."
Penny and Susan pushed their way into the little group. They hadrecognized Betty Davis' low pitched voice but were unacquainted withthe girl who was accusing her of the theft.
"Let's get to the bottom of this," the matron said severely, turning tothe first girl. "Did you have your locker fastened securely?"
"No, that's how she got in. I forgot to lock it. She had the lockernext to mine and she must have snatched the ring while I was in theshower."
Betty's face was pale, but with an effort she remained calm as sherefuted the charge.
"I don't know anything about this girl's ring. The one I have is myown."
"Give it to
me," the matron ordered. Reluctantly, Betty removed thering from her finger. It was a white gold band with a cluster of threetiny diamonds. In the act of handing it over, she suddenly changed hermind.
"I'll not give up my own property! This was my mother's engagementring. And she's dead now."
"Can you prove your story?" the matron questioned.
"You can call my father. Jerome Davis--he is on the police force."
"Yes, but he won't be there long!" the first girl said scornfully."Everyone knows he's to be let out because of dishonesty. And yourbrother----"
"Don't you dare say a word against either my father or Jimmie!" Bettycried.
"Girls! Girls!" the matron chided severely. "We'll discuss thismatter calmly please."
Penny stepped forward. "I think I may be able to help," she saidquietly. "I happen to know that the ring belongs to Betty Davis, for Ihave seen her wearing it."
"You're a friend of hers," the other girl accused.
"On the contrary, I scarcely know Miss Davis. But I believe in seeingjustice done. If you actually lost a similar ring, you may find it onthe floor near your locker."
"Have you looked carefully?" the matron questioned.
"Of course I have! The ring is gone and this Davis girl stole it!"
"I'll search your locker myself," the matron decided. "Show me whichone it is."
Penny and the others followed to witness the inspection. Article byarticle, the matron removed everything from the locker, but the ringwas not found.
"Wait and I'll sweep the floor," Penny offered. She ran to find abroom, returning with it a minute later. Carefully she swept the spacein the vicinity of the locker.
"You see, it's gone!" the other girl insisted, eyeing Betty Davisfuriously. "You'll never find it because _she_ is wearing it."
As Penny's broom brushed past a dark corner of the room, there was alittle metallic click. She stooped down and picked up a ring.Although it was similar in appearance to the one which Betty wore, theresemblance was not close.
"Is this yours?" she inquired, offering it to the owner of the locker.
"Yes, it is," the girl admitted. "I don't know how it came to be onthe floor."
"It was there because you dropped it," the matron said sternly. "Nexttime be more careful about accusing persons."
Penny and Susan turned to go to their own lockers, but before theycould leave, Betty came toward them timidly.
"Thank you so much," she said in a low tone. "I owe you a great deal."
"Not at all," Penny returned, a trifle stiffly.
"I feel ashamed of the way I have acted lately," the girl went onhurriedly, avoiding Penny's penetrating gaze. "I've been so upsetabout everything. I wish I could explain--but I can't."
"I think perhaps I understand."
Betty stared hard at Penny. But she quickly masked the fleetingexpression of alarm. After thanking her friends again, she turned anddisappeared in the direction of the hair drying room.
"Just what is it that upsets that girl so?" Penny said in an undertoneto Susan as they went to their own lockers. "She acts as if she'safraid we'll discover something about her."
"Yes, she does. I can't figure it out at all."
The girls quickly dressed but by the time they had dried their hair andwere ready for the street, it was long past supper time.
"I had no idea it was so late," Susan declared as they hurried towardthe parked automobile. "Mother will be worried for fear something hashappened to us."
"You might telephone."
"It would take me ages to find a 'phone. I'll be home in a minute ortwo now anyway."
It had grown quite dark, but although automobiles had been parked closetogether near the swimming pool, the girls experienced littledifficulty in locating Susan's car. As they came up to it theyobserved that a garage service truck had drawn up to an automobile onlya short distance away. The uniformed garage man was busy changing awheel.
"Some poor fellow had a flat," Susan said sympathetically. "Strange Ididn't pick up the nail instead. My luck must be changing."
Penny had paused to survey the service car more critically. The garageman, aware that he was under scrutiny, gave her a sharp glance. Thenabruptly he threw his tools into a bag, jumped into his truck and droveaway, leaving his work unfinished.
"Quick! See if you can get the license number!" Penny cried.
"I can't. The car is too far away."
"I got the last three numbers," Penny informed with satisfaction."--684. I want to write it down before I forget."
Susan supplied pencil and paper from her purse. Penny jotted down thenumber.
"Why did you want it?" Susan asked curiously. "You don't think thatman was trying to steal a wheel?"
"I certainly do. Otherwise why would he have left so hurriedly when wecame up? See, the wheel is only half changed."
They walked over to the nearby automobile to look. The wheel obviouslywas a new one and apparently had not been damaged.
"That man was a tire thief all right," Penny announced. "It means thatthe Molberg gang is starting activities again. I must get in touchwith Father immediately."
"I'll take you straight home," Susan offered.
"If I'd been just a little quicker I'd have caught the entire licensenumber," Penny said regretfully. "Even so, it may be possible to tracethe car."
Returning to their own automobile, they drove rapidly toward theNichols home.