CHAPTER XVI
Watchful Waiting
"What do you want?" Penny gasped. She felt certain the man intended toarrest her for aiding Amy Coulter to escape.
The detective stared down at her face.
"I beg your pardon," he apologized. "When you came out of that roominghouse I mistook you for another."
He released his grip on her arm and continued to offer excuses as Pennywalked away. She chuckled to herself, realizing that the plainclothesman had taken her for Amy Coulter. But the smile quickly left herface, for she did not feel very proud of the trick she had played onthe police. If it should turn out that the girl was guilty, thenindeed she would be sorry.
Dinner was over when Penny reached home, and Mrs. Gallup reported thatMr. Nichols had returned to his office to work on a case.
"Your food is in the oven, Penny," she told the girl a trifleirritably. "I declare, I can't see why you had to run off just when Iwas setting things on the table. Your father is the same way!"
"We're a dreadful pair," Penny agreed amiably as she dished herself upa generous helping of meat and potatoes. "Any gravy, Mrs. Gallup?"
"No, your father ate it all and I don't feel like making any more."
"Of course not. I have a big plate of food now. Just leave that panof dishes, Mrs. Gallup, and I'll do them for you."
The housekeeper immediately softened. "You may wipe them if you like,"she said. "I am tired tonight. I don't mean to be cross, only it'sannoying to have folks late for meals. I like food to be eaten whenit's good and hot."
"You're a dear," Penny laughed, giving her a squeeze. "I'll try not belate again."
After the dishes were stacked in the cupboard, Penny spent a half hourreading, then she went to bed although it was only a little after eighto'clock. She could not remember when she had been so tired.
"You're not sick?" Mrs. Gallup inquired anxiously, for usually Pennywas the last one in the house to retire.
"No, I'm all right. Just sleepy."
Penny might have added that she was likewise blue and discouraged. Itseemed to her that she had made no progress at all in trying to solvethe mystery which surrounded Amy Coulter.
As she slowly mounted the stairs, Penny's attention was attracted bysomeone standing by the garage door. She paused, thinking that itmight be her father. To her astonishment, the man darted back behind agroup of tall bushes which banked the building.
Penny snapped out the light and watched. The man did not reappear.
"What are you doing?" Mrs. Gallup questioned.
"I think someone is watching the house. I just saw a man by thegarage."
"Oh! I'll call the police!"
"No, wait!" Penny commanded. "I may have been mistaken." She said itto reassure the housekeeper.
Mrs. Gallup came to the window and peered out. There was no sign ofanyone about the grounds.
"I'll take a flashlight and investigate," Penny proposed.
Mrs. Gallup caught her firmly by the arm. "You'll do nothing of thekind. We'll lock all the doors and not stir from the house until yourfather returns!"
The housekeeper insisted upon drawing all the blinds and fastening thedoors and windows. It seemed an unnecessary precaution to Penny whobelieved that the prowler had gone.
An hour slipped by and the man was not seen again. Penny went wearilyto bed, but Mrs. Gallup was so nervous that she declared her intentionof remaining up until Mr. Nichols arrived home.
The detective drove in shortly after ten o'clock and Penny could hearthe two talking in the living room. She dropped off to sleep beforeher father came upstairs.
In the morning Penny awoke feeling refreshed and cheerful again. Afterbreakfast she walked to the post office, stationing herself near theGeneral Delivery window. For an hour she watched men and women comeand go, claiming their mail at the little window. George Hoges did notappear, but Penny had scarcely dared to hope that he would come so soon.
Presently, she walked over to the window and questioned the clerk whowas in charge.
"Can you tell me if a man by the name of George Hoges gets his mailhere?"
The clerk thumbed through a stack of letters before answering. "Idon't remember the man but he'll probably call here sooner or later forhe has two letters."
Penny retreated to her post near the door. It was tedious waiting.
"When I get to be a taxpayer I'll vote for chairs in every postoffice!" she thought.
Penny spent nearly the entire day waiting for George Hoges to appear.By nightfall she was so weary she could scarcely stumble home. Shefelt certain she would not have the fortitude to resume her watch thefollowing day.
Mr. Nichols was amused when she told him of her unpleasant experience.
"A detective must learn to spend half of his time just waiting," hedeclared. "Why, I've handled cases where we assign men to watch acertain street corner. Perhaps they'll be required to keep it up forsix months."
"That's a long time."
"Not if the man you're after comes along in the end."
"If I keep up my vigil even six days I'll have corns on the bottom ofmy feet," Penny sighed. "Everything considered, I don't believe I'mcut out to be a lady detective."
However, the following day found her again at her station in the postoffice. The task of waiting and watching seemed even more tiresomethan before. When she came home late in the afternoon Mrs. Gallupoffered scant sympathy.
"I never heard of such a silly thing," she declared. "Standing all dayin the post office! I don't know why your father permits you to playaround at being a detective!"
"If you think it's play just try standing in one spot for eight hours!"Penny said indignantly.
"I'd have better sense," Mrs. Gallup retorted. Then she softened. "Iknow you're tired, Penny. Sit down and rest while I make you a cup ofhot chocolate."
With a blissful sigh, Penny sank into an upholstered chair. She waslooking at a magazine when the housekeeper returned with a pot ofchocolate.
"Here is a letter for you," she mentioned, dropping it into the girl'slap. "It came this afternoon."
Noticing that it was postmarked Belton City, Penny quickly tore itopen. The envelope contained a brief note from Amy Coulter, who hadwritten to give her new address.
For a long time after she had finished reading the message, Penny satstaring down at it without being aware of her preoccupation.
"I hope it isn't bad news," Mrs. Gallup said anxiously.
"Oh, no." Penny folded the message and thrust it into her pocket. "Iwas only thinking."
Her thoughts had not been pleasant. She still liked Amy Coulterdespite the girl's strange actions, yet she felt that she could notcontinue to help her without positive proof of her innocence. If onlyAmy had explained her connection with George Hoges!
"You haven't been a bit like your usual self, Penny," Mrs. Gallup saidseverely. "You're not sick, are you?"
"Of course not. I'm just tired."
"You've had too much excitement lately. It seems to me this householdis always in turmoil. The past week all I've heard of is robberies,prowlers and more robberies!"
"At least we've had no murder yet," Penny chuckled. "By the way, whatdid Dad say last night when you told him about the man we saw hidingbehind the garage?"
"He thought probably it was some crank. But I noticed he examined theground for footprints."
"Perhaps the prowler was the same person who broke into Dad's office,"Penny remarked. "Only that doesn't seem reasonable either, for whatcould anyone be after here at the house?"
"Silverware or possibly some of your father's papers."
"He doesn't keep anything of great value here as far as I know."
Before Mrs. Gallup could make a response the telephone rang and shewent to answer it.
"Can you come, Penny?" she called a moment later. "It's for you."
The girl hurried to the adjoining room and was surprised as she tookthe receiver t
o hear Mrs. Dillon's voice. The woman was greatlyagitated.
"Miss Nichols, you were right about the picture," she began abruptly."I communicated with the museum authorities as I promised and they toldme that the painting is a fake!"
"I thought it would turn out that way," Penny commented in satisfaction.
"I can't understand how I was duped," Mrs. Dillon went on excitedly."I was so careful. I've been cheated out of four thousand dollars."
"Four thousand!" Penny exclaimed. "Why yesterday you told me you hadpaid only half that sum."
"Since then I've made the final payment."
"But I warned you, Mrs. Dillon," Penny cried in exasperation. "Why didyou do it?"
"Because I couldn't help myself," the woman wailed. "My friend--theagent convinced me that if I didn't complete the payments I would getinto serious trouble with the police--that we both would be disgraced."
"And you believed his story! He only cheated you!"
"No, he wouldn't do that," Mrs. Dillon replied firmly. "Thisgentleman's reputation is above reproach. He couldn't have known anymore than I did that the Rembrandt was a fake."
"The only thing for you to do now is to reveal everything," Pennyurged. "Tell me the name of this man."
"No, I can't. I have promised to keep silent."
"Mrs. Dillon, I am unable to understand your attitude. Don't you wantto help capture the persons who tricked you?"
"Yes, I'll do anything I can except reveal this gentleman's identity.I'll learn from him the name of the firm where the picture was boughtand notify the police."
Penny made a grimace which Mrs. Dillon could not see. After a moment'ssilence, she asked bluntly:
"Is it Hanley Cron whom you are protecting?"
"Certainly not," Mrs. Dillon retorted, and hung up the receiver.
"I wonder if she told the truth?" Penny thought, turning from thetelephone. "At least she was afraid to answer any more questions."
It occurred to the girl that if Hanley Cron were not the mysteriousagent who had visited Mrs. Dillon the previous afternoon, then thecaller must have been the elderly gentleman with the black leatherbrief case. Recalling that she still had the license number of theman's car, Penny thought that it might be well to show it to her fatherand ask him to trace the owner for her. Mr. Nichols would soon becoming home for it was nearly dinner time.
Penny searched in her purse but the notebook was not there.
"Mrs. Gallup, have you seen a little green paper-covered book anywherein the house?" she inquired anxiously.
"I saw it in your room this morning," the housekeeper informed. "Ithink it was on the dresser."
"Oh, yes, I remember now, that was where I left it!" Penny laughed inrelief.
She raced up the stairs two at a time, forgetting that she had everbeen tired. To her delight the little book was lying just where shehad dropped it.
She caught it up, rereading the notations which she had made theprevious day. Hearing her father's car on the driveway, she slippedthe notebook into her pocket and turned to leave. As she crossed tothe door, her eye chanced to rove toward the desk. She stared in blankamazement.
The Black Imp was gone.