CHAPTER XVII A Wanted Thief
“Judy!” The exclamation came from Pauline, very suddenly as if she hadjust thought of something. “I know what we ought to do. We ought tovisit Mr. Lawson. If he really is the thief I’d like to know about it. Icould pretend I wanted to make a donation or something. Shall we tryit?”
Judy hesitated. She didn’t like that sort of pretending, thoughsometimes it was the best strategy. Also, Peter had asked her to stayout of trouble, and this would be walking right into it. But it couldvery easily be her chance to help him.
“How do we get there?” she asked. “Is it very far?”
“I’m hungry. Let’s eat something first,” Flo suggested.
The three girls had lunch in the same restaurant where they first metClarissa. They asked the cashier about her, but he claimed he rememberedno such scene as they described.
“No one goes away from this restaurant angry,” he told them. “Do you seethat?” He pointed to a decorated sign bearing the words: Our Aim is toPlease the Best People in the World, Our Customers.
“But this girl tried to cheat you,” Pauline protested.
“She was a customer. She was still one of the best people,” he repliedwithout a change of expression.
“You might as well talk to a statue,” Flo whispered. “Come on.”
“It’s only a few blocks to the house where Mr. Lawson lives,” Paulinetold them. “It isn’t as cold and blustery today as it was yesterday. Wecan walk.”
On the way, Judy and Flo began comparing their dreams of the nightbefore.
“I know it sounds ridiculous,” Judy said, “but I can’t help feeling thatmy dream was a warning of some kind and that we ought to heed it. I’mnot just sure how.”
“What about you, Pauline? Did you dream about hair, too? That may be aclue to what’s happening to us, if you did,” Flo said eagerly.
The dark-haired girl shook her head. “My dreams are never very clear. Ican’t remember them well enough to tell them afterwards. I only know Icried out in my sleep, and Mary came up to see what was the matter. Shesaid I was calling for my mother. I never do that. I hardly rememberher. Mary’s kept house for us ever since I was about little Judy’s age.But Mother did have golden hair. I take after Father. I wish—”
“Don’t say it,” Judy stopped her. “You’re going to wish you had goldenhair.”
“Could we have been hypnotized?” Flo began.
“I don’t know. Ask your father about hypnotism, Pauline,” Judy urged.“He’ll know. He may use it on his patients. Dr. Zoller, a sort of uncleof mine, is a hypnotist, and Dad approves of it when it’s not misused.Of course, if hypnotism was part of a confidence game Clarissa wasplaying—”
“It was! I’m sure of it,” Flo interrupted. “She said we read her mind,and she talked us into buying that shampoo, didn’t she?”
“I’m not sure. I thought it was your idea,” Judy began.
“Well, I’m sure. She talked us into lending her the money, too. Then sheleft the theater when we were all so interested in the play we didn’tnotice. It was all a trick,” declared Flo. “Can’t you see it? Clarissadid it all.”
“She even vanished on purpose,” Pauline agreed. “It’s clear to me—”
“It’s clear to me, too,” Judy interrupted. “It’s perfectly clear that wehaven’t found out a single thing. Isn’t it about time we started usingour heads? Peter doesn’t jump to conclusions without examining theevidence. If he’s willing to risk his life to turn up a few facts topresent at preliminary hearings, the least we can do is discuss thiswith him before we decide who’s guilty.”
“Guilty of what?” asked Flo. “Making us dream?”
Suddenly all three girls began to laugh. It seemed ridiculous for themto be taking their dreams so seriously. But their laughter died in theirthroats when they reached Mr. Lawson’s house. Judy was the first tonotice the shattered glass in the door. It was broken in a peculiar way.Several round holes with cracks radiating from them told the story.
“Bullet holes!” she exclaimed. “This was the place where it happened.You’re too late, Pauline. You won’t find Mr. Lawson—”
Meantime Flo had rung the bell. A heavy-set woman came in answer to itjust in time to hear the name. She peered at the girls through theshattered glass before she opened the door.
“So it’s Mr. Lawson you want, is it?” she inquired. “And what would yoube wanting with the good man?”
Good man! Judy could hardly contain herself. Did the woman know whatsort of man he really was? Or had he fooled her just as he had fooledthe people in Pauline’s church? He had even outwitted Peter.
“We did want to see him,” Pauline began, affecting a timid voice. “Wecame to make a donation—”
“Indeed!” the woman interrupted. “I’ll take it, if you please, andforward it to him. He’s away for a couple of weeks.”
“Far away,” thought Judy, “and not likely to come back.” Aloud she said,with perfect control, “We prefer to send the money ourselves. Could yougive us his address?”
“Well, now, I could.” She hesitated a moment and then went inside,returning with a piece of paper on which a post office box number waswritten. “You can reach him there,” she said briefly and closed thedoor.
“Now what do we do?” asked Flo. “Shall we write him a letter and invitehim to come back home and be arrested? We aren’t really going to sendhim any money, are we?”
“He doesn’t need our money. He has plenty,” Judy began when Paulineinterrupted heatedly.
“He certainly has. People were generous. There was all of fifty thousanddollars in the building fund. With that much on hand he can stay inhiding for a long, long time. Are you going to tell Peter where wewere?” Pauline asked suddenly.
“Eventually,” Judy said. “It bothers me when I have to keep things fromhim. He won’t like it, of course. Maybe I ought to wait until he’sfeeling a little better before I say anything.”
“I think you’re right,” Pauline agreed. “Just stay cheerful for Peter,and don’t worry about a thing.”