CHAPTER XXIII A Curious Letter
Shortly after Peter was discharged from the hospital, a letter came,addressed to Irene and postmarked Roulsville. It bore no return address.
“That’s funny. It was forwarded to me from the studio,” Irene said,turning it over in her hand. “My show is on a local channel. I don’thave any fans in Roulsville.”
“You know some people there, don’t you?” Judy asked.
Irene shook her head. “Only you and your family. But they live inFarringdon.”
“Horace could have been driving through Roulsville,” Judy said, “but itisn’t his handwriting. Anyway, he usually types—”
Peter interrupted, his blue eyes twinkling.
“The best way to find out who the letter is from is to open it,” hesuggested.
Dale laughed. “Why make such a mystery out of an ordinary letter?”
“Did you say an ordinary letter? This isn’t—it can’t be, but it is!”Irene exclaimed as she tore open the envelope.
“You aren’t making any sense,” Judy began.
“Does this make sense?” Irene waved four crisp five-dollar bills beforeher face. “Clarissa sent them! She returned our money. Oh, Judy! I can’tbelieve it!”
“I can’t either,” Judy agreed. “How does Clarissa happen to be inRoulsville?”
“Wait till I read the letter,” Irene said. “It’s directed to all four ofus.”
Judy’s bewilderment grew as Irene read:
“Dear Irene, Judy, Flo, and Pauline:
Enclosed are four five-dollar bills. Thank you for helping me, a perfect stranger. Do good and gain good, my father always says. Trust people and you will be trusted. Please tell the police and the FBI that I am safe at home and they can stop looking for me. I saw it all in the papers. Dad thinks I ought to give up the idea of a career on TV until I’ve finished high school here in Roulsville. I am sorry I had to leave the theater in such a hurry, but Francine Dow’s aunt mistook me for her. I convinced her of her mistake and went home only to find that my parents were moving. I told you Dad used to be a minister, didn’t I? He doesn’t have a pastorate at present, but hopes to become active in church work. What church do you attend, Judy? I remember hearing you say you lived somewhere in the vicinity of Roulsville. We’ve bought a beautiful home here....”
“I’ll bet they have,” Peter commented, reading over Irene’s shoulder.“Clarence Lawson has enough cash to buy a real beaut—”
“Clarence Lawson!” exclaimed Judy. “What are you saying, Peter?Clarissa’s with her father.”
“So the letter says. But did Clarissa write it?”
“It does sound a little stilted,” Judy admitted. “And I’m not familiarwith her handwriting.”
“Well, I am familiar with some of those sayings she attributes to herfather. _Do good and gain good_, for instance. Lawson’s overworked thatone. Those were the very words he used when he approached Francine Dow’shusband for a donation. Dow and Francine had quarreled over her comebackon TV, and she’d left him to live with an aunt who had just come eastfrom California.”
“Did you interview the aunt?” asked Dale. “Or aren’t you at liberty tosay?”
“I didn’t. I checked with our field office there. The real aunt is stillin California. Lawson had found out about her, some way. The ‘aunt’ whocalled at the stage door and left with Clarissa really did mistake herfor Francine Dow. That’s one fact that is straight in the letter.”
“But the others? She says she’s living with her parents in Roulsville.Aren’t these people really her parents? It is odd she didn’t mention herbrothers and sisters. Didn’t she say she was one of six children?” Judyasked.
“I didn’t hear her say that. I didn’t hear her say a lot of the queerthings you girls said she said when you were on that tour of RadioCity,” Irene replied. “I didn’t hear her call herself a changeling, forinstance, or say she looked in the mirror and saw no reflection. Maybeshe is trying to trick us after all.”
“It isn’t Clarissa. It’s Lawson who’s trying to trick us,” declaredPeter, “but this time he won’t get away with it. He’s picked you for asucker because you lent money to a stranger. I can’t wait to see thelook on his face when he finds out who you really are, Angel.”
“You mean when he finds out I’m married to an FBI man,” Judy laughed.“Peter, when can we leave for home?”
They had planned to return to Pennsylvania in a day or two, anyway. Theletter made their return more urgent.
“Let’s leave tomorrow morning,” Peter suggested. “Maybe you’d bettercall your mother and ask her to open up the house. Otherwise it will bepretty cold. And I’m afraid you’ll have to do most of the driving.”
The Beetle had come through the gun battle with one small dent in itsfender. That was repaired, and the car now looked like new. A fewtelephone calls were made and then the packing began. The followingmorning, Judy and Peter were on their way home.
“I don’t like New York much,” Judy admitted when they were out of thecity, “especially Madison Avenue and what Flo calls the rat race to geta monopoly on all the big accounts. I don’t want anything big. I guessI’m just a country girl at heart.”
“My love for you is as big as all outdoors,” declared Peter. “Don’t youwant that?”
The car went into a wild skid. Judy righted it and said, “There! Ofcourse I want your love, but from now on I’m paying strict attention tomy driving. All outdoors is pretty big this morning. We have threehundred miles of icy roads ahead of us with who knows what at the otherend. Peter, take care this time, won’t you? Please don’t be alone whenyou meet Clarence Lawson.”
He promised that he wouldn’t be alone. He had seen to that. He also toldJudy he would soon be leaving for Washington. “I need that refreshercourse. A fellow has to keep in training to be able to defend himselfagainst such men,” he said grimly. “I know how Lawson works, but I wantto be prepared for his little surprises.”
“How does he work?” asked Judy.
“He makes people like him for one thing. He looks and acts like aperfect gentleman. He and his wife are just the type of people youexpect to see in church on a Sunday morning. With a lovely young‘daughter’ like Clarissa to cover up for him, nobody will believe heisn’t the real Pastor Valentine. He may get himself elected treasurer ofthe church as he did some years ago when he was known as David Barnes. Isee what his plans are all right, but this time,” Peter said with adetermined look on his face, “we’re going to nip them right in the bud.It’s too bad Clarissa didn’t put her street address on that letter.”
“Roulsville isn’t so big. Can’t you check with the real estate officeand find out who’s bought property?”
“That’s the usual procedure,” agreed Peter. “I’ll check with thechurches, too. We’ll find him if I have to canvass every house. It looksas if this case is going to wind up fast. Roulsville, of all places!Lady Luck has certainly smiled on us for once.”
“Was it Lady Luck or good clear thinking on Clarissa’s part?” askedJudy. “She didn’t say what she meant in that letter, but I could readbetween the lines. I know your work is secret and I shouldn’t talk aboutit, but if Clarissa did happen to overhear our conversation in therestaurant she may know you’re with the FBI. That letter could be herway of asking for help without arousing the suspicions of her so-calledparents.”
“You’re right, Angel. Clarissa isn’t the only one who’s been doing somegood clear thinking,” declared Peter. “Your nightmares haven’t affectedyour thought processes in the daytime.”
“I don’t have them any more. I wonder....”
Judy’s wonderings went on for mile after mile of uninterrupted driving.Were things falling into place too neatly? Certainly someone had plannedthis. Could it be Clarence Lawson himself? Had he dictated that letterand forced Clarissa to write it?
As they neared home Peter expressed what Judy
had been thinking. “Iwonder what Lawson is up to this time,” he said. “Does he really thinkClarissa will keep on pretending to be his daughter? He may havethreatened her into leading us right into his trap.”