Part 35 (1/2)
”You're a friend of Mr. Cordell's, aren't you?” she inquired abruptly.
The question caught Webb off guard. He gave her a quick look but answered in an indifferent way: ”Never heard of him.”
”I'm certain I saw you in his office,” Penny insisted.
Realizing that his loose talk was building up trouble for himself, Webb would say no more. At the sheriff's office, he repeated practically the same story, insisting that he had been hired by Professor Bettenridge on a wage basis, and that he was in no way implicated in the plot to defraud Mr. Johnson.
”Your story doesn't hang together,” Mr. Parker said severely. ”Naturally you knew that the professor's machine was worthless?”
”Not at first,” Webb whined. ”He only told me he wanted a mine exploded at a certain time. It was only by chance that I learned he intended to cheat Mr. Johnson.”
”Considering the conversations I overheard between you and the professor, that is a little hard to believe,” Penny contributed.
”It might go a little easier with you, if you come through with the truth,” a deputy sheriff in charge of the office, added. ”Anything you want to say before we lock you up?”
Webb hesitated a long while, and then in a subdued voice said: ”Okay, I may as well tell you. Sure, I knew the professor and his wife were crooks. They offered me a split on the profits if Johnson bought the secret ray machine.”
”Where did you obtain your mines?” Salt asked curiously.
”I don't know,” Webb answered, and for once spoke the truth. ”Professor Bettenridge had a friend hooked up in a munitions plant who supplied him with a few which were defective.”
”Now tell us the truth about the _Snark_,” Penny insisted. ”You said those men were mixed up in the dynamiting of the Conway Steel Plant. Was that one of the professor's jobs?”
”No, he had nothing to do with it.”
”His car was in the vicinity of the plant on the night of the explosion.”
”It was just accident then,” Webb maintained. ”He had nothing to do with it.”
”Then you do know the persons involved?”
”If I told you, you wouldn't believe me,” Webb said sullenly. ”Why not go to the _Snark_ and get information first hand if you want it.”
It was evident the man would reveal no more, so the deputy sheriff locked him up. Within a few minutes Professor Bettenridge and his wife were brought in, and although they indignantly demanded release, they too were placed in jail cells.
Mr. Johnson who had accompanied Major Bryan to the sheriff's office, seemed rather stunned by the events which had transpired. He shook Penny's hand and could not praise her enough for exposing the professor's trickery.
”What a fool I was,” he acknowledged. ”His smooth talk hypnotized me.
Why, I might have paid a large sum of money to him, if it hadn't been for you. Now I shall prosecute charges vigorously.”
The wealthy man tried to press money upon both Penny and Salt, who smilingly refused to accept it. They a.s.sured him that knowing the professor's trick had failed was ample reward.
By the time Penny, her father and Salt finally reached the Parker home it was nearly midnight. Somewhat to their surprise, Mrs. Weems was still waiting up.
”I'm so glad you came!” she exclaimed, before they could explain what had happened. ”Nearly an hour ago someone telephoned, asking for Penny. I think the message may be important.”
”Who was it?” Penny asked.