Part 22 (1/2)
CHAPTER 14 _THROUGH THE WINDOW_
”You have the craziest ideas, Penny,” Louise scoffed. ”I'll admit the clock struck an extra time, but it must have been because something is wrong with the mechanism. A signal, my eye!”
Lowering the car window, Penny peered curiously up at the tower which was shrouded in fog and mist.
”Lou, there's someone up there in the cupola! It may be Charley Phelps!”
”You can't make a mystery out of Charley,” yawned Louise. ”Probably he's trying to repair the clock. Come on, let's get home.”
Reluctantly, Penny raised the window gla.s.s. Before she could drive on, another car pulled up not far from the tower. The driver, a man in an overcoat, swung open the door as if to alight. However, observing Penny's car parked close by, he seemed to change his mind. Keeping his head lowered so that his face was shadowed, he drove away.
”Who was that man?” Penny demanded suspiciously.
”I'm afraid I neglected to inquire,” Louise retorted. ”So careless of me!”
”Whoever he was, he intended to enter the tower! When he saw us here, he became nervous and drove away!”
”Oh, Penny, you're the limit.”
”Maybe I am, but I know what I think. The striking of the clock was a signal for some sort of meeting at the tower!”
”A board of directors confab perhaps?” teased Louise.
”Listen!” said Penny, ignoring the jibes. ”I want to park the car on a side street, and then come back here afoot. Something is up and I mean to find out about it!”
”Oh, Penny,” Louise sighed. ”If I don't get home Mother never will allow me to go anywhere with you again. Don't you realize what time it is?”
”Thirteen o'clock!” Penny chuckled. ”It may never be that again, so I must strike while the clock strikes, so to speak. How about it?”
”Well, it's your car,” Louise replied with a shrug. ”I'm powerless in your hands.”
Penny drove around a block, parking on a well-lighted street. She and Louise then approached the tower afoot. Not wis.h.i.+ng to be seen, they took care to keep close to a high hedge which edged the grounds.
”I never felt more silly in my life,” Louise complained. ”What are we supposed to do now?”
”Windows were made to look through,” Penny responded coolly. ”Let's see what Charley Phelps is doing inside the tower.”
Circling the building, the girls placed a rock beneath one of the rear windows. From that unstable perch, Penny was able to peer into the living quarters of the tower.
”Well, what do you see, Sherlock?” Louise demanded impatiently.
”Nothing.”
”How perfectly amazing!” Louise taunted mischievously. ”What do you make of it?”
”Charley Phelps seems to be reading a newspaper.”
”Baffling! It must have some deep, dark significance.”
With a sigh, Penny stepped down from the rock. ”Want to look?” she invited.