Part 3 (1/2)
”That man must have set it on fire!” Bess declared. ”Otherwise, why would he be afraid to answer when you called?”
”He might have been a tramp who went into the house for shelter,” George suggested thoughtfully, ”and started the fire accidentally-perhaps from a lighted cigarette.”
”I thought of that,” Nancy admitted, ”but it seems to me if the fire had begun that way it would have burned more slowly. Remember the sound of an explosion and how the house appeared to blaze up all at once?”
”That's true,” George said, then added, ”Guess we'll have to wait for the investigators' reports.”
There was not much traffic that evening, and the girls reached River Heights in good time.
”There's Mother out on the porch!” Bess cried as they drew up before the Marvin residence. ”She's been watching for us.”
Next, Nancy dropped George at her home and then drove to the Drew house. As she pulled into the driveway, her father and Hannah Gruen, the housekeeper, came rus.h.i.+ng out. Mr. Drew was tall and distinguished looking. The housekeeper, pleasantly plump, had a motherly expression.
”Are you all right?” they asked Nancy in unison.
”Yes, indeed, but I'm afraid my car will never look the same again.”
”I don't care about the car,” Mr. Drew said to his daughter, ”as long as you're not hurt.” Then he relaxed and asked, ”The question now is how big a lawsuit will I have on my hands?”
”Suit? Oh, I see. You think I backed into another car. Don't worry. Another car ran into mine. I have the driver's name and license number. I'm to get in touch with him and let him know my repair cost.”
As they entered the house, Mrs. Gruen went to the kitchen, while Nancy and her father turned into the living room.
”Tell me more about the fire,” Mr. Drew urged. ”Whose house is it?”
”The owner is Felix Raybolt.”
”Felix Raybolt! Foxy Felix!” Mr. Drew exclaimed.
”Do you know him?” Nancy asked, surprised.
”Only by reputation-which isn't enviable. As a matter of fact, just today I accepted a case for a client, Arnold Simpson, who wants to sue Mr. Raybolt. He tells me there are many other people who would like to do so.”
”What is Mr. Raybolt like, Dad?”
”Very shrewd, and very unfriendly. I understand he's wealthy.”
”How did he make his money?”
”He deals in patents, and I've heard he made fortunes on some of them.”
”You mean, Mr. Raybolt invents things?” Nancy questioned.
”No, he buys patents from inventors and cashes in on their ideas.”
”Is that legitimate?”
”Yes, he has a right to buy a patent and make a profit from it. The unfair part is that Raybolt takes advantage of the inventor by verbally promising to pay him a royalty after he has marketed the device.
”In fact, that is the complaint of my client. He told me that Raybolt purchased a patent from him covering a certain part for an automatic elevator at a ridiculously low figure, then sold the patent to a manufacturing concern for a much higher sum. When Mr. Simpson reminded Raybolt of his promise, Foxy Felix turned him down -practically laughed in his face.”