Part 24 (1/2)

The young sleuth shrugged. ”Your guess is as good as mine. One thing is sure. Whoever he was, the man acted as if he were guilty of something and didn't want strangers around.”

”Which makes me think,” said Bess, ”that he is Raybolt. Nancy, we must give up trying to find him before he uses that shotgun-on us!”

”I might agree,” Nancy replied, ”if we were certain. But our evidence is pretty slim. For the sake of the Swensons, I want to capture Mr. Raybolt before he can leave the country. I'm convinced now that he and his wife are in collusion. They're just waiting to collect his life insurance, which is probably large, and the fire insurance, then they'll meet in some foreign place.”

George chuckled. ”You know, it would serve that old cheat right if his wife collected the money and never met him! He couldn't do a thing about it without being caught.”

Bess nodded in agreement. ”And I wouldn't put it past that woman to play such a trick!”

When the girls reached the end of the lane, Bess announced that she thought they should have lunch before doing any more sleuthing.

”All right,” Nancy agreed. Laughing, she added, ”How about the Mapleton Inn?”

”And have Mrs. Raybolt bring the police to arrest you!” Bess protested with a giggle.

Nancy had noticed an attractive roadside restaurant on the outskirts of town and drove to it. As the girls ate, they discussed their next move.

”I'd like to call on Mr. Swenson,” said Nancy, ”and ask him if there's anything else in the diary that might be damaging evidence against Mr. Raybolt.”

It was three o'clock before the girls arrived at headquarters. When Nancy made her request to the sergeant in charge of prisoners, she was told that Mr. Swenson had just been brought to one of the waiting rooms.

”His kid came to see him,” the officer explained, ”and we didn't want her to see him behind bars. We told Honey that her dad had to stay with us a while. His wife's there too. Are you special friends of theirs?”

”Yes.”

”Okay, then.” The sergeant called another officer, who took the girls into the waiting room. A policeman stood watching.

At once Honey bounded into Nancy's arms. ”See, I have on all my new clothes!” she said proudly.

Mr. and Mrs. Swenson seemed very glad to see the visitors. The couple smiled pathetically and it was evident that Mrs. Swenson had spent a good deal of time crying. Her eyes were swollen and red. She looked pale and weary, as though she had slept little.

”Your kind friend Ned Nickerson brought Honey and me here. He will come back for us in an hour.”

Joe Swenson looked haggard and worried. He brightened somewhat when Nancy told him that Baylor Weston was not only keeping his position at the factory for him, but that a promotion awaited the inventor.

”You're the only one who can help us,” Mrs. Swenson said tearfully to Nancy. ”We haven't enough money to engage a lawyer, and we have no well-to-do friends.”

”If the case actually comes to trial, I know my father will defend Mr. Swenson without a fee,” Nancy a.s.sured her. ”However, I'm hopeful that we'll prove your husband's innocence before that time.”

”The book you have may help,” Mr. Swenson said guardedly.

Nancy nodded. She knew he meant the diary. It was still in her purse. She told herself, ”I'll have the rest of it translated at once.”

The girls remained a few minutes longer, then departed, realizing that the little family wished to be alone. When they reached the street, Nancy told her friends, ”If Mr. Peterson's well enough, I'm going to see if he will read the diary. Let's go to a phone and find out.”

CHAPTER XVIII.

A Revealing Translation