The Penny Parker Megapack: 15 Complete Novels (203 page)

Although police had obtained signed confessions, tangible evidence also was needed, for as Chief Bailey pointed out to Mr. Gandiss, the men might repudiate their statements when they appeared in court. Accordingly, police squads were sent to the Harpers’ to search the ashes for evidence, and also to the river to supervise dredging operations.

Throughout the day, between trips to the hospital to see Sally, Jack and Penny watched the dredge boat make its trips back and forth over the area where the loot had been dropped.

“I hope I wasn’t mistaken in the location,” Penny remarked anxiously as the vessel made repeated excursions without success. “After all, the night was dark, and I had no way of taking accurate bearings.”

Across the river and barely visible, the blackened, smoking skeleton of the
Florence
lay stranded on a sandbar. Throughout the night, a fireboat had steadily pumped water into the burning vessel, but even so, fires had not been entirely extinguished.

Morning papers had carried the encouraging information that there was only one known casualty as a result of the disaster. That many lives had not been lost was credited entirely to the courageous action of Captain Barker.

Becoming weary of watching the monotonous dredging operations, Jack and Penny joined a throng of curious bystanders at the Harper property. Police had taken complete charge and were raking the smoldering ruins.

“Find anything?” Jack asked a policeman he knew.

The man pointed to a small heap of charred metal which had been taken from the basement. There were many pieces of brass, but the missing lantern was not to be found in the pile.

However, from a member of the arson squad, they learned that enough evidence had been found to prove conclusively that the fire had been started with gasoline.

“Ma Harper spilled the whole story,” one of the policemen related. “She and her husband were fairly straight until they became mixed up with Sweeper Joe, who has a police record of long standing. Ma had a black market business in silk stockings that didn’t amount to much. So far as we’ve been able to learn, she and a taxi driver whom we’ve caught, were the only ones involved. Her husband and the other men considered the stocking racket small potatoes for them.”

After talking with the policemen for awhile, the young people wandered down to the river’s edge to see how dredging operations progressed.

“They’re hauling something out of the water now!”Jack exclaimed. “By George! It looks like brass to me!”

Finding a boat tied up at the dock, they borrowed it and rowed rapidly out to the dredge. There they saw that some of the metal which Sweeper Joe had dumped, had indeed been recovered.

Prodding in the muddy pile in the bottom of the dredge net, Penny uttered a little scream of joy. “The brass lantern is here, Jack! What wonderful luck!”

Seizing the slime-covered object, she washed it in the river. “Let’s take it straight to Sally at the hospital!” she urged.

Because the lantern would be important evidence in the case against Glowershick, police aboard the dredge were unwilling for it to be removed. However, the young people carried the news to Sally.

“Oh, I’m so glad the lantern has been recovered!” she cried happily. “Jack, you’ll win it in the race Friday.”

Jack and Penny exchanged a quick, stricken glance. Temporarily, they had forgotten the race and all it meant to Sally. With her hands bandaged from painful burns, she never would be able to compete.

“We’ll postpone the race,” Jack said gruffly. “It would be no competition if we held it without you.”

“Nonsense,” replied Sally. “It will be weeks before I can use my hands well, so it would be stupid to postpone the race that long. Fortunately, the doctor says I may leave the hospital tomorrow, and I’ll not be scarred.”

“If you can’t race, I won’t either,” declared Jack stubbornly.

“Jack, you must!” Agitated, Sally raised herself on an elbow. “I’d feel dreadful if you didn’t compete. The race has meant everything to you.”

“Not any more. Winning doesn’t seem important now. I’ll not sail in the race unless the
Cat
’s
Paw
is entered, and that’s final!”

“Oh, Jack, you’re such an old mule!” Sally tossed her head impatiently on the pillow. Then she grinned. “If my
Cat
is in the race, you’ll sail?”

“Sure,” he agreed, suspecting no trick.

Sally laughed gleefully. “Then it’s settled! Penny will represent me in the race!”

“I’ll do what?” demanded Penny.

“You’ll skipper the boat in my stead!”

“But I lack experience.”

“You’ll win the trophy easily,” chuckled Sally. “Why, the
Cat
’s
Paw
is by far the fastest boat on the river.”

“Says who?” demanded Jack, but without his old fire.

“But I couldn’t race alone,” said Penny, decidedly worried. “Sally, would you be able to ride along as adviser and captain bold?”

“I certainly would jump at the chance if the doctor would give permission. Oh, Penny, if only he would!”

“The race isn’t until Friday,” Jack said encouragingly. “You can make it, Sally.”

The girl pulled herself to a sitting posture, staring at her bandaged hands.

“Yes, I can,” she agreed with quiet finality. “Why, I feel better already. Even if I have to be carried to the dock in a wheel chair, I’ll be in that race!”

CHAPTER 25

THE RACE

A mid-afternoon sun beat down upon the wharves as a group of sailboats tacked slowly toward the starting line for the annual Hat Island trophy race. The shores were lined with spectators, and from the clubhouse where a band played, music carried over the water.

At the tiller of the
Cat
’s
Paw
, Penny, in white blouse and slacks, hair bound tightly to keep it from blowing, sat nervous and tense. Sally, lounging on a cushion in the bow, seemed thoroughly relaxed. Though her arms remained in bandages, otherwise she had completely recovered from her unpleasant experience.

“Isn’t the wind dying?” Penny asked anxiously. “Oh, Sally, I was hoping we’d have a good stiff breeze for the race! Handicapped as we are—”

“We’re not handicapped,” Sally corrected. “Of course, I can’t handle the ropes or do much to help, but we have a wonderful boat that will prove more than a match for Jack’s
Spindrift
.”

“You’re only saying that to give me confidence.”

“No, I’m not,” Sally denied, turning to study the group of racing boats. “We’ll win the trophy! Just wait and see.”

“If we do, it will be because of your brain and my brawn,” Penny chuckled. “I’ll admit I’m scared silly. I never was in an important race before.”

Conversation ceased, for the boats now were bunching close to the starting line, maneuvering for position. Jack drifted by in the
Spindrift
, raising his hand in friendly greeting. As he passed, he actually glanced anxiously toward Sally, as if worried lest the girl overtax herself.

“I hope he doesn’t try to throw the race just to be gallant,” Penny thought. “But I don’t believe he will, for then the victory would be a hollow one.”

The change apparent in Jack so amazed Penny that she had to pinch herself to realize it was true. Since the night of the fire, he had visited Sally every day. In a brief span of hours, he had grown from a selfish, arrogant youth into a steady, dependable man. And it now was evident to everyone that he liked Sally in more than a friendly way.

“Better come about now, Penny,” Sally broke in upon her thoughts. “Head for the starting line. The signal should be given any minute now.”

The boats started in a close, tight group. Jack was over the line first, but with
Cat
’s
Paw
directly behind.

In the first leg of the race, the two boats kept fairly even, with the others lagging. As the initial marker was rounded, there was a noticeable fall-off in the wind.

“It’s going to be a drifting race,” Sally confirmed, raising troubled eyes to the wrinkled sail. “We’re barely drawing now and Jack’s boat has the edge in a calm.”

The
Spindrift
skimmed merrily along, now in the lead by many yards. Though Penny held the tiller delicately, taking advantage of every breath of wind, the distance between the two boats rapidly increased.

“We’re out of it,” she sighed. “We can’t hope to overtake Jack now.”

Sally nodded gloomily. Shading her eyes against the glare of the sun, she gazed across the river, studying the triangular course. Far off-shore, well beyond the line the
Spindrift
and their own boat was taking, the surface of the water appeared rippled. Ahead of them there was only a smooth surface.

“Penny,” she said quietly. “I believe there’s more breeze out there.”

Penny nodded and headed the
Cat
’s
Paw
on the longer course out into the river. To many spectators ashore it appeared that the girls deliberately had abandoned the race, but aboard the
River Queen
, Captain Barker grinned proudly at his guests, Mr. Parker, and Mr. and Mrs. Gandiss.

“Those gals are using their heads!” he praised. “Well, Mr. Gandiss, it looks as if the Barkers will keep the trophy another year!”

“The race isn’t over yet,” Mr. Gandiss rumbled goodnaturedly.

Aboard the
Cat
’s
Paw
, Penny and Sally were none too jubilant. Although sails curved with wind and they were footing much faster than the other boats, the course they had chosen would force them to sail a much longer distance. Could they cross the finish line ahead of the
Spindrift
?

“Shouldn’t we turn now?” Penny asked impatiently. “Jack’s so much closer than we.”

“Not yet,” Sally said calmly. “We must make it in one long tack. He will be forced to make several. That’s our only chance. If we misjudge the distance, we’re sunk.”

Tensely, they watched the moving line of boats close along shore. The
Spindrift
seemed almost at the finish line, though her sails barely were drawing and she moved through the water at a snail’s pace.

Again Penny glanced anxiously at her companion.

“Now!” Sally gave the signal.

Instantly Penny swung the
Cat
’s
Paw
onto the homeward tack. Every inch of her sails drawing, she swept toward the finish line.

“We’re so much farther away than the
Spindrift
,” Penny groaned, crouching low so that her body would not deflect the wind. “Oh, Sally, will we make it?”

“Can’t tell yet. It will be nip and tuck. But if we can keep this breeze—”

The wind held, and the
Cat
’s
Paw
, sailing to windward of the finish line, moved along faster and faster. On the other hand, the
Spindrift
was forced to make several short tacks, losing distance each time. The boats drew even.

Suddenly Sally relaxed, and slumped down on the cushions.

“Just hold the old girl steady on her course,” she grinned. “That brass lantern is the same as ours!”

“Then we’ll win?”

“We can’t lose now unless some disaster should overtake us.”

Even as Sally spoke, boat whistles began to toot. Sailing experts nodded their heads in a pleased way, for it was a race to their liking.

A minute later, sweeping in like a house afire, the
Cat
’s
Paw
crossed the finish line well in advance of the
Spindrift
. Jack’s boat placed second with other craft far behind.

Friendly hands assisted the girls ashore where they were spirited away to the clubhouse for rest and refreshments. As everyone crowded about to congratulate them upon victory, Jack joined the throng.

“It was a dandy race,” he said with sincerity. “I tried hard to win, but you outsmarted me.”

“Why, Jack!” teased Sally. “Imagine admitting a thing like that!”

“Now don’t try to rub it in,” he pleaded. “I know I’ve been an awful heel. You probably won’t believe me, but I’m sorry about the way I acted—”

“For goodness sakes, don’t apologize,” Sally cut him short. “I enjoyed every one of those squabbles we had. I hope we have a lot more of them.”

“We probably will,” Jack warned, “because I expect to be underfoot quite a bit of the time.”