The Penny Parker Megapack: 15 Complete Novels (84 page)

Just then, Mrs. Davis came running from the cabin.

“My melons!” she screamed. “They’ve taken my melons! Oh, I was afraid something like this would happen!”

“Maybe I can overtake that fellow,” Jerry called to her. “Ride herd on these kids until I get back!”

As he ran toward his own car, Penny was close at his heels. She slid into the seat beside him and they raced down the lane.

“Which way did the truck go?” Jerry demanded. “I was so excited I forgot to notice.”

“It turned right. No sign of it now, though.”

“The fellow is running without lights to make it harder for us to follow him.”

Jerry and Penny both were hopeful that they could overtake the truck, which carried a heavy load. However, they had been delayed several minutes in getting started, and as the miles fell behind them, they caught no glimpse of the man they pursued.

“He must have turned off on that little side road we passed a quarter of a mile back,” Penny declared in discouragement. “Switch off the engine a minute.”

Bringing the car to a standstill, Jerry did as instructed. Both listened intently. From far over the hills they thought they could hear the muffled roar of a powerful motor.

“You’re right, Penny! He turned off at that side road!” Jerry exclaimed, backing the coupe around. “We’ll get him yet!”

Retracing their route, they started down the narrow rutty highway. Five minutes later, rounding a sharp bend, they caught their first glimpse of the truck, a dark object silhouetted in the moonlight. Only for a moment did it remain visible, and then, descending a hill, was lost to view.

“We’re gaining fast,” Jerry said in satisfaction. “It won’t be long now.”

The coupe rattled over a bridge. For no reason at all it began to bump, a loud pounding noise coming from the rear of the car.

“Gracious! What now?” Penny exclaimed.

“A flat,” Jerry answered tersely. “Just our luck.”

Pulling up at the side of the road, he jumped out to peer at the tires. As he had feared, the left rear one was down.

“We’ll probably lose that fellow now,” he said irritably.

With Penny holding a flashlight, the reporter worked as fast as he could to change the tire. However, nearly fifteen minutes elapsed before the task had been accomplished.

“We may as well turn back,” he said, tossing tools into the back of the car. “How about it?”

“Oh, let’s keep on a little farther,” Penny pleaded. “If we drive fast we might still overtake him.”

Without much hope, they resumed the pursuit. Tires whined a protest as they swung around sharp corners, and the motor began to heat.

“This old bus can’t take it any more,” Jerry declared, slackening speed again. “No sense in ruining the car.”

Penny had been watching the road carefully. They had passed no bisecting highways, so she felt certain that the truck could not have turned off. On either side of the unpaved thoroughfare were lonely stretches of swamp and woods.

“Let’s not turn back yet,” she pleaded. “We still have a chance.”

“Okay,” Jerry consented, “but don’t forget we have six orphans waiting for us at the Davis place.”

The car went on for another eight miles. Then came a welcome stretch of pavement.

“We must be getting near the state line,” Jerry remarked. “Yeah, there it is.”

Directly ahead was a tiny brick building with an official waiting to inspect cars which passed beyond that point. A series of markers warned the motorist to halt at the designated place.

As Jerry drew up, a man came from the little building.

“Carrying any shrubs, plants or fruit?” he began but the reporter cut him short.

“We’re following a stolen truck!” he exclaimed. “Has a red truck loaded with cantaloupes gone through here tonight?”

“I checked one about fifteen minutes ago.”

“Fifteen minutes!” Jerry groaned. “That finishes us.”

“The trucker could have reached Claymore by this time,” the inspector responded. “Once in the city you wouldn’t have much chance to pick him up. I have the truck license number though. If you’ll give me all the facts, I’ll make a report to Claymore police.”

There was no point in pursuing the thief farther. Accordingly, Penny and Jerry provided the requested information, and then drove to the Davis farm. Regretfully, they told Mrs. Davis of their failure to trace the melon thief.

“I’ve lost my crop, the truck—everything,” she said in a crushed voice. “What’s the use trying anyhow? A body would be smarter to go along with ’em than to try to fight.”

“I take it you have a pretty fair idea who it was that came here tonight?” Jerry said shrewdly. “Who are these Hoods?”

“I don’t dare tell you,” the woman answered fearfully. “You saw what they did tonight. They threw the blame of the Preston fire on Clem. They’ll do worse things if I don’t keep mum.”

“You want to help your husband, don’t you?”Penny inquired.

“Of course I do! But I know better than to talk.”

“You’ve been warned?” Jerry pursued the subject.

“Yes, I have. Now don’t ask me any more questions. I’ve told you too much already.”

“I just want to know one thing,” Jerry said relentlessly. “Did your trouble start because you and your husband refused to join the Holloway Cooperative?”

“Maybe it did,” the woman answered, her voice barely above a whisper. “I ain’t saying.”

It was apparent to Jerry and Penny that they could expect no assistance from Mrs. Davis. Although the events of the night had convinced them that Clem Davis was innocent, others would not share their opinion. They felt that by shielding the guilty parties, Mrs. Davis was adopting a very stupid attitude.

“Come along, Penny,” Jerry said with a shrug. “Let’s be moving.”

Six reluctant orphans were rounded up from the hay loft where a boisterous game of hide and seek was in progress.

“I can jam four into my coupe if you can handle the other two in your car,” Jerry remarked to Penny. “If they make you any trouble, just toot the horn twice, and I’ll come back and settle with ’em!”

“Oh, we’ll get along fine,” she smiled. “Come along, boys.”

“Here’s a souvenir to remember the night by,” Jerry said. From the ground he picked up two melons which he handed to the orphans. “Just don’t sock the matron with them when you get back to the Home!”

“Jerry, let me see one of those melons!” Penny exclaimed suddenly. “They fell from the truck, didn’t they?”

“I guess so,” Jerry responded, surprised by her display of interest. “What about ’em?”

“I’ll show you.”

Turning on the dash light of the car, Penny held the melon in its warm glow. Slowly, she turned it in her hands.

“There!” she said, pointing to a tiny triangle shaped marking on the cantaloupe. “This may prove a clue which will lead to the capture of the thief!”

“I don’t get it,” answered Jerry. “What clue?”

“Why, this stamping on the melon!” she replied excitedly. “The Hoods must intend to sell that load of cantaloupes. If they do, we may be able to trace the shipment.”

CHAPTER 12

ADELLE’S DISAPPEARANCE

Jerry took the melon from Penny’s hand to examine it.

“This stamp may be helpful,” he said dubiously,“but I doubt it. The Hoods never would be so stupid as to sell melons which could be traced. No, I think our investigation will have to center close at home.”

“You’re referring to the Holloway Cooperative, Jerry?”

“That outfit certainly merits an investigation. In the morning I’ll jog out to their packing plant and talk to the manager, Hank Holloway.”

“What time will you be going, Jerry?”

“About nine o’clock probably.”

“Perhaps I’ll meet you there,” Penny said thoughtfully. “That is, if you don’t mind.”

“Glad to have you,” the reporter responded in a hearty voice.

The two cars soon started for the Riverview Orphans’Home, arriving there without mishap. After unloading the boys entrusted to their care, Jerry and Penny then went to their respective residences.

“I’m glad you came at last,” Mrs. Weems remarked as the girl entered the house. “You’re to telephone Miss Anderson at the Riverview Orphans’ Home.”

“But I just left there,” Penny protested. “When did the call come?”

“About fifteen minutes ago.”

Wondering what could be amiss, Penny went to the telephone. In a moment she was in communication with Miss Anderson, who assisted the matron of the institution. The young woman’s voice betrayed agitation as she disclosed that following the night’s outing, an orphan had been discovered missing.

“Oh, goodness!” Penny exclaimed, aghast. “One of those six boys?”

Miss Anderson’s reply slightly reassured her.

“No, the missing child is a little girl who was not permitted to attend the party because of a severe cold. You may remember her—Adelle.”

“Indeed I do, Miss Anderson. Tell me how I may help.”

“We’ve already organized searching parties,” the young woman returned. “Adelle surely will be found within a few hours. However, if the story gets out it will do the institution no good—particularly at this time when our drive for funds is on.”

“I see,” Penny murmured, “you would like the news kept out of the
Star
?”

“Can it be arranged?” Miss Anderson asked eagerly. “If you will talk to your father about it we’ll be very grateful.”

“I’ll ask him not to print the story,” Penny promised, none too pleased by the request. “I do hope Adelle is found soon.”

She could not help feeling that the institution officials seemed far more worried about the prospect of unfavorable publicity than over the missing child’s welfare. Saying goodbye to Miss Anderson, she sought her father who was reading in the library.

“Penny, you know I don’t like to grant such favors,”Mr. Parker frowned when the conversation was repeated to him. “As a matter of principle, it never pays to withhold information unless the telling will harm innocent persons.”

“In this case, it will damage the institution,” Penny argued quietly. “Besides, I feel more or less responsible. What started out as a nice little party for the orphans, ended in a regular brawl. It was planned primarily for Adelle and then she ran away because she wasn’t permitted to attend.”

Starting at the very beginning, Penny told her father everything that had happened during the night. The tale was one of absorbing interest to Mr. Parker. When she had finished, he said:

“Don’t worry about the affair, Penny. I am as interested in the Riverview Camp fund as you are. We’ll give the institution no unfavorable publicity.”

“Oh, thanks, Dad!” she cried gratefully, wrapping her arms about his neck. “You’re just grand!”

“Weak as water, you mean,” he corrected with a chuckle. “By the way, I suppose you know that your friend Blake has been named to the Camp Fund board.”

“No!” Penny exclaimed. “How did that happen?”

“He hinted to Mrs. Van Cleve that he would like to serve. Naturally, after his handsome donation, she couldn’t refuse.”

“Why do you suppose Mr. Blake has taken such a sudden interest in the Home?”

“I wonder myself. I’ve thought from the first that he’s up to something. So far I’ve not been able to figure out his little game.”

“Well, you’re on the board too,” Penny declared, undisturbed. “If he starts any monkey business you can put a quick stop to it.”

“I fear you overestimate my talents,” Mr. Parker responded. “However, I do intend to see that Blake doesn’t profit too much by his donation.”

The hour was late and Penny soon went to bed. Disturbed by Adelle’s disappearance, she did not sleep well. Arising early, she telephoned the Orphans’Home, hoping to learn that the child had been found. No such good news awaited her.

“Searchers have looked everywhere between here and the Davis farm,” Miss Anderson revealed. “Unless the child is found by noon, it will be necessary to broadcast a general alarm. And that’s certain to bring unfavorable attention to the Home.”

“Is there any chance she could have been kidnaped?”Penny asked thoughtfully.

“Not the slightest,” was the prompt reply. “Adelle took most of her clothes with her. It’s a plain case of a runaway, but most annoying at this time.”

Penny ate a hasty breakfast, and then remembering her appointment with Jerry, drove to the Holloway Cooperative. The buildings were of modern concrete construction, located three and a half miles from Riverview in the heart of the truck farming district.

Jerry Livingston had not yet arrived, so Penny waited in the car. Soon his coupe swung into the drive and pulled up alongside Leaping Lena.

“Sorry to be late,” he apologized. “I was held up at the office.”

Knowing that her father would have told Jerry about Adelle’s disappearance, Penny inquired regarding the latest news.

“So far there’s not a trace of the child,” the reporter answered. “Your father’s sore at himself for promising not to carry the story. It may develop into something big.”