Penny Nichols and the Mystery of the Lost Key Part 3

"Uncle Jacob was noted for doing queer things," Rosanna informed. "I never met him but Mother often mentioned his name. He was quite a traveler, I believe, and collecting was his hobby."

"What did he collect?"

"Oh, things from the Orient and antiques from all over the world."

"Then if you've come into his property, you may have inherited some real treasures," Penny commented. "It would be fun to visit that house at Raven Ridge."

"Yes, but I dread going there alone. Penny, I wish you could go with me."

"I wish I could too, but I guess I'll have to stay at Belton City this summer."

It was only a little after eleven o'clock when the girls reached Brookport. The town was less than a hundred thousand population and Penny had no trouble in finding the main business section. After cruising about for some minutes, they located the street where Mr. Elfhedge had his office. The number which they sought brought them to an imposing seven-story brick building.

Penny parked the roadster and they went inside, searching the directory for Mr. Elfhedge's name. It was not listed.

"That's odd," Rosanna remarked with a troubled frown. "His office must be here somewhere in the building."

Penny went over to make inquiry of the elevator boy.

"There's no one in this building by that name," he insisted.

Thinking that the boy might be misinformed, Penny and Rosanna sought the building superintendent. To satisfy them, the man looked carefully through his list of tenants. No one by the name of Elfhedge occupied an office in the building.

"There is an attorney in Room 309 but his name is Rogers," the superintendent told the girls. "You might talk with him. He may know this man Elfhedge."

They went up to Room 309 and after a brief wait were ushered into the lawyer's private office. Rosanna was too shy to state the purpose of her visit, so Penny explained why they had come. The lawyer had never heard of a colleague by the name of Elfhedge.

"He's never been in this building and I doubt that he's even located in the city," they were told. "You must have made a mistake in the address."

The girls had made no mistake, that they knew. The address was plainly written on the outside of the envelope which Rosanna had in her purse.

She showed it to the lawyer.

"Yes, that seems to be this building," he admitted. "It looks as if someone used a fake address."

They left the office completely discouraged. Penny felt sorry for her companion. Rosanna had counted so heavily upon the inheritance. Now it appeared that someone had played a cruel joke upon her.

"You were right," Rosanna acknowledged as they walked slowly back to the car. "You were suspicious of that letter from the first."

"It struck me as peculiar that it was written in longhand instead of on a typewriter," Penny explained.

"I suppose it is nothing but a joke," Rosanna acknowledged, "and yet why should a key be enclosed in the letter?"

"It's beyond me, Rosanna. Even if the trip is wasted, you might feel better about it if you went to Raven Ridge and investigated."

"I'd go in an instant if I had the money to spare."

"I'll loan it to you."

Rosanna shook her head.

"No, I can't take it although it's kind of you to offer."

"I wish I could help you, Rosanna."

"You've helped me a great deal already. Perhaps a little later on I'll find some way of getting to Raven Ridge."

Penny tried to urge the loan, but Rosanna, who was unusually proud, would not hear of it. The girls parted at the latter's boarding house on Sixty-fifth Street.

"I'll see you within a day or two," Penny promised as she drove away.

"Perhaps by that time Father will learn something about Mr. Elfhedge."

She did not really believe that Mr. Nichols could find anything to report. Doubtless, the name had been a fict.i.tious one. Yet who had played the joke upon Rosanna and for what purpose?

"There's more to the affair than what appears on the surface," she reflected. "If only I had the chance, I'd do a little investigating."

Penny smiled at the thought, little dreaming that such an opportunity was to present itself very shortly.

CHAPTER III An Arrogant Guest

That evening at the dinner table Penny told her father about the unsuccessful trip to Brookport.

"It looks like someone played a practical joke on your friend," he commented.

"But who could be so mean, Dad? Rosanna has had such a desperately hard time to get along. Now if she wastes money going to Raven Ridge on a fruitless visit, it won't seem fair."

"Well, it's likely to amount to just that," Mr. Nichols returned. "I tried to locate that attorney, Elfhedge today."

"Any luck?"

"No, I doubt if such a person exists."

"So do I," Penny agreed. "By the way, what became of the newspaper today?

I wanted to read up about the department store theft."

"To see if your name was mentioned?" her father teased.

"No, I was just curious to learn if the thief was captured."

"I can set your mind at rest on that point," Mr. Nichols informed. "He wasn't. If you're interested in the details, you'll find the paper on the front porch."

Penny helped Mrs. Gallup clear the table of dishes, then went outside to get the paper. The story appeared on the front page. It was a slightly distorted version of what had happened and Penny was just as well pleased that her name was not mentioned. According to the account, the thief had escaped by means of a rear fire escape. The ring, valued at approximately nine hundred dollars, was fully covered by insurance.

While Penny was reading the story, Mr. Nichols came out and sat on the porch steps.