Clue of the Silken Ladder Part 22

"Nothing will please me better, Chief," responded the city editor. "Where do we start?"

"We'll tip the police to what is going on at the Celestial Temple. Have them send detectives there for tonight's meeting. Then when the usual hocus-pocus starts, arrests can be made. Have photographers and a good reporter on hand."

"That should start the ball rolling," agreed DeWitt. "I'll a.s.sign Jerry Livingston to the story. Salt Sommers is my best photographer."

"Get busy right away," Mr. Parker ordered. "We'll play the story big tomorrow--give it a spread."

"How about Al Gepper?" Penny inquired after DeWitt had gone. "Could he be arrested without involving the Hodges?"

"Not very easily if he lives at their place. Has he accepted money for the seances he conducts there?"

"He hasn't taken any yet from Mrs. Weems. I am sure he must have other customers."

"You have no proof of it?"

"No."

"Suppose we forget Al Gepper for the time being, and concentrate on the Celestial Temple," Mr. Parker proposed. "In the meantime, learn everything you can about the man's methods."

"No a.s.signment would please me more, Dad. I've the same as promised Mr.

Gepper he'll land in jail, and I want to make good."

Mr. Parker began to pace the floor. "I'll write a scorching editorial,"

he said. "We'll fight ignorance with information. Our reporters must learn how these mediums do their tricks, and expose them to the gullible public."

"I'll do everything I can to help," Penny promised eagerly. "May I have Al Gepper for my particular fish bait?"

"He's your a.s.signment. And I'm depending upon you to see that he doesn't work any of his trickery on Mrs. Weems. If she can't be persuaded to remain away from the Hodges', then we must protect her as best we can."

"I'll try to accompany her every time she goes there, Dad. I am afraid he may be after her money."

"Gepper doesn't know she inherited six thousand dollars?" Mr. Parker asked in alarm.

"Yes, she dropped the information that she had come into money. He supplied figures himself."

"I wonder how?"

"I haven't the slightest idea, Dad. Gepper is as clever a man as ever I met. Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if he does produce Cousin David at tomorrow's seance."

Mr. Parker snorted in disgust.

"Tommyrot! The man will make an excuse about the conditions not being right, and fail."

"Perhaps, but he seems pretty confident."

"You expect to attend the seance?"

"Oh, definitely. Jungle beasts couldn't keep me away."

"Then be alert every instant--without appearing too suspicious, of course. Try to learn how the man accomplishes his tricks."

"Leave it to me," chuckled Penny. "Mr. Al Gepper is due for his first shock when he wakes up tomorrow and reads that the Celestial Temple has been raided. Unless I am much mistaken, that place is one of his favorite haunts."

Leaving the newspaper office, Penny went directly home. She longed to stop at the Sidell home, but she had promised her father to say nothing about the planned raid until it was an accomplished fact. Feeling the need of work to occupy her time, she washed the maroon car and waxed the fading paint of Leaping Lena.

At six o'clock her father came home for dinner.

"Any news?" Penny asked, running to meet him.

"Everything's set," he answered. "DeWitt laid your information before the police. Tonight three detectives will attend the meeting at the Temple.

If anything out of the way happens, the raid will be staged."

Penny was so tense with expectation that she was unable to do justice to the delicious dinner which Mrs. Weems had prepared. Her father, too, seemed unusually restless. After dinner he made a pretense of reading the paper, but actually his eyes did not see the print.

The hands of the clock scarcely appeared to move, so slowly did time pa.s.s. Eight o'clock came, then nine. Suddenly the telephone rang.

Penny was away in an instant to answer it. From the next room she called to her father:

"It's for you, Dad! DeWitt, I think."

"I told him to telephone me as soon as the raid was staged." Mr. Parker arose and went quickly to take the receiver. Penny hovered at his elbow.

"h.e.l.lo! DeWitt?" the publisher asked, and after a slight pause: "Oh, I see. No, I don't think Penny was mistaken. It's more likely there was a tip-off."

He hung up the receiver and turned toward Penny who antic.i.p.ated the news.

"The raid was a failure?"

"Yes, Penny. Detectives spent two hours at the meeting. Nothing happened.

It was impossible to make arrests."

"They must have been recognized as detectives."

"Undoubtedly."

"Others will be a.s.signed to the case?"

"I doubt it, Penny. DeWitt reports that the police have become convinced that the spiritualists who use the Temple are not operating for profit."

"Louise and I know better because she was approached." Penny anxiously regarded her father. "Dad, even if the police do give up, we won't, will we?"

"No, we're in this fight and we'll stay in it," he answered grimly.

"We'll put some new teeth in our trap. And the next time it's sprung, I warrant you we'll catch a crook."

CHAPTER 14 _WET PAINT_