Ghost Beyond the Gate

  CHAPTER 15 _GHOST IN THE GARDEN_

  The three investigators moved stealthily along the high fence. Throughthe iron palings they could see a white-garbed figure walking withmeasured tread amid the shrubs of the frozen garden. Back and forth theapparition strolled, following a well-trod path between the shrunkensnowdrifts.

  Penny, Mrs. Weems, and the taxi driver crept closer. The ghostly one didnot note their approach. Hooded head bent low, he glided to the gate,testing chain and padlock.

  "Poor restless soul!" whispered Mrs. Weems.

  Penny gave the housekeeper a tiny pinch to break the spell which hadfallen upon her. "That's no ghost," she whispered. "Don't you see! It's aman wearing a heavy white bathrobe over his clothing. He's pulled thewide collar up over his head like a hood!"

  "It's a man all right," added the taxi driver. "You can tell by the wayhe walks. Ghosts kinda slither, don't they?"

  "I believe it's someone imprisoned on the grounds!" Penny whisperedtensely. "Watch!"

  The ghost, his face shadowed, rattled the chain again. Then with adistinct, audible sigh, he turned and tramped back along the fence awayfrom the gate.

  "Aw, that spook could get out if he wanted to," muttered the taxi driver."Why don't he climb over the fence?"

  "Perhaps the man is a sleep walker," suggested Mrs. Weems nervously."Whoever he is, the poor fellow should be in his bed."

  Penny was determined to learn the identity of the man. Moving to thegate, she called softly. The figure in white whirled around, lookingstraight toward her.

  Penny caught a fleeting impression of a lean, startled face. Then the manturned and fled toward the house. No longer could there be any doubt thathe was a man, for as he ran the legs of his woolen pajamas showed beneaththe white robe.

  "Wait!" Penny called. "Please wait!"

  The ghostly one hesitated, and glanced over his shoulder. But the nextmoment he was gone, having vanished through a side door into the house.

  Penny, weak from excitement, clung to the gate. "Mrs. Weems!" she cried."Did you see him?"

  "Yes, you frightened him away when you shouted."

  "But didn't you notice his face? As he turned toward me, I caught aglimpse of it. Mrs. Weems, the man looked like Dad!"

  "Oh, Penny," the housekeeper murmured, taking her arm, "you can't beright. How could it be your father?"

  "It looked like him."

  "Not to me," said Mrs. Weems firmly. "Why, if it had been Mr. Parker, hewould have answered when you called. He wouldn't have run away."

  Penny was compelled to acknowledge the logic of the housekeeper'sreasoning. "I guess that's true," she said reluctantly. "I'll admit Ididn't see his face plainly. I wanted it to be Dad so badly I may haveimagined the resemblance."

  A light was switched on in an upstairs room of the estate house. However,blinds were lowered, and those on the ground did not obtain anotherglimpse of the mysterious man who haunted the snowy garden. Finally Mrs.Weems induced Penny to return to the taxi.

  Speeding toward Riverview, neither of them had much to say. Penny couldnot blot from her mind the vision of a startled, bewildered face. Reasontold her that Mrs. Weems was right--the man could not be her father. Whothen, was he? Why had he refused to talk to her at the gate?

  "The man may have been a sleep walker," she thought. "Possibly the ownerof the estate, Mr. Deming."

  The cab had reached the business section of Riverview. Upon impulse Pennydecided to stop at the _Star_ plant to make sure that everything wasgoing well.

  "It won't take me long," she assured Mrs. Weems. "Why don't you wait inthe cab?"

  Only a skeleton night force was on duty at the _Star_ office. Theadvertising department had been closed, and on the floor above, scrubwomen were busy mopping up. A sleepy-eyed desk man greeted Penny as sheentered the deserted newsroom.

  "Everything's Okay," he assured her. "The final edition's out, and mostof the boys have gone home. I was just taking a little cat nap."

  "Any news?"

  "Not about your father. The police have been kept busy chasing down falserumors. About four hours ago a report came in your father had been seenin Chicago."

  "Chicago!"

  "Just a fake report."

  "Oh, I see," said Penny weakly. "No word from Jerry, I suppose?"

  The deskman shook his head. "Plenty of mail for you though."

  "Anything important?"

  "Mostly replies to that reward offer you made. A lot of 'em are screwballletters. Your father's been seen in every section of the city from theriver to the Heights."

  "Where is the mail?"

  "I dumped it on your father's desk."

  "I'll take it home to read," Penny said. "By going through every lettercarefully I may stumble upon a clue."

  She crossed the newsroom and opened the door of her father's office.

  The light was not on. Groping for the wall switch, her keen ears detectedstealthy steps moving away from her. Sensing the presence of someone inthe room she called sharply: "Who's here?"

  There was no reply. Across the room, a door softly opened and clickedshut. Penny was startled. Although the private office had two entrances,one leading directly into the hall, the latter had not been used inyears. Usually the door was locked and a clothes tree stood in front ofit.

  Her groping fingers found the switch and she flooded the room with light.A glance revealed that mail lying on the desk had been disturbed. One ofthe top drawers remained open. The clothes tree had been moved from infront of the hall door. Plainly, someone had just fled from the room!

  Darting to the corridor door, Penny jerked it open. No one was in sight.However, at the end of the deserted hall, she saw the elevator cagemoving slowly downward.

  "I'll get that fellow yet!" she thought grimly.

  Taking the hall at a run, she plunged down the stairway two steps at atime. Breathless but triumphant, she reached the lower corridor just asthe cage stopped with a jerk.

  Harley Schirr stepped out, closing the grilled door behind him.

  "Fancy meeting you here!" said Penny, her eyes flashing. "What were youdoing in my father's office?"

  Schirr regarded her coolly. Without answering, he tried to brush pasther.

  "You were looking for something in Dad's desk!" Penny accused, blockingthe way. "I know how you got in too! Through the hall entrance. You'resuch a professional snooper you probably have a skeleton key that unlockshalf the doors in the building!"

  "I've had about enough of your insolence!" Schirr retorted. "There's nolaw which says I can't come to this plant. And speaking of law, I may sueyou for libel."

  "What a laugh."

  "You'll not be laughing in a few days, Miss Parker! Oh, no! I've hired alawyer, and we're preparing our case. You've insulted me, humiliated mein the eyes of my fellow newspapermen, but you'll have to pay. And payhandsomely!"

  The threat failed to disturb Penny. Schirr, determined to wound herdeeply, went on with grim satisfaction.

  "You kid yourself you'll see your father again," he jeered. "Well, youwon't! Mr. Parker is dead and you may as well get used to the idea."

  Penny's eyes burned. "You say that only to torture me!"

  "It's the truth. If you weren't so blind you'd acknowledge it. Yourfather tried to run a gang of professional tire-thieves out of this town,and they did for him."

  "You seem very certain of your facts, Mr. Schirr. Perhaps you know someof the higher-ups personally."

  "How would I?"

  "Your knowledge is so complete," Penny said scathingly.

  "I'm only telling you my opinion," Schirr growled, now on the defensive."If you want to ride along in a sweet dream that's Okay with me."

  "I want to get at the truth," said Penny shortly. "Do you have one scrapof evidence that Dad has fallen into the hands of enemies?"

  Schirr hesitated, knowing well that an affirmative answer might lead toquestioning from the p
olice.

  "I don't have any knowledge of the case," he said. "At least not forpublication!"

  Flashing a superior smile, he pushed past Penny, and went out of thebuilding.