The Penny Parker Megapack: 15 Complete Novels (272 page)

“Not unless he forces me to tell where the gem is hidden. And I’ll die first! But I’m afraid he may torture Grandmother in an attempt to make her reveal what she doesn’t know.”

Penny prepared to close the peephole. “I’ll go for the authorities now as fast as I can,” she promised. “Keep up your courage until I return.”

“Do be careful,” Rhoda warned nervously. “If Father Benedict should catch you trying to escape, there’s no guessing what he would do!”

Penny closed the peephole and stole out of the dark closet. The corridor was deserted.

Retracing her way to the cloister, the girl paused beside a wall niche a moment as she considered the safest way to attempt an escape.

“I’ll try the kitchen window,” she decided. “It worked well enough coming in.”

On tiptoe she approached the kitchen, only to halt as she heard voices. Father Benedict was berating Old Julia again.

“There
were
eleven bowls of soup served!” she heard him insist. “Mrs. Hawthorne and her daughter were not in the dining room. So that makes one extra person unaccounted for. Julia, someone entered this house tonight to spy, and you know who the person is!”

“No! No! I dunno nothin’,” the servant moaned. “Even if you strike me and break my bones I can’t tell you no different!”

“We’ll see about that,” said the monk harshly. “After a few hours below, perhaps you’ll be willing to talk!”

Julia uttered a squeal of terror. “Don’t take me down into that awful place where the tombs are!” she pleaded. “Please!”

“Then tell me who entered this house tonight.”

“I’ll tell, if you quit twisting my arm,” Julia sobbed. “Only I didn’t want to get her into trouble. She didn’t mean no harm.”

“
She!
”

“It was just a girl.”

“A blond?”

“I dunno. I guess so.”

“It was that Parker girl!” Father Benedict muttered. “She represents the
Riverview Star
, worse luck!”Giving Julia a hard shake, he demanded: “She got in through the window?”

“I guess so. I dunno.”

“You know nothing, especially when it suits your purpose!” Father Benedict accused her furiously. “Where is the girl now? Did she get away or is she still here?”

“I seen her a few minutes ago.”

“Where?”

Penny’s heart nearly failed her, for she was certain Old Julia would reveal that she had hidden in the closet with the peephole.

To her great relief, the woman replied that she had taken part in the cult ceremony and then had supped in the refectory.

“I knew that before, stupid!” Father Benedict shouted. “The girl must still be in the building. I’ll find her, and when I do—”

Waiting to hear no more, Penny retreated to the cloister. All candles had been blown out and it was very dark.

“I must get out of here now or never!” she thought. “Father Benedict will start looking for me and he’ll probably order Winkey to watch the gates.”

Starting hurriedly along the cloister, she heard approaching footsteps. Momentarily confused, she started up a short, steep stairway to a balcony overlooking the court.

Belatedly, Penny realized she had turned toward the dormitories.

Opening from the balcony was a bedroom door which stood partly ajar.

After listening for a moment, and hearing no movement inside, she cautiously tiptoed into the room.

“A window here may be unlocked,” she thought. “If the drop to the ground isn’t too far, maybe I can get out this way.”

As Penny crossed the room, an elderly woman she had failed to see, suddenly sat up in bed.

“Rhoda, is that you?” she asked in a whining voice. “Why have you been gone so long? Oh, I’ve been so worried!”

Penny hesitated, then went over to the bed.

“I’m not Rhoda, but a friend of hers,” she explained. “Do you mind if I crawl out through the window?”

“It’s nailed down and there are bars,” the elderly woman replied. “Oh, this is a horrible place! Rhoda tried to tell me. I wouldn’t listen!”

Scarcely hearing, Penny ran to the window. As she pulled aside the dusty velvet draperies, she saw for herself that the window was guarded by ancient rusty bars. Everywhere escape seemed cut off!

Turning to the bed again, she observed with some alarm that the old lady had fallen back on her pillow. Moonlight flooding in through the diamond-shaped panes of glass accentuated her pallor.

“You’re Mrs. Hawthorne, aren’t you?” she inquired gently.

The woman nodded. She coughed several times and pulled the one thin coverlet closer about her.

“Where is Rhoda?” she asked. “Why doesn’t she come to me?”

Penny could not tell her the truth—that her granddaughter had been locked in the chapel bedroom by Father Benedict. Nor could she express the fear that an even worse fate was in store for the girl unless help came quickly to the monastery.

As she groped for words, Mrs. Hawthorne suddenly gasped. Her face became convulsed and she writhed in bed.

“Oh, those stomach cramps!” she moaned. “They’re starting again! Please—please, a doctor!”

Never had Penny felt so helpless as she watched the poor woman suffer. Mrs. Hawthorne’s wrinkled face broke out in perspiration. She gripped the girl’s hand with a pressure that was painful.

When the cramp had passed, she lay limp and exhausted.

“I’ll get a doctor here as soon as I can,” Penny promised. “Until then, perhaps a hot water bottle will help.”

“There’s no hot water in the place,” Mrs. Hawthorne mumbled. “Oh, if I ever get away from here alive—”

“Sh!” Penny suddenly interrupted. She placed her fingertips on the woman’s lips.

Heavy footsteps warned her that someone approached.

“It may be Father Benedict!” Penny whispered. “Whatever you do, don’t give me away! I must hide!”

Frantically, she looked about for a safe place. The room had no closet.

“Under the bed,” urged Mrs. Hawthorne.

Penny wriggled beneath it. Barely had she secreted herself, than Father Benedict stamped into the bedroom.

CHAPTER 20

TRICKERY

Lighting his way with a tall, flickering candle, Father Benedict walked directly to the bed where Mrs. Hawthorne lay.

“How are you feeling?” he inquired with a show of sympathy.

“Dreadful,” the woman murmured. “I must have a doctor.”

“Do you really believe that a doctor can help you, my good woman?”

The question startled Mrs. Hawthorne. She half-raised herself from the pillow to stare at the monk.

“Why, what do you mean?” she asked. “Surely a doctor can give me medicine to help these wretched pains. It is only a stomach disorder.”

“My dear Mrs. Hawthorne, surely you must realize that your difficulty is not one that a man of medicine can cure.”

“You don’t mean I have a serious, incurable disease?” the woman gasped.

“You are indeed suffering from a most serious malady which may take your life,” affirmed Father Benedict. “Is it not true that bad fortune has pursued every owner of the star sapphire?”

Mrs. Hawthorne remained silent.

“Is it not so?” prodded the monk. “Think back over the history of the gem. Even your husband met with misfortune.”

“And now you believe my turn has come? Oh!”

“I dislike to distress you,” resumed Father Benedict with malice, “but perhaps by warning you I may yet save your life. Tonight in the crystal globe I saw your face. A message came that you must dispose of the star sapphire immediately or you too will die!”

“I—I always have hated and feared the gem,” Mrs. Hawthorne whispered, her lips trembling. “You are right. It has brought only misfortune upon our family.”

“Then your way is clear. You must dispose of the sapphire at once—tonight.”

“The gem is very valuable. You suggest that I give it to your society?”

“To our society,” corrected the monk. “Once you have contributed the gem, you will become our most honored member.”

“The gem was left to me in trust for my granddaughter.”

“You told me yourself you desire that it never should fall into her hands.”

“Only because I fear evil will befall her. I had planned to sell the gem and place the money in her name.”

Father Benedict beat an impatient tattoo with his foot. “The curse would remain,” he insisted. “Only by giving the gem to a worthy charity can evil be erased. For your own sake and that of your granddaughter, I beg of you, give us the sapphire.”

“A few days ago, I might have considered it,” said Mrs. Hawthorne peevishly. “Now I don’t even like this place. It is too much on the order of a prison. The food is wretched! Tomorrow if I am stronger, I shall take my granddaughter and leave.”

“Indeed?” Father Benedict sneered. “For you there will be no tomorrow. I have seen the face of a corpse in my glass!”

Penny knew that the words shocked Mrs. Hawthorne, for she heard her draw in her breath sharply. But the woman retorted with spirit:

“You cannot frighten me with your predictions! Rhoda insisted from the first that you are an imposter! She is right! You’ll get no gem from me!”

“No?” Father Benedict’s voice became mocking. “We shall see!”

Placing the candle on the floor close to the bed, he crossed the room to the old fashioned dresser. One by one, he began to paw through the drawers.

“Stop it!” cried Mrs. Hawthorne. “Don’t dare touch my things!”

Father Benedict paid her not the slightest heed. Rapidly he emptied boxes and containers and tossed clothing in a heap on the floor.

With a supreme effort, Mrs. Hawthorne pulled herself from the bed. Staggering across the floor, she seized the man’s arm.

Father Benedict pushed her backwards onto the bed.

“You are a cruel, heartless man!” Mrs. Hawthorne sobbed. The bed shook convulsively beneath her weight as she lay where Father Benedict had pushed her.

Penny was sorely tempted to go to the woman’s assistance, but reason told her it would be sheer folly to betray her presence. Everything depended upon getting quickly and safely out of the monastery. If she failed, Father Benedict undoubtedly would escape, leaving them all locked in the building.

The monk now had finished searching the dresser and turned his attention to a suitcase. With professional skill and thoroughness, he ripped open the lining. Likewise, he explored every garment hem and pocket.

“To think that I ever trusted you!” Mrs. Hawthorne cried bitterly. “Oh, I see it all now! From the very first, you were after the sapphire!”

“And I have it too!” cried the man in triumph.

His sensitive, exploring fingers had come upon a small, hard object sewed into the hem of one of Mrs. Hawthorne’s frocks.

“Don’t you dare take the stone!” the woman screamed. “I’ll have you arrested as a common thief!”

“You’ll never get out of this room,” chuckled the monk. “I intend to lock you in!”

The boast threw Penny into a panic. Not for an instant did she doubt that Father Benedict would carry out his threat. If he locked Mrs. Hawthorne in, she too would be a prisoner!

Penny had no time to plan strategy or reason out the best course. Already, Father Benedict had removed the gem from the hem of the garment.

Before he could examine it, or move toward the door, Penny, with a mighty “whoosh” blew out the candle.

Scrambling from beneath the bed, she darted to the door.

Taken by surprise, Father Benedict was too slow to intercept her. She slammed the door in his face, groping frantically for a key.

Finding none, she knew the monk must have the only one on his person.

“The fat’s in the fire now for sure!” she thought in panic.

Penny raced across the balcony and down the stone steps to the cloister. In this emergency the pillars, though shadowed, offered no protection whatsoever. Nor was the dry fountain bed a safe place in which to hide.

Pounding footsteps warned that there was no time in which to search for a hideout. The only possible place was under an old tarpaulin which lay in a heap on the tiles beside the fountain.

Wriggling beneath the canvas, Penny pulled the folds over her head.

Barely had she flattened herself on the floor than Father Benedict pounded into the cloister. So close did he pass to where she lay, that Penny could hear his heavy breathing.

“Now where did that brat go?” he muttered. “She’s here somewhere!”

The monk rang a bell which brought Winkey on the run.

“I’ve looked everywhere for that Parker girl,” he reported before the master could speak. “She must have got away.”

“Fool!” rasped the monk. “She has been hiding in Mrs. Hawthorne’s room! She saw me take the sapphire!”

“You mean you got the gem, boss?”