“I wish I had the brains you give me credit for. If I did, I could see my way through the terrible maze I’m in now.”
“You’ll uncover something one of these days.”
“I hope so.” Nancy frowned. “But the time is so short. Dad told me this morning that the police are getting impatient.”
“They haven’t learned a thing themselves, have they?”
“Well, they’ve questioned Mrs. Willoughby closely and have succeeded in frightening her so that she couldn’t tell them a straight story to save her life. Dad thinks they will arrest her in a few days if something new doesn’t come to light.”
“How terrible all of this must be for Emily! She’s so sensitive.”
“Yes, and I think she trusts Mrs. Willoughby implicitly. She’s sort of depending upon me to straighten everything out.”
“You’ll do it too,” Helen returned confidently.
“Oh, Helen, I’m up against it! To tell you the truth, I haven’t the slightest idea who took that jewelry. I’ve investigated every clue and I’m just as far from the solution now as I was at the start.”
“You’ll find a way out of the tangle,” Helen observed.
“I wonder if I shall.”
“You’re letting this thing get the best of you, Nancy. Why not forget it all for the afternoon and go shopping with me? Your mind may work more clearly after a little recreation.”
“Perhaps you’re right. At all events, my mind isn’t functioning at all now, so I’ll go.”