"Muddled?"
"Yes, it has changed hands many times in the past year, and oddly, none of the buyers or sellers seem to be known in Riverview."
"What does Mr. Adams think about that, Dad?"
"He advises that the records be inspected very carefully. It will take weeks though, for they are quite involved."
"I suppose that will hold up the opening of the camp."
"It may," Mr. Parker acknowledged. "However, it seems wise to take every precaution even if the camp isn't opened this year. Too much money is involved to risk paying for land which may have a faulty title."
The following day, the editor conferred with members of the Camp Fund board, telling of his findings. To his chagrin, Mrs. Van Cleve did not share his views.
"I trust Mr. Blake's judgment implicitly," she insisted. "I am sure the property will be satisfactory in every way. If there should by chance be any flaw in the title, he would make it good."
"We can't possibly delay the dedication another week," added another feminine member of the board. "The summer is nearly over now."
"At least postpone making the final payment until after I have had another report from my lawyers," Mr. Parker pleaded.
"Very well, we'll do that," Mrs. Van Cleve agreed. "Mr. Blake is so obliging I am sure he will allow us to set up equipment on the land, even though we don't actually possess title."
The entire transaction seemed very unbusinesslike to Mr. Parker, but he did not attempt to force his opinion upon the board members. Accordingly, plans went forward for the grand opening of the camp. Stories appeared regularly in the _Star_, playground equipment and floored tents were set up on the camp site, and the actual dedication program was announced.
"You might know Mr. Blake would be invited to make the main speech,"
Penny remarked disapprovingly as she scanned the latest story of the coming affair. "Every day, in every way, he gives me a bigger and bigger pain!"
Throughout the week both she and Louise had been very active, helping out at the new camp site. The land had been cleared of underbrush, trails had been constructed, and a well dug. While supervising the setting-up of slides, merry-go-rounds and teeter-totters, Penny upon several occasions had had disagreements with Mr. Blake. The man remained at the site almost constantly, imposing his wishes upon everyone.
"A great deal of time and money has been spent getting that place ready for the dedication," Penny commented to her father. "If anything should happen that the final papers aren't signed, it would be a pity."
"I've had no report as yet," Mr. Parker answered. "My lawyers tell me they never delved into a more involved case."
"What does Mr. Blake think about the investigation?"
"He seems to be agreeable. However, I suspect he's been working on the various board members, trying to get them to conclude the deal without waiting."
"How long will it be before you'll have a final report, Dad?"
"I don't know," he admitted. "I expected to get it long before this."
In the flurry of preparing for the camp dedication, Penny had no opportunity to give much thought to other affairs. She did not see Seth McGuire, the sheriff had nothing to disclose concerning Clem Davis'
disappearance, and the Black Hoods seemed to have become an extinct organization.
On the morning of the designated date, Penny was abroad early. She and Louise planned to drive to the dedication exercises together, and wished to arrive before the grounds were congested. Eating breakfast hurriedly, Penny scarcely noticed when her father was called to the telephone. He absented himself from the dining room nearly fifteen minutes. As he returned to the table, Penny pushed back her chair, ready to leave.
"Well, I'll see you at the camp grounds, Dad," she said lightly.
"I don't know what to do about the dedication," responded Mr. Parker in a sober tone. "By rights there should be none."
Penny stared at him.
"I've just heard from my lawyers," Mr. Parker explained.
"Then, there is a flaw in the title as you suspected!"
"Decidedly. It's a very mixed-up mess, and as yet we're not sure what it may mean."
"Tell me about it, Dad," Penny pleaded, sliding back into her chair.
"Benjamin Bowman--whoever he may be--doesn't own the camp property."
"Then in whose name is it?"
"The property doesn't belong to anyone."
"Why, how ridiculous!" Penny exclaimed. "Doesn't every piece of land in the world belong to someone?"
"Actually the heirs of Rosanna and Joseph Schulta own this particular property. But there are no heirs."
"What you say doesn't make sense to me, Dad."
"The whole affair is very involved," Mr. Parker explained. "In tracing back the history of the land, my lawyers found that originally it was owned by Rosanna and Joseph Schulta, an elderly couple, who had no known relatives. They sailed for Germany more than fifty years ago. The ship sank, and presumably they were lost. Their land was never claimed, and somehow the state overlooked the case."
"But I thought the property had changed hands many times in recent years!"
"Only theoretically. All those records have been falsified."
"By whom, Dad? Ben Bowman?"
"My lawyers are inclined to think Blake may be at the bottom of it. He is a very shrewd real estate man, and in examining records at the court house, he may have learned about this floating property."
"Then he deliberately tried to cheat the Camp Fund board!"
"It looks that way. Neither Ben Bowman nor anyone else owns the property.
Had you not noticed his name on the abstract, it's unlikely the fraud would have been uncovered for quite a few years to come."
"What will you do, Dad?" Penny inquired, deeply distressed. "The dedication is scheduled to start within an hour."
"I don't see how it can be postponed," Mr. Parker said soberly. "It will have to go on according to schedule."
"Afterwards you'll ask for Blake's arrest?"
"There's no real evidence against him."
"No evidence!"
"He claims to be a mere agent of Ben Bowman. All of the deeds and legal papers were drawn up by some other person. If any accusation is made against him, he can escape by maintaining that he knew nothing of the back records."