Mystery #02 — The Mystery of the Disappearing Cat - Blyton Enid (книги онлайн полные версии txt) 📗

"We'll take these boots, and the hanky too," said Fatty importantly. "Come on, Buster. We've got some mighty good clues and bits of evidence, I must say. What a shock dear Mr. Tupping is going to get when he hears all we have to say."

They went out of the shed and came face to face with Luke, who still looked very gloomy. "You're going to get into trouble," he said to Fatty. "Tupping's gone down to get Goon, because he says he found you in the cat-house, and he says it must have been you children who took that cat. I suppose he's going to make out that you did it when I was there, and I didn't let on, so as to shield you. You're going to get into trouble!"

The End of it All.

Fatty went off to telephone to Inspector Jenks. He was lucky enough to get him straight away.

"Please, Inspector Jenks," said Fatty, "we've solved the Mystery of the Disappearing Cat. Could you possibly come over and let us tell you?"

"Well," said the Inspector, "I've just had a most mysterious message from Goon — something about finding you children in the cat-house, and saying he thought you had something to do with the disappearance of the cat — and I was thinking of coming over anyway."

"Oh, good!" said Fatty joyfully. "Are you coming to Lady Candling's?"

"Yes, that would be best," said the Inspector. "Meet me there in an hour's time, will you?"

Fatty went back to tell the others — to find them all in a state of great indignation. Mr. Goon had been to Bet's mother and complained to her that the little girl had been caught trespassing in the cat-house. He had now gone to tell Fatty's mother that Fatty had been caught there too.

"Mummy is frightfully cross with me," said Bets, with tear-stained eyes. "You weren't here, Fatty, so I didn't like to say anything in case I gave away something you didn't want me to give away. So I said nothing at all, and Mummy scolded me dreadfully."

"Never mind, Bets," said Fatty. "The Inspector will soon be here, and once he hears our story he will soon put things right. We've got to meet him at Lady Candling's in an hour's time. We must take all our clues with us."

So carrying one bottle of turps, one tin of paint, one old paint-brush, one stone smeared with paint, one hanky smelling of turps, and one pair of rubber boots spotted with paint, the children set off down Pip's drive and up Lady Candling's drive in an hour's time.

"The only clue we couldn't bring was the smell on the cat's tail," said Bets. "And that was really the most important clue of all."

"And it was you who smelt it," said Fatty. "I must say I think you've been a very good Find-Outer this time, little Bets."

"Look! there's Mr. Goon going into the house," said Daisy. "And that's Tupping with him. And here comes Luke. Hallo, Luke! Where are you going?"

"Been told to wash myself and go up to the house," said Luke, who looked both gloomy and scared.

"Are you frit?" asked Fatty.

"Yes, I'm frit," said Luke.

"Well don't be," said Fatty. "Everything is going to be all right. You'll see. Cheer up."

But Luke could not cheer up. He walked off to wash and clean himself, looking very downcast, just as the Inspector's black car drove smartly up the drive and came to a stop. The big Inspector got out and smiled at the children. He beckoned to them.

"Who's the guilty person?" he said.

"Tupping," said Fatty with a grin. "I bet you guessed it, Inspector, though you didn't have any dues or anything."

"Well, I didn't think it was Luke, and I did think Mr. Tupping was the type," said the Inspector. "Also I happened to know what neither you nor Mr. Goon knew, that he has been mixed up in a thieving case before — dogs, it was, as far as I remember. Well, you go on in. I'm just coming."

Everyone was gathered together in Lady Candling's big drawing-room.

"Sit down, children," said Lady Candling. Fatty had left outside the door some of their dues, feeling that it would not do to let Tupping see his rubber boots, the tin of paint, or the bottle of turps. The boy did not want the surly gardener put on his guard if he could help it. The children sat down, and Fatty took Buster on his knee to stop him from sniffing round Mr. Goon's ankles.

The Inspector came in and shook hands with Lady Candling. He smiled at the children, and nodded to Mr. Goon.

"I think we'd better all sit down," he said. Everyone sat down. Mr. Goon looked important and stern. He gave Bets and Fatty a severe glance. Aha! those interfering children were going to get into Very Serious Trouble now! Tupping had reported to him that they had actually taken the key and been found inside the cat-house.

"Well, Goon," said the Inspector, "I got a rather mysterious message from you this morning — sufficiently serious for me to think of coming over."

"Yes, sir. It is serious, sir," said Mr. Goon, swelling up with importance. "I have reason to believe, sir, that these here interfering children know more about the disappearance of that valuable cat than we think. I think, sir, they're in for Very Serious Trouble, and a good warning from you will do them a World of Good."

"Well, I think it is quite possible that these children do know more about this mystery than you think, Goon," said Inspector Jenks. "We'll ask them, shall we?"

He turned to Fatty. "Perhaps you, Frederick Trotteville would like to say a few words?"

There was nothing that Fatty wanted more. He swelled up almost as importantly as Goon had done.

"I should like to say, Inspector, that we Five Find-Outers know who stole Dark Queen," said Fatty, very loudly and clearly. Tupping gave one of his snorts, and so did Goon. Luke looked thoroughly scared. Miss Trimble's glasses fell off, much to Bets' delight.

"Go on, Frederick," said the Inspector.

"I should like to explain, sir, exactly how the theft was committed," said Fatty. The others looked at him admiringly. Fatty always knew the right words to use.

"We should like to hear you, if I may so," said the Inspector gravely, with a little twinkle in his eyes.

"Well, Inspector, Dark Queen was stolen twice, as you know," said Fatty. "Both times Miss Harmer was out, and Mr. Tupping was in charge of the cats.

Mr. Goon's mouth fell open, and he stared at Fatty in astonishment.

"Now that..." he began — but Inspector Jenks stopped him.

"Don't interrupt, Goon," he said. And old Clear-Orf dared say no more.

"I'll tell you how it was all done," said Fatty, enjoying himself immensely. "The thief stole Dark Queen out of the cage in the morning; but he cleverly painted a ring of hairs a creamy colour in another cat's tail, so that to anyone not knowing the cats extremely well that other cat seemed to be Dark Queen!"

There was a chorus of exclamations. Miss Trimble's glasses fell off immediately.

"Well," went on Fatty, "you can see that anyone coming to see the cats in the afternoon would think Dark Queen was there — but she wasn't. Then, when the right moment came, the thief hopped into the cage, rubbed the paint off the cat's tail with a rag soaked in turps, and then announced that Dark Queen was missing! So, of course everyone thought the cat must have been stolen in the afternoon, whereas she had been taken in the morning."

"And that's why everyone thought it was me that took the cat," broke in Luke. "Because I was the only one near the cage in the afternoons, and no one came near but me."

"Yes," said Fatty. "That was part of the plan, Luke. The blame was to be put on to you."

"Who was it?" demanded Luke, his face going scarlet with rage. "Just let me get my hands on him, that's all!"

The Inspector sent a glance at Luke and the boy sat back saying no more.

"How do you know all this?" asked Mr. Goon, his face a mixture of amazement, disbelief, and scorn. "It's just a silly make-up. You got to have proof of these things before you can say them."