Mystery of the Disappearing Cat (4 page)

Mr. Tupping put out his hand and jerked the frightened little girl to her feet “You show me where you put them,” he said.

“Let me go,” said Bets, finding her tongue at last. “I’ll tell Mummy about you!”

“You tell her if you like,” said Mr. Tupping. “And I’ll tell Mr. Goon the policeman, see? I’ll tell him you took my strawberry runners, and he’ll put you and Luke into prison!”

“They don’t put little girls into prison,” sobbed Bets. But her heart went cold at the thought of Luke going to prison.

“Where’s them strawberry runners?” demanded Mr. Tupping. Bets led him to her garden. As soon as Mr. Tupping saw the neatly-planted, well-watered little strawberry plants he bent down and wrenched every one of them up. He tore them up into tiny pieces and threw them on to the bonfire that was smouldering nearby. Bets sobbed bitterly. Poor little strawberry plants!

“You’re a bad girl,” said Mr. Tupping. “And I tell you this — if you come into my garden again, I’ll go straight to Mr. Goon the policeman. Great friend of mine, he is, and he’ll be along to see your father before you can say ‘Jack Robinson.’ As for that Luke — well, he’ll end up in prison, no doubt about that.”

With that Mr. Tupping began to walk back to the wall; but before he could get there, Buster came running up. He heard Bets sobbing, he smelt Mr. Tupping, and he put two and two together at once. Buster certainly had brains!

He flew straight at Tupping and caught him by the trouser-leg, growling in a most fearsome way. Mr. Tupping gave a howl.

“Call your dog off!” he yelled. Bets called Buster.

“Oh, Buster, don’t! Come here, Buster!”

But Buster was having a lovely time. Here was his enemy ill-treating his beloved little Bets. Grrrrrrrrr!

Tupping was frightened. He kicked out and picked up a stick. Buster tore a large piece out of Tupping’s trouser-leg, and retired under a bush to chew it Tupping took his chance and shinned up the wall. Buster was out from the bush in a trice, snapping at Tupping’s ankles, getting another bit of trouser and a nice piece of woollen sock too. Tupping gave a yell, and fell off on the other side of the wall.

Bets was half-laughing and half-crying by now. “Oh, Buster, darling Buster, I think you’re marvellous!” she said.

“Grrrrrrrr!” said Buster happily, still chewing a bit of trouser.

Bets sat down and thought. She longed to run in and tell her mother all about everything, and feel her mother’s arms round her. The little girl had had a shock. But she was afraid that if she told her mother, Mummy would go and tell Lady Candling, and Lady Candling would scold Tupping, and Tupping would go to the police and say that Luke had stolen things to give to her, Bets.

“And Mr. Goon doesn’t like us, ever since we solved the mystery of the burnt cottage before he did!” said Bets to herself. “So he would love to listen to everything that Tupping said and make a fuss about it. And Luke might really and truly be sent to prison. Oh, I do wish the others were here.”

They came back at last. Fatty noticed Bet’s tear-stained face at once.

“What’s up?” he said. “Got into a row, little Bets?”

“Oh, an awful thing happened this morning,” said Bets, glad to pour out everything to the others. She told them the whole story. The three boys went red with rage to think that little Bets should have been treated like that. Daisy put her arms round her and gave her a hug.

“Poor old Bets,” she said. “Go on — what happened next?”

Then Bets told about Buster and how he had torn pieces out of Tupping’s trouser-legs. The children roared with laughter, and gave Buster a great petting. “Good dog, good dog!” said Pip. “That’s the stuff to give to surly old Tupping. Good dog!”

Fatty put his arm round Bets. “You did quite right not to tell your mother,” he said. “I mean — it will save Luke a lot of trouble if we keep this quiet, because he would be terribly scared if the policeman came to question him. You know what old Luke is — frightened of all grown-ups simply because most of them have been so beastly to him.”

“Fancy tearing up Bet’s plants like that,” said Pip. “If I was old enough I’d go and shake Tupping till his teeth fell out!”

The others laughed. They all felt like that when they thought of poor frightened little Bets and her precious strawberry plants. Buster barked and wagged his tail.

“He says he did his best to give Tupping a shaking?” said Daisy.

The children did their best to make up to Bets for her fright They were very kind to her. Larry went straight home, asked his mother if he might dig up a few strawberry plants for Bets, and brought them back. He planted them himself for her, and the little girl was very pleased.

Fatty brought her a book. He spent all his pocket-money on it, and never even said so, which was good for Fatty.

Daisy gave her one of her old dolls, which pleased Bets more than anything. Even Pip, who usually hadn’t much time for his “baby-sister” as he called her, took her for a ride all round the garden on his big bicycle. So altogether Bets had a good time.

The children wondered if Luke had got into trouble. When they heard his familiar whistle at five o’clock they ran down to the gate to meet him as he went home.

“Luke! How did Tupping find out about Bets and the strawberry plants? Did you get into trouble? Did you know he scared Bets terribly?”

“Poor little Bets,” said Luke. “I didn’t know she was in, or I’d have gone after old Tupping. I thought you were all out. I heard your bicycle bells, you see. When Tupping came back and told me he’d gone for Bets, and torn up all her plants, I could have knocked him down. But he would only have reported me to Mr. Goon the policeman, so what would have been the good of that?”

“Did you get into an awful row?” asked Bets. “How did he find out about me?”

“Miss Tremble must have told him, the silly old thing,” said Luke. “Yes, I did get into a row. I got my ears boxed, and I had to work harder than ever today. I wish I could leave.”

“I wish you could, too,” said Larry. “Why can’t you?” “Well, it’s my first job you see, and you should stick in your first job as long as you can,” said Luke. “And there’s another thing — I bet Tupping would give me a bad name if I gave him notice, and I might not be able to get another job. Then I’d get into trouble with my stepfather. I give him half my money, you see.”

“You have a lot of troubles, Luke,” said Daisy. “I wish we could help you.”

“Well, you do in a way,” said Luke. “I tell you things, don’t I? I don’t keep them all bottled up like I used to. It’s nice to tell them to somebody. Look, there’s old Goon, the village bobby!”

Mr. Goon, burly, red-faced, with bulging frog-eyes, was walking down the lane towards the children.

“Do you suppose he is going to see Mr. Tupping?” asked Bets in alarm.

“Don’t know,” said Luke, also looking rather alarmed. He was afraid of policemen, and Mr. Goon was not a very nice one.

“I wonder if he’ll tell us to dear orf,” whispered Daisy. “Do you remember how often he shouted ‘Clear orf!’ to us in the Easter holidays? Horrid old Clear-Orf!”

Mr. Goon came slowly towards them. The children watched him. Buster growled. Mr. Goon pretended not to notice any of them. He did not feel at all friendly towards the children since they had solved a mystery he had been unable to solve himself.

Buster suddenly flew round Mr. Goon and barked madly at his ankles. He did not attempt to bite him or snap at him, but he startled Mr. Goon all the same.

“Clear orf!” said Mr. Goon to Buster, in a threatening tone. “Do you hear? Clear orf!”

“Buster, come here!” said Fatty, but not in a very commanding voice. Buster took no notice. He was having a lovely day. First Mr. Tupping and now Mr. Goon to frighten. Oh, what a treat for a little black Scottie!

“Clear ORF,” said Mr. Goon. Luke gave one of his loud laughs as Buster jumped nimbly out of the way of a kick. The policeman looked at him.

“Ho, you!” he said, “you’ll get into trouble, you will, if you laugh at the Law. What you doing here? You clear orf!”

“He’s our friend,” said Fatty. “Come here, Buster!”

Mr. Tupping, hearing the noise of barking and shouting, appeared at the other gate of the drive. He knew Buster at once.

“You’d better report that there dog,” remarked Mr. Tupping to the policeman. “Tore a bit out of me trousers today — look here! Vicious dog, that’s what he is. Right-down vicious.”

He caught sight of Luke. “What you doing hanging about here instead of going home?” he asked. Luke disappeared at once, going off up the lane quickly. He wanted no more trouble from either Mr. Tupping or Mr. Goon.

Buster returned from the battle and went to Fatty, who picked him up.

“Right-down vicious dog,” said Mr. Tupping again. “If you want any details, Mr. Goon, I’ll give you them.”

Mr. Goon did not want to report Buster, because he knew that any report would go before Inspector Jenks, who was very friendly with the children. Still, he thought there would be no harm in pretending that he was going to report Buster for being vicious and out of control, so he pulled out his big black notebook, took his stubby pencil and began to write solemnly and slowly.

The children were rather alarmed. They all went back into Pip’s garden at once. Bets gazed at Buster, her eyes wide with fright.

“Would they — would they put Buster in prison?” she asked fearfully — and was very much relieved when all the others burst out laughing.

“Of course not,” said Fatty. “Nobody ever heard of a dog’s prison, Bets. Don’t you worry about old Buster!”

Dark Queen Disappears.

Things began to happen very quickly after this, and, quite suddenly, the Five Find-Outers found that there was a first-class mystery for them to solve.

The next afternoon Pip’s mother, Mrs. Hilton, went to tea with Lady Candling, who was now back again next door after a short holiday.

“You may all have a picnic tea in the garden,” she told Pip. “Daisy, see that everyone behaves, please, and if you haven’t enough to eat, go and ask Cook politely — politely, remember — for some more bread-and-butter.”

“Yes, Mrs. Hilton. Thank you very much,” said Daisy. The children watched Pip’s mother going down the drive at half-past three that afternoon, looking very smart. They were glad that they did not have to dress up and go out to tea. It was much more fun to have a picnic tea and wear old shorts and shirts!

They had a lovely tea, and went in twice to ask Cook for some more bread-and-butter. Daisy went, and remembered to ask very politely. There were ripe plums and greengages as well to eat, so it was a good tea.

Soon after tea Mrs. Hilton came back. She went straight to the children, looking rather worried.

“Children,” she said, “what do you think has happened? That lovely prize-cat, called Dark Queen, has disappeared! Lady Candling is very upset, because she is most valuable. And the dreadful thing is — Luke may have stolen her!”

“Mother!” said Pip indignantly, “Luke’s our friend. He would never, never do a thing like that!”

“He wouldn’t, he wouldn’t!” cried Bets.

“Oh, Mrs. Hilton,” said Fatty earnestly, “I really don’t think you are right in saying that Luke did that!”

“I didn’t say he had” said Mrs. Hilton. “I said that he might have. All the evidence points to the fact that he was about the only one who could have done so.”

“But he couldn’t, he simply couldn’t,” said Daisy. “He’s as honest as the day. It is much more likely to have been that hateful old Tupping.”

“Tupping has been out all the afternoon with Mr. Goon the policeman, who appears to be his friend,” said Mrs. Hilton. “So it is quite impossible that he could have stolen her.”

The children stared at Mrs. Hilton, feeling upset and puzzled. Fatty took command of the whole affair, and spoke politely to Mrs. Hilton.

“Luke is a very good friend of ours, Mrs. Hilton, and if he is in trouble we must help him. I am quite sure he had nothing to do with Dark Queen disappearing, nothing at all. Could you please give us the whole story? This looks like something the Five Find-Outers can tackle again.”

“My dear Frederick, don’t talk so pompously,” said Mrs. Hilton rather impatiently. “And don’t start interfering in this matter, for goodness’ sake. It’s nothing to do with you. Just because you solved one mystery quite well is no reason why you should think you can interfere in anything else that crops up.”

Fatty went red. He didn’t like being ticked off in public like that.

“Mother, please do tell us all that has happened,” said Pip.

“Well,” said Mrs. Hilton, “Miss Harmer went off for the day this morning, after feeding all the cats and cleaning out their cages. Dark Queen was in the big cage with the other cats today. Miss Harmer went to catch the ten o’clock bus. Miss Trimble went with Lady Candling to see that the cats were all right at just before one o’clock, and Tupping pointed out Dark Queen to them. You know what a beauty she is.”

The children nodded. “Go on, Mother,” said Pip. “Was that the last time that anyone saw Dark Queen?”

“No,” said his mother. “Miss Trimble went with me to show me the cats at four o’clock, just before tea — and Dark Queen was there then, in the cage with the others.”

“How do you know, Mother?” asked Pip. “How could you tell which was Dark Queen? They are all exactly alike.”

“I know,” said Mrs. Hilton, “but apparently Dark Queen has been bitten on the tail, and a few hairs there grew cream instead of dark-brown. Miss Trimble pointed out the cat to me and I remember noticing the ring of creamy hairs — most noticeable. So she was in the cage, quite safe, at four o’clock.”

“Go on,” said Pip.

“Tupping came back at five o’clock and he brought Mr. Goon the village policeman with him,” said Mrs. Hilton. “He showed Mr. Goon his prize tomatoes, and then he showed him the cats. Then Mr. Tupping suddenly noticed that Dark Queen was missing!”

“Gracious!” said Fatty. “Then the cat must have disappeared between four and five o’clock, Mrs. Hilton.”

“Yes,” said Pip’s mother. “And as Luke was the only one in the garden, I am afraid that he is suspected. He knew that the cat was worth a lot of money. Tupping says that the boy stole something the other day too — strawberry runners or something silly like that.”