Mystery #02 — The Mystery of the Disappearing Cat

"Never mind, Bets," said Fatty comfortingly. "Just because you told him, he won't believe you — so if they are clues, it won't matter. Cheer up!"

"It really is a most extraordinary mystery," said Daisy.

 

Buster really has got Brains.

 

"What is the most puzzling thing of all," said Fatty, "is the fact that nearly everything is the same as last time."

"It looks as if all those things had to be like that before the cat could be stolen," said Daisy.

"It's no good suspecting anyone but Luke this time," said Larry. "The cat was there at three o'clock, because both Tupping and Lady Candling saw it; and Luke was by the cat-house from three until Miss Harmer returned, and then she and Tupping go into the cage and find Dark Queen missing."

"And Luke says, as he said last time, that no one went near" the cage except himself, all that time," said Pip. "Well, I simply do not see how Dark Queen could have been stolen."

Everyone was silent. Again it seemed an absolutely mystifying problem with no solution at all — except that Luke was a very stupid and untruthful thief. But not one of the children could believe that.

The children stayed talking until it was Bets' bed-time. Then they said good-bye and got up to go home.

"Meet here again tomorrow," said Fatty in a gloomy voice. "Not that we can do much. We'll all think hard in bed tonight and see if we can possibly find some way out of this problem."

Nobody had got any good idea when they met the next morning — except Bets. And she hardly liked to mention her idea, because she thought the others would laugh at it.

"Anyone got anything to say?" asked Fatty.

"Well," said Bets, "I did get a sort of an idea about one of our clues."

"What?" said Fatty.

"You know that smell we smelt — turpentine," said Bets. "It was in the cage this time, and last time too. It must mean something — it must belong to the mystery somehow, mustn't it? So it must be a real clue, and we ought to follow it up."

"How?" said Pip, rather scornfully.

"Well, we could go and hunt about next door to find where the bottle of turps is kept or something like that," said Bets. "I don't say it will help; but after all, if it's a clue, we might find out something."

"Bets is right," said Fatty. "She really is. We did smell turps both times — and of course we ought to go and look to see if we can find where it's kept. Who knows, we might fine other clues then!"

"Let's go now, then," said Pip. "No time like the present! Come on. Look out for Tupping though. He won't like us snooping about."

They all went over the wall again, leaving poor Buster in the shed. They sent Pip into the garden to see whereabouts Tupping was.

Pip came back and reported that he was tying up something near the house. "So we're safe for a bit," he said. "Come on. Let's sniff in the cage again, and see if the smell is still there. Then we'll go hunting for the stuff."

They all sniffed in the cage. The faint smell of turps still hung there. Miss Harmer came up as the children were sniffing. She did not seem very pleased to see them.

"I don't want anyone near the cat-house now," she said. "This disappearing of Dark Queen twice running is getting on my nerves. I'd rather you kept away, children."

"Miss Harmer, do you use turps to clean out the cages at all?" asked Fatty.

Miss Manner looked surprised. "Of course not," she said. "I use an ordinary disinfectant. Cats hate the smell of turpentine,"

"Well, how did the smell of turps get into the cage then?" said Larry. "You sniff, Miss Harmer, and see if you can smell it."

But Miss Harmer had not got a very good nose for smelling, and she did not think she could smell anything like turps in the cage.

"Didn't you yesterday when you went in and found Dark Queen was gone?" said Larry.

"Well, perhaps I did," said Miss Harmer, trying to remember. "But I couldn't swear to it. I was so upset at Dark Queen disappearing again."

The children peered into the cage, still sniffing. Miss Harmer sent them off. "Do go," she said. "I really feel nervous now when anyone comes near the cats."

"Let's go to the shed and see if we can find any turps there," said Fatty. So they left the cat-house and went off to the two sheds that leaned back to back, not far from the greenhouses.

"You girls take one shed and search it and we boys will take the other," said Fatty.

So they all began to hunt hard in the two sheds, but there was no turps to be found anywhere.

Larry saw Luke passing by, looking very gloomy indeed. He whistled to him.

"Hie, Luke! You look as if you had lost a shilling and found sixpence. Cheer up!"

"You wouldn't feel very cheerful if you felt as frit as I do," said poor Luke.

"What you doing in them sheds?" he said. "You'll catch it if Mr. Tupping comes along and sees you messing about there."

"We're looking for the turpentine," said Fatty, poking his round face out of the shed. Luke looked astonished.