Mystery #02 — The Mystery of the Disappearing Cat

Then he and Daisy made their way joyfully through the bushes to the cat-house, where the others were waiting most impatiently for them. "Here's the key," said Pip proudly. "Now, come on, let's hurry up and sniff round the cage."

"I'll go in with Bets," said Fatty. "Not you others, or the cats will have a fit. I've got a very good nose for smelling, and as it was Bets' idea I think she ought to come in too."

So the two of them went in together, shutting the door carefully behind them. Then they began to sniff round the cage. It smelt of disinfectant. But there was still a distinct smell of turps somewhere.

"Here, Bets, sniff just there — don't you think there's a smell of turps there?"

A big cat was tying on the bench. Bets pushed her gently away so that she could smell. "No," said the little girl. "I can't smell turps on this bench, Fatty."

Fatty sniffed again and looked astonished. "The smell isn't there now," he said. "But it was, a minute ago!"

Bets lifted back the cat she had moved. "There, Puss," she said, "take your place again."

"Golly! the smell's come back," said Fatty, wrinkling up his nose. "Smell, Bets."

"Why!" said Bets in surprise, "it can't be on the bench. It must be on the cat. I can smell it now I've put the cat back. But I couldn't before."

"Bets," said Fatty, "where do you smell the turps on the cat?"

"Just here," said Bets, and she bent her small nose down to the middle of the cat's dark tail.

"So do I," said Fatty. He looked very carefully indeed at the long tail, which the cat was now trying to swing from side to side.

"Fatty! Bets! There's someone coming!" cried Larry in a low voice. "Come out, quick!"

But, alas for Fatty and Bets, Mr. Tupping appeared on the scene before they could get out of the cage! And then there was a storm!

Mr. Tupping stared as if he could not believe his eyes. Fatty and Bets got out of the cage and shut the door, turning the key in the lock. Bets was trembling. Fatty did not feel at all comfortable himself. The other children had disappeared into the friendly shelter of the bushes.

"What you doing in there?" demanded Tupping. "How did you get the key? I believe it's you children that have been tinkering about with them cats, making them disappear! Ho! yes, that's what it is! You're the thieves, you are! I'm going straight off to Mr. Goon to tell him about you — then you'll be in a pretty pickle I can tell you. And serve you right too!"

 

Solving the Mystery.

 

Mr. Tupping went off, and his face was not pleasant to see. Bets was terrified. She clutched Fatty, and her face turned very pale. Fatty himself looked a bit shaken.

In silence the five got over the wall and made their way to the summer-house.

"Golly! That was a bit of bad luck," said Larry.

"We'll have to tell Inspector Jenks about it: how we took the key, and how you and Fatty sniffed all round the cat-house. Then he won't believe old Clear-Orf if he puts in a report to say he and Tupping suspect us of taking Dark Queen!"

Fatty was very silent The others looked at him.

"Are you frit too, Fatty?" said Daisy. It was not like Fatty to be shaken for long. Fatty shook his head and looked very thoughtful.

"Let's think about the smell of turps on that cat's tail." he said.

"You said turps was used to get paint-brushes clean, or to get smears of paint off anything," said Bets, drying her eyes. "Do you suppose the cat had got against some wet paint or something, and the paint was cleaned off with turps?"

Fatty stared at her. Then he leapt to his feet with a yell, and smacked the summer-house table hard with his hand. His face went very red.

"What's up?" said Larry in alarm. "Have you sat on a wasp or something?"

"Listen," said Fatty, sitting down again, looking terribly excited. "Young Bets has got hold of the right idea. Turps was used to get paint off that cat's tail. And how did the paint get there, and what colour was it? Well, we know the colour, because we've got the tin of paint that was used, and we've got a stone with a blob of that same paint on it — it was creamy-brown."

The others stared at him. Fatty got the tin out from behind the loose board and opened it. He dipped the brush into the tin and then dabbed it on the dark-brown summer-house table.

"Look at that," he said. "See that creamy patch? Well, that's what must have been on the cat's tail — in the middle of it — creamy-brown paint! And now, I ask you, what other cat has a patch of creamy-brown hairs on her tail?"

"Dark Queen!" said everyone at once. Eyes gleamed, and faces grew red with excitement as the five children worked out all that the turps and the paint meant

"Yes," said Fatty. "And that cat whose tail smelt of turps must have had a ring of hairs in her dark tail painted a light colour, so that she might be mistaken for Dark Queen, and then the paint on her tail was rubbed off with strong turps — that's why the cage smelt of turps both times. It was done both times."