Mystery of Tally-Ho Cottage (11 page)

The old fellow came out of his door, shuffling as usual. ‘What was the matter?’ he said, in his hoarse voice.

‘Tell you later,’ said Goon, who was not particularly anxious that the tale of the boiler-house should go all round Peterswood. ‘Nothing much. We just kept watch last night, that’s all. You didn’t hear anything, did you? We never heard a sound - so we’re going off-duty now.’

Mr. Goon went back to his house and took up the telephone, a grim look on his face. He made a brief report, which caused quite a stir at the other end. It even made the Chief himself come to the telephone.

‘Goon? What’s this story about Frederick Trotteville? I don’t believe it.’

‘Sir, I wouldn’t tell you such a story if it wasn’t true,’ said Goon earnestly. ‘And P.C. Johns, who was with me, will tell you that this boy was in the grounds last night, snooping round after us - one of his little jokes, sir, this was. He thought it would be funny to lock us in.’

‘But what were you doing in the boiler-house, Goon, when you should have been outside on duty?’ said the Chief’s sharp voice.

‘Just looking round, sir,’ said Goon, and then let his imagination get the better of him. ‘We heard footsteps outside, sir, then the door banged and the key turned in the lock, and we heard Master Frederick’s laugh, sir - a most horrible laugh, sir, and…’

‘That’s enough, Goon,’ said the Chief’s voice. ‘All right. I’ll see to this. Did you hear or see anything at all last night?’

‘Nothing at all, sir,’ said Goon, and then the telephone was clicked off at the Chief’s end. Goon stood quite still, his face red with delight.

‘Ho, you Toad of a Boy,’ he said. ‘Now you’ve gone too far at last. You’re finished!’

Fatty was just going down to breakfast when a big black police car swept up the drive to the front door, and out got Superintendent Jenks, looking rather grim. Fatty was thrilled.

‘He’s got some news! And he wants me to help in some way!’ thought Fatty joyfully. He went to open the door himself.

‘I want a word with you, Frederick,’ said the Chief, and Fatty led him into the study, struck with the Superintendent’s sharp voice.

Once the door was shut, the Chief looked straight at Fatty.

‘What possessed you to lock Goon and the other fellow up last night?’ he demanded grimly.

Fatty stared in surprise. ‘I don’t know what you mean, sir,’ he said at last. ‘I really don’t. Where am I supposed to have locked them up? In the cells?’

‘Don’t play the fool,’ said the Chief, his eyes like gimlets, boring into poor Fatty. ‘Don’t you realize that you can go a bit too far with your jokes on Goon?’

‘Sir,’ said Fatty earnestly, ‘do believe me when I say I haven’t the remotest idea what you are talking about. I saw Goon last night, in the grounds of Tally-Ho House, where I was keeping watch in case the Lorenzos turned up - I had seen a report that they had been spotted at Maidenhead. Goon had another policeman with him. I left the grounds a few minutes after I had seen them and said a few words to them, and went straight home to bed. They were not locked up when I left them. I must ask you to believe me, sir. I never tell lies.’

The Chief relaxed, and sat down. ‘Right, I believe you, of course, Frederick,’ he said. ‘But I must say it’s queer how you always turn up in the middle of things. Goon and Johns were locked up all night in the boiler-house at Tally-Ho, and Ern let them out this morning.’

‘Ern!’ said Fatty, startled.

‘Yes, he seemed to be about too,’ said the Chief. ‘Goon and Johns were apparently half-cooked, the boiler-house was so hot.’

‘The boiler wasn’t going when I left them, sir,’ said Fatty. ‘I’d have noticed if it was - I’d have seen the glow when I went near it.’

‘Oh. Then who lit it!’ said the Chief.

‘Goon and Johns, I suppose,’ said Fatty. ‘It was a cold night, and they might have thought it a good idea to light up the boiler and have a warm, sir. And possibly they - er - well, quite possibly they fell asleep.’

‘Yes. That thought also occurred to me,’ said the Chief.

‘It might have been the fumes that sent them off, of course,’ said Fatty generously. ‘They might not have meant to sleep there - only get warm.’

‘Yes. Quite so,’ said the Superintendent. ‘Still, the fact remains that SOMEBODY locked them in.’

‘Yes. WHO?’ said Fatty. ‘Do you think the Lorenzos could have slipped back, sir - for some reason or other - perhaps to fetch the little poodle Mrs. Lorenzo is so fond of - or even to get something from the house?’

‘It’s possible,’ said the Chief. ‘Yes, quite possible. They’ve a reputation for being dare-devils. We’ll find out if the dog is gone - or if the house has been entered and anything personal taken - something that they had left behind and wanted. What a fathead that fellow Goon is, isn’t he? Still, I’m glad I came over here. I’d like you to take a hand now, in this mystery, Frederick.’

‘Oh - thank you very much, sir,’ said Fatty, thrilled.

‘I’m not telling Goon this, because he’s such a blunderer,’ said the Chief, ‘but I have a distinct feeling that the Lorenzos are back in Peterswood for some reason or other - perhaps as you say, to get back the dog. Mrs. Lorenzo is quite mad about it - idolizes it - and I think it possible that they will try to get it. Or again, it’s just possible that they didn’t take the picture with them, but have left it behind in case they were caught - for some accomplice to fetch.’

‘But what about the crate they were said to have been seen with up north?’ asked Fatty.

‘That might have been a blind to put us off,’ said the Chief. ‘They’re clever, these Lorenzos. You wouldn’t believe the things they’ve done - and got away with, too. They are about the cleverest tricksters I’ve had to deal with.’

‘Well, I’ll be proud to help,’ said Fatty, as the Chief got up to go. ‘Is there any particular thing you’d like me to do?’

‘No. Go your own way. Do what you like,’ said the Chief. ‘Short of locking Goon up in a boiler-house, of course! Though I feel very like doing that myself this morning!’

Fatty saw him off and went into the breakfast room feeling most elated. So Goon had told the Chief a thumping big lie about him, had he? Well, it hadn’t done him any good. He, Fatty, was now more or less in charge of something that was turning out to be jolly interesting - in fact, a very promising mystery!

Ern came to see Fatty immediately after his breakfast. He had had to do a lot of explaining to his aunt about his night in the treehouse, but it was over at last. Now all he wanted to do was to tell Fatty about Goon and his companion in the boiler-house - and how they had said that it was Fatty who locked them in.

‘Did you, Fatty?’ said Ern, looking at him in awe. He was half-disappointed when Fatty shook his head.

‘No, Ern, Much as I wish I could have done it, I didn’t. Ern, you were up in that tree all night you say. Did you hear or see anything at all?’

‘Well, owls, of course,’ said Ern. ‘What with you and me and the owls all hooting…’

‘I don’t mean owls,’ said Fatty. ‘Think hard, Ern - did you hear any out-of-the-way sounds at all?’

Ern thought back to his night in the tree. ‘Well, I heard a kind of humming noise,’ he said. ‘I thought at first it was an aeroplane. But it might have been a car.’

‘Ah,’ said Fatty. ‘Go on. Anything else?’

‘I heard splashing, and saw the swans swimming in the moonlight,’ said Ern. ‘They looked as white as snow. And I thought I heard voices once, and a dog barking.’

Fatty was alert at once. ‘Voices? A dog barking? Would that be Poppet?’

‘Yes. I think it was,’ said Ern. ‘Her bark is sort of high, isn’t it? - more like a yelp.’

‘You’re sure about the voices?’ said Fatty. ‘And the barking? You see, somebody besides me and Goon and Johns must have been there last night - and locked them up!’

‘Coo yes,’ said Ern. ‘Lot of people about last night, it seems! Well, these voices and barking were some time after you’d left. I tell you, I was half-asleep by then.’

‘You couldn’t have heard voices unless they had been fairly near,’ said Fatty, frowning and thinking hard. ‘Would they have been in or near the Larkins’ cottage, do you think?’

‘Well - I don’t reckon I’d have heard them if they’d been inside the cottage,’ said Ern. ‘I’d have heard them outside all right.’

‘Did Poppet’s bark sound pleased or frightened?’ asked Fatty.

‘Pleased,’ said Ern, at once.

‘Oh. That’s interesting,’ said Fatty. ‘Very interesting. Ern, I think the Lorenzos came to get their dog from the Larkins last night - and perhaps to get a few things from the big house as well. They saw Goon and Johns asleep as they passed the boiler-house and neatly locked them in.’

‘You’re right, Fatty,’ said Ern, in great admiration. ‘It’s wonderful to see how you work these things out. Well, if the dog’s gone, we’ll know it was the Lorenzos who were there last night.’

‘Yes. But it doesn’t really get us any further forward,’ said Fatty. ‘I mean - we still shan’t know where the Lorenzos are - or where the picture is either.’

‘You’ll find all that out too, Fatty, straight you will,’ said Ern solemnly. ‘You and your brains!’

‘You go and tell the others to meet down in my shed at half-past nine,’ said Fatty. ‘We’ll all have a talk together.’

So, at half-past nine, the whole company was gathered together in the little shed, and heard the grand tale of the night in the grounds of Tally-Ho, and all that had happened there. Pip was so tickled to hear about Goon and Johns being locked in the boiler-house that he laughed till he ached.

‘Now the first thing we must do is to go up to the Larkins and find out about Poppet,’ said Fatty. ‘If she’s gone, it proves that the Lorenzos were there last night. We’ll then put the Larkins through a lot of questions, and try to get out of them what really did happen last night.’

‘Right,’ said Larry. ‘Let’s go now.’

‘We shan’t be able to see Mrs. Larkin,’ said Ern. ‘She’s ill. I saw old Bob Larkin this morning when I went to set Mr. Goon free. He heard the shouting and banging too.’

‘Well - we can perhaps get something out of Larkin,’ said Fatty. ‘Everyone got their bikes?’

Everyone had. Buster was put into Fatty’s basket, and off they all went. They chose the river-path again because the Larkins’ cottage was so near it.

They leaned their bikes against the railings, and marched up the path to the cottage. Fatty knocked on the door.

It opened - and out came Mr. Larkin, still with his cap and scarf on, though he had discarded his overcoat and now wore a shapeless, baggy old tweed jacket.

‘Oh - what do you want!’ he said in his hoarse voice, peering through the thick lenses of his glasses at the six silent children. When he saw Buster he shut the door behind him, and stood just outside it.

‘Er - Mr. Larkin - could we have a word with you?’ asked Fatty.

‘I don’t charge nuffin’ for that,’ said the man. ‘What’s up?’

‘Er - could we come inside? It’s a bit cold out here,’ said Fatty, feeling certain that Mr. Larkin had carefully shut the door behind him so that they couldn’t see that the little dog was no longer running about inside.

‘You can come in if you leave your dog outside,’ said the man. ‘I don’t want the little poodle upset. She’s over-excited today.’

Fatty stared. It sounded as if the poodle was still there! ‘She’s in her basket, beside my wife,’ said Larkin hoarsely. He coughed.

‘Oho!’ thought Fatty, ‘so that’s going to be the tale! His wife’s not well - keeps to her bed - and the poodle keeps her company - though really it has been taken away in the night. Very clever. The Lorenzos must have thought that out!’

‘I’d like to see the poodle,’ said Bets suddenly, seeing that Fatty was now in a difficulty. ‘Can I go into your wife’s room and stroke her?’

‘No,’ said the man. The children looked at one another. Very, very suspicious!

And then something surprising happened. A loud excited barking came from the little cottage - then a patter of feet could be heard - and then the little white poodle appeared at the kitchen window, her nose pressed against the pane as if she was looking for Buster! How all the children stared!

A RECAP!

All the six stared at Poppet as if they couldn’t believe their eyes! As for Buster, he nearly went mad with excitement to see the dear little poodle with her nose at the window, looking down at him.

Poppet wagged her tail hard and barked loudly. She seemed full of life and happiness - quite different from when they had seen her before.

‘I suppose she’s so pleased because she saw her beloved mistress last night - but did she, after all? We just thought it must be the Lorenzos who had come and gone - and fetched Poppet. But it might have been anyone, now, because Poppet is still here! Gosh - I’ve got to work things out all over again!’ Fatty frowned as he stood looking at the dog.

Mr. Larkin stood blinking at the children through his thick glasses. He wiped his sleeve across his nose and began to shuffle away, half limping as he went.

‘Mr. Larkin!’ called Fatty. ‘Just half a minute - did you hear much disturbance last night? Did you see anyone - or do you know who locked up the two policemen?’

Larkin shook his head. ‘I heard noises,’ he said. ‘But I didn’t stir from out my bed.’

He shuffled off towards the boiler-house, and the children watched him go.

Fatty looked back at the little cottage. Somebody had come there last night - Ern had heard voices and that meant that people were talking outside the cottage. Larkin was not telling the truth when he said he had not stirred from his bed. He had left his bed to open his door and talk to someone. Had he taken a message? Had he - ah yes - had he perhaps taken in a parcel - a crate? It would surely be an ingenious idea to bring the picture back and store it in the little cottage!

He went to the window where Poppet was still barking, pawing at the pane excitedly. He looked in cautiously, trying to see what was in the small room. It was a poor, dirty place, with makeshift furniture. There was certainly no crate there, or large, wrapped-up parcel.

There was no sign of Mrs. Larkin. Larkin had told Ern she was ill, so presumably she was in bed in the back room.