Mystery of Tally-Ho Cottage (15 page)

Goon soon realized that Larkin was off home, and he began to run. To his enormous surprise, the figure in front began to run too! Gone was the limp, gone was the shuffle! Goon couldn’t believe his eyes.

Down to the river - along the river-path - through the little wicket-gate - up the path to Larkin’s cottage which stood under the shadow of the tall tree in which was Ern’s treehouse.

Goon panted after Fatty. Slam, went the gate and up the path came Goon, full of rage. He’d teach old Larkin to lead him a dance like this, and not answer when he was shouted at!

Fatty hid in a bush, and watched Mr. Goon stride up to the little cottage. He knocked so fiercely on it with his knuckles that he almost scraped the skin off. The door opened cautiously, and Bob Larkin’s head appeared in the crack, gazing at Goon’s angry face in amazement.

‘Now then, you!’ said Goon angrily, ‘what’s the meaning of all this?’

‘All what?’ said Larkin.

Goon snorted. It was one of his very best snorts. ‘Gah! Don’t try and put it across me that you don’t know what you’ve just been doing. Leading me such a dance - swinging in the playground…’

Larkin looked more and more amazed. He called back over his shoulder to Mrs. Larkin. ‘I haven’t set foot out of doors tonight, have I?’

‘No,’ came back the answer, followed by a sniff and a cough.

‘There you are!’ said Larkin. ‘You’ve made a silly mistake.’ He tried to shut the door but Mr. Goon put his big foot in to prevent him.

‘You mean to tell me you haven’t been trotting in front of me this last hour?’ he panted in rage. ‘You mean to tell me you didn’t snoop in them allotment sheds to see what you could take - and…’

‘You’re mad!’ said Mr. Larkin, really alarmed now.

‘What were you out for tonight?’ asked Mr. Goon. ‘That’s what I want to know. You’ll be sorry for this, Larkin. Obstructing the Law, that’s what you’re doing. And you can be put in prison for that, and well you know it. Where’s me notebook?’

He took his foot out of the door for half a moment and quick as lightning Mr. Larkin crashed it shut. There was the sound of a key turning in the lock.

Fatty began to laugh. He had been bottling it up, but now he couldn’t hold it in any longer. Afraid that Mr. Goon would hear him, he made his way to the back of the cottage, his handkerchief over his mouth. He stood there, shaking with mirth, thinking of old Larkin’s amazement, and Goon’s fury. Oh, what a night!

After a while he quietened down. Where was Goon? There wasn’t a sound of him now. He must have gone home in rage, to write out a report of the night’s doings. How queer it would sound.

Fatty decided to wait a minute or two, in case Goon hadn’t gone. He sat down on an old box, looking exactly like a poor, tired old man!

Then things began to happen again. The back door suddenly opened, and a beam of light shone right on the surprised Fatty. Mrs. Larkin stood there with some rubbish in her hand to put into the dustbin, and she saw Fatty clearly. She put her hand up to her mouth, and a look of real terror came over her white face. She rushed screaming indoors.

Fatty got up at once, suddenly sobered. He hadn’t meant to frighten anyone - but, of course, Mrs. Larkin must have been completely amazed to see him sitting there.

‘She leaves her husband sitting indoors - opens the back door and apparently sees him sitting outside too!’ thought Fatty. ‘No wonder she screamed. A husband behind her, and a husband in front of her - not too good!’

Fatty crept away to the Woosh’s garden, which was very near the back of the Larkins’ cottage. He didn’t want to risk being seen by Mrs. Larkin again - she would probably faint with fright, poor thing.

He was just squeezing through the hedge into the Woosh’s garden, when he heard someone coming out of the Larkins’ back door, someone speaking in an urgent whisper, though Fatty could not hear what was said.

He wished he hadn’t chosen such a thick piece of the hedge - blow it, he couldn’t get through! Then somebody came right up to the hedge, and caught hold of him. Fatty caught the glint of glasses, and saw that it was old Larkin himself. Now what was he to do!

He shook off the man’s hand and with one great heave, fell into the garden next door. The voice came urgently again. ‘How did you get back? What have you come for?’

But Fatty did not wait to answer. He fled.

He ran to the Woosh’s gate and slipped out of it - only to hear a familiar voice say, ‘Ah! I thought you’d be out and about again, Bob Larkin! You are up to some mischief tonight, aren’t you! You come alonga me!’

Goon was standing in the shelter of some bushes, and he made a grab at Fatty’s arm as he passed. Fatty had a terrible shock! He pulled away, and heard his coat ripping. But he was off like a hare, with Goon after him. Where now?

The wicket-gate of the Larkins’ had been left open - and Fatty dashed back through it. He could easily hide somewhere in the grounds. Goon panted after him - and just then, round the corner of the cottage, attracted by the noise, came Bob Larkin himself, having found it impossible to get through the hedge after Fatty.

Fatty ran full-tilt into him, and they both fell over. Goon came up, and shone his lamp downwards in glee. Ah - now he’d got that fellow all right!

To his enormous astonishment he saw two Mr. Larkins on the ground. Two faces with straggly beards and shaggy eyebrows and thick glasses looked up at him, blinking in the light of the lantern.

‘Ow!’ said Goon, his hand beginning to shake. “Ere - what’s all this? I don’t like it! I … I … d-d-don’t li…’

Poor Goon couldn’t bear it any longer. He turned and ran down the path as if a dozen Mr. Larkins were after him. He made a peculiar moaning sound as he went, and if Fatty hadn’t had all the wind knocked out of him by the collision with Larkin, he would have laughed loudly.

‘Now,’ said Mr. Larkin, in a peculiarly unpleasant voice, ‘now, just you…’

But Fatty was off again, and away into the darkness. He made for Tally-Ho House. There were many corners there to hide in if Larkin came after him.

But he heard no more sound from Larkin. He stood for a while near the boiler-house, listening, but could hear nothing at all. Fatty gave a little sigh. What an evening! He thought it would be just as well to go home again now - he really felt astonishingly tired!

He cautiously left his hiding-place and made his way round the house. It was very dark there, with high trees all round, overshadowing the house. Fatty didn’t dare to put on his torch, for fear of being spotted, so he stepped forward slowly and carefully.

He bumped his head into something hard, and stopped. What was this? He put out his hand and took hold of something. It felt like a long pole of wood, slanting upwards - and wait, there was more - gosh, of course - it was a ladder! A ladder leading up to the balcony. Wheeeew! What was this now?

Fatty went up the ladder! It led to the balcony rails. Fatty cautiously climbed over the rails and felt about for the door. Was someone inside the house?

But the door wouldn’t open. It was locked. Fatty remembered what the Superintendent had told him - all doors were bolted on the inside except the garden door, which had had a special lock put on it so that only the police could get in and out.

Who put the ladder there then? An ordinary burglar? Was he still waiting about in the shadows, furious with Fatty for discovering his ladder?

Fatty was suddenly overcome with panic, and slid down the ladder at top speed. He tore off to the wicket-gate, seeing Goons and Larkins and burglars in every shadow! It wasn’t till he was safely in the very middle of a well-lighted road that he calmed down, and felt ashamed of himself - gosh, he didn’t often feel scared! Whatever had come over him?

About half an hour later Fatty sat in a hot bath and thought over the extraordinary evening. It needed a little sorting out!

First of all, should he ring up the Chief and tell him about the ladder? No - he might have to explain his mad idea of disguising himself as Larkin and leading Goon such a dance. Fatty felt that the Chief might not see the funny side of that. He wondered if Goon would make a report on the evening. How would he explain two Larkins?

Then that ladder. Fatty was inclined to think that the thief had been up it, tried the door and given up the idea of getting in when he found it was both locked and bolted. In any case it would take a bold burglar to come back again after he had heard all the shouting and scrimmaging that had been going on. Fatty felt sure that if the burglar had been anywhere about, he would certainly have gone while the going was good!

He was sorry he had frightened Mrs. Larkin. Then he remembered Goon’s face of horror when he shone his lantern down and saw two Mr. Larkins on the ground looking up at him. Two! He must have thought he was seeing double! Fatty grinned, and began to soap himself thoroughly.

He thought about Mr. Larkin. What was it that he had said to Fatty when he first saw him? Fatty frowned and tried to remember. It was something like ‘How did you get back? What have you come for?’

It seemed a funny thing to say - unless Larkin imagined he was Lorenzo. He probably couldn’t see him properly in the dark. Or more likely Fatty hadn’t heard him correctly. Fatty dismissed the incident from his mind and began to worry once more about whether he ought to telephone Superintendent Jenks or not.

‘No. I’ll leave well alone,’ thought Fatty, soaping himself all over again. ‘Of course, if Goon telephones him with his tale of chasing two Bob Larkins, and the Chief puts two and two together, and jumps to the fact that one of them was me, then I shall quite likely be all set for trouble - I’ll chance it. I don’t think Goon will send in that report!’

Goon didn’t. When at last he got home, in a state of fury, fright and utter bewilderment, he sat down heavily in his armchair, and stared at nothing. He forgot that he had asked the daily woman to come in and cook his dinner for him that night, and when she knocked at his door, he almost leapt from his chair in fright. He gazed at the door, half afraid that another Mr. Larkin would appear round it.

‘Who - who is it?’ he said, in husky tones.

The woman put her untidy head round the door, surprised at Goon’s unusual voice. ‘Only me, sir. About your dinner.’

‘Ah,’ said Goon, in a more ordinary voice. ‘Yes. Yes, bring it in.’

The evening’s mishaps had not spoilt Goon’s appetite. He thought hard as he ate his stew, and gradually recovered from his fright. He jabbed at a bit of meat.

‘Two Larkins. Sure as I’m here, there were two. But what will the Chief say if I send in a report and say I saw two? “My dear Goon,” he’ll say, “you must have been seeing double. Hadn’t you better buy yourself some glasses?” ’

Goon mimicked the Chief’s voice, and felt very pleased with his imitation. ‘Ho, Chief!’ he said. ‘Ho! Glasses I need, do I? Let me tell you this - I don’t need glasses, and I don’t need advice from you - all I want is a spot of promotion, which is more than due to me…’

He jumped at another knock at the door, but it was only the woman again. ‘Oooh - I thought you must have someone here,’ she said. ‘I heard talking.’

‘Bring in the pudding,’ said Goon loftily. Ha, he’d tell the Chief a few things if he had him here this very minute! But no, not about the two Larkins. On the whole it would be better to keep that to himself. Goon began to doubt whether he had seen two? Had he? Yes, he had. No, he hadn’t. Yes - ah, here was the pudding, steaming hot, too!

Next morning Fatty sent for the others early. He had such a lot to tell them. He had got up very early himself because he had suddenly remembered that he had left his bicycle somewhere near Goon’s house, and he didn’t want Goon to spot it there. So, before eight o’clock Fatty had shot off to get it, and was very thankful to see that it was still there!

‘Fatty! What happened last night? Did Goon see you?’ asked Bets, as soon as she saw him.

Fatty nodded. He felt rather pleased with himself now. What a tale he had to tell! He began to tell it, and the others roared with laughter. As for Ern, he rolled over and over on the floor unable to stop - the thought of his fearsome uncle chasing Fatty all over the place, and even watching him on the swings was too much for him.

‘Stop, Fatty! Stop a bit, and let me get over this,’ begged poor Ern. ‘Oooh, my sides! Fatty, stop!’

The story went on to its thrilling end. Everyone listened with the utmost attention, even Buster. When Fatty came to the bit where he had bumped into the ladder, everyone exclaimed. ‘Here’s the bump I got on my forehead - see?’ said Fatty, displaying quite a satisfactory bump.

‘Oh! I wish I’d been there to see all this!’ said Bets. ‘What did you do after you had come down the ladder, Fatty?’

‘Oh - I just went home and had a bath,’ said Fatty, deciding that he needn’t spoil this thrilling tale by relating how he had scuttled back home at top speed!

‘A very interesting evening!’ said Pip. ‘But it doesn’t seem to get us much farther, Fatty, does it? Do you plan for us to do anything this morning?’

‘Well - I thought we’d go and see if the ladder is still there,’ said Fatty. ‘We might find footprints or something at the bottom - you never know.’

‘I can’t think why old Larkin asked you why you had come back, when he saw you,’ said Larry. ‘He must have thought you were Lorenzo.’

‘Yes. That’s what I thought,’ said Fatty. ‘If he’d seen me properly - looking exactly like himself, of course - he wouldn’t have asked such an idiotic question. Mrs. Larkin saw me all right though - that’s what gave her such a shock, I expect - leaving old Larkin behind her in the house - and seeing another Larkin outside!’

‘Let’s go,’ said Pip, getting up. ‘That was a marvellous tale, Fatty. I wish I dared do the things you do, but I daren’t. And if I did they wouldn’t have such fine endings as yours. I wonder what old Goon is thinking this morning?’

They all went off on their bicycles, Buster in Fatty’s basket. They decided not to go in at the wicket-gate in case old Bob Larkin was in a temper because of the happenings of the night before.

They went past the gate and came to a place where they could easily get into the grounds. They left their bicycles there and made their way to the big house.