Enid Blyton - Mystery #02 — The Mystery of the Disappearing Cat

"Yes, sir, perfectly, sir," he said. "I'll go to the boy's stepfather now, sir. Name of Brown. And I'll make it my business to see Mr. Tupping too, sir."

"Naturally, if any complaints are made to me of ill-treatment, I shall hold you responsible, Goon," said Inspector Jenks. "But I imagine you will impress it carefully on these two men that the orders are mine, and that one of your duties is to see that my orders are carefully carried out. I am sure you agree with me in this, Goon?"

"Oh yes, sir, of course, sir," said Mr. Goon. "And — er — about the stolen cat, sir. About the case, I mean. Are we to drop the case, sir — not make any more inquiries, I mean."

"Well, you might study those clues of yours and see if they shed any light on the case," said the Inspector gravely, with a wicked twinkle in his eye.

Mr. Goon did not answer. The Inspector turned to the children, and gravely shook hands with them all.

"It's been splendid to see the Five Find-Outers — and Dog — again," he said. "Good-bye — and thanks for a wonderful tea — the nicest I've had for weeks, if I may say so."

The Inspector got out his shiny black car. He roared down the drive, waving to the children. He was gone.

"I'm going to see Mr. Tupping," said Mr. Goon, with a scowl at the children and Luke. "But don't you think this case is all dosed and forgotten. It isn't I'm still working on it, even if the Inspector don't pay much attention to it. And I'll get the thief all right in the end — you see if I don't!"

He gave Luke such a nasty look that the boy knew quite well he was still suspected. He watched Mr. Goon go down the drive on his way to see Tupping.

The children crowded round him. "Luke, did you like our Inspector? Luke, what did he say to you? Tell us everything!"

"He was mighty nice," said Luke. "Not a bit like that Mr. Goon — all threats and shouts. But how did I ever come to promise I would go back to my job — and go back to live with my stepfather, too? I wish I hadn't promised that. I'm frit."

This was a new word to the children. Bets stared at Luke.

"What's 'frit'?" she asked.

"He means he's frightened," said Fatty. "What a lovely word — frit! I shall aways say that now. Frit!"

"I'm often frit," said Bets. "I was frit the other night when I had a bad dream. I was frit today when old Clear-Orf stopped to speak to us."

"And poor Luke is frit, too," said Daisy, looking at the big boy, with his untidy hair hanging over his brown forehead. "What are we to do about it?"

"If only we could find that cat," said Pip. There came a sound from the bushes nearby. Buster pricked up his ears, gave a loud bark and flung himself into the bushes. There was a terrific scrimmage, and then something leapt wildly up a tree. The children went to see what the matter was.

They all had a tremendous surprise. Staring down at them from the tree was a beautiful Siamese cat! But it was Luke who gave them the biggest surprise of all.

"It's Dark Queen!" he shouted. "Can't you see the ting of creamy hairs in her tail? I tell you, it's Dark Queen come back! Oh, what a queer thing!"

All the children at once saw the ring of light hairs in Dark Queen's swinging tail. The lovely Siamese swung it to and fro in anger as she watched Buster jumping up and down below.

"Take Buster away, Fatty," said Larry in excitement "He'll scare Dark Queen and she'll run away."

Buster was shut up in a shed, much to his indignation. He nearly tore the door down in his eagerness to escape. Dark Queen quietened down when Fatty led the dog away. She sat up there in the tree, purring.

"She's thin," said Daisy.

"And look how muddy she is," said Larry. "Her coat is dirty and tangled. Let's take her to Miss Harmer. What a surprise she will have!"

Dark Queen allowed Daisy to lift her gently down from the tree. Then the five of them made their way with Luke down the drive, and into the garden next door.

They went to the cat-house, and on the way they met Lady Candling. She cried out in surprise when she saw a cat in Daisy's arms.

"You mustn't take my cats out of their house! Did Miss Harmer let you?"

"It's Dark Queen!" said Larry. "She suddenly appeared in Pip's garden just now, Lady Candling!"

"Good gracious!" said Lady Candling, most astonished. She glanced at Dark Queen's tail and saw the little ring of light hairs that grew there. "Yes — it's my beautiful Dark Queen. Wherever has she been? She looks thin and half-starved."

"Isn't it a pity she can't talk, then she could tell us," said Bets, stroking the purring cat. "Lady Candling, here's Luke, too. We've been hiding him, because we were sorry for him. You'll take him back, won't you?"

"Of course," said Lady Candling. "Inspector Jenks has just been telephoning to me. Well, Luke, you can certainly come back freely now, can't you — for here is Dark Queen, returned in safety!"

"We're just taking her to Miss Harmer," said Larry. "Won't she be pleased?"

"I'll come with you," said Lady Candling. "Oh, there is Miss Trimble. Miss Trimble, what do you think has happened? Dark Queen has come back!"

"Good gracious me!" said Miss Trimble, trotting up in excitement, her glasses falling off at once. "Where did she come from? Who brought her?"

The children told her, and Miss Trimble listened in surprise, putting on her glasses again.

They all went to the cat-house. Miss Harmer was there, petting one or two of the cats, for she was very fond of them. When she saw Dark Queen in Daisy's arms she was so astonished that she couldn't say a word. She held out her arms and Dark Queen, with one graceful bound, was into them. The cat snuggled up to Miss Harmer, butting her with its head, and purring deeply and loudly.

"Well!" said Miss Harmer in delight. "Where did you come from, Dark Queen? Oh, how glad I am to have you back!"

Everyone told her at once how Dark Queen had suddenly appeared. Miss Harmer took a good look at the cat.

"I think she must have escaped from whoever had her, and made her way home — for miles probably — through the fields and woods."

At that moment Mr. Tupping came into sight with Mr. Goon. The policeman had evidently been telling him about the Inspector and his orders, and Topping's voice was very sour. He gave Luke a scowl, and then saw Dark Queen.

Mr. Tupping seemed as if he could not believe his eyes. He kept looking at Dark Queen in amazement, and he twisted her tail round to make sure she had the little ring of creamy hairs there. As for Goon, his mouth fell open, and his eyes bulged more than ever.

His notebook came out, and the policeman began to write slowly in it "Have to make a report of this here reappearance to the Inspector," he said importantly. "I'd like some details. Were you here, Lady Candling, when the cat returned?"

Once more the children retold the story of Dark Queen's re-appearance, and Goon wrote busily in his black notebook. Tupping was the only person who showed no signs at all of being pleased about the cat coming back. He glared at the cat as if it had thoroughly displeased him.

"Oh, Tupping, before you go, I want to say that Inspector Jenks and I have had a talk about Luke," said Lady Candling in her low, clear voice. "And he is to start work here again tomorrow. Those are my wishes as, no doubt, Mr. Goon too has told you. I hope that I shall have no fault to find with your treatment of Luke."

Lady Candling walked off, and Miss Trimble followed her.

"Now, you clear orf," said Mr. Goon.

The children clambered over the wall and dropped down to the other side. Fatty went to let a very angry Buster out of the shed.

Then Bets' bed-time bell rang. The little girl gave a groan. "Oh, blow! That bell always rings just when I don't want it to. Haven't we had an exciting time today?"