Read Online Mystery of the Pantomime Cat by Enid Blyton - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Enid Blyton
Ads: Link
Pippin was there, facing the window. Goon was also there,
his back to it, writing at the table. Fatty tiptoed to the window and tried to
attract Pippin's attention. Pippin looked up, astonished to see Fatty winking
and beckoning outside. He turned round cautiously to see what Mr. Goon was
doing.
When he turned back again he saw, held up to the window, a piece
of paper on which Fatty had written. "meet
me in high street ten minutes' time."
Pippin grinned and nodded. Fatty disappeared. Goon heard the click
of the gate and turned round.
"Who's that coming in?" said Goon.
"No one," said Pippin, truthfully.
"Well, who was it going out, then?" said Goon.
"Can't see any one," said Pippin.
"Gah! Call yourself a policeman and can't see who opens a
gate in front of your nose," said Goon, who had eaten too much lunch and
was feeling very bad-tempered. Pippin said nothing at all. He was getting used
to Goon's remarks.
He finished what he was doing and then got up. "Where are you
going?" asked Goon.
"Out to the post office," said Pippin. "I'm off
duty at the moment, Mr. Goon, as you very well know. If there's anything wants
doing, I'll do it when I come back."
And in spite of Goon's snort, Pippin walked out
of the house and up to the post office. He posted his letter and
then looked for Fatty. Ah, there he was, sitting on the wooden bench. Pippin
went up to him. They grinned at one another and Buster rubbed against Pippin's
trousers.
"Come into that shop over there and have a lemonade,"
said Fatty. "I don't want Goon to see us hobnobbing together."
They went into the little shop, sat down, and Fatty ordered
lemonades. Then, in a low voice, Fatty told Pippin what he wanted.
"Do you know the names and addresses of the actors and
actresses at the Little Theatre?" he asked.
"Yes," said Pippin, at once. "I got them all last
night. Wait a bit—I think they're in my note-book. I don't believe I gave them
to Mr. Goon. He's been out interviewing the whole lot, and I expect he got the
names from the manager—same as I did."
"Oh—he's interviewed them already, has he?" said Fatty.
"He can get going when he likes, can't he?"
"Yes," said Pippin. "He's found one of them has a
name beginning with Z too—you know one of the clues was an old handkerchief
with Z on it. Well, see here," and he pointed to one of the names in the
list he was now showing to Fatty, "the name of Dick Whittington, the principal
boy—who's acted by a girl—is Zoe Markham. Looks as if Zoe was out on that
verandah for some reason or other—at a meeting of the crooks, perhaps."
Fatty was horror-stricken. To think that there was actually
somebody with a name beginning with Z! Who would have thought it? He didn't
know what to say. At all costs he would have to clear Zoe somehow. Fatty wished
very heartily for the hundredth time that he and the others hadn't started
Pippin on a false mystery complete with false clues.
"Has Zoe got an alibi—some one to swear that she was
somewhere else between half-past five and eight o'clock?" asked Fatty,
looking worried.
"Oh yes. They've all got alibis," said Pippin.
"Every one of them. I interviewed them myself last night, the whole
lot—and Mr. Goon gave them the once-over again this morning. Alibis all
correct."
"Queer, isn't it," said Fatty, after a silence. "I
mean—it must be one of those theatre people, mustn't it? Nobody else had
so much inside knowledge as to be able to give the manager a cup of tea, and
then take down the mirror, find the key, work out the combination, and open the
safe."
"Don't forget it was the Pantomime Cat who took in the cup of
tea," said Pippin.
"Yes. That's queerer still," said Fatty. "Any one
would think he'd done the job."
"Goon thinks so," said Pippin. "He thinks all that
business of the Cat saying he doesn't understand, and he doesn't remember, and
bursting into tears is put on—good acting, you know."
"What do you think?" asked Fatty. Pippin
considered. "I told you before. I
his back to it, writing at the table. Fatty tiptoed to the window and tried to
attract Pippin's attention. Pippin looked up, astonished to see Fatty winking
and beckoning outside. He turned round cautiously to see what Mr. Goon was
doing.
When he turned back again he saw, held up to the window, a piece
of paper on which Fatty had written. "meet
me in high street ten minutes' time."
Pippin grinned and nodded. Fatty disappeared. Goon heard the click
of the gate and turned round.
"Who's that coming in?" said Goon.
"No one," said Pippin, truthfully.
"Well, who was it going out, then?" said Goon.
"Can't see any one," said Pippin.
"Gah! Call yourself a policeman and can't see who opens a
gate in front of your nose," said Goon, who had eaten too much lunch and
was feeling very bad-tempered. Pippin said nothing at all. He was getting used
to Goon's remarks.
He finished what he was doing and then got up. "Where are you
going?" asked Goon.
"Out to the post office," said Pippin. "I'm off
duty at the moment, Mr. Goon, as you very well know. If there's anything wants
doing, I'll do it when I come back."
And in spite of Goon's snort, Pippin walked out
of the house and up to the post office. He posted his letter and
then looked for Fatty. Ah, there he was, sitting on the wooden bench. Pippin
went up to him. They grinned at one another and Buster rubbed against Pippin's
trousers.
"Come into that shop over there and have a lemonade,"
said Fatty. "I don't want Goon to see us hobnobbing together."
They went into the little shop, sat down, and Fatty ordered
lemonades. Then, in a low voice, Fatty told Pippin what he wanted.
"Do you know the names and addresses of the actors and
actresses at the Little Theatre?" he asked.
"Yes," said Pippin, at once. "I got them all last
night. Wait a bit—I think they're in my note-book. I don't believe I gave them
to Mr. Goon. He's been out interviewing the whole lot, and I expect he got the
names from the manager—same as I did."
"Oh—he's interviewed them already, has he?" said Fatty.
"He can get going when he likes, can't he?"
"Yes," said Pippin. "He's found one of them has a
name beginning with Z too—you know one of the clues was an old handkerchief
with Z on it. Well, see here," and he pointed to one of the names in the
list he was now showing to Fatty, "the name of Dick Whittington, the principal
boy—who's acted by a girl—is Zoe Markham. Looks as if Zoe was out on that
verandah for some reason or other—at a meeting of the crooks, perhaps."
Fatty was horror-stricken. To think that there was actually
somebody with a name beginning with Z! Who would have thought it? He didn't
know what to say. At all costs he would have to clear Zoe somehow. Fatty wished
very heartily for the hundredth time that he and the others hadn't started
Pippin on a false mystery complete with false clues.
"Has Zoe got an alibi—some one to swear that she was
somewhere else between half-past five and eight o'clock?" asked Fatty,
looking worried.
"Oh yes. They've all got alibis," said Pippin.
"Every one of them. I interviewed them myself last night, the whole
lot—and Mr. Goon gave them the once-over again this morning. Alibis all
correct."
"Queer, isn't it," said Fatty, after a silence. "I
mean—it must be one of those theatre people, mustn't it? Nobody else had
so much inside knowledge as to be able to give the manager a cup of tea, and
then take down the mirror, find the key, work out the combination, and open the
safe."
"Don't forget it was the Pantomime Cat who took in the cup of
tea," said Pippin.
"Yes. That's queerer still," said Fatty. "Any one
would think he'd done the job."
"Goon thinks so," said Pippin. "He thinks all that
business of the Cat saying he doesn't understand, and he doesn't remember, and
bursting into tears is put on—good acting, you know."
"What do you think?" asked Fatty. Pippin
considered. "I told you before. I
Similar Books
