Mystery of Tally-Ho Cottage Read Online Free PDF

walk. Let’s forget it now - and sleep on it tonight. Things may be clearer tomorrow morning.’
    Fatty spoke the truth! Things were indeed much clearer the next morning! The Five Find-Outers knew as much about the Mystery as Goon did!
    It was in all the papers, splashed across the headlines.
    ‘Priceless old picture stolen from famous gallery. Thieves just escape the net of the police, leaving their dog behind. Police looking everywhere for the Lorenzos.’
    Mrs. Trotteville was down to breakfast first, and saw the paper. She gave an exclamation. ‘Why - the thieves are those Lorenzos! The ones that live next door to the Daniels. No wonder all Peterswood disliked them!’
    Fatty came in at that moment, and his mother told him the news. ‘The thieves were the people you told me about yesterday, Fatty - the Lorenzos. I told you how badly they behaved, and what wild parties they gave. They upset their neighbours the Daniels very much. See - they’re in the news this morning - the police are after them. My goodness me - our Mr. Goon will be puffed up with importance over this. It’s right under his nose!’
    Fatty slid into his seat and took the paper, his eyes gleaming. Aha! If it was all in the papers it didn’t matter about Goon not telling him anything. The Five Find-Outers could make their own plans, and get going themselves. What a thrill!
    Fatty read and read! He forgot all about his breakfast, and never even saw his father come into the room.
    ‘Good morning, Frederick,’ said his father, and neatly took the paper from Fatty’s hands. ‘What about eating your bacon and eggs? By the look of it, it’s almost congealed on the plate!’
    ‘So it is!’ said Fatty, surprised. ‘Well, it isn’t often I don’t get on with a meal. My word, Mother, this is a bit of excitement for dull old Peterswood, isn’t it?’
    ‘I hope it doesn’t mean you’re going to get mixed up with that aggravating policeman again,’ said his father, pouring milk over his porridge. ‘Actually, I should imagine that your friend, Superintendent Jenks, will send a good man down here to deal with anything that arises. I can’t imagine that Moon - Coon - what’s his name now - Goon - could tackle a big thing like this. That picture was priceless - worth at least fifty thousand pounds!’
    ‘I shan’t get mixed up with Goon,’ said Fatty. ‘It’s much more likely he’ll get mixed up with me! Anyway, I think I’ll ring up Superintendent Jenks and ask if I can do anything to help.’
    ‘Well, he seems to think a lot of you, goodness knows why,’ said Mr. Trotteville, ‘and it does seem as if you have a few brains sometimes, Frederick. Now, for pity’s sake eat up that horrible-looking mess on your plate.’
    Fatty swallowed his breakfast, thinking hard. The telephone went just as he had finished it, and he rushed to answer it, quite sure it must be the Superintendent ringing up to ask his help!
    But it wasn’t. It was Larry, very excited.
    ‘I say! Did you see the news in the paper? It is a mystery after all! Right under our noses. When are we going to get on to it?’
    ‘I’m going to ring the Super,’ said Fatty. ‘We’ll get on to it all right. I’ll telephone you later. Ring Pip and Bets for me, will you?’
    ‘Right, Chief!’ said Larry, with a chuckle, and hung up. Peterswood was in the news! And he and the rest of the Find-Outers would soon be Right in the Middle of Something!
    Fatty sat down and thought for a while. What should he tell the Superintendent? That he had seen the two Lorenzos on the station yesterday - but then, many people had. Should he ask if he could go and see the Larkins? He might be able to get something out of them that Goon couldn’t. Anyway he was certain that he could do something.
    He went to the telephone and asked for the number. It was engaged. He tried again in ten minutes. It was still engaged. The police wires were humming today in that district!
    At last he got the number and asked for the Superintendent. ‘It’s Frederick Trotteville