key—or how to find out the
combination of letters that opens the safe door, once the key is in."
"It's very interesting," said Fatty. "Who was in
the Little Theatre at the time, besides Boysie?"
"Nobody," said Pippin. "No a soul! All the cast—the
actors and actresses, you know—had gone off after the free show they'd given to
the children of the Farleigh Homes, and we can check their alibis—find out
exactly where they were between the time of their leaving and eight o'clock.
The deed was done between half-past five and eight—between the time the show
was over and the time the manager had drunk his cup of tea, and fallen
unconscious."
"I see. And you've got to check the whereabouts of all the
people who might have gone back and done the robbery," said Fatty.
"Yes. But what's to prevent a stranger doing it—I mean, why should it be
one of the actors?"
"Because whoever did it knew the best time to do it,"
said Pippin. "He knew where the safe was. He knew that the manager had put
the takings there the day before and hadn't taken them to the bank that day as
he usually did. He knew where the key was kept—in the manager's wallet, not on
his key-ring—and he knew that the manager liked a cup of tea in the evening—and
into it went the sleeping-draught!"
"Yes—you're right. No stranger would have known all those
facts," said Fatty, thoughtfully. "It must be one of the cast—either
an actor or an actress. It's queer that Boysie took in the tea, though, isn't
it? Do you think he helped in the robbery?"
"I don't know! He says he doesn't remember a thing except
feeling very sleepy last night and going to sleep in front of the fire,"
said Pippin. "That's certainly where I saw him when I looked into the
room. He even says he didn't take in the cup of tea to the manager, but that's
nonsense, of course—the manager says he certainly did, and he wouldn't be
likely to be mistaken.
I think Boysie is scared, and said he didn't take in the tea to
try and clear himself—forgetting he is quite unmistakable as the Pantomime
Cat!"
"Yes—it looks as if Boysie either did the whole thing or
helped somebody else," said Fatty. "Well, thanks very much, Pippin.
I'll let you know if we spot anything. And remember—don't you give away
anything to Goon. He won't thank you for it!"
"I shan't open my mouth to him," said Pippin. "My
goodness—here he is, back again—and I haven't even begun this report he wants!
You'd better clear out the back way, Master Frederick."
Goon loomed up at the front gate, looking most important. He was
talking to the vicar, solemnly and ponderously.
Fatty tiptoed out into the hall and made for the kitchen, with
Buster in his arms. He meant to go into the back garden, hop over the fence at
the bottom and make his way to Pip's. What a lot he had to tell the others!
He heard Goon's loud voice. "Do you know what the vicar tells
me. Pippin? He tells me you were rude (o his brother yesterday—snatched at his
hat or something! Now, I really do think ..."
But what Goon really did think Fatty didn't wait to hear. Poor
Pippin! He was going to get into trouble over his curiosity about red-headed
people now! Fatty couldn't help feeling very, very sorry!
"If we'd known Pippin was so decent we'd never have thought
up all those tricks," said Fatty to himself, as he made his way to Pip's,
where he knew the others would be anxiously awaiting him. "Still—I can
make it up to him, perhaps, by solving this peculiar mystery. The Mystery of
the Pantomime Cat. Sounds good!"
Larry, Daisy, Pip, and Bets had got very impatient
indeed, waiting ages for Fatty. He had been gone for an hour and a
half! What in the world could he be doing?
"Here he is at last," called Bets from the window.
"Rushing up the drive with Buster. He looks full of importance—bursting
with it. He must have plenty of news!"
He had. He began to relate everything from the very beginning, and
when he got to where Goon had actually struck poor Buster
combination of letters that opens the safe door, once the key is in."
"It's very interesting," said Fatty. "Who was in
the Little Theatre at the time, besides Boysie?"
"Nobody," said Pippin. "No a soul! All the cast—the
actors and actresses, you know—had gone off after the free show they'd given to
the children of the Farleigh Homes, and we can check their alibis—find out
exactly where they were between the time of their leaving and eight o'clock.
The deed was done between half-past five and eight—between the time the show
was over and the time the manager had drunk his cup of tea, and fallen
unconscious."
"I see. And you've got to check the whereabouts of all the
people who might have gone back and done the robbery," said Fatty.
"Yes. But what's to prevent a stranger doing it—I mean, why should it be
one of the actors?"
"Because whoever did it knew the best time to do it,"
said Pippin. "He knew where the safe was. He knew that the manager had put
the takings there the day before and hadn't taken them to the bank that day as
he usually did. He knew where the key was kept—in the manager's wallet, not on
his key-ring—and he knew that the manager liked a cup of tea in the evening—and
into it went the sleeping-draught!"
"Yes—you're right. No stranger would have known all those
facts," said Fatty, thoughtfully. "It must be one of the cast—either
an actor or an actress. It's queer that Boysie took in the tea, though, isn't
it? Do you think he helped in the robbery?"
"I don't know! He says he doesn't remember a thing except
feeling very sleepy last night and going to sleep in front of the fire,"
said Pippin. "That's certainly where I saw him when I looked into the
room. He even says he didn't take in the cup of tea to the manager, but that's
nonsense, of course—the manager says he certainly did, and he wouldn't be
likely to be mistaken.
I think Boysie is scared, and said he didn't take in the tea to
try and clear himself—forgetting he is quite unmistakable as the Pantomime
Cat!"
"Yes—it looks as if Boysie either did the whole thing or
helped somebody else," said Fatty. "Well, thanks very much, Pippin.
I'll let you know if we spot anything. And remember—don't you give away
anything to Goon. He won't thank you for it!"
"I shan't open my mouth to him," said Pippin. "My
goodness—here he is, back again—and I haven't even begun this report he wants!
You'd better clear out the back way, Master Frederick."
Goon loomed up at the front gate, looking most important. He was
talking to the vicar, solemnly and ponderously.
Fatty tiptoed out into the hall and made for the kitchen, with
Buster in his arms. He meant to go into the back garden, hop over the fence at
the bottom and make his way to Pip's. What a lot he had to tell the others!
He heard Goon's loud voice. "Do you know what the vicar tells
me. Pippin? He tells me you were rude (o his brother yesterday—snatched at his
hat or something! Now, I really do think ..."
But what Goon really did think Fatty didn't wait to hear. Poor
Pippin! He was going to get into trouble over his curiosity about red-headed
people now! Fatty couldn't help feeling very, very sorry!
"If we'd known Pippin was so decent we'd never have thought
up all those tricks," said Fatty to himself, as he made his way to Pip's,
where he knew the others would be anxiously awaiting him. "Still—I can
make it up to him, perhaps, by solving this peculiar mystery. The Mystery of
the Pantomime Cat. Sounds good!"
Larry, Daisy, Pip, and Bets had got very impatient
indeed, waiting ages for Fatty. He had been gone for an hour and a
half! What in the world could he be doing?
"Here he is at last," called Bets from the window.
"Rushing up the drive with Buster. He looks full of importance—bursting
with it. He must have plenty of news!"
He had. He began to relate everything from the very beginning, and
when he got to where Goon had actually struck poor Buster
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