They found a nice sheltered place close to the water. Behind them rose an overhanging bank with trees. No one could see them there. It was a good place to talk.
"Well, now," said the Inspector, when the meal was finished and there was very little left — "Well, now, what about a little business? I've looked up the report of the case you told me about, so I know all the details. But I should very much like to hear what you have to say. You tell me that this boy, Luke, is a friend of yours?"
The children began to talk eagerly, telling Inspector Jenks all that they knew, but they did not tell him about the false dues they had laid for Tupping and Clear-Orf. Nobody quite liked to tell him that.
Then they came to where they had talked to Luke at the circus, and how he had come to them one night.
"And ever since then we've fed Luke and let him sleep in the summer-house," said Pip. "But now we think Clear-Orf — Mr. Goon, I mean — has guessed we're hiding him, and we're afraid if we go on doing it we may get him and ourselves into trouble."
"Very wise of you to come to me," said the Inspector. "Yes; you mustn't hide Luke, that is certain. For one thing it tells against Luke, if he runs away and hides. That is never a good thing to do. But he won't be put into prison, don't be afraid of that For one thing, he is only fifteen — and for another thing, we don't put people into prison unless it is really proved that they have committed a crime. And it is by no means proved that Luke stole the cat, although I admit that things do look very black against him. I am sure you agree with me?"
"Yes. We think they do too," said Fatty. "It has puzzled us very much. Because, you see, Inspector, we know and like Luke, and we don't see how a boy like him could have done such a thing."
"Well, I would advise Luke to come out of hiding and go back to his job," said the Inspector. "Er — I don't see that he need say anything about where he has been, or who has hidden him. No need for that at all."
"He'll have to go back to his stepfather," said Bets, "and oh, Inspector Jenks, he's got such a cruel stepfather. He'll beat him."
"No, he won't," said the Inspector. "I shall have a word with him. I think you'll find that he'll let Luke severely alone. In the meantime, I will look more carefully into this mystery and see if I can get a little light shed on it. It certainly sounds most interesting now that I have heard all you have told me."
"What's up with Buster?" said Fatty at that moment Buster had left the little company and could be heard barking madly at the top of the bank. Then a voice came to their ears.
"Call this dog orf! Get him under control, or I'll report him!"
"It's old Clear-Orf!" whispered Daisy gleefully. "He's tracked us after all! I bet he thinks we've got Luke down here! Old Buster must have heard him creeping up and gone and barked at him!"
Fatty went up the bank and through the overhanging bushes, and stood on the top, looking at a very angry Mr. Goon.
"Ho! I knew you were down there," said Mr. Goon. "Yes, and I know who you've got with you too!"
"Then I wonder you're not a bit more polite about it," said Fatty in a smooth voice.
"Polite about it! Why should I be?" said Mr. Goon. "Ah, I've caught you properly, I have — harbouring someone who's done a crime! You've gone too far this time, you have. You call this dog orf, and let me go down the bank and get my hands on you-know-who."
Fatty gave a chuckle. He called Buster off and held him by the collar, standing politely aside whilst Mr. Goon pushed his way through the bushes, and then jumped down beside the water, expecting to find four frightened children and a very scared Luke.
Instead, to his awful horror and amazement, he found his Inspector! Mr. Goon simply could not believe his eyes. They always bulged out, but now they looked as if they were going to drop out. He stood and stared at Inspector Jenks and could not utter a word.
"Good afternoon, Goon," said the Inspector.
"G-g-g-g-g-g," began Goon, and then swallowed hastily. "G-g-g-g-good afternoon, sir, I d-d-d-didn't expect to see you here."
"I thought I heard you say you wanted to get your hands on me," said the Inspector. Goon swallowed hard again, loosened his collar with his finger, and then tried to smile.
"You will have your joke, sir," he said in a rather trembling voice. "I — er — I — expected to find somebody else. It's — it's a great surprise to see you here, sir."
"Well, these children have paid me the honour of consulting me about this little affair of the stolen cat," said the Inspector. "Sit down, Goon. It would be good to hear your version of the business. I suppose you haven't got very far with the case?"
"Well, sir — I've got a lot of clues, sir," said Mr. Goon eagerly, hoping to alter the Inspector's opinion of him. "I'd like your advice on them, sir, now you're here, sir."
He took a white envelope from his pocket and opened it. Out came the two cigar-ends, the blue button, the half hair-ribbon, the peppermint drop, and the brown shoe-lace. The Inspector stared at them in considerable astonishment.
"Are all these clues?" he asked at last.
"Yes, sir," said Goon. "Found in the place where the crime was committed, sir. In the cat-house itself."
"Did you really find all these things in the cat-house?" said the Inspector, looking at everything as if he really could not believe they were there. "Was this peppermint drop there, Goon?"
"Yes, sir, everything. Never found so many clues in my life before, sir," said Goon, pleased to see the Inspector's surprise.
"Neither have I," said the Inspector. He glanced round at the five children. They were horrified at seeing Goon show the false dues to Inspector Jenks. A very small twinkle came into the Inspector's eyes.
"Well, Goon," said the Inspector, "you are much to be congratulated on discovering so many dues. Er — I suppose you children haven't discovered any too?"
Fatty pulled out the envelope in which he had put duplicates of the same things that Goon had found. He undid the envelope solemnly and slowly. Bets wanted to giggle, but she didn't dare to.
"I don't know if you'd call these clues, sir," said Fatty. "Probably not. We don't think they are, sir, either."
To Goon's open-mouthed astonishment Fatty proceeded to take from the envelope complete duplicates of the dues that Goon had taken out of his own envelope.
"What's all this? There's something funny about all this," said Goon faintly.
"It is certainly peculiar, to say the least of it," said the Inspector. "I am sure you children all agree with me?"
The children said nothing. They really did not know what to say. Even Fatty said nothing, though in his heart he applauded Inspector Jenks very loudly for guessing everything and giving away nothing!"
"Well," said Inspector Jenks, "suppose you replace all these various dues in their envelopes. I hardly feel they are going to help us a great deal, but perhaps you mink otherwise, Goon?"
"No, sir," said poor Goon, his face purple with rage, astonishment, and shock. To think that his wonderful dues were the same as the children's — whatever did it mean? Poor Goon! The meaning did eventually dawn on him, but not until he was in bed that night. Then he could do nothing about it; for he knew he would never dare to reopen the matter of his dues again, with Inspector Jenks on the children's side.
"And now, Goon," said the Inspector, in a businesslike tone, "I propose that we go to this boy Luke and tell him to come out of his hiding-place and face up to things. We can't have him hiding away for weeks."
Mr. Goon's mouth fell open for the third or fourth time that afternoon. Find Luke? Go to his hiding-place? What in the world did the Inspector know about all that? He gave the children a glare. Interfering busybodies! Now, with the Inspector at his elbow he wouldn't even be able to scare the life out of that boy Luke when he found him, as he would dearly like to do.
"Just as you say, sir," he said to the Inspector, and rose ponderously from the ground.
"Come along," said Inspector Jenks to the children. "We'll go and have a word — a kind word — with poor old hunted Luke."