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"Golly! So that's what it is!" said Pip, in an amazed voice. "Of course! Larry, how could we have thought they were anything else?"
Daisy went off into a squeal of laughter. Fatty folded up the paper and looked thoroughly offended. Buster jumped up on to his knees and licked his master's nose.
Bets put everything right in her simple ma
Fatty had got up to go, but now he sat down again. The others gri
"I've just shortly written down a few notes about yesterday," said Larry, drawing a small notebook out of his pocket. He opened it and read quickly the list of clues they already had. He held out his hand for Fatty's drawing.
"I think it had better go with the notes.," he said. "I'll keep both the notes and the drawings and the scrap of grey cloth somewhere carefully together, because they may soon become important. Where shall we keep them?"
"There's a loose board just behind you in the wall of the summer-house," said Pip eagerly. "I used to hide things there when I was little like Bets. It would be a fine place to put anything now — no one would ever think of looking there."
He showed the others the loose board. Buster was most interested in it, stood up on the bench and scraped hard at it.
"He thinks there's a rabbit behind it," said Bets.
The notebook, the match-box with the grey rag, and Fatty's drawing were carefully put behind the loose board, which was then dragged into place again. All the children felt pleased to have a hidey-hole like that.
"Now what are our plans for today?" said Pip. "We must get on with the solving of the mystery, you know. We don't want the police to find out everything before we do!"
"Well, one or more of us must interview Mrs. Mi
"I could do that," she said.
"You!" said Pip scornfully. "You'd tell her right out all that we had done and found and everything! You can't even keep the very smallest secret!"
"I don't tell secrets now," said Bets. "You know I don't. I haven't told a single secret since I was six years old."
"Shut up, you two," said Larry. "I think Daisy and Pip might go and see Mrs. Mi
"What shall I do, Larry?" asked Fatty, quite humbly, for once in a way.
"You and I could go and talk to the chauffeur," said Larry. "He might let out something that would be useful to us. He usually washes down the car in the morning."
"What about me?" said Bets, in dismay. "Aren't I to do anything? I'm a Find-Outer too."
"There's nothing you can do," said Larry.
Bets looked very miserable. Fatty was sorry for her. "We shan't want Buster with us," he said. "Do you think you could take him for a walk over the fields? He just loves a good rabbitty walk."
"Oh yes, I could do that," said Bets, brightening up at once. "I should like that. And, you never know, I might find a glue on the way."
Everyone laughed. Bets simply could not remember the way to pronounce that word. "Yes — you go and find a really important glue," said Larry. So Bets set off with Buster at her heels. She went down the lane towards the fields, and the others heard her telling Buster that he could look for rabbits and she would look for glues.
"Now then, to work!" said Larry, getting up. "Daisy, you and Pip go down to Mrs. Mi
"Oh, you must think of something yourself," said Larry. "Use your brains. That's what detectives do. Pip will think of something, if you can't."
"Better not all go down the lane together," said Pip. "You and Fatty go first, and see if you can find the chauffeur at work, and Daisy and I will come a bit later." Larry and Fatty went off. They walked down the lane and came to Mr. Hick's house, which stood a good way back in its own drive. The garage was at the side of the house. A loud whistling came from that direction., and the sound of water.
"He's washing the car," said Larry, in a low voice. "Come on. We'll pretend we want to see someone who doesn't live here, and then ask if he'd like us to help him."
The boys went down the drive together. They soon came in sight of the garage, and Larry went up to the young man who was hosing the car.
"Morning," he said. "Does Mrs. Thompson live here?"
"No," said the young man. "This is Mr. Hick's house."
"Oh," said Larry, in a vexed tone. Then he stared at the car.
"That's a fine car, isn't it?" he said.
"Yes, it's a Rolls Royce," said the chauffeur. "Fine to drive. She's very dirty today, though. I've got all my work cut out to get her clean before the master wants her this morning!"
"We'll help you," said Larry eagerly. "I'll hose her for you. I often do it for my father."
In less than a minute the two boys were at work helping the young chauffeur, and the talk turned on to the fire.
"Fu
"Who's Peeks?" said Larry, pricking up his ears.
"Peeks was his man-servant — sort of valet and secretary mixed," said the chauffeur. "He's gone now — went off the day of the fire."
"Why did he go?" asked Fatty i
"Got kicked out!" said the chauffeur. "Mr. Hick gave him his money, and he went! My word, there was a fine old quarrel between them, too!"
"Whatever about?" said Larry.
"Well, it see his that Mr. Hick found out that Peeks sometimes wore his clothes," said the chauffeur. "You see, he and the master were much of a size, and Peeks used to fancy himself a bit — I've seen him prance out in Mr. Hick's dark blue suit, and his blue tie with the red spots, and his gold-topped stick too!"
"Oh," said Fatty. "And I suppose when Mr. Hick found that out he was angry and told Peeks to go. Was Peeks very upset?"
"You bet he was!" said the chauffeur. "He came out to me, and the things he said about the master would make anybody's ears burn. Then off he went about eleven o'clock. His old mother lives in the next village, and I guess she was surprised to see Horace Peeks marching in, baggage and all, at that time of the morning!"
The two boys were each thinking the same thing. "It looks as if Peeks burnt the cottage! We must find Peeks and see what he was doing that evening!"
There came a roar from a window overhead. "Thomas! Is that car done yet? What are you jabbering about down there? Do I pay you for jabbering? No, I do not."
"That's the master," said Thomas, in a low tone. "You'd better clear out. Thanks for your help."
The boys looked up at the window. Mr. Hick stood there, a cup of tea or cocoa in his hand, looking down furiously.
"Mr. Hick and cup," said Larry, with a giggle. "Dear old good-tempered Hiccup!"
Fatty exploded into a laugh. "We'll call him Hiccup," he said. "I say — we've got some news this morning, haven't we! I bet it was Peeks, Larry. I bet it was!"
"I wonder how Daisy and Pip are getting on," said Larry, as they went down the drive. "I believe I can hear them chattering away somewhere. I guess they won't have such exciting news as we have!"