Mystery of the Invisible Thief Read Free

sandwich hungrily. “No robberies, no swindlings, no crimes of any sort. Very peaceful.”
    He waved his sandwich in the air as he spoke and it was neatly taken out of his hand by Bonny. Everyone roared at the Inspector’s surprised face.
    “Robbery going on nearby after all!” said Daisy. Hilary scolded Bonny, who backed away into the next picnic party. Buster put his nose out from under the tent canvas, but decided not to come out and join the party yet.
    It was while all this was going on that the next mystery loomed up in the very middle of the picnic tea! Nobody expected it. Nobody realized it at first.
    Pip happened to be looking down the field, where Mr Tonks, the policeman, was standing beside the Red Cross Tent, having seen to somebody who had fainted in the heat. He stood there, mopping his forehead, probably feeling that he would be the next one to faint, when a man came quickly up to him. He looked like a gardener or handyman.
    He spoke to Mr Tonks, who at once took out his black notebook, licked his thumb and flicked over the pages till he came to an empty one. Then he began to write very earnestly.
    Pip saw this, but he didn’t think anything of it. But then Tonks walked over to where Inspector Jenks was sitting with the Five Find-Outers and Hilary.
    “Excuse me for interrupting, sir,” he said. “But there’s been a daylight robbery in Peterswood. I’ll have to go and investigate, sir. Seems pretty serious.”
    “I’ll come with you,” said the Inspector, much to the disappointment of the children. He glanced round. “Sorry,” he said. “Duty calls, and all that! I may not see you again, if I have to go straight back to my office. Thanks for a very fine tea. Goodbye Hilary. You rode very well.”
    He stepped straight back on to Bonny, who also backed and pulled Hilary right over with the reins. In the general muddle Fatty spoke to Mr Tonks the policeman.
    “Where was the robbery?” he asked.
    “At Norton House,” said Mr Tonks. “Up on the hill.”
    “Don’t know it,” said Fatty, disappointed. He stood up and spoke persuasively to the Inspector. “I’ll come along with you, sir, shall I? I - er - might be of a little help.”
    “Sorry, Frederick - can’t have you along just now,” said the Inspector. “It’ll be a plain enough job, I expect - rather beneath your powers! If it’s not - well, you’ll get going on it, no doubt!”
    He went off with Tonks. Fatty stared after them gloomily. Now they would be first on the job - they would see everything, notice everything. And when Goon came back and took over from Tonks he would settle it all up and put a feather in his cap!
    He sat down again. If only he could have gone to Norton House and had a snoop round himself! Now he really couldn’t - The Inspector would be annoyed to see him there after he had said he didn’t want him - and certainly the householders wouldn’t allow him to look round all by himself, if he went after the Inspector had left.
    “Never mind, Fatty,” said Bets, seeing how disappointed he was. “It’s only a silly little robbery, I expect. Nothing to bother about - no real mystery!”
    Then something surprising happened. Hilary burst into tears! She wailed aloud and tears ran down her podgy cheeks.
    “What’s the matter? Do you feel sick?” asked Daisy, alarmed.
    “No. Oh dear - it’s my home that’s been burgled!” wept Hilary. “I live at Norton House. Uncle Jenks must have forgotten it’s where I live. Oh, what shall I do?”
    Fatty rose to the occasion at once. He put his arm round the weeping Hilary. “Now now,” he said, producing an extremely clean white handkerchief, and wiping Hilary’s face with it. “Don’t you worry. I’ll take you home myself. I’ll look after you. I’ll even look round your house to make sure there isn’t a single robber left!”
    “Oh, thank you,” said Hilary, still sniffing. “I should hate to go home by myself.”
    “We’d better wait a bit till your godfather has had time to look round himself,” said Fatty, who wasn’t