Free Mystery of the Strange Messages by Enid Blyton Page A

failed to .see him if he was really awake. Blow! Where do we go
from here? I'll call a meeting tomorrow morning, and we'll see if anyone has
any ideas."
    So next morning, at ten o'clock sharp, everyone was at Fatty's,
including Ern. Ern was feeling a bit happier. His uncle had had a nice letter
from Superintendent Jenks that morning, about some small case that Goon had
apparently handled quite well—and the big policeman had beamed all through
breakfast. He read the letter to Ern three times, very solemnly.
    "Now if I had done what you did yesterday, and
sat looking out of that window of yours, keeping watch, and hadn't even seen something going on under my very nose, I wouldn't be getting letters like
this," said Goon.
    Ern didn't argue. He nodded his head and helped himself to more
bread and butter and marmalade. He made up his mind to go up to Fatty's
immediately after breakfast and tell him he was going home. He was sure that
his uncle wouldn't pay him any more wages, and he wasn't going to stop with him
for nothing!
    So Ern was at the meeting too. When they were all in the shed.
Fatty told them of his failure the night before. "Mother came up and
offered to help me," he said. "But I was afraid she'd ask me awkward
questions. She did say that she thought the word 'goon' with the small letter
instead of the capital one, might be part of Rangoon. And it might, though
I can't think how it could help us! I gave up trying to find a clue by unpasting
the letters in the messages. And now I don't really see what else we can
do."
    "Well, there's only one thing left," said Daisy,
"and that's that place that Larry and I found. What was it called
now—Fairlin Hall. The place that was empty. I just wondered if it might be
worth while finding out if it had ever been called 'The Ivies'."
    "But you said it was empty," said Fatty. "You saw a
notice-board up, saying that it was for sale."
    "Yes, I know," said Daisy. "But I went by it
today—just out of curiosity, you know—and I saw something queer."
    "What?" asked everyone at once.
    "Well—I'm sure there was smoke coming out of a chimney at the
back," said Daisy. "I couldn't be quite certain—the chimney
might have belonged to a house I couldn't see. But it did look as if a
chimney belonging to Fairlin Hall itself was smoking."
    "Well! This certainly needs investigating," said Fatty,
cheering up at once. "There might be someone hiding there—Smith perhaps! I
vote we all cycle down straightaway and have a snoop round. What about it. everyone?
Come on!"
    And out they all rushed to get their bicycles, with Buster barking
madly round them. Was this a clue to the mystery—or wasn't it? A smoking
chimney! If only it did belong to Fairlin Hall!
    The Caretakers at Fairlin Hall.
    The six cyclists, with Buster panting behind, rode through
Peterswood at top speed. It was most unfortunate that they should meet Mr. Goon
round a corner. He was on his bicycle too, and Ern, being on the middle of the
road, almost ran into him. "Ern!" yelled Mr. Goon, wobbling dangerously.
"I'll
    teach you to—here, where are you going, Ern! Ern! "
    But Ern, and the others too, were away up the road, Ern looking
scared. "Hope he won't come after me," he said He looked round, and
to his horror saw that Mr. Goon had swung round and was pedalling furiously
some way behind them
    "Can't let him see us going into Fairlin Hall," panted
Fatty "We'll go right past it, and up Cockers Hill. Goon will soon be left
behind then "
    So they swept past Fairlin Hall, each trying to see whether smoke
was coming from any chimney, turned the corner and made for the steep Cockers
Hill. Up they went, more slowly now, hearing Mr. Goon's shouts for Ern faintly
behind them. Bets began to giggle.
    "Oh dear! Mr. Goon will be as red as a beetroot when he's
half-way up this hill' It's rather a shame, Fatty."
    "He doesn't need to follow us up it," panted
Fatty, who was a good deal too plump for such violent exercise. "Look
behind. Bets Has he