Free Mystery of the Pantomime Cat by Enid Blyton Page A

popped in, and popped out again—and even popped back again after
doing the robbery. Poor alibi, I call that."
    "Well now," said Fatty, "I imagine that Goon will
check all these, if he hasn't already—but he's such a mutt that I expect he'll
miss something important that we might spot. So I vote we all check up
on the various alibis ourselves."
    There was a deep silence. Nobody felt capable of doing this. It was
bad enough to interview people—it was much worse to check an alibi!
    “I can't," said Bets, at last. "I know I'm a Find-Outer
and I ought to do what you tell me, Fatty, but I really can't check an
ali—alibi. I mean—it sounds too much like a real detective."
    "Well, we may be kids, but we're jolly good detectives all
the same," said Fatty. "Look at all the mysteries we've solved
already! This is a bit more advanced, perhaps."
    "It's frightfully advanced," groaned Larry. "I feel
rather like Bets—out of my depth."
    "Don't give up before you've begun," said Fatty.
"Now, I'll tell you what I propose to do."
    "What?" asked every one, and Buster thumped his tail on
the ground as if he too had a great interest in the question.
    "There are three things we must do," said Fatty.
"We must interview Boysie, and see what we think of him—and we'll
interview him all together, as we suggested before."
    "Right." said Larry. "What next?"
    "We'll see every other suspect too," said Fatty.
    There was a general groan.
    "Oh no, Fatty—six people! And all grown-up! We can't
possibly," said Daisy. "What excuse would we have for seeing them,
even?"
    "A very good excuse indeed," said Fatty. "All we've
got to do is to find our autograph-books and go and ask for autographs—and we
can easily say a few words to them then, can't we?"
    "That's a brilliant idea," said Pip. "Really
brilliant. Fatty. I must say you think of good ideas."
    "Oh well," said Fatty, modestly, "I've got a few
brains, you know. As a matter of fact . . ."
    "Don't start
telling us about the wonderful things you did at school last term," begged
Pip. "Go on with our Plan."
    "All right," said Fatty, a little huffily. "The
third thing we must do, is, as I said, check up on the alibis—and if we think
hard, it won't be so frightfully difficult. For instance, Daisy says she knows
Zoe Mark-ham's sister, who lives near her, and she also .says one of the
children is having a birthday soon. Well, Daisy, what's to stop you and Bets
from taking the child a present, getting into conversation with the mother, and
finding out if Zoe way there all that evening? Zoe's sister wouldn't be on her
guard with two children who came with a present for her child."
    "Yes—all right. Fatty, I can do that," said Daisy.
"You'll come too, won't you, Bets?"
    "Yes," said Bets. "But you'll ask the questions,
won't you, Daisy?"
    "You've got to help, said Daisy. "I'm not doing it
all!"
    "Now the next Suspect is Lucy White who went to sit with Miss
Adams, an old-age pensioner," went on Fatty. "Larry, you said she was
a friend of your
    cook's, and used to come to help with the sewing. Can't you and
Daisy concoct sonic sort of sewing job you want done, and take it round to
her—and put a few questions about Lucy White?"
    "Yes, we could," said Daisy. "I'll pretend I want
to give Mother a surprise for Easter, and I'll take round a cushion-cover I
want embroidering, or something. I've been there before, and Mary Adams knows
me "
    "Splendid," said Fatty. "That's two alibis we can
check very easily indeed Now the next one—well, the next two, actually, because
they are each other's alibis—Peter Watting and William Or. Well, they
apparently went to a place called The Turret and had coffee and sandwiches
there. Pip, you and I will call there and also have coffee and sandwiches
tomorrow morning."
    "But it's Sunday and I have to go to church," objected
Pip
    "Oh yes I forgot it was Sunday," said Fatty "Well,
we'll do that on Monday or Tuesday morning. Now, Suspect No. 6 is Alec Grant,
who was apparently