Blyton, Enid – Famous Five 15 – Five On a Secret Trail

‘We’ll raid Joan’s larder!’ said Dick. ‘She never minds so long as she’s there to grumble at us while we do it!’

They went in at the gate of Kirrin Cottage and up to the front door, which was open. George shouted.

‘Mother! Where are you? We’ve come back!’

Nobody answered. George yelled again. ‘Mother! We’ve come home!’

The door of the study opened and her father looked out, red in the face and frowning.

‘George! How many times am I to tell you not to shout when I’m working? Oh, my goodness me, who are all these?’

‘Hallo, Father!’ said George, mildly. ‘Surely you know Anne and Julian and Dick! Don’t say you’ve forgotten them already!’

‘Of course not! But who are these?’ and George’s father pointed to the startled twins. ‘They’re as like as peas. Where did they come from? I haven’t seen them before, have I?’

‘No, Father. They’re just friends of ours,’ said George. ‘Where’s Mother? We’ve just had an adventure and we want to tell her. Oh, and we want to ring the police – and I think we ought to get a doctor to see to Guy’s foot – and Father, look, Timmy’s ear is healed!’

‘Bless us all! There’s never any peace when you are about, George,’ said her father, groaning. ‘Your mother’s at the bottom of the garden, picking raspberries – or it might have been strawberries.’

‘Oh no, Father – it’s August, not June!’ said George. ‘You always…’

Julian thought he had better get his uncle safely back in his study before a row blew up between him and George. Uncle Quentin did not like being disturbed in his complicated work!

‘Let’s go and find Aunt Fanny,’ he said, ‘we can tell her everything out in the garden. Come on!’

‘Wuff-wuff!’ said Jet.

‘Good gracious – that’s not another dog, is it?’ said George’s father, scowling. ‘How many times have I said that…’

‘We won’t disturb you any more, Uncle,’ said Julian, hurriedly, seeing Guy’s scared face. ‘We’ll go and find Aunt Fanny.’

They all went thankfully out in the garden, hearing the house echo to the slam of Uncle Quentin’s study door. George shouted.

‘Mother! Where are you?’

‘Shut up, George – we don’t want to make your father leap out of the window after us!’ said Dick. ‘Ah – there’s Aunt Fanny!’

His aunt was very surprised to see him and the others advancing on her. She went to greet them, a basket of raspberries on her arm.

‘Well! I thought you wanted to stay away for longer than this!’

‘We did – but an adventure descended on us!’ said Dick. ‘We’ll tell you all about it in detail later on, Aunt Fanny.’

‘But just now we want two things – can we ring the police – or will you – and ask them to come here?’ said Julian, very grown-up all of a sudden. ‘There’s something that might be very important for them to know. And also do you think we should let a doctor see Guy’s foot – he’s sprained his ankle, I think?’

‘Oh dear!’ said Aunt Fanny, distressed to see the boy’s swollen foot. ‘Yes – he ought to have that seen to properly. Who is he? Dear me – there’s another of them! Aren’t they alike?’

‘Twins,’ said George. ‘I don’t know how I shall be able to tell one from t’other when Guy’s bad foot is better.’

‘I’m going to ring the police,’ said Julian, seeing that his aunt could now only think of Guy’s swollen foot. He went off indoors, and they heard him speaking on the telephone. He put it down and came out again.

‘The Inspector himself is coming,’ said Julian. ‘Shall I ring the doctor now, Aunt Fanny?’

‘Oh yes. His number is 042,’ said his aunt. ‘How did you get such an ankle, Guy?’

‘Mother, you don’t seem at all interested in our adventure,’ complained George.

‘Oh, I am, dear,’ said her mother. ‘But you do have such a lot, you know. What have you been up to this time?’

But before George could do more than begin, a black police car drew up at the front gate, and the inspector of police got out and marched up to the front door. He knocked extremely loudly on the knocker.

Which, of course, had the immediate result of bringing George’s father hotfoot out of his study in another rage! He flung open the front door.

‘Hammering at the door like what! What’s the matter? I’ve a good mind to report you to the police! Oh – er – h’m – good afternoon, Inspector. Do come in. Are we expecting you?’

Smiling broadly, the Inspector came in. By this time Julian had come back in the house again, and greeted him. His uncle went back into his study, rather red in the face, and actually closed the door quietly!

‘You wanted me to come along at once, because of something important?’ said the Inspector. ‘What is it?’

The others came into the room now, with Julian’s aunt behind them. Julian nodded round at them. ‘They’re all in this, sir – except my aunt, of course. We’ve brought something we think may be important, sir. Quite a lot of people were looking for it – but we managed to get hold of it first!’

He put the brown bag on the table. The Inspector’s eyes went to it at once. ‘What is it? What’s inside? Stolen goods?’

‘Yes, sir – blue-prints of some kind, I think. But I don’t know what of, of course.’

‘Open the bag, my boy! I’ll examine them,’ said the Inspector.

‘I can’t open it,’ said Julian. ‘It’s locked – and there’s no key!’

‘Well – we’ll soon manage that!’ said the Inspector, and took out a small, strong-looking tool. He forced the lock, and the bag opened. Everyone leaned forward eagerly, even Timmy. What was in the bag?

There was nothing there! Absolutely nothing! Julian groaned in bitter disappointment.

‘No wonder it felt so light. It’s empty after all. Would you believe it!’

Chapter Twenty

THE ADVENTURE ENDS – AS IT BEGAN!

It was a moment of great disappointment for all the children. Although they had talked about the possibility of the bag being empty, everyone had secretly felt certain that something exciting would be inside.

The Inspector was astonished. He looked round sharply. ‘Where did you get this bag? What made you think it had stolen goods inside – and what kind of blue-prints were they?’

‘Well, sir – it’s rather a long story,’ said Julian.

‘I’m afraid you’ll have to tell it to me,’ said the Inspector, taking out his notebook. ‘Now – how did this all begin?’

‘Well – it really began with Timmy hurting his ear and having to wear a cardboard collar,’ said George.

The Inspector looked most surprised. He turned to Julian. ‘You’d better tell it,’ he said. ‘I don’t want to waste time on cardboard collars!’

George went red and put on a scowl. Julian grinned at her, and began the story, making it as clear and short as he could.

The Inspector became more and more interested. He laughed when Julian came to the weird noises and lights.

‘They certainly wanted to get rid of you,’ he said. ‘You were plucky to stay on. Go on – there’s something behind all this, that’s certain!’

He jotted down the name of ‘Paul’, and ‘Jess’, the name of the woman. He noted that one man had a drawl. ‘Any other clues to them?’ he asked.

‘Only this, sir,’ said Julian and handed his drawing of the crepe-soled shoe to the Inspector. This was carefully folded and put into the notebook too. ‘Might be of use. Might not,’ said the Inspector. ‘You never know!’

He listened intently to the tale of the underground passages, and picked up the bag again.

‘I can’t understand why it’s empty,’ he said. ‘It isn’t really like a crook deliberately to mislead his friends when they know quite well where he is and can get at him whenever they like.’ He shook the bag hard. Then he began to examine it very very carefully.

Finally he took out a sharp knife and gently slit the lining at the bottom of the bag. He turned it back.

Something was there – under the lining! Something blue, folded very carefully. Something covered with thousands of minute figures, thousands of lines, thousands of queer little designs!

‘Wheeeeeew!’ whistled the Inspector. ‘So the bag’s not empty, after all! Now what is this? It’s a blue-print of some project – but what?’

‘My father would know!’ said George, at once. ‘He’s a scientist, you know, Inspector – one of the cleverest in the world. Shall I get him?’

‘Yes,’ said the Inspector, laying out the blue-print on the table. ‘Get him at once.’

George flew off and returned with her father, who didn’t look very pleased.

‘Good afternoon, sir, once more. Sorry to disturb you,’ said the Inspector. ‘But do you happen to know whether this document is of any importance?’