In an attempt to escape Mr Goon, Pip runs into the grounds of an empty house and climbs a tree. He is very surprised to see a fully furnished room at the top of an otherwise empty and apparently abandoned house. The Find Outers get to work to discov...
Christmas came so quickly, and there was so much to do that Fatty had notime to teach the Find-Outers any of the things he had learnt. The postmancame continually to the three homes, and cards soon stood everywhere. Parcelswere hidden away. Mince-pies were made. Large turkeys hung in the larders."I do love Christmas," said Bets a hundred times a day. "I wonder what Ishall get on Christmas morning. I do hope I get a new doll. I'd like one thatopens and shuts its eyes properly. I've only got one doll that does that, and hereyes always stick shut. Then I have to shake her hard, and I'm sure she thinksI'm cross with her.""Baby!" said Pip. "Fancy still wanting dolls! I bet you won't get one."To Bets' great disappointment there was no doll for her in her Christmasparcels. Every one thought that as she was now nine, and liked to say she wasgetting big, she wouldn't want a doll. So her mother had given her a workbasket and her father a difficult jigsaw which she knew Pip would like muchbetter than she would!She was rather sad—but Fatty put everything right by coming round onChristmas morning with a big box for Bets—and inside was the doll she hadwanted! It opened and shut its eyes without any shaking at all, and had such asmiling face that Bets lost her heart to it at once. She flung herself on Fatty andhugged him like a small bear.He was pleased. He liked Bets. Mrs. Hilton was surprised at the beautifuldoll."That is very kind of you, Frederick," she said. "You shouldn't have spentso much money on Bets, though.""I shall have plenty for my birthday," said Fatty politely, "and I've heapsfor Christmas, Mrs. Hilton. I asked for money this Christmas instead of toys orbooks.""I should have thought you had plenty without asking for any more," saidMrs. Hilton, who privately thought that Fatty always had far too much moneyto spend. "Why did you want so much money?""Well—to spend on something I didn't think people would give me," saidFatty, looking rather uncomfortable. "It's a bit of a secret, really, Mrs. Hilton.""Oh," said Bets' mother. "Well, I hope it's nothing that will get you intotrouble. I don't want Mr. Goon, the policeman, round here complaining aboutyou children any more.""Oh no, Mrs. Hilton," Fatty assured her, "Mr. Goon doesn't come into thisat all."As soon as her mother had gone Bets turned to Fatty with sparkling eyes."What's the secret? What are you going to buy?""Disguises!" said Fatty, dropping his voice to a whisper. "Wigs!Eyebrows! Teeth!""Oooh—teeth!" said Bets, in wonder. "But how can you wear false teethwithout having your real teeth out, Fatty?""You wait and see," said Fatty mysteriously."Do come after Christmas as soon as you can and teach us how to writeinvisibly and how to get out of locked rooms," begged Bets. "I say—I wonderif old Clear-Orf knows those things?""Course not!" said Fatty scornfully. "And if Clear-Orf tried to disguisehimself it wouldn't be a bit of good. We'd always know his frog's eyes and bigfat nose."Bets giggled. She hugged her doll, and thought how clever and kind Fattywas. She said so."Oh, well," said Fatty, swelling up a little, prepared to boast to his heart'scontent, "I'm—"But just then Pip came into the room and Fatty stopped. Pip didn't takekindly to Fatty's boasting. Fatty had a few words with Pip and then went."I'll come along after Christmas and give you all some Find-Outerslessons," he promised. "Give my love to Daisy and Larry if you see themtoday. I've got to go over to my grandmother's for Christmas with my motherand father."Bets told Pip what Fatty had said about spending his money on disguises."He said he would buy wigs—and eyebrows—and teeth!" said Bets. "Oh, Pip,do you think he will? What shop sells things like that? I've never seen any.""Oh, I suppose they are shops that actors go to," said Pip. "They have tobuy things like that. Well, we'll see what Fatty gets. We ought to have somefun."When the excitement of Christmas was over, the Christmas trees takendown and re-planted in the garden, and the cards sent away to a children'shospital, the children felt rather flat. Fatty apparently was staying at hisgrandmother's, for they saw nothing of him, and had a post-card saying, "Backsoon. Fatty.""I wish he'd come back," said Bets. "Suppose a mystery cropped up? We'dhave to be Find-Outers again—and our chief wouldn't be here.""Well, there isn't any mystery," said Pip."How do you know?" said Bets. "Old Clear-Orf might be trying to solveone we don't know about.""Well, ask him then," said Pip impatiently, for he was trying to read, andBets kept interrupting him. He didn't really mean Bets to go and ask thepoliceman, of course. But she couldn't help thinking it was rather a good idea."Then we should know if there was going to be something for us to solvethese hols," thought the little girl. "I'm longing to hunt for clues again—andsuspects—and track down things."So the next time she met the policeman she went up to him. "Mr. Goon,have you got a mystery to solve these holidays?" she asked.The policeman frowned. He wondered if Bets and the others were on thetrack of something he didn't know about—else why should Bets want to knowif he was solving one?
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"Are you interfering in anything again?" he asked sternly. "If you are, youstop it. See? I won't have you children messing about in jobs that properlybelong to me. Interfering with the Law!""We're not interfering or messing about," said Bets, rather alarmed."Well, you clear orf," said Mr. Goon. "You've put a spoke in my wheelbefore now, and I'm not having it again!""What wheel?" said Bets, puzzled. Mr. Goon did one of his snorts andwalked off. He couldn't bear any children, but he particularly detested the FiveFind-Outers and Dog. Bets stared after him."Well, I didn't get much out of him," she thought. "What did he meanabout wheels?"It was lovely when Fatty came back again. He brought Buster with him, ofcourse, and the little Scottie went mad with joy when he saw all his friends."He didn't have too good a time at my grandmother's," said Fatty. "Therewas an enormous ginger cat there that would keep chasing him, and mygrandmother insisted on his having a bath every single day. He was awfullymiserable really. He would have chased the cat, of course; but he was toomuch of a gentleman to go after a cat belonging to his hostess.""Have you bought any disguises yet?" asked Bets excitedly."Just waiting for my birthday," said Fatty. "It's tomorrow, as you know.Then, when I've got enough money, I'm going up to London to do a spot ofshopping.""By yourself?" said Larry."You bet," said Fatty. "What grown-up would let me spend my money ondisguises? Although we've solved two frightfully difficult mysteries, nogrown-up would think it was necessary to buy wigs and eyebrows—nowwould they? Even though at any moment we might have to solve a thirdmystery."Put like that, it seemed a really urgent matter to buy disguises of all sorts.Fatty was so very serious about it. Bets felt that the third mystery might be justround the corner."Fatty, can we try out the disguises when you buy them?" she said."Of course," said Fatty. "We'll have to practise wearing them. It will befun.""Have you brought the invisible ink with you this afternoon?" asked Pip."That's what I want to see!""Can you see invisible ink?" asked Bets. "I shouldn't have thought youcould."The others laughed. "Silly! The ink isn't invisible—it's only the writingyou do with it that is.""I've got a bottle," said Fatty. "It's very expensive."He took a bottle from his pocket. It was quite small, and contained acolourless liquid which, to Bets, looked like water.Fatty took out his note-book and a pen with a clean new nib. He put thebottle on the table, and undid the screw-top."Now I'll write a secret letter," he said, "and my writing will be invisible."Bets leaned over him to see. She lost her balance and jerked hard againstthe table. The bottle of invisible ink was jolted over, rolled to the edge of thetable, and neatly emptied its contents on the floor in a small round puddle, nearBuster."Woof!" said Buster in surprise, and began to lick it up. But the taste washorrid. He stopped and looked up at the alarmed children, his pink tonguehanging out."Oh, Buster! Buster, you've drunk invisible ink!" cried Bets, almost intears. "Fatty, will he become invisible?""No, idiot," said Fatty. "Well, that's the end of the ink. What a clumsy youare Bets!""I'm terribly, terribly sorry," said poor Bets. "I just sort of slipped. Oh,Fatty, now we can't write in invisible writing."Daisy mopped up the rest of the ink. All the children were disappointed.Buster still hung out his tongue, and had such a disgusted look on his face thatLarry fetched him some water to take the nasty taste out of his mouth."Well, I know one or two more ways of writing invisibly," said Fatty,much to Bets' relief. "Any one got an orange? Now, watch out for a littlemagic!"
