Mystery of the Invisible Thief by Enid Blyton Read Free Book Online Page A

foot with them.”
    “Fatty, have you found out anything interesting?” asked Larry eagerly. “I saw you with your measuring tape, out of the window. What have you discovered?”
    “I’ve discovered exactly the same as I discovered yesterday,” said Fatty. “Except that I haven’t found any bits of paper with names and numbers on. Look at those prints over there.”
    Larry and Daisy examined them with interest. “I know only one person in this village with feet big enough to fit those prints,” said Daisy. Fatty looked up at once.
    “Who? Perhaps you’ve hit on the very person! There can’t be many people with such enormous feet.”
    “Well - it’s Goon - old Clear-Orf!” said Daisy with a giggle. The others roared.
    “You’re right. His feet would certainly fit those prints!” said Fatty. “Unfortunately he’s about the only large-footed person who’s absolutely ruled out.”
    “We’ll certainly have to go about with our eyes on people’s feet,” said Larry. “It’s the one thing the thief can’t hide! He can stick his great hands in his pockets and stop his hollow cough - but he can’t hide his great feet!”
    “No - you’re right,” said Fatty. “Well, let’s not stop any more. Goon’s had about enough of us for one afternoon, I should think.”
    They climbed over the fence into Larry’s garden. Buster squeezed through a hole.
    “Gosh - I’d forgotten we were in the middle of tea,” said Fatty, pleased to see the remains of sandwiches and cakes on the grass. “What’s happened to some of these potted-meat sandwiches? Your cat’s been at them, Larry.”
    “Buster - on guard!” said Larry at once, and Buster growled and looked round for the cat.
    They finished their tea, talking about the two robberies. After a time Buster growled again and went to the fence. “Must be Goon over the other side, doing a spot of detecting,” said Fatty with a grin. “Let’s go and see his turnip-brains at work.”
    Goon was busy looking for prints and clues. He was most irritated to see three heads looking over the wall at him. They watched him solemnly as he measured and marked.
    “Look! He’s found a footprint!” said Larry, in an admiring voice. The back of Mr Goon’s neck went scarlet but he said nothing.
    “Now he’s measuring it,” said Daisy. “Oooh, isn’t he careful?”
    “Brains, Daisy, brains,” said Fatty. “What can we do against brains like that?”
    Mr Goon felt as if he was going to burst. Those children! Toads! Pests! Always in his way, buzzing round like a lot of mosquitoes. He made a very dignified retreat into the kitchen, rather hurried at the end when he discovered that Buster had squeezed through the hole in the fence and was after him.
    “Clear-Orf!” he shouted, slamming the door in Buster’s face. “You clear-orf!”
     

Fatty Makes Some Plans
     
    Fatty called a meeting down in his shed the very next day. Larry and Daisy arrived punctually, and Pip and Bets soon after. Buster greeted them all exuberantly, as if he hadn’t seen them for years.
    “This is a proper meeting,” announced Fatty. “An official one, I mean. We’ve got our mystery all right - and we’ve got just under four weeks to solve it. That ought to be plenty of time!”
    “Yes, it ought - for old hands like us!” said Larry, grinning. “Did you tell Pip and Bets all about yesterday’s robbery next door to us? Do they know everything?”
    “Yes. I went to tell them last night,” said Fatty. “We’ve got to make plans this morning.”
    “What? Lists of Suspects and so on?” asked Bets eagerly.
    “We haven’t got a single suspect,” said Fatty. “Not one! It’s about the only mystery we’ve ever had with two crimes and no suspects at all. Most extraordinary. It’s going to be difficult to get on with the case till we find a few suspects to enquire about.”
    “We’ve got plenty of clues,” said Daisy. “Footprints - glove-prints - coughs - bits of paper…”
    “What’s your plan, Fatty?” asked Pip. “I bet you’ve got one.”
    “Well, I have, as a matter of fact,” said