Mystery Of The Missing Necklace by Enid Blyton Read Free Book Online Page B

chain. The four children in the shop watched him with interest, hoping that he wouldn't go and say anything to Fatty.
    Buster saw Goon, and with a delighted yelp he tore out of the sweet-shop, and danced round the policeman's feet. Larry rushed after him, afraid that Buster would go and lick Fatty's face, and give the show away to Goon. But Buster was fully engaged with the angry policeman, and was having a perfectly lovely time, dodging kicks, and getting in little snaps and snarls whenever he could.
    Fatty got up hurriedly and shuffled away round the nearest corner without being noticed by Mr. Goon, who
    was rapidly losing his temper. All the others, seeing Fatty wanted to get away before Goon noticed he was gone, began to join in the fun, pretending to call Buster off, but only succeeding in exciting the little Scottie more than ever!
    When at last Buster was safely in Larry's arms, and Goon could look round at the bench, it was empty! Both the men had gone. Mr. Goon looked extremely angry.
    "That there dog!" he said, dusting his trousers down violently. "I'll report him, I will. Interfering with me doing my duty, that's what he did. And now where are them two fellows gone? I wanted to put a few questions to them!"
    "They've disappeared," said Daisy. Mr. Goon did one of his snorts.
    "No need to tell me that. I've got eyes in my head, haven't I? I may have lost a Most Important Clue! See? Where's that fat boy that's always with you? I bet he's at the bottom of this!"
    "He isn't here," said Larry truthfully. "You'll probably find him at home if you badly want to see him, Mr. Goon."
    "I wouldn't care if I never set eyes on him again, the cheeky toad!" said Mr. Goon, mounting his bicycle rather ponderishly and w o bbling a little. "No, nor any of you neither. As for mat dog!"
    He was about to ride off, when he stopped, wobbled again, and spoke to Larry.
    "Where were you just now?"
    "In the sweet-shop, having lemonade," said Larry. "Ho," said Mr. Goon. "And did you see that old fellow sitting on that bench?"
    "Yes, we did," said Larry. "He seemed half-asleep and quite harmless."
    "And did you see that other fellow talking to him?" demanded Mr. Goon.
    "Well — he may have spoken to him. I don't know," said Larry , wondering why the policeman was asking all these questions.
    "You'd better come alonga me," said Mr. Goon, at last. "I'm going to call on that old fellow, see, and I want you to back me up when I tell him I want to know about the other fellow."
    The children felt distinctly alarmed. What! Mr. Goon was going to visit the real old man — who would probably be in bed — and ask him questions about the other man, whom he hadn't been there to see! Whatever would the poor old fellow say? He wouldn't in the least know what Mr. Goon was talking about!
    The First Clue .
    "I don't think we've got time to ..." began Larry. But Mr. Goon pooh-poohed him.
    "It's my orders," he said pompously. "You may be witnesses. You come alonga me."
    So the children went with Mr. Goon, Buster struggling wildly against the lead to get at the policeman's ankles. They turned one or two comers and came to a dirty little pair of cottages at one end of a lane. Mr. Goon went to the first one and knocked.
    There was no answer at all. He knocked again. The children felt uncomfortable and wished they were at
    home. No answer. Then Mr. Goon pushed hard at the door and it opened into a room that was plainly half sitting-room and half bedroom. It was very dirty and smelt horrid.
    In the far corner was a small bed, piled high with dirty bedclothes. In it, apparently asleep, his grey hairs showing above the blanket, was the old man. His clothes were on a chair beside him — old coat, corduroy trousers, shirt, muffler, hat, and shoes.
    "Hey, you!" said Mr. Goon, marching in. "No good pretending to be asleep, see? I saw you a few minutes ago in the village street, on the bench."
    The old man awoke with a jump. He seemed to be extremely surprised to see Mr.