"Blyton, Enid - The Five Find-Outers 15 - The Mystery of Banshee Towers 1.1" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

"Well, yes, I was," said Ern. "But then I didn't know that Fatty was getting information to pass on to _you_, sir."

"Is there really a Count Ludwig, sir, who lends these pictures to Mr Engler?" asked Fatty.

"Oh yes," said the Inspector. "And he must be a poor judge of art - because although Engler never sends him back his valuable original pictures, but only dud copies, he has apparently never noticed the difference!"

"Then he won't notice that the tiny little boat is missing when he gets the copy?" said Bets, amazed.

"He certainly won't," said the chief. "You are much smarter than he is, little Bets! And Ern too!"

"Can you charge Mr Engler - and the artist - and perhaps the turnstile man - with robbery and swindling? "asked Fatty.

"It's difficult," said the Inspector. "I'd feel safer if I could find out how he gets the original pictures safely out of the Art Galleries he shows them in - such as Banshee Towers, for instance. It isn't easy to smuggle big pictures out of a place you know - or into one, for that matter. It's been really puzzling us. We've watched and watched that fellow - not only here but in other places too - and we've never been able to lay our hands on any pictures being smuggled out or in!"

"Oh, that's easy," said Fatty. "I guessed that early on, sir."

"Fatty! You never told us! _How_ did they get the pictures out?" said Larry, astonished.

"Do you remember that there were always lengths of fat lead pipes about - supposed to be for repairs?" said Fatty. "Well, I went and snooped down one - and I saw something tightly rolled up in it - I couldn't imagine then what it was - but now I'm absolutely certain that it was a rolled-up, canvas - a picture off the walls. It wouldn't be missed, for a copy would be immediately slapped into place!"

"FATTY! Remember that ladder this morning - and the cutting sound we heard when we were locked in that room - and the slapping of a brush?" almost shouted Ern, half-leaping from his chair. "That was what they were doing then! They climbed up the ladder to cut the picture out - then they slapped some sort of gluey paste on the empty space - and stretched the copy over it - it stuck almost at once, of course."

"Yes, I remember," said Fatty. "You're quite right, Ern. You've been pretty clever over this."

"Why didn't you tell us all these things?" said Bets.

"Well, I wasn't quite sure how everything fitted," said Fatty. "You know, it was a bit like a jigsaw. I couldn't see the whole picture, or know what it meant, till I'd found _every_ bit of the jigsaw. It wasn't till this morning that I found the last piece - the pipes in the shed! Then at last I knew how they managed to get the pictures out without anyone guessing!"

"You've done remarkably well. Fatty. But I rather fear the men have smelt a rat and gone," said the Chief, shutting his notebook. "Someone must have tipped them that we were on the watch. They went away in a blue van and a car, apparently. The man we had on watch unfortunately wasn't quick enough to take the numbers. So I fear we can't set up road-blocks anywhere, or issue a general warning to the police. We _have_ to know the registration numbers of the vehicles."

"Oh those - I nearly forgot," said Fatty. "I saw the numbers this morning. Now - let me see - yes - one was Pair of Rogues, and..."

"Pair of Rogues - _that's_ not a car-number!" said Larry.

"And the other was Jolly Bad Lot," said Fatty. "Yes - POR 202 and JBL 333, sir. FOR for 'Pair of Rogues!' and JBL for 'Jolly Bad Lot'. Easy way to remember those vehicles, sir - the letters described the occupants so well!"

"Well, I won't say what a marvel I think you are, or you _might_ get a swelled head," said the Inspector, jotting down the numbers at once. "Do you happen to have memorized the number of _my_ car in the same way. Fatty?"

"Yes, sir. Your car number is VGF 888." said Fatty, promptly. "Er - VGF stands for Very Good Fellow, sir."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that" said the Inspector, getting up. "Thanks, Fatty, thanks, Ern. We can now pin down those three rogues, and put them somewhere where, I am pretty certain, they will not see many beautiful pictures!"

"What about Mr Engler's complaint about me, sir?" asked Fatty. "You know - breaking and entering into Banshee Towers. Actually we didn't _break_ in, sir - we came up that underground passage."

"Hm: well, in the circumstances, considering that you have given me so much help in this case, Frederick, I shall cross out that complaint in my books," said Inspector Jenks, with a very broad smile indeed. "And you needn't worry about Mr Goon. I am going straight up to the police station to tell him of the unexpected - and really astonishing - help you have given me this morning. I must say that I think the Five Find-Outers are remarkably good detectives!"

"What about Ern?" asked Bets, anxiously. "Will it be _safe_ for him to go back to Mr Goon's?"

"QUITE safe," said the Inspector. "I shall tell him that his nephew Ern was clever enough to spot what is probably the only clue in existence that could lead to the arrest of a smart rogue like Mr Engler. Well done indeed, Ern!"