The Flower-Show Hat by Malcolm Saville

Author:Malcolm Saville
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-04-04T00:00:00+00:00

"Been having fun without me, Newpenny?" he whispered. "What have you been doing?"

Penny was feeling much more cheerful now. "I've been up to practically everything, but you'll hear all about it presently. Don't you think my detective is wonderful? He kidnapped me at a Flower Show. Your mother is still there and doesn't know where I am."

Downstairs they found Miss Simmonds in a flutter over a real detective, but she passed over the key of No. 4 and they went up together. The room was empty. A half-smoked cigarette, stained with lipstick, was in the ash-tray. There was nothing in the wardrobe or the drawers. The detective pulled back the mattress and felt over the carpet and then said to Penny: "You know something about this, don't you? Tell me all you know about this girl!"

"There's a lot of things I want you to tell me, too," Penny smiled, "but I'm quite sure she isn't really a criminal. She was too scared when I saw her coming out of the private door before lunch."

The detective was interested. "Where is that? Show me. Is it where you bolted just now?"

Penny tossed her head and declined to answer the last question, but led them back to the bridge.

On the way Jon said: "What's that thing you're carrying, Penny? It looks like something people put on graves."

She had almost forgotten the hat, but, of course, you couldn't expect a mere boy to appreciate it. Such a remark only showed how appallingly ignorant even a clever boy can be.

"I guessed this was where you ran," the detective smiled at her. "So you saw the girl come out of here, did you?" - and he sat down on the chest under the window. "How much do you know of this business, young lady?"

"My aunt said that a policeman told her that a man and a girl were suspected of stealing a valuable picture away somewhere in Surrey and that this girl might be the girl they wanted."

"True enough. It's only fair to tell you now that we've got the man. He's admitted that he stole the picture and has confessed that this young lady's 'double'------"

"Pardon?" said Jon.

"Didn't you know? Your cousin here has a double - that's how we've got mixed up together."

"Nonsense," Jon laughed. "I don't want to sound rude, but I'm quite certain that little Penelope here is unique."

Penny put out her tongue at him while the man continued his story. "Anyway, I'm inclined to believe our prisoner when he says that the girl called Susan Brown was only acting as a carrier for the picture. He seemed rather upset about the youngster. I think he'd tricked her into doing this. If I could only find the stolen picture, I don't think I'd worry very much about her. But she can't get far. We'll find her soon. By the way, Miss Penelope, how did you happen to be wearing that hat which the man described to me so carefully that I was able to spot you?"

"I'll tell you if you'll explain why you came to the Flower Show and found me there.

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