"Didn't Mrs. Minns go and see if there was anything burning too?" asked Larry.
"Ah, Maria didn't want to move that evening," said Mrs. Jones. "She'd got her rheumatism back something cruel. She was stuck, real stuck."
"What do you mean, stuck?" asked Larry, with interest.
"Well, she sat down in this rocking-chair at tea-time, and she says to me, 'Hannah,' she says, I'm stuck. Me rheumatism's got me again, and I can't move.' So I says
to her, 'Maria, you just stay put. I'll get the tea and everything. Mr. Hick is out, so there's no dinner to get. I'll just stay with you till your poor legs are better.' "
The children listened, and each of them thought tie same thing. "If Mrs. Minns was stuck in a chair all the evening with rheumatism,, then she couldn't have fired the cottage!"
"And didn't poor Mrs. Minns get up at all out of the rocking-chair?" asked Daisy. "Not till you really knew there was a fire, I mean?"
"No - Maria just stayed put," said Mrs. Jones. "It wasn't till me nose told me there really was something burning terrible that Maria got up. I went to the kitchen-door and sniffed - and then I went out into the garden -and I saw the flare down at the bottom there. I shouted out, 'There's a fire, Maria!' and she turned as white as a sheet. 'Come on, Maria!' I says, 'We've got to do something.' But poor Maria,, she can't get out of her chair, she's so stuck!"
The children drank all this in. It certainly could have been nothing to do with Mrs. Minns. If she had been so "stuck" with rheumatism, she wouldn't have been likely to rush around setting fire to cottages. And anyway her sister was with her all the time. It was quite plainly nothing to do with Mrs. Minns. That was another Suspect crossed off!
Mrs. Minns opened the kitchen door and came in, looking angry. She had been upstairs to take off her milk-drenched dress. She glared at Lily., and then looked in surprise at the three children.
"Well, Maria," said Mrs. Jones, "how's the rheumatics?"
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Minns," said Daisy. "We came to bring a fish-head for Sweetie."
Mrs. Minns beamed. She was always touched when any one did anything for her precious cat. "That's nice of you," she said. "My rheumatism's better," she said to her sister. "Though what it will be like after being drenched with milk, I don't know. Really, things are coming
to a pretty pass when that girl Lily throws milk all over me."
"I didn't do it on purpose," said Lily sulkily. "Can I go to the post with this letter ? "
"No, that you can't," said Mrs. Minns. "You fust get the tea ready for Mr. Hick. Go on now - stop your letter-writing and get a bit of work done for a change."
"I want to catch the post," said Lily, looking ready to cry.
"Well, you won't," said Mrs. Minns unkindly. Lily started to cry, and the children felt sorry for her. She got up and began to get out cups and saucers.
The children wondered how to mention Horace Peeks. They wanted to get his address so that they might go and see him.
"Has Mr. Hick got a new man-servant yet?" asked Larry, at last.
"He's been seeing some today," said Mrs. Minns,, sinking into an arm-chair, which creaked dolefully beneath her weight. "I only hope he gets one that doesn't put on airs and graces like Mr. Peeks, that's all."
"Does Mr. Peeks live near here?" asked Pip innocently.
"Yes," said Mrs. Minns. "Let me see now - where does he live? Oh, my memory - it gets worse every day!"
There came a most unwelcome interruption Just as it seemed that Mrs. Minns was on the point of remembermg Horace Peeks's address. The kitchen door shot open, and three kittens flew through the air, landing on the floor with
mews and hisses. Every one looked round in amazement.
Mr, Hick stood at the door, His front tuft of hair bristling like a parrot's crest.
"Those kittens were in my study!" he shouted. "Are my orders never to be obeyed? Unless they are out of the house by this evening, I'l drown the lot!"
He was about to bang the door when he caught sight of the three children. He advanced into the kitchen and pointed a finger at them. "Didn't I turn you out before? How dare you come here again?"
Larry, Pip and Daisy got up and fled. They were not cowards, but really Mr. Hick was so very fierce that it honestly seemed as if he might throw them out., just as he had flung the kittens into the kitchen!
They ran up the drive - but half-way to the gate Larry stopped. "Wait till old Hiccup has gone out of the kitchen.," he said. "We simply must get Horace Peeks's address. We can't do anything about him till we know where he is."
They waited for a minute or two and then went back very cautiously to the kitchen. Mrs. Minns was talking to her sister, and Lily was still clattering about with the tea-things. The children put their heads round the door.
"What do you want now?" asked Mrs. Minns good-naturedly. "My word, you ran away like frightened mice! Made me laugh to see you!"
"You were just trying to think of Horace Peeks's address when Mr. Hick came in," said Larry.
"Was I, now?" said Mrs. Minns. "Well, it came into my mind in a flash, like - and now it's gone again. Let me see-letme see...."
She was thinking hard, and the children were waiting breathlessly, when the sound of heavy footsteps came up to the kitchen door and a loud knock was heard.
Mrs. Minns went to the door. The children saw that it was Mr. Goon, the policeman! They never seemed to be able to get away from old Clear-Orf.
"Morning, Mam," said Clear-Orf to Mrs. Minns, and he took out his large black notebook. "About this here fire - I think you've given me all the information I require. But I'd just like to ask you a few questions about that fellow Peeks."
The children frowned at one another. So Clear-Orf was after Peeks too!
"Do you know his address?" asked Clear-Orf, looking at Mrs, Minns out of his bulging pale-blue eyes.
"Well," said Mrs. Minns, "if that isn't a peculiar thing, Mr. Goon - I was just trying to think of his address
at the very moment you knocked! These children wanted to know it"
"What children?" said Clear-Orf in surprise. He put His head in at the door and saw Larry, Daisy and Pip.
"You again!" he said in disgust. "Clear orf! You kids are always popping up. You're a regular nuisance. What do you want Peeks's address for? Just nosey, I suppose?"
The children said nothing. Mr. Goon pointed back-wards with his thumb. "Go home I" he said. "I've private business to do here. Clear orf!
There was nothing for it but to "clear orf," and the children did so, running up the drive to the gate. They were very angry.
"Just as Mrs. Minns was thinking of the address!" said Larry.
"I hope she doesn't think of it and tell Clear-Orf," said Pip gloomily. "If she does, Clear-Orf will go over and see Peeks before we do."
"Blow!" said Daisy. They all felt very disheartened. They were just going out of the gate when they heard a low whistle from the bushes nearby. They turned back to see who it was.
Lily appeared, a letter in her hand. She looked fright-ened, but determined. "Will you post this letter for me?" she asked. "It's to Mr. Peeks, to warn him that people are saying he started the fire. But he didn't, he didn't. I know he didn't! You post the letter, will you?"
There was a shout from the kitchen. "Lily! Where are you?"
Lily disappeared at once. The children ran out of the gate, excited and surprised. They stopped behind a hedge when they had gone a little way, and examined Lily's envelope. It had no stamp on. The girl had forgotten it in her hurry.
"Golly!" said Larry, "here we've been all the afternoon trying to get Horace Peek's address and couldn't - and now, suddenly, it's just been presented to us, given into our hands!"
"What a bit of luck!" said Daisy, thrilled. "I am pleased."
"The thing is - do we want Peeks to be warned?" said Larry. "You see - if he is warned beforehand that people are suspecting him., he might run away. Then we shouldn't solve the mystery."