"And now - whatever are we going to do about everything?" said Larry, going back to the path. "It's no good telling the police. We're in disgrace and wouldn't be listened to. It's no good telling our parents. We're in enough trouble as it is."
"Let's go and sit down by the river and talk about it," said Pip. "Come on. We'll simply have to decide something. Things are getting very serious."
An Unexpected Friend.
The children made their way along the path that led to the river. They found a sheltered place on the high bank of the river and sat down. Buster growled a little but sat down with them.
"What are you growling for Buster?" said Bets. "Don't you want to sit down?"
Buster growled again and then stopped. The children began to talk.
"It's a queer thing," said Pip, "we've found the man who started the fire - and we've got all the facts - we know how he got on to the London train - we know that his shoes fit the footprints - we know that he was afraid and hid those shoes - which we've found - and we know why all the other Suspects were down in the garden that evening. We know everything - and yet we can't do anything about it because Mr. Goon would be sure to pretend that he found out everything!"
"Yes - it's no good telling the police," said Fatty gloomily. "And it's no good telling our parents either, because they would just ring up Mr. Goon. Isn't it perfectly sickening to think that we've solved the mystery and found out simply everything3 and we can't get the criminal punished. Horrid Mr. Hick! He ought to be punished. Don't you think it was mean the way he tried to lay the blame on poor old Peeks when he thought we were getting to know too much?"
"Yes," agreed every one.
"It was funny the way he gave himself away by mentioning those aeroplanes," said Lany. "It was really smart of Fatty to spot that, I think."