"One small bottle of turps, one small tin of light-brown paint, and one small, very old paint-brush," said Fatty. "And if we only knew how they had been used, why they had been used, and who had used them, we should have solved the unsolvable Mystery of the Disappearing Cat!"
"Fatty," said Bets earnestly, "do you think it would be any good going into the cage and sniffing about to see exactly what place had got the turps on it? I mean — if it was the benches, or the floor, or the ceiling, or the wire-netting I can't see how it would help us even if we did find the place that smelt of turps, but it just might."
"Seems rather a silly idea to me," said Pip.
"Well, I can't say I can see what good that would do," said Larry. "And anyway, how could we get into the cage? Miss Harmer has the key."
"Well, you know — I think there is something in Bets' idea," said Fatty. "Like Larry, I can't see how it would help us if we found out the exact place where the turps had been used, but I've a sort of hunch we'd better go and try. Bets, you're a good one at ideas just now."
Bets was thrilled. She did love a word of praise, because she got plenty of teasing, and praise from Fatty made up for a lot.
"Well, how could we get the key?" said Daisy. "Miss Harmer keeps it in her pocket."
Fatty thought hard for a while. "It's a very hot day," he said. "I should think Miss Harmer will have taken her coat off and hung it up somewhere. She won't be doing the cats just now — I expect she'll be at work in the greenhouses. It's part of her job to help there too, you know."
"I guess she'll have her coat under her eye, with all these disappearing acts going on," said Larry.
"Let's go and see," said Pip, getting up. He moved the loose board at the back of the summer-house and tucked the three clues there. He put the loose board over them. "There! No one will find those clues but us. Come on, let's go and see what Miss Harmer is doing.