SECRET SEVEN MYSTERY by Enid Blyton

CHAPTER 8 ANOTHER MEETING

Everyone was early for the two-thirty meeting, and the password was muttered five times as Janet and Peter opened and shut the door of the shed. Scamper barked a welcome to everyone. Then the door was locked and the meeting began.

'I hope everyone has something to report,' said Peter. Til begin with my report. Well, Jack and I went to the grandmother's house, but the old lady wasn't well, so we didn't see her. We didn't find it difficult to ask questions, because we took some jumble for old Mrs Sonning's sale - and her companion was quite friendly.'

'That was a bit of luck!' said George.

*It was,' said Peter. 'We learnt quite a few things -for instance, that Elizabeth is definitely hiding somewhere in the district - not far from her granny's, I should think - because she has got into the house at night and taken pies and things, and an old rug!*

George and Janet looked astonished.' But, Peter began George and Janet together. Peter frowned.

'Please don't interrupt,' he said. 'You and Janet can have your say in a minute. Well, as I was saying - the old lady's companion, Miss Wardle - told us quite a lot about Elizabeth, and said that she was a very nice, straightforward girl.'

'She can't be!' interrupted Pam. 'You can't call a thief straightforward! She was only just saying that!'

'Be quiet,' said Peter, exasperated. "The point I'm trying to make is that there's no doubt that Elizabeth is hiding somewhere near her grandmother's - and getting food from there. And she'll do that at night as often as she needs food! I suggest that we go and watch one night, and see if we can catch her. Jack and I are going to take some more jumble to the grandmother's on Monday, and if Elizabeth has been getting into the house again, we could perhaps watch hat night.'

'Yes. Jolly good idea!' said Pam, Barbara, and Colin. George and Janet said nothing, but looked meaningly at one another.

'Well, that's my report - mine and Jack's,' said Peter. 'What about you, Colin?'

'Nothing to report at all,' said Colin, in a rather apologetic tone. 'I examined about six sheds, all kinds of barns, and wandered over a whole caravan colony the other side of Belling Hill - but didn't find out a thing. Not a thing. I'm sorry, Peter.'

'That's all right,' said Peter. 'You and Pam, Barbara - what's your report ?'

'Well, nothing much, either,' said Barbara. 'We looked in a locked shed - or tried to - and got turned off by a man with a horse. And we found a terribly smelly old caravan with a rug inside and a tin cup and plate. And we hunted all through Thorney-Copse Wood, looking into and under bushes.'

'And that awful sister of Jack's was there, too,' said Pam. 'We saw her coming along, dressed in the same uniform as we wear - navy blue coat and hat -and we thought it might be the runaway girl, so we hid in a bush - and Susie jumped right into it on purpose and fell on top of us - you should see the bruise I've got!'

'So that's why Susie was pestering the life out of me at dinner to find out what the Secret Seven are up to!' said Jack.' You are a couple of idiots to make her think there is something up, you two. Now I shan't have a moment's peace. Susie is bound to find out what we're after - she's as sharp as a needle.'

'She certainly is,' said Peter, who had a healthy respect for Susie's sharpness. 'I wouldn't be a bit surprised if she's not snooping outside somewhere now, listening for all she's worth.'

'Scamper would bark,' began Janet - and just at that very moment Scamper did bark as a face looked in at the window of the shed! It was Susie, of course.

'Hello, Secret Seven,' she called. 'I thought you'd be here, Jack. I know what you're all up to. I found your newspaper cutting! Ha, ha.'

Peter looked furiously at Jack. 'Do you mean to say you left that newspaper report about?' he said.

'That's right, tick him off!' said the annoying Susie, pressing her face closer to the window. 'I say, you do look a lot of sweetie-pies sitting down there. Shall I tell you my news of Elizabeth Mary Wil-hemina Sonning?'

Jack leapt up in a fury, flung open the door, and raced out with Scamper at his heels. The others went to the door.

Susie was a fast runner. She was running out of the gate, laughing, before Jack was half-way there. He knew it was no good chasing after her. He went back to the shed, red in the face.

'Do you suppose she heard what we were all saying?' asked Jack. Peter shook his head.

'No. Scamper would have barked. Susie could only just that moment have come. I must say it's very annoying. Now Susie will be hunting too. Blow! If she finds Elizabeth before we do, I shall be jolly furious.'

'She won't,' said George, bursting to tell what he had heard from Tom the stable-boy. 'You just wait till you hear what Janet and I have to report.'