When Dick returned to Fatty's garden minutes later with Ern's notebook, he received a cheer all round. The children were keen to know what had happened, and Dick quickly related his story. They all roared with laughter as Dick described how he had taken off, leaving a very confused Mr. Goon behind him.
Dick lay the notebook down in front of them all on the grass, and as one the group began to read Ern's description of the two men he had seen at the station.
"It was very sharp of Ern to write down these details," said Fatty, who had soon memorised them. "But they aren't going to be very helpful to us at this stage."
Larry nodded. "There are heaps of men around who wear grey suits and beige suits!" he said, hopelessly.
"Let's have another look at that note, Fatty?" said Julian suddenly. "Perhaps that might be of a bit more use."
Fatty dug deep in his pocket for the note that Ern had left with him the day before. He passed it over to Julian. As they pored over the note once more, Dick couldn't help but be rather pleased. Julian was taking a definite interest in the whole situation!
"It looks like a date," said George, glancing at the others to see what they thought of this suggestion. "MAR 15 could be the fifteenth of March!"
"It might be," said Daisy. "But what about the four?"
"A time, perhaps?" suggested Pip. "Something could have happened on March 15th at four o'clock?"
"I think you're right," nodded Fatty. "That would make sense. And obviously whatever it is took place in Peterswood. But if this event has already happened then why were the two men so interested in the note?"
"Ern mentioned another man," said Anne, suddenly. "The men were talking about somebody called Sluggy."
The others recalled this, but none of them could work out how a third man fitted into the picture. There was a brief silence as everybody thought hard. Bets frowned, her expression one of utmost concentration.
"What are you thinking about, Bets?" asked Fatty. Bets was quite often the one who had a sudden brainwave and he very much hoped that this was the case now.
"I seem to remember Mother mentioning that date in one of her letters," said Bets. "Whenever I write to her from school I always ask if anything interesting has happened in Peterswood. She mentioned that date especially."
"Why, Bets, why did she mention it?" said Pip, excitedly.
"Don't hassle me, Pip! I'm trying to remember!" Bets replied. Everybody was silent once more, their eyes focused on Bets. Suddenly she let out a loud shriek.
"I remember, Fatty, I remember!" she exclaimed, leaping up in her excitement. "It was a fair! Mother said that a fair was coming to Peterswood on the fifteenth of March!"
"A fair!" repeated Fatty, thoughtfully. The Find-Outers were immediately very excited; after all, this wasn't the first time they had encountered a mystery at a fair!
"But, Fatty, what use is that to us now?" asked Larry. "The fair must have left Peterswood months ago! What can we do about it?"
Fatty didn't have an answer to this question, and neither did any of the others. They began looking over the note and descriptions again, just for something to do. Dick looked positively delighted when Julian held the note up to the light in order to see it better.
"Wait a second!" Julian exclaimed suddenly, frowning. "There's something written on the note, over the top of the writing! It's very faint though, I can't quite make it out!"
At once, all the children sat up. Just when they had been unsure how to proceed something new had cropped up!
"Oooh!" squealed Bets excitedly. "Perhaps it's invisible ink, Fatty!"
"Can I see it?" asked Fatty, and Julian at once handed the note over. He had been told many tales by Larry about what an expert Fatty was with invisible ink. There was a hushed silence as Fatty held the note up. He studied it for a few seconds, his brow furrowed.
"Bets, will you run inside and fetch a candle?" Fatty asked, and Bets obediently got up and sped indoors. She soon returned with a candle and a box of matches.
Fatty lit the candle and held the note to it at a safe distance. The other children watched, intrigued. It was not long before the heat meant the words on the note showed more clearly. They slowly became more legible and Fatty snuffed out the candle.
"Keystone, July 7th!" read Dick out loud, triumphantly. The others all looked at one another, too amazed by this piece of luck to take it all in.
"That's next week!" said George. "Where is Keystone?"
"It's about half an hour away from here," replied Fatty. "It's bigger than Peterswood. Don't you see what this means? It must be one of those travelling fairs and it's soon to be at Keystone! Sluggy, or whoever gave the two men this note, obviously wrote down an old date to throw anyone who happened to come across it off the scent!"
"But the men didn't know about the invisible ink," said Daisy. "Ern said they didn't understand what it meant at all!"
"Does that mean they're in the wrong place then?" asked Anne.
"Yes," nodded Fatty. "They're completely wasting their time in Peterswood."
"But surely it's only a matter of days before they realise they're in the wrong place?" said Larry.
Fatty grinned. "That's exactly why we've got to get to the fair at Keystone before they do. Monday is the 7th July. And on Monday, Find-Outers, Famous Five and Ern will do some serious investigating!"
Whilst this exciting discovery was taking place, Ern was having a very unexciting afternoon indeed. He had spent most of it in his bedroom, keeping out of his uncle's way. Ern had been most distraught to be forbidden from visiting Fatty, and he knew that avoiding his uncle was the only way his punishment might be lifted. Otherwise he would jolly well say something he might regret!
At five o'clock, however, Ern became rather peckish. By five thirty, his stomach was starting to complain, and he found that it was absolutely necessary to go downstairs to get something to eat. He crept down the stairs as quietly as possible, still hoping not to see his uncle. To his relief the study door was closed. As he passed it, Ern could hear Mr. Goon speaking to somebody on the telephone. Curiosity got the better of him, and he pressed his ear to the door.
"Hallo!" said Goon, in what Ern supposed he believed to be a jovial manner. To Ern, he just sounded as cross and formidable as usual! "Could you tell me where the travelling fair that arrived in Peterswood on March 15th is now, please?"
Ern's mouth fell open in surprise at Mr. Goon's enquiry. Having studied the note numerous times, he knew the numbers on it very well indeed. It had occurred to Ern too, as he had pondered in his bedroom, that the note revealed a date. But a travelling fair had been entirely unexpected! Just how had his uncle made that connection? He supposed that being a member of the police force was very handy for situations like this. Goon undoubtedly had many useful contacts. Ern quickly came out of his reverie in order to hear the rest of Mr. Goon's telephone conversation.
"Keystone, you say?" Mr. Goon repeated. "And it arrives there next week? Thank you very much!"
His uncle had evidently rung off because silence fell once more. Ern quickly trotted off into the kitchen in case Goon opened the door to find his nephew eavesdropping. As he closed the kitchen door behind him, he distinctly heard a triumphant "Gah!" emanating from the study. Ern was very disturbed indeed. He suddenly found himself climbing the walls in dismay that he was unable to visit Fatty at once! Not realising that his friends had already made the connection, he believed Mr. Goon to be much further along than they were. But as Ern calmed down slightly, he remembered what his uncle had said. The travelling fair would not arrive in Keystone until next week, so there was nothing Goon could do until then. Feeling slightly relieved, Ern made his mind up to go and see the Find-Outers and Five as early as possible the next day. It was imperative that they went to Keystone next week, and Ern was determined to beat Goon to it. He didn't understand this new phase of the mystery one bit, but he was blowed if he was going to let his uncle get one step ahead!