Mystery of the Missing Man by Enid Blyton

took up his knife and fork, and then discovered that he had forgotten to clean his nails. They were still full of dirt he had forced into them! He tried to hold his knife and fork with bent fingers, so that his nails did not show. His mother noticed at once.
    “Frederick! What’s the matter, dear? Have you hurt your hands?”
    Everyone immediately looked at Fatty’s curiously bent fingers.
    “Oh, it’s nothing,” said Fatty. “Just a touch of cramp, that’s all.”
    Eunice at once took hold of his right hand and straightened the fingers as if to get the cramp out. “The best thing is to…” she began, as Fatty snatched his hand away. But his mother had already seen the filthy nails and looked coldly at Fatty.
    “Please go and do your nails, Frederick,” she said, and Fatty fled, conscious of the shocked eyes of Mr. Tolling, his mother and Eunice. Thank goodness his father had gone back to his work!
    “We shall be late, we shall be late,” fussed Mr. Tolling, when Fatty came back and lunch proceeded on its leisurely way. “Frederick, are you sure you can be ready when Eunice is? Have you your ticket? We really must start soon. I do hope you will have a most enjoyable afternoon!”
    Fatty was certain he wouldn’t. He was sure that he would not find the escaped prisoner at the Coleopterist Conference. No - he would much more likely be found in a caravan in Barker’s Field. What a nuisance to have to go to such a dull meeting - and with Eunice, of all people!
     

A Very Interesting Afternoon
     
    It was only about seven minutes’ walk to the Town Hall. Mr. Tolling hurried along, with Eunice and Fatty just behind. Quite a number of other people were hurrying along to the Town Hall too! Fatty was surprised to think that there were so many beetle-lovers staying in Peterswood.
    He was also surprised to see how many of the men wore moustaches and beards. “Is it a sort of uniform with coleopterists to wear hair on their faces?” he enquired of Eunice.
    “Don’t be silly,” she said. “Look, there’s the wonderful Maria Janizena, the one who hatched out all those eighty-four beetles from Thibet.”
    “Oh yes, the one hundred and sixty-eight twins,” said Fatty, remembering. He stared at the great Maria Janizena and shuddered. “She looks very like a big beetle herself,” he said in a low voice to Eunice. “And those things sticking up in her hat are rather like the horns my stag-beetles had.”
    He expected Eunice to be angry and scornful at such a disrespectful remark, but to his surprise she gave a sudden giggle. “Don’t,” she said. “Father will hear.”
    They went up the steps of the Town Hall just behind Mr. Tolling. When he was almost at the top Fatty had a shock. Mr. Goon was there, standing beside a man who held a long list in his hand, apparently helping with the checking of the members.
    “Goon must have got some idea that the man we want will come here,” thought Fatty, at once. “Now who told him that? The Chief Inspector? Or has he worked it out himself as I did - that the man is interested in insects, and so will come to the Conference - and may probably even be a member!”
    Mr. Goon was even more surprised to see Fatty than Fatty was to see him. He scowled, and then looked quickly down the list held by the man standing near him. Mr. Tolling presented his ticket, and Eunice presented hers. Mr. Goon then barred Fatty’s way.
    “Sorry,” he said. “Only ticket-holders admitted.”
    “Oh - I’m vouching for him. He’s my guest for this Conference,” said Mr. Tolling, much to Goon’s annoyance. He let Fatty past, glaring at him. That boy! Always turning up where he wasn’t wanted. Did he think too that that escaped prisoner might be somewhere about in this peculiar Conference?
    Fatty sat down with Eunice and Mr. Tolling. He began to study the people around him. They all looked extremely earnest, almost as if they had come to church. The few women looked even more serious than the men. The wonderful Maria Janizena was up on the