Page 36 of Old Girls Behaving Badly

‘So, you think Leonard has a secret wall or something?’ Dorothy asked her.

‘Not necessarily a wall, but we should be thinking about the big spaces as well as the small. That way if we find some stolen stuff, but not the painting, we have enough for the police to do a proper search.’

Dorothy and Gina looked at each other for a moment.

‘That’s actually very sensible, Juliet,’ Gina said. ‘Well done. Perhaps I should start in the attic and see what I can find up there. Leonard will have things planned with all the guests arriving tomorrow, so I might be able to slip away when he’s busy.’

‘We,’ Juliet said, ‘we are a we now, don’t forget. I’m not just going to come up with the ideas and have the glory snatched away.’

‘There is no glory in this situation,’ Dorothy said. ‘This is a serious business.’

‘What are you three plotting like the witches of Eastwick?’

Dorothy realised that she’d taken her eyes off of Leonard and his tweed legs, because they were suddenly standing right next to her.

‘We were talking about doing something fun for Toby and Caroline. Maybe tying something to the back of the car, like cans. I’ve seen that done in movies. Lame movies to be honest, but it could be a laugh. Just married sort of thing. What do you think?’

Dorothy made sure not to look at Gina and kept her face neutral. She glanced between Leonard and Juliet, and was relieved to see that Leonard seemed animated by the idea.

‘Actually that sounds like a fun idea, Juliet. Let me see what I’ve got that could work. I do think we should do a little better than some old tin cans, though. The others are ordering some food, so if you can do the same then we’ll eat and go. Have whatever you want,’ he said, waving a hand above his head as he returned to the rest of the group.

‘I suggest,’ said Dorothy in a low whisper, ‘that we don’t say another word until we can guarantee we’re alone.’

Juliet and Gina both silently nodded their agreement.

They left the pub car park an hour later and Leonard told them he was going to take them back a different way so they could further admire his manor from a higher viewpoint.

It was all uphill to start with and because Dorothy and Gina hadn’t dilly-dallied around after lunch like the others, they were ahead and Gina accelerated out of the car park behind Leonard with the others following some way behind. Dorothy felt more relaxed now, but that might have been more to do with the glass of sherry she’d had with her risotto rather than the fact she was more used to being on the quad bike. Leonard was setting quite a pace and Gina was doing her best to keep up with him. Dorothy thought it looked as if Gina was really enjoying herself and it was good to see her relaxed and happy. Then she had that stab of guilt again for what she expected from her. She pushed it back down and decided that Gina was an adult and wouldn’t do something she really didn’t want to do. What that said about the very enthusiastic Juliet she didn’t like to think about.

Leonard had pushed further ahead and Gina seemed to have dropped back a bit. She was enjoying the view, perhaps, and not keen to rattle Dorothy around too much.

‘I wonder what Paul really thinks of the inheritance,’ Gina suddenly asked. ‘How is it for him, touring the land that belongs to his brother and not to him? I sort of admire his support of Leonard. He doesn’t seem at all resentful of the situation.’

Dorothy glanced behind her, but the others hadn’t been so quick and were still a way back.

‘I have heard, through Miles, that Leonard has left the entire estate to his brother in his will,’ she said.

‘Oh, perhaps it was Paul who fiddled with Leonard’s saddle then,’ Gina said, laughing.

‘Possibly,’ said Dorothy.

‘I was only joking,’ Gina said, accelerating again to catch Leonard up, but it set off something in Dorothy’s mind.

‘If he is trying to bump his brother off,’ Dorothy said. ‘We need to make sure he doesn’t before we find that painting.’

They had nearly reached the summit of the hill and were closing in on Leonard.

‘Leonard’s got some liquid coming from the back of his quad bike,’ Gina said. ‘Leonard!’

Gina shouted out to him, but he was just that bit too far ahead. She pressed the button on the walkie-talkie, but there wasn’t any of the beeping Dorothy had heard earlier. Surely the battery hadn’t run down already. Gina handed it back to her.

‘Can you get this working?’ she said, and then she sped up to try and drive alongside him and get his attention. It was too late, though, because instead of stopping at the top, Dorothy watched as Leonard pressed frantically at the brakes and then disappeared over the edge.

16

GINA

I came to a stop at the top and climbed off the bike. My heart was in my mouth. I pulled off my helmet and left it on the seat.