Page 64 of Old Girls Behaving Badly

‘I heard him talking to his mum. I didn’t catch all of it, but she was saying something about how he’d shamed the whole family and that there were far-reaching consequences or something. Leonard’s name was mentioned, but the sound quality wasn’t great on the recording. I kept it, though. And to be honest, I thought it was pretty cool.’

‘Cheating on your exams is absolutely not cool!’ I said, horrified.

‘No, I know that, but getting away with it is,’ Juliet said.

We had reached the rectory at this point and I leaned forward and knocked on the door. It was a few minutes until Peter opened it and I had begun to wonder if he was in the church. His hair was a little dishevelled where he’d clearly been asleep.

‘Gina, Juliet, you’ve caught me having a nap. It might have been those lovely refreshments at the reception,’ he said running his fingers through his hair and laughing. ‘Everything okay?’

‘We’ve found the painting and I’ve hidden it behind the wooden plaque with the hymn numbers in the church. Dorothy is currently telling her son and daughter and Harry has gone and he’s left us with the news that the original thief of the painting is one of the group,’ I garbled.

‘And I think it’s Rufus,’ said Juliet.

‘Goodness, it’s all going on then. How long have I been asleep exactly?’ He glanced at his watch, but I knew it was a rhetorical question.

‘We wondered if you could come and mediate for us?’ I asked him. ‘Not sure how Leonard will react and when might be the best time to phone the police. But then, that really isn’t an issue for me to worry about; that really is for the family to sort out, I suppose.’

‘You’ve been such a good friend to Dorothy this week. I’m sure she is ever so grateful.’

‘Granny will be delighted,’ Juliet said. ‘I bet she’ll leave that painting to you in her will.’

Juliet laughed, but I suddenly felt uncomfortable. Leonard was unpredictable and had now been cornered in his own home.

‘I think we should get back, but what should we do about the painting?’

‘We can’t confront him without it,’ Juliet said.

‘You won’t be confronting anyone, young lady,’ I said.

‘God, you sound just like my mum.’

‘Where are we with what’s going on? What does Leonard know?’ Peter asked.

‘So far, Dorothy has just hinted that she’s found the painting, but only a slight mention and Leonard went dashing off into the house saying he was looking for Harry. But of course he won’t find him because we know he’s gone.’

‘So it’s likely he’ll be looking for Harry, find him and his things gone, and then may go and check on the painting. He may well think that Harry has taken it. He might even think that Harry has taken it to protect himself. Is that too much of a stretch, do you think?’

‘Yes,’ Juliet and I both said at the same time.

‘Let’s leave the painting where it is for now – it’s a great hiding place, Gina. Leonard won’t look there. Let’s get back to the house and see how things stand.’

We left the rectory and walked back towards Walstone Hall. The gathering clouds were becoming darker and angrier-looking and I didn’t think we’d be in the garden for long.

Everyone was exactly as we had left them, but now they were animated and arguing. Leonard was nowhere to be seen.

‘You’ve been doing what this week?!’

Miles had his voice raised and Dorothy was standing with her hands on her hips.

‘I didn’t want to tell you because we’ve been through this before and firstly I didn’t want to get your hopes up if we couldn’t find it and also because, if you’re honest, you didn’t really think Leonard had taken it,’ Dorothy said. ‘You thought I was being a silly, grieving old woman and I do understand that.’

‘Of course I didn’t think he’d taken it! Do you think I’d be merrily using his house as a wedding venue if I thought for one minute that he had been responsible for the death of my father! Oh, Mum,’ Miles said, stepping forward and folding Dorothy into his arms. ‘I’m sorry we didn’t listen to you. I’m going to bloody kill him.’

‘Uncle Len has always taken whatever he wanted,’ Rufus joined in then, but he seemed to struggle to get out his words with the amount of alcohol he’d consumed. I glanced at Sandra and she looked stricken. Then, she sat down next to Paul, poured herself a glass of champagne and drank the lot down in one go.

‘Dorothy,’ Sandra said as she poured herself another. ‘I think it’s time to⁠—’

‘Celebrate,’ Dorothy said. ‘Yes, we should be celebrating. Leonard is a nasty and manipulative man and I am so glad we have him at last.’