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‘I think he stole it from the old antique shop in Cobblers Yard.’
‘Perhaps he bought it?’
‘How? He uses all his money on video games.’
‘I really don’t think he’d do a thing like that – stealing, I mean.’ She knew the twins were given an awful lot, and never went without – they always had the latest trainers, laptops, iPads, everything. There was no reason for them to steal.
Even so, Thea decided that in the morning, when they’d both cooled off, she was going to ask Toby about his grandma’s boxes.
Chapter23
‘Why would I want to go through Grandma’s boxes?’
It was the following morning, and they were all sitting on stools at the kitchen island, eating breakfast cereal. Thea hadn’t slept well in the single bedroom; she’d been afraid she’d miss the alarm and had imagined all sorts of catastrophes – maybe the twins wouldn’t get up, or wouldn’t get dressed in their uniforms, or would refuse to go to school. Then the school would ring her up and tell her off for not making sure they attended. And they’d fine her for every day the twins weren’t at school; that’s what schools did now – wasn’t it?
Thea’s morning went nothing like she imagined. When she had knocked on the twins’ doors to wake them up, they had both already been awake and were showering in their ensuite bathrooms. They had both appeared for breakfast dressed in their school uniforms, with their school bags packed and ready to go. Toby had kept diligently checking his watch to make sure they weren’t late for the school bus.
Everything had gone swimmingly until Thea had raised the issue of the boxes.
‘I didn’t even know they were in the garage. What are they doing there anyhow?’
Thea sighed. She’d known he’d deny it. A sarcastic remark was on the tip of her tongue; he knew Grandma had left them there before her travels.
‘Whatever is missing, I did not take it.’
Thea eyed him. ‘Why do you think something is missing?’
‘Well, that’s what you’re accusing me of, isn’t it? Taking something?’
Before Thea had a chance to say anything, he turned to his sister and said, ‘What have you been saying about me?’
‘Katie dropped her eyes to the table, looking contrite. ‘Nothing.’
‘Yeah – right.’ Toby got up from the table, picked up his uneaten slice of toast and grabbed his bag.
‘Where are you going?’ Katie asked.
‘To catch the bus – what do you think?’
‘But it’s not going to arrive for another twenty minutes.’
‘I don’t care. I’m going to walk to the pick-up point and wait with my friends.’
Katie replied, ‘You haven’t got any friends.’
‘Yeah, well maybe I’ll make some.’
‘Yeah – right,’ Katie said under her breath as Toby walked to the kitchen door. He must have heard her remark because he turned around and glared at her.
Thea decided to try and defuse the situation by changing the subject. She had a question to ask them both. ‘Toby, before you go. I’m going to visit your mother today. Would you two like to visit her too after school?’
Toby nodded.
Katie said, ‘Yes, please. Um … can we go into town afterwards and get an ice cream?’
‘You mean, can you go into town and meet the girls you’re so desperately trying to be friends with because they are like, sooo popular.’ Toby pulled a face.
Thea looked from Katie to Toby and back again.
