‘That’s what I’m coming to,’ Hazel smiled. ‘Like I say, it’s been on my mind for a while now. Me keeping it in a drawer in my house, it’s just silly. Paying hundreds of dollars a year to insure it when no one’s getting any enjoyment out of it. And it’s not serving the memory of the man who won it.’

It was dawning on them what Hazel meant. ‘What are you saying, in a drawer in your house? You can’t have got it!’ said Cass.

Georgie began to laugh, whether from amusement or nerves the others couldn’t tell.

‘I beg your pardon’ said Hazel. Why was Cass raising her voice like that?

‘Well, we’ve been hunting for that medal for some time. It belongs here, you see,’ said Cass.

Hazel said nothing. Cass went on explaining. ‘It lived in a special table, a table with glass-topped shelves. With his other medals. It belonged to my mother. It’s ours. You can’t have got it.’

‘I didn’t know you didn’t know,’ said Hazel. ‘Look, your mother gave it to Stephen. Not that we realized that, for quite a while. It took my mum some time to twig that it was there, among his things. She couldn’t look at his cases, his room, not for ages after he died. When she got to it, the medal was still in his duffel bag, from England. She got a little envelope for it, so it wouldn’t get scratched. She reckoned it was because Stephen was the only boy descendant. She thought that was why your mother had given it to him. Because medals and such usually go to the males in a family.’

‘But that’s impossible,’ said Adam.

Hazel looked from one to the other of Cass and Georgie. ‘I thought your mother would’ve told you.’

‘It just isn’t the sort of thing that Celia would have done,’ said Adam.

‘Well, she clearly did,’ said Hazel. ‘How else was it going to be in with Stephen’s things?’

No one spoke. Eventually Cass broke the silence in the room.

‘He must have taken it. I’m sorry to accuse someone who can’t defend himself, but that is the only possible explanation. Celia would never have given away a family heirloom like that, it just wasn’t in her nature. Stephen must have taken it.’ There was a catch in her voice, as if she was about to cry.

Hazel looked at her levelly.

‘Are you accusing my brother of thieving?’

Cass was unable to meet her gaze.