Read Chapter 22: — THE RUNAWAY

Trouble arrived next through Oliver.

Daniel's son had spent nearly a thousand pounds from a linked family account on online game purchases and then lied about it. When Daniel discovered the charges, he shouted. Caroline cried. Arthur declared modern games “legalized pickpocketing.”

Oliver ran away.

The family searched for hours.

Eleanor checked parks, the station, shopping centres, friends' houses. Peter joined without being asked. Leo took his bicycle and searched river paths.

It was Arthur who guessed correctly.

“He'll go somewhere he thinks nobody sees him,” he said. “Kids choose the places adults have forgotten.”

They found Oliver inside the empty rehearsal room at the performance school.

He sat behind stacked chairs, terrified.

“I can't pay it back,” he said.

Arthur wanted to shout.

Eleanor stopped him.

“Not yet.”

She sat on the floor beside Oliver.

“You did something stupid.”

He nodded.

“You lied.”

Another nod.

“You're still allowed to come home.”

He began to cry.

Later, after tempers cooled, the family agreed Oliver would work weekends at the school and the hotel's community events to repay part of the money gradually.

Arthur hated the idea of turning punishment into “character education language.”

Then he discovered Oliver could play guitar.

Within a month, grandfather and grandson were arguing about whether old folk refrains could be combined with rap rhythms.

“You cannot just add a beat to everything,” Arthur shouted.

“People might actually listen.”

“People listen now.”

“Three people under thirty, Grandad.”

Arthur chased him around the rehearsal room with a rolled programme.

Margaret watched them and whispered to Eleanor, “Best thing that could have happened.”