Dear Mum, Mr Simpson’s city lawyer did his best, but he was no match for Dad. And when he saw the video, he stopped talking about suing the police for harassment, and advised Mr Simpson to sit down and say nothing.
And guess what! Dad’s been talking to the New South Wales police again, and after a bit of confusion they worked out that the Simpsons are the same people who were pretending to be South African in one town and Irish in another. They had different names each time, and sometimes Jubilee was there (only her name wasn’t Jubilee) and sometimes there was a Mrs Simpson, too (only she wasn’t Mrs Simpson).
So they aren’t even American.
And it turns out Mr Simpson didn’t really buy the pub. He just leased it for a few months, only he never paid the money, and he was about to be thrown out. And there’s a rumour going around that he was paying off a senior policeman, and that’s how he got away with his crimes for so long.
No one in Little Dismal can talk about anything else. They all reckon they suspected him right from the start, because of his ‘shifty eyes’ and his ‘highly unconvincing American accent’. Ha ha. He fooled everyone, and so did Jubilee.
Everyone except Clara.
And you know what? I’m beginning to feel a bit sorry for Jubilee. Her father’s in jail waiting for the trial, and that’s probably where her mother will end up too, as soon as the police can find her. I don’t know what will happen to Jubilee, but she hasn’t come back to school.
But I do know what will happen to Clara. I asked Dad if she could live with us permanently, and he said yes, and so did Auntie Gina.
Everyone thinks Dad’s a hero, and he is. But Clara’s a hero too.
And tomorrow the TV cameras are coming.
Heaps of love
from your Olive
PS. You know who else I’m beginning to feel a bit sorry for? Tracy. She’s trying to pretend that she suspected Jubilee all along, and that’s why she befriended her, to get to the truth. But no one believes her.
I saw Mrs Savage slip a piece of paper into her hand just before recess today. I bet it was a poem.