Yuletide Splitsville by Bernhardt William

Author:Bernhardt, William
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Babylon Books
Published: 2022-11-09T00:00:00+00:00

Kenzi intended to settle on the sofa, but as soon as she left the kitchen she heard someone outside shouting.

Jean looked up. “No worries. It’s just Lionel and his alleged fiancée. They do this a lot.”

“Family visits can be stressful.”

“Their relationship is stressful. But they keep clinging to it by their fingernails. I mean, I get why Amanda’s in it. She needs a financier. But Lionel could be with anyone. If he showed a little more backbone.”

Yes, Kenzi thought, you are definitely the oldest child. And then froze in mid-thought. Because in her family, she was the oldest child. “I’m going outside.”

Jean waved a hand in the air. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Lionel and Amanda had moved to the side of the house, slightly less visible, but hardly out of sight. “Everything okay?”

Lionel and Amanda looked up abruptly.

“We’re fine,” Lionel said. “Just mapping out our holiday plans.”

“There’s more?”

Lionel shrugged. “My fiancée thinks we should visit her parents. I think we should stay here. At least till after dinner.”

Kenzi hesitated. She didn’t want to get in the middle of it. But… “I hope you can stay a little longer. Your mother is very upset. She’s talking about leaving your father.”

Amanda chuckled slightly. “After all these years? Where would she go?”

“I don’t know. Apparently they’re having money problems too.”

Lionel and Amanda glanced at one another. Amanda was the first to break the silence. “That takes care of Plan A.”

“You had a plan?”

Lionel’s eyes darted downward. “We were going to…you know…ask my parents for a small loan. Just to get our married life off to the right start. There are some things Amanda thinks we need.”

“You should see his kitchen,” Amanda said, as if she thought Kenzi, being female, would be a sympathetic ear. If she’d realized how limited Kenzi’s cooking skills were, she wouldn’t have bothered. “He barely has plates. No crockpot. No mixer. No runner on the kitchen table. His bowls look like something you’d use to feed the cat.” Her voice rose. “He doesn’t even have a coffeemaker!”

“I can see where that would be a problem.”

“It’s all a problem. We’re going to need new furniture. Gardening. A new bed. I’m not sleeping on the mattress you shared with all those floozies.”

Lionel’s eyes widened. “I had floozies?”

“If you want me to be your wife, you need to learn how to treat me right.”

Kenzi tried to sound sympathetic. “Sounds like you two could use a financial infusion yourselves.”

Amanda folded her arms across her chest. “That’s the only reason we’re here.”

Lionel muttered. “Only reason you’re here.”

“Lionel,” Kenzi said, “when was the last time you visited your parents?”

“I don’t know. A couple of months ago. Why?”

“You do have a key, right?”

“What are you suggesting?”

“Only the obvious. You had access.”

“Meaning?”

Amanda offered an unnecessary explanation. “She’s saying you’re a suspect, you numbskull. You could’ve taken the necklace.”

“You think I’d steal from my own mother?”

Kenzi shook her head. “I’m exploring possibilities.”

“Who the hell do you think—”

“For that matter, Amanda, you’ve been sleeping over at Lionel’s place, right?”

Amanda appeared outraged.

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