Chapter 9 - Dinner With Liars
Adrian Vale arrived with expensive wine and a smile that never reached his eyes.
“Lorenzo. You look tired.”
“Busy week.”
Vivien kissed her cousin’s cheek and guided him into the dining room.
Elena wasn’t serving.
Neither was anyone Vivien had hired.
Lorenzo had brought back two longtime employees and told the others to take paid leave.
Vivien noticed.
“Where’s the new staff?”
“Scheduling issue.”
At dinner, Adrian talked about weather, property taxes, and a boat he claimed to be considering.
Lorenzo let him.
Then Vivien set down her glass.
“We need to talk about your mother.”
“What about her?”
“She needs professional structure.”
“She has nurses.”
“Full-time care, Lorenzo.”
“She has that, too.”
Vivien gave Adrian a small, helpless smile.
He leaned forward.
“Sometimes families are too close to make hard decisions.”
Lorenzo sliced a piece of bread.
“Are we family, Adrian?”
The man paused.
“Soon.”
“Then take your time.”
Vivien touched Lorenzo’s wrist.
“Nobody’s attacking you.”
“No?”
“There’s another concern.” She lowered her voice. “My bracelet is missing.”
He looked at her hand on his arm.
“When did you last see it?”
“Yesterday.”
“Have you looked?”
“Everywhere.”
Adrian sighed.
“Household theft gets ugly if you ignore it.”
Lorenzo lifted his eyes.
“Nobody said theft.”
Vivien withdrew her hand.
“I didn’t want to bring this up, but Elena has been acting strangely.”
“How?”
“Defensive. Secretive. And the child wanders into rooms she shouldn’t.”
Lorenzo put down his knife.
Carefully.
Vivien kept talking.
“I think we should check their things before they leave.”
“Leave?”
“I assumed you understood. This situation isn’t healthy.”
“For whom?”
She stared at him.
Adrian shifted in his chair.
From the hall came a soft mechanical hum.
Lorenzo’s mother entered in her wheelchair, Elena walking beside her.
Vivien stood immediately.
“You should be resting.”
His mother looked at her.
“No.”
The word was slow.
Perfectly clear.
Lorenzo rose and moved the chair at the head of the table.
His mother rolled into its place.
Then she lifted her tablet.
May you like
The voice filled the dining room.
Ask Vivien why her bracelet was in a little girl’s backpack before she reported it missing.
