Read Online Celebration by Fern Michaels - Free Book Online Page B

“Come in here and sit down. I want to tell you something, and for heaven’s sake, take off those jackets and ties. Cala, pour the eggnog. Did you put anything in it?”
    â€œI followed your recipe, Mom.”
    â€œGood, we’re all going to need something. I want you to know I do not approve of children drinking, but this is Christmas Eve and an exception. I might be just a little bit ...”
    â€œSloshed,” Mike said.
    â€œSloshed is a good word,” Kristine said, enunciating each word carefully. “I want to tell you what Mr. Dunwoodie at the bank told me. Among the four of us we might be able to figure it out.” She accepted the cup of eggnog Cala handed her.
    â€œSpit it out, Mom,” Mike said gently.
    Kristine told them about the money and the banker’s implied words.
    The children stared at her with stunned expressions. “You should have told us, Mom,” Tyler said.
    â€œI didn’t want you to worry. I knew you all had your own adjustments to make with this last move. None of you were exactly warm and friendly at the time. Besides, I was worrying enough for all of us. Now, tell me, do you remember when was the last time you saw those two brown, accordion-pleated envelopes we kept our bank records in? The one with your birth certificates, insurance policies, and stuff like that.”
    â€œYears,” Cala said.
    â€œBack in the summer. I saw Dad working in his office. He had piles of stuff everywhere,” Mike said. “Eight million dollars, and it’s gone!”
    â€œA long time ago, more than a year,” Tyler said. “That’s a lot of money.”
    â€œI don’t know if it’s gone or not. The only thing I really remember was how elated your father was when he locked the money into a certificate of deposit for five years that was paying twenty-four and a half percent interest. That’s how the account became so robust. It didn’t get here the way your father said it was supposed to. I need the three of you to go into the storage room and look through the boxes that were not unpacked. I did look through them, but I was far too jittery. It’s possible I missed them.”
    â€œWhy would you ship personal stuff like that? I would have thought you would have packed it in your suitcases. Did Dad say anything about bringing it?”
    â€œNo; he said he was packing it with his office things. I thought he did. It’s just records. He thought it was safe to send them. The boxes were sealed and stamped.”
    â€œWhat you’re saying is we’re broke unless we can find the records. What good are the records if the money isn’t there? Is that it?” Mike said, an angry, bitter look on his face.
    â€œThat’s what I’m saying. I had to get an advance on next month’s check. My own personal checking funds didn’t get here either. I had a little over eight thousand dollars in that account.”
    â€œWhat exactly does power of attorney mean?” Cala asked.
    â€œIt means Mom turned over her inheritance to Dad and let him handle it any damn way he saw fit. Eight million smackeroos, and it’s gone just the way he’s gone. Does anyone around here need a blueprint?” Mike demanded.
    â€œYou have to stop saying things like that, Mike. You don’t know any more than I know about what happened to your father. We have to give him the benefit of the doubt. He could be hurt or injured somewhere. He could have amnesia. You’re implying the same thing Mr. Dunwoodie implied, that your father deserted us and absconded with the money.”
    â€œMy theory makes sense. Your theory doesn’t, Mom. Besides, none of us could understand why we came here first and Dad was to follow. Most families travel together. You should have stood up to him, Mom.”
    â€œThat’s not fair, Mike,” Kris said. “There was a lot to do to get this house ready. It’s going to