He slung off her hand.
“Steven! Steven!”
She was still screaming his name as he took the stairs two at a time.
Chapter 29
Dent pulled his car to a stop in the semicircular driveway in front of the Lystons’ house. “Gall’s timing couldn’t be worse, but I asked for the meeting, so I feel like I should go.”
“You definitely should,” Bellamy said.
“I’ll make it short and sweet.”
“This is important to you, so don’t rush it on my account. Besides, I’ll be busy mending fences. When I left here yesterday everyone was upset and angry.”
“You came to me and spent the night. For that alone, they probably scratched you out of the will.”
“It was worth it,” she said softly.
“Yeah?”
They exchanged a warm look, then, remembering why they were there, she said, “They’ll want to hear about everything that happened today, and there’s a lot to tell.”
“Which is another reason why I don’t want to leave you. I hate letting you out of my sight with Strickland still at large.”
“There’s a police car parked outside the gate.”
“I’m glad of that. If the detectives hadn’t suggested it, I would have.” He looked up at the sky through the windshield. “It also looks like rain. Maybe I should wait out here while you go inside—”
“You’ll do no such thing. You braved the police station for me all day today. I appreciated your presence, especially knowing the discomfort it cost you to be there. The least I can do is brave a rain shower.”
Their parting kiss left them wanting to get their separate obligations done with so they’d be back together sooner. She waved him off, went up the steps and into the house. No one was about on the lower floor, which was surprising since she’d notified Steven that she was on her way.
She called out to him and Olivia, but it was the housekeeper Helena who appeared, coming from the direction of the kitchen. “I’m sorry, Ms. Price. I was just about to leave for the day and didn’t hear you come in.”
“Where is everybody?”
“Mrs. Lyston is upstairs in her room. She asked not to be disturbed for a while.”
“And my brother?”
“He left.”
“He went out?”
“No, he and Mr. Stroud are flying back to Atlanta.”
“I thought they weren’t due to leave until tomorrow.”
“He told me they’d had a sudden change of plans.”
Sudden was an understatement. Steven must have left shortly after their telephone conversation.
Seeing Bellamy’s disappointment, the housekeeper said, “He left a note for you on the desk in Mr. Lyston’s study.”
A note. That was all she warranted? He couldn’t have delayed his departure long enough for them to say a proper good-bye?
“Do you need me for anything before I go?”