Bloodline Sidney Sheldon

“Of course,” Elizabeth said. She led him into the study.

He picked up the telephone and dialed. A moment later he said, “Detective Campagna. We’re at the villa. I’ll camp here for the night. You can send a cruiser up to park at the foot of the driveway.” He listened a moment, then said into the phone, “She’s fine. Just a little tired. I’ll check in later.” He replaced the receiver.

Elizabeth sank into a chair. She was feeling tense and nervous, but she knew that it was going to be worse tomorrow. Much worse. She would be safe but Rhys would be either dead or in prison. Somehow, in spite of everything he had done, she could not bear the thought of that.

Detective Campagna was studying her, a look of concern on his face. “I could use a cup of coffee,” he said. “How about you?”

She nodded. “I’ll make some.” She started to rise.

“You stay where you are, Mrs. Williams. My wife says I make the best coffee in the world.”

Elizabeth managed a smile. “Thank you.” She sank back gratefully. She had not realized how emotionally drained she felt. For the first time now, Elizabeth admitted to herself that even during the telephone conversation with Alec she had felt that there might be some mistake, some explanation, that Rhys must be innocent. Even while she was fleeing, she had held on to the thought that he could not have done all those terrible things, that he could not have killed her father and then made love to her and tried to kill her. It would take a monster to do those things. And so she had kept that tiny ember of hope flickering in her. It had died when Detective Campagna had said, He’s on the run, but he won’t get far. They expect to have him in custody by morning.

She could not bear to think about it anymore, but she could think of nothing else. How long had Rhys been planning to take over the company? Probably from the moment he had met that impressionable fifteen-year-old girl, alone and lonely in a Swiss boarding school. That was when he must have first decided how he was going to outwit Sam—through his daughter. How easy it had been for him. The dinner at Maxim’s and the long friendly talks during the years, and the charm—oh, the incredible charm! He had been patient. He had waited until she had become a woman, and the greatest irony of all was that Rhys did not even have to woo her. She had wooed him. How he must have laughed at her. He and Hélène. Elizabeth wondered whether they were in it together, and she wondered where Rhys was now, and whether the police would kill him when they caught him. She began to weep uncontrollably.

“Mrs. Williams…” Detective Campagna was standing over her, holding out a cup of coffee.

“Drink this,” he said. “You’ll feel better.”

“I—I’m sorry,” Elizabeth apologized. “I don’t usually carry on this way.”

He said to her gently, “I think you’re doing molto bene.”

Elizabeth took a sip of the hot coffee. He had put something in it. She looked up at him, and he grinned. “I decided a shot of Scotch wouldn’t do you any harm.”

He sat down across from her in a companionable silence. She was grateful for his company. She could never have stayed here alone. Not until she knew what had happened to Rhys, not until she knew whether he was dead or alive. She finished her coffee.

Detective Campagna looked at his watch. “The patrol car should be here any minute. There’ll be two men in it on guard duty all night. I’ll stay downstairs. I suggest you go up to bed now and try to get some sleep.”

Elizabeth shivered. “I couldn’t sleep.” But even as she said it, her body was filled with an enormous lassitude. The long drive and the tremendous strain she had been under for so long were finally taking their toll.

“Maybe I’ll just lie down for a bit,” she said. She found it difficult to get the words out.