1022 Evergreen Place - Debbie Macomber [51]
Roy could empathize with their shock. Knowing what he did about the family, Roy suspected the Bellamys would have expected to throw a huge wedding. Not only had she eloped, but she’d deprived them of putting on the event of the year.
“You can imagine how upset Kate is about this,” he said again.
“You obviously are, too,” Roy murmured.
“Can you blame me?”
“Not really.” Roy did understand his feelings—to a degree—because he’d experienced something similar. Linnette had recently surprised him and Corrie with her news. Marrying Pete Mason without a word to family until the deed was done had been a shock to them, too. However, they’d met and liked Pete. Roy considered himself a good judge of character, and he trusted the man. Pete was a decent, hardworking farmer, and their daughter loved him. The fact that Linnette was about to make them grandparents only sweetened the deal.
“It gives me no pleasure to come to you with this,” Leonard continued. “I want you to find out whatever you can about this man who manipulated my daughter into marriage.”
“I can do a background search for you.”
“Dig up everything there is,” he said, his face growing red. “This man is a parasite. I can feel it.”
“Do you have his name?”
“Oh, yes, and that’s another thing. Lori’s taken his name. She’s no longer Lori Bellamy but Lori Wyse. Not even Bellamy-Wyse.”
“Wyse?” Roy repeated slowly.
“Yes, like wise guy.” Bellamy smirked as he said it.
“Any relation to Mary Jo Wyse?”
Bellamy stared across the desk at him. “Don’t know who that is. Why?”
Roy picked up his pen and rolled it between his palms. “My son, Mack, is dating Mary Jo Wyse. She lives on the other side of his duplex. I seem to remember Mack mentioning that her brother’s moved into town.”
“You’ve met this Linc Wyse?”
Roy shook his head. “No, but I’ve met Mary Jo a number of times.”
“Well, Lori married Lincoln Wyse. Linc, for short.” He seemed to wait for Roy to respond.
“They might be related, which means it could be a conflict of interest for me to take this case.”
“Are you saying you can’t be objective?”
“No, I’m saying I know a relative or someone who might be a relative. I’d want you to be aware of that up front. Not telling you would be a breach of ethics.”
“Okay, I know it. Now find the dirt on this man.”
“Dirt?”
“He’s a money-grubbing thief, hoping to swindle my idiot daughter out of every penny she’s due to inherit.” He scowled. “Fact is, I’m tempted to cut her out of my will. Then we’ll see how long this so-called marriage lasts. It would serve her right, too. When can you start?”
Roy hesitated.
“Will you take the case or not?” Bellamy demanded.
“I’ll be happy to investigate Lincoln Wyse,” Roy said after a moment, “but with your full understanding that this man could very well be related to the woman my son is dating.”
“I already said I don’t care.” Bellamy waved off his concern. “How soon could you get me the information?”
“How soon do you want it?” Roy asked.
“Yesterday. I want this man out of my daughter’s life before she does something even more foolish and gets pregnant. I swear she’s determined to age her mother and me before our time. If it isn’t one thing with Lori, it’s another. The girl seems to do nothing but embarrass us. First it was Duncan and now she marries a stranger.”
“She does seem to have an impulsive nature,” Roy said carefully, still somewhat perturbed by the man’s contempt for his daughter.
Bellamy stood and again they exchanged handshakes. “I’ll wait to hear from you, then.”
“I’ll be in touch in a few weeks.”
The other man held his look. “Don’t spare the truth.