Gio stepped outside.
The terrace ran the length of the back of the estate. Stone tiles, dark furniture, low railing with lights not yet on. The glass doors behind him were open, the living room visible through them—lamps on, furniture in place, the house settled for the evening.
Arianne was already sitting. Chair near the edge, facing the garden. She had a file in her lap but wasn't reading it. Her hands were still.
He stopped at the doorway. The air was cooler out here. The light from inside stretched across the stone but stopped a few feet from her chair.
He walked over. Took the chair across from her. Set his tablet on his knee.
They sat.
The garden beyond the railing was dark. Trees at the edge of the property, the street beyond them, traffic sounds coming and going. A sprinkler turned on somewhere near the side garden. Ran for a few seconds. Stopped.
"You should have told me."
