Night Whispers - Leslie Kelly [73]
“Poor Edgar,” she said softly.
Poor me, she thought. Kelsey couldn’t believe it was over. Just hours after her relationship with Mitch had blown to smithereens, the reason had been eliminated. It was so unfair, she felt like crying.
“’Poor Edgar’ is right. From what I’ve heard about his wife, dealing with the station, losing his job and possibly facing prosecution will be the least of his worries.”
Kelsey sighed, knowing Brian was right. “I’ll tell Jack to forget about the police. I am quite sure I won’t be hearing from the ‘Knight of my Life’ anymore. Edgar was acting out a Night Whispers-type fantasy. Now that I know it was him, he probably won’t ever want to see me again.”
Kelsey finished her conversation, and waited no more than three minutes before the phone rang again. She acted surprised when Jack informed her of what had happened that morning. After he confirmed that Edgar had resigned, she asked him just to let the man go and not involve the police.
She debated with herself about whether to tell Mitch. She was still angry with him, feeling hurt and raw at the fight they’d had that morning. The fact that this whole secret admirer business was over really didn’t change anything. Mitch would still want her to quit Night Whispers. He’d still want her to change. And she just couldn’t.
He didn’t deserve to be afraid for her, though. Squaring her shoulders, she walked downstairs and knocked on his door. When he opened it, she noticed a flash of relief crossed his face when he saw her standing there, but as she remained motionless in the hall, he stiffened.
“I just wanted to let you know, so you won’t be worried, that the person who’s been writing me and leaving me gifts was caught this morning. It turns out he was a lonely man with an overactive imagination who works at the station and never had the nerve to tell me he admired me to my face. He was never a real threat, and has resigned. I’m sure I’ll never see him again.”
Mitch nodded steadily, feeling greatly relieved. He hadn’t been able to think of a single thing all day except how to keep Kelsey safe. Now, it seemed, she no longer needed him to.
“So what now?” she asked softly.
Mitch didn’t answer right away. The stalking scare was over, at least for the time being. As for their relationship, he just didn’t know.
“You were lucky this time, Kelsey,” he said finally. “What about next time? What if the next guy’s not just some poor sap with a big imagination?”
She didn’t respond. Mitch didn’t try to make it easy on her, either. He sensed she wanted to work things out. He probably could have told her they’d move on, forget about it now that this whole mess was over with. But he couldn’t let it go. Because deep inside he knew that there would, inevitably, be a next time.
She turned her back to him and walked back up the stairs.
MITCH HAD ABSOLUTELY no desire to attend the Downtown Charitable Society banquet that evening. He was very proud that his articles had drawn attention to the plight of the Chinese girls. But, somehow, attending the elegant affair with all of the rich Baltimore elite who dabbled in charity just didn’t appeal to him. What was important was the plaque he’d be bringing home, not hobnobbing with the likes of Amanda Langley’s father and his rich board of trustees friends. And those were the type of men who made up the Downtown Charitable Society.
He heard Kelsey leave to go to work at around seven. She paused briefly outside his apartment door. Wondering for a heart-stopping second if she was going to burst in and demand he make love to her, he admitted to himself that if she did he had no qualms about missing the banquet.
She didn’t.
The ceremony was held at a hotel near Harbor Place. Mitch mingled during the cocktail hour, finding himself slipping back into the role of the distinguished, detached writer. As he’d expected, Amanda’s father was there, and Amanda was on his arm, looking