Night Whispers (16 page)

“Mitch? What is it?”

He narrowed his eyes and held out his other hand. Kelsey recognized the pale-blue-colored stationery he held. She winced.

“Who the hell is ‘Your Knight’?”

Kelsey grimaced, then squared her shoulders. “Let’s go sit down and I’ll tell you all about it.”

Mitch didn’t appear to want to move, but finally he dropped the box and followed her into his living room.

After she’d told him the entire story, he stared at her in consternation for several seconds before speaking, “So, someone’s been harassing you for weeks, and you never once even bothered to
mention
it to me?”

Kelsey ran a weary hand over her eyes. What she really wanted was a strong cup of coffee or a few more hours’ sleep. He seemed intent on arguing. “Mitch, please, don’t get upset.”

“Upset?” he said with a bitter laugh. “That doesn’t quite describe what I’m feeling, Kelsey.”

She cringed.

He paced back and forth across the wood floor. His bare feet struck the surface hard enough to make thudding noises. “I’m angry and I’m hurt by this,” he explained. Kelsey heard the emotion in his voice as he continued. “Why didn’t you tell me? What on earth made you feel you
couldn’t trust me enough to share what you were going through?”

“Mitch, of course I trust you. I just didn’t want to bother you with this.”

“Bother me?” he replied as he stopped pacing and stared into her face, his eyes widening in disbelief. “You think telling me someone’s stalking you is going to
bother
me? Good grief, Kelsey, I might be
bothered
if you said you didn’t get a raise you wanted, or were concerned about your ratings. This goes way beyond
bothered
!”

Kelsey shrank back in her seat at the outright anger in his voice. She hadn’t seen him this furious in a long time. She hated that she was the one who’d caused it.

“I thought you and I had something kind of meaningful building here,” he muttered bitterly.

“We do!”

“Obviously, we don’t,” he retorted. “People in a relationship don’t lie and keep secrets because they fear they’ll
bother
the other person.”

“I didn’t lie.”

“A technicality,” he snapped. “Maybe you never came out and said, ‘No, Mitch, no one has been writing me dozens of love letters, staking out the station and leaving me mystery gifts in my car,’ but there were plenty of times when we talked about your job that you could have come clean. And you didn’t. You kept your mouth shut, figuring I wouldn’t like it and you didn’t want to have to deal with that. Well, you know what? I
don’t
like it, and you
do
have to deal with it!”

Kelsey took a deep breath and considered her words, wondering how she could make him understand. “Mitch, look,
bother
is the wrong word. It’s just…I know how you
feel about my job. I know you worry about me anyway. I didn’t want to make you feel worse. Things are going so well for us—I wanted to keep it perfect for as long as possible.”

He didn’t soften one bit. “Gee, it really paid off, didn’t it? Now on top of worrying about some wacko stalking you, I have to wonder if there’s anything else going on that you haven’t told me about because you want to ‘keep things perfect’ between us.”

Kelsey bit her lip and shook her head vehemently. “No, Mitch. You know everything. And don’t make it sound worse than it is. I’m not being stalked. It’s not that terrible. I mean, I certainly don’t feel threatened, just a little uncomfortable.”

“You should feel threatened! What if when you opened your car door the other night you’d found some nut with a knife instead of just some balloons? He’s been watching you, knows which one’s your car, what you look like. And he has obviously followed you home, because he now knows where you live! That doesn’t sound like normal behavior to me, Kelsey. Whoever’s doing this has got a screw loose somewhere.”

Mitch threw himself down in an armchair. Kelsey wished he’d sat beside her on the couch. She wanted him close. He obviously wanted some distance. She blinked rapidly to hold back tears.

“Mitch, I was wrong. I’m sorry. I should have come to you and told you about it. But can you honestly say that you would have been able to deal with it logically? To just sit back and wait for something to happen, for this guy to get caught or to stop? Because that’s really all we can do.”

“Hell, no,” he retorted. “That’s not all we can do. We can
remove the temptation, not let Lady Love make Kelsey Logan a target for one more day.”

Kelsey stood up and placed her hands on her hips, feeling anger replace the guilt she’d been feeling moments before. “What are you saying?”

Mitch stood and moved close to her until they were practically nose to nose. “What I’m saying is, no more
Night Whispers
, no more threat. Maybe even no more lies between us.”

She crossed her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes. “Did you just, basically, order me to quit my job? Because, for some reason, I seem to remember being in this room with you a few hours ago and hearing you say you’d never presume to order me to do anything.”

Mitch’s mouth tightened. “No, I’m not ordering you. I am relying on your common sense and your intelligence to make you come to the realization that quitting is the only answer.”

Kelsey ground her teeth, hearing his college professor tone and not liking it one bit. “No, Mitch, quitting is not the only answer. Letting the police take care of this is one option, ignoring it is another, being extra vigilant is a third. These are other options…ones that I’m actually going to consider—unlike your suggestion, which I find totally ludicrous.”

Kelsey saw Mitch stiffen, his face a cold, unfamiliar mask as he absorbed her words. She nearly regretted them, but forced herself to remember why she’d spit them out in the first place. He’d issued her an order, whether he saw it that way or not.

“So, you’re not even going to discuss the possibility of quitting
Night Whispers
. Getting on the radio and sharing dirty little secrets with the lusting public is so important
to you you’d risk your personal safety. And you’d throw away what you and I have.”

She heard what he was really saying. Kelsey felt things spinning out of control. Their words were leading to heartache, but she couldn’t do anything to stop them.

“And now it’s not an order, it’s an ultimatum? I quit or I lose you?” she asked, wanting to be sure she understood him correctly.

He didn’t respond. She stood still for a few seconds, silently praying he’d take her in his arms and tell her they’d work through it together. He didn’t move.

“You know, Mitch, maybe the real reason I didn’t come to you with this whole ‘knight’ nonsense, is this. It’s this moment. It’s because I knew you’d use it as an excuse to try to convince me to give up something I love because it doesn’t fit in with your ordered life.”

Her voice broke and she felt tears falling from her eyes and down her cheeks. She angrily dashed them away with the back of her hand. “You’re not just asking me to quit a job. You’re asking me to be someone else, someone who walks away when threatened, who always plays it safe. I’m not that someone. Mitch, you fell into this relationship with me with your eyes wide-open. You knew who I was from day one, and I never tried to deny it. And deep down, beneath that safe, conservative shell of yours, I know damn well you don’t want me to do what you’re asking me to do.”

Tears continued to fall down her cheeks and Kelsey didn’t even bother wiping them away.

Mitch shook his head slowly. “You’re wrong,” he said with quiet dignity. “I’d be the happiest man alive if you never went back to that station. Don’t you get it? I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you.”

Kelsey watched as he raised a weary hand to his brow and rubbed his temple. His movements were so familiar to her, she knew he’d swipe his hand through his hair the second before he did it. Her heart ached, but she could not back down.

“The worst thing that could happen to me,” she explained softly, “is that I could allow someone else to dictate how I’ll live my life. I will not change who I am to suit anyone. And if you don’t know that about me, then you don’t know me at all.”

Mitch watched in silence as she strode toward the door. She paused, wrapping her arms around her body, as if gaining strength, then walked out of the apartment without another word.

He nearly went after her. Lots of things had been said before he’d even thought about what he was saying. The whole conversation should have been handled differently, when he wasn’t so angry about the way he’d discovered what she’d been going through…and about the way she’d hidden it from him.

But he couldn’t bring himself to follow her. Because he knew if he did they’d end up in each other’s arms and he’d apologize and tell her he didn’t mean it. Then they’d move on, and she’d remain Lady Love.

And he’d hate himself for the rest of his life if this pervert ended up hurting her.

“T
HEY CAUGHT THE KNIGHT
.”

Kelsey nearly dropped the phone when she heard Brian’s voice. She’d snatched it up on the first ring, hoping Mitch had decided to call her rather than walk up the stairs and risk another face-to-face argument.

“Kelsey, are you there? I said they caught your secret admirer.”

“How do you know?”

“I happened to overhear a conversation going on right now in Jack McKenzie’s office.”

“Listening at keyholes? Never mind, I know better than to even ask. So, how’d they catch the guy?”

Brian paused and Kelsey knew he was building up the momentum. She could practically hear his excitement in the silent phone line. “Come on,” she insisted. “Spill your guts. I know you’re dying to.”

“Well, one of the secretaries caught him trying to slip a gift into your mail slot. She recognized the blue stationery, confronted him, and he broke down and confessed everything.”

Kelsey couldn’t believe the man had had enough nerve to stroll right into the station.

“Then what?” she asked, anxious to hear the rest of the story.

“She called McKenzie, and they’ve been in his office for the past half hour. I’m sure Jack will be calling you any minute—I wanted to give you a heads-up.”

“I appreciate it,” she said.

“Don’t you want to know who it is?” Brian said, and Kelsey heard the excitement in his voice. “I mean, it turns out this guy’s no stranger.”

Kelsey paused for a heartbeat, then a name rolled off her lips.

“Edgar.”

“How’d you know?” Brian asked, sounding highly annoyed that she’d stolen his thunder. She sat back heavily in her chair.

“You mean I’m right?”

“Yep. It was Edgar. He’s confessing everything.”

Somehow, Kelsey wasn’t surprised. She’d felt all along that the man writing to her was not a threat, but was simply some lonely person indulging in some fantasizing, just as she encouraged people to do on her show. And Edgar fit the bill.

Last night he’d so conveniently been there to drive her home because her car mysteriously wouldn’t start, then he’d immediately tried to carry her because of the huge puddle. Looking back, it was so obvious it was all contrived. Edgar was starring in his own hero fantasy and had cast her as the helpless heroine in need of his protection and love. She wondered what he’d done to her car.

“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.

M
ITCH 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 every bit as lovely and sophisticated as she ever had, in a long beige sheath and a diamond choker.

“Congratulations, Mitch. You look well,” she said as she slipped her arm through his and smiled up at him.

“Thank you. I’m surprised to see you here.”

“Well,” she admitted with a trill of laughter, “I have a confession to make. I made quite certain Daddy and the rest of the board members of the society knew all about the wonders you’d done with your writing. I wanted this for you, Mitch.”

She tightened her grip on his arm, pressing her breasts against him, her eyes flashing an unmistakable invitation. Mitch felt more uncomfortable by the minute.

“Let’s go take our seats,” she said. “I’ve arranged for you to sit with Daddy and me.”

Mitch followed her to the table and spent most of the evening listening to rich men congratulate themselves on their charitable work. Not one of them looked as if he’d ever actually seen a homeless person, though they all claimed to be terribly concerned about them.

Accepting his award with his prepared remarks, Mitch bowed his head at the perfunctory applause and wished he could make a getaway out the back. The people sur
rounding him seemed to fade into a blur. They were frivolous and selfish, amusingly catty and condescending. And he knew he could end up just like them.

He felt sick to his stomach.

“Mitch, do say you’ll come over for Thanksgiving dinner,” Amanda invited. “It was so lovely last year when you joined us. And since you don’t have any family nearby, we’d hate for you to be alone.”

Mitch thought about the upcoming holidays. For the first time in several years, he pictured himself actually enjoying them. Cooking a turkey, watching a football game, eating so much he could barely move from the table. But when he pictured all these things, it wasn’t Amanda’s father’s mansion he saw. It was his own kitchen.

And Kelsey.

The banquet broke up around eleven, and everyone drifted outside to wait for their limousines. Amanda held on to his arm and urged Mitch to come out for a drink. He never even considered it.

He wanted to be home with Kelsey. Tonight, Thanksgiving night, every night before and after. He loved her. Mitch had admitted to himself that he loved her long before now, but finally the truth of it hit him. He didn’t love Kelsey for the person he wanted her to be. He loved her for the zany, irrepressible, gutsy person she was.

She had been right. In wanting her to give up her show, he’d been asking her to be someone she wasn’t. He was basically urging her to do what he had done in his own life: subdue emotion, live logically and by the rules. Doing just that had made Mitch secure financially and socially, but had also left him feeling vaguely unsatisfied, that he was missing out on something. And when Kelsey came
waltzing into his ordered home, she’d reminded him of what that was. Passion. Exuberance. Excitement. Laughter. All the rich spices that blended to make a person’s life complete—all the flavors he’d tried so hard to make bland through work and ambition.

This evening’s glimpse of what his world had been like without her was all it took to convince him he wanted Kelsey to stay exactly the way she was. And to stay with him. Mitch grinned and laughed out loud. He felt like shouting to the moon, but settled for whistling instead.

He was about to make his excuses to Amanda when he saw her eyes widen and her mouth drop open in shock. She stood under a covered awning on a sidewalk outside the hotel and stared out at the street. Mitch followed her stare.

A city bus belching diesel made its way sluggishly up the street to the nearby covered stop. The bus was a typical grimy gray, and only one person waited to board it. Mitch didn’t realize what had so captured Amanda’s attention until he saw his own face gliding to a slow stop right in front of his eyes.

“Son of a…” he muttered softly, not believing what he saw.

A huge picture covered the side of the bus—a picture of Mitch and Kelsey…or, more accurately, of the pirate and his wench. A photo of Mitch bending toward Kelsey’s heaving chest had been blown up to about six feet by six feet and attached to the side of the bus. A caption read “Spend the night with Lady Love on WAJO.” Though shown only in profile, both of them were easily recognizable in the provocative shot.

“This is unbelievable,” Amanda said shrilly, her voice drawing the attention of everyone else standing nearby.
Mitch saw them follow her gaze to the bus and heard the whispers of all those who’d just paid him tribute.

“They can’t simply put your face up on the side of a bus. You get a lawyer, Mitch,” Amanda continued, her voice getting louder by the second. “You need to sue those people. This is an outrage!”

Mitch watched her squawk, her feathers completely ruffled. He saw the disapproving frowns on other faces around him.

“Yes, it certainly is all wrong,” Mitch said, nodding thoughtfully as he stared at the bus.

Not looking at anyone, he grabbed a black marker from the valet stand. He walked the dozen steps to the side of the bus, reached up and quickly drew a small black mustache on his own face on the photograph. Stepping back to survey his work, he nodded at a job well done as the bus ground its gears and pulled away from the stop.

Mitch glanced over his shoulder, grinning at Amanda’s openmouthed stare. “I knew I would have looked better if I’d had time to grow a mustache!”

Mitch laughed out loud at the shocked expressions on the faces of the crowd he’d just spent the evening with. Amanda looked as though she’d swallowed a quart of sour milk. Her father frowned forbiddingly. Mitch felt better than he had in ages.

Whistling, he tossed the pen to the young valet as he walked down the street toward his car.

“H
ELLO
, B
ALTIMORE
, and welcome to another evening of
Night Whispers
.”

Kelsey glanced at her notes as she spoke into the microphone.

“Tonight I want to explore relationships. We’ve all had them, some more successfully than others,” she said with a slight laugh.

“Let’s not focus on the sweet romance that builds gradually, with emotions leading to physical expression. After all, this
is Night Whispers
you’re listening to. Think about those
other
types. You know what I mean—when it starts with raw, physical attraction, builds into desire and fantasy, and finally reaches sensuous, body-rocking lovemaking.”

She paused, closed her eyes to let her listeners imagine what she was talking about, then continued.

“No question, the beginning of that type of relationship can involve ultimate pleasure. The anticipation of finally being with someone who makes you hot enough to melt like ice cream on a sizzling summer day is worth the possibility of it going no further than one heated night of passion.”

Kelsey forced herself to get her mind off a stormy October night when she and Mitch had exploded together and changed everything.

“But what happens if there is a next day? A next month, year or decade? When the hot, steamy sex is done, and you’re left looking at this person who’s consumed your thoughts for a very long time. How do you segue into a real, meaningful relationship? Do you even want to?

“Call me. Let’s talk about it. This is Lady Love and you’re listening to
Night Whispers
on WAJO.”

Kelsey scooted back in her chair and sorted through some discs during a set of commercials. Glancing at the clock, she wondered how Mitch’s banquet was going, and wished she’d called in sick and shown up. She would have greatly enjoyed seeing the look on his face if he’d looked
up from his speech and seen her standing dressed as his wench under a spotlight!