Stranger in My Arms

by Madeline Harper

  “And if you’d told me, I don’t know how I would have felt,” she interrupted. “But I’ve been doing some thinking, too, Will. And I realize that my knowing about the stalker couldn’t have stopped her from pushing me at the subway or breaking into my apartment—”

  “Maybe not, but there was still no reason for me to lie. I should have protected you. But it’s not too late, thank God. I’m going to take care of you from now on.” He reached across the table for her hand, and she grasped his tightly. He thought he saw the sheen of tears in her eyes. “What is it, Kasey?”

  “Nothing. I mean, I’m usually the one who takes care of people. It’s nice to be taken care of for a change.”

  “Wouldn’t it be great to think that we could take care of each other? But that wouldn’t be fair.” He paused before adding, “I should get out of your life now, and try to draw that crazy witch away from you.”

  “No,” she said quickly. “I don’t want you to go.”

  Will felt great relief wash over him. “I don’t want to.” He held on to her hand, looking deeply into her eyes. “Even with all this horror, something magical has happened, Kasey. We’ve met, and we’ve—”

  “Fallen in love,” she said softly. “I’m not afraid to say it, are you?”

  “Not at all. I love you, Kasey, with all my heart.”

  * * *

  AFTER WORK that night, she shared a taxi with Judy, who insisted on going around the block and pulling up in front of Bartow Tower, where she put a restraining hand on Kasey’s arm. “Let me walk in with you.”

  “Judy, for heaven’s sake. I can see Tim from here, and I can certainly walk the twenty feet to the door in safety.”

  Judy didn’t let go. “Listen to me, Kasey. You don’t know where this crazy woman will turn up. I think you should come home with me—”

  “Hey, ladies, I ain’t got all night,” the driver said, turning around. “In or out?”

  “Out,” Kasey said emphatically as she gave Judy a hug and broke away from her grasp. “I’ll be fine. Will is waiting for me, and we’re going to take care of each other.”

  “Well, I hope so.” She still kept a tenacious hold on Kasey’s sleeve.

  “Judy—”

  “Okay, you’re too stubborn for me. You win. I’ll call in the morning. Please be careful.”

  “Are you kidding?” Kasey asked as she handed over her half of the fare. “Caution is my middle name.”

  She ducked into the building and gave Judy a wave as the taxi pulled away. On his stool, Tim looked up from behind the newspaper. “Am I glad to see you, Ms. Halliday.”

  Startled, Kasey asked, “Why, is something the matter?”

  Tim shook his head. “Nothing serious. It’s just your next-door neighbor, Mrs. Janek. She’s called down three times tonight asking for you to stop by her apartment.”

  Kasey groaned inwardly. “What’s her problem, Tim?”

  “That’s just it. She didn’t want to tell me. She said it was something only you could help her with.” He lowered his voice and blushed as he added, “I have a feeling it’s some kind of female thing.”

  “Damn,” Kasey said under her breath. She’d left work a little early so she could indulge herself in a cool, relaxing bath. Will had asked her to go straight to his apartment, but she planned to surprise him, powdered and perfumed, wearing something casual but sexy. Well, she’d just have to take care of Mrs. Janek’s problem quickly, before her bath.

  “Wonder what it could possibly be,” she mumbled.

  Tim was there with his own idea. “Actually, I think she heard about your bad experience the other night, and got a little paranoid. She may just need some company.”

  “Well, only for a few minutes,” Kasey decided. “I’m a little paranoid myself, so watch the elevator, and be sure it goes straight to the nineteenth floor. If it stops on the way, sound the alarm and send for the cavalry,” Kasey said with a laugh.

  As she got in the elevator and pushed number nineteen, she didn’t feel all that amused. In fact, she felt edgy and nervous. Will’s stalker could be in the building. Kasey had no idea what she looked like. Tall, short, fat, thin? The stalker could stop the elevator on any floor, get on—and Kasey would be virtually helpless.

  “I should have taken those karate classes,” she said aloud, thinking of the self-defense course Judy and some of the waitresses at work had taken a few months before. She held her breath as the floor numbers flashed before her, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen. She was almost home.

  The doors slid open on nineteen and Kasey stepped out and looked both ways, relieved to see the floor was empty. She knocked on Mrs. Janek’s door. She’d take care of this quickly, she decided, thinking a little guiltily that she’d promised to check in on the older woman and so far hadn’t. Of course, she’d been otherwise occupied with problems of her own, Kasey thought wryly.

  She knocked again and then realized that the door was ajar. Tim must have called and told Mrs. Janek that Kasey was on the way. She pushed open the door and stepped inside.

  “Mrs. Janek, are you there? It’s Kasey.”

  There was silence in the dark foyer, and suddenly Kasey panicked. Could the stalker have got in somehow? She wasn’t going to stay and find out; she was going to get Will!

  She turned back toward the hall, heard a noise behind her and tried to move away, but it was too late. She felt a painful blow to her head, and suddenly everything went black.

  * * *

  KASEY CAME TO SLOWLY, her head throbbing. For a brief instant, she felt the pain and forgot the rest. Then she remembered, in horror, that she was in Mrs. Janek’s apartment—and so was the stalker!

  She opened her eyes slowly, a millimeter at a time. If the stalker was nearby, she didn’t want to reveal that she was awake. The light was on now, blinding her. She blinked against its glare. God, her head hurt. She tried to touch the aching spot and realized that she couldn’t move her hand. She was bound at the wrists—and ankles—in Mrs. Janek’s wheelchair!

  Frantically, Kasey squirmed against the ropes, but they didn’t budge. Her brain struggled to make sense out of what was going on as her body struggled in the wheelchair. Where was Mrs. Janek? What had happened to the old woman? Had the stalker overpowered her—or killed her?

  Kasey shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, and caused a sharp pain to shoot along her temples. She couldn’t hold back an agonizing moan, but in spite of the pain, she forced herself to move her head and look around. The bedroom door was open, and she could see the corner of a bed and next to it, atop a low chest, two wigs on stands. One gray. One red.

  A chill of comprehension ran along Kasey’s spine, and her heart caught in her throat. She knew the stalker’s identity—and she had never been more frightened in her life.

  At the height of her panic, a woman emerged from the bedroom, her short hair neither red nor gray, but a dull brown. She was average height and weight. Overall, she was an unremarkable-looking woman. Except for her eyes. Kasey had seen those eyes before.

  Kasey exhaled a shaky breath, speaking the woman’s name. “Mrs. Janek.”

  “Yes. And also your redheaded harasser.” The woman pulled up a straight chair and sat in the bedroom doorway across from Kasey. Her lips curved in a smile. “Let me introduce myself, Kasey, dear. My name is Abby Dorset, and I’m an actress. A very talented one, as I’m sure you will agree.” For those last words, she used the elderly Freya Janek’s voice to perfection.

  Kasey sat in the wheelchair, staring at the woman, her heart pounding so loudly that she was sure Abby Dorset could hear it. Her mouth was dry, and she didn’t think she would be able to speak again. She swallowed hard, and the words came. “You’re the woman who’s after Will.”

  “Brava, brava,” Abby commented sarcastically. “But I must correct your interpretation. I’m not after Will. He and I were meant to be together. It’s unfortunate that you chose to come between us.”

  Kasey’s head swam. This was a
nightmare come true. She knew the woman seated before her was dangerous, and she didn’t want to antagonize her. Yet common sense told Kasey to keep Abby talking, to play for time and pray Will would come after her. She had a feeling Will’s stalker would be willing to talk about him and their “relationship.”

  “What do you want from Will?” she asked cautiously.

  “I want him to be mine, you must know that.”

  “Did you tell him that?”

  “I don’t have to tell him. He knows. He’s known since the moment we met.”

  Kasey tried not to think about the pounding ache in her head and concentrated on her conversation with Abby. “Where did you meet him?”

  “At an audition, where else?” Abby seemed surprised at the question. “I tried out for a role in one of his television movies. They sent me the entire script instead of the sides—the lines I needed to learn. I took that as an omen. When I read the script, I realized that it was the story of my life. I knew the part would be mine.”

  “Did you tell him?”

  “Tell Will? I didn’t have to. He understood. From the moment I walked into the audition studio, there was something between us, something beautiful. It was the closest thing to magic that I’ve ever known. It was as if we could read each other’s souls. And of course, he wanted me in the role. He wrote it for me, in fact.”

  “Did you get the part?”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  From the look on Abby’s face, Kasey feared that she’d gone too far. Then, to her surprise, Abby smiled. “It wasn’t Will’s fault. I could tell from the way he looked at me, from the way he said, ‘Thank you, Ms. Dorset, we’ll be in touch,’ that he really wanted me. But the director and producer had the final say, no matter how hard Will fought for me. Of course, they made the wrong choice. Will knew that. He knew everything.”

  Kasey felt sick, painfully aware that Will probably didn’t even remember having seen the woman. Abby was insane, and she had no chance against her, no choice but to keep her talking.

  To what avail? To stall—until Will got here. Kasey didn’t know how much time had passed. What seemed like hours might have only been minutes. She didn’t know how long she’d been unconscious—maybe just long enough for Abby to tie her up. Kasey tried unsuccessfully to read the hands on her watch and cursed herself for coming home before Will expected her.

  “So you kept in touch with him?” Kasey asked wearily.

  Abby smiled again. “Of course. I called him and tried to see him, but he refused. I knew why. It was a test to see if I really loved him. And I do.”

  “But you broke into his house, Abby. Why?”

  Abby looked at her as if Kasey were the demented one. “I had to see where he lived, didn’t I? I had to let him know that I’d been there. I was a powerful force in his life, and Will needed to know that. He needed to pay attention to me. To me!” she repeated hysterically as she leaned toward Kasey, her face menacing.

  Kasey shrank back in the wheelchair, too frightened to even draw a breath.

  Abby seemed to gain control of herself. “Then he vanished, and I couldn’t find him for weeks. I had a feeling he’d come to the city. I’m very intuitive about Will. Finally, I found him.”

  “How?” Kasey asked, sure that she knew.

  “I saw him on television in that silly T-shirt. He’d worn it before, at my audition. I knew as soon as I saw his image on TV that he wore the shirt as a sign for me to come for him.” She leaned forward again, looking Kasey right in the eye. “Then I saw you, and I knew you were the interfering bitch who was keeping him from me!”

  Abby laughed, but there was no joy in the sound. “It was time for me to play the best role of my life, and you fell for it. You fell for Mrs. Janek like a ton of bricks. That’s why I knew you’d be here tonight. You were just too good-hearted to turn down a plea from your poor old neighbor.” She cackled again. “Weren’t you friendly, though, so eager to help? Even bringing me pastries. Oh, I knew you were keeping the chocolate one for Will. I knew that was his favorite. I’ve researched every aspect of his life.” She leaned closer. “I know everything about him.”

  “You’re a very good actress,” Kasey managed to say. “You were very convincing in both roles.”

  “Damn right. You never caught on to the tricks at your stupid restaurant, did you? Oh, it was so much fun to see you running around in circles.”

  Subtly, Abby’s face changed. “But now I’m tired of games, and I’m very tired of you. I want you gone. Out of my life, out of Will’s life. Forever. We’ll all be better off when that happens. Things are winding down now. We’re ready for the final curtain. Do you know what that means, Kasey?”

  Kasey licked her dry lips, now totally unable to speak. Where was Will? It must be midnight by now. Why wasn’t he looking for her? Perspiration trickled down her forehead. Her head pounded. Her heart raced. She was helpless, tied to a wheelchair. This couldn’t be happening to her, Kasey told herself, closing her eyes tightly. It was a bad dream. A nightmare. When she opened her eyes, it would be over, and Abby would be gone.

  But Abby wasn’t gone; in fact, she was only inches away, bending over the wheelchair. Her words made Kasey’s blood run cold.

  “You’re going to die, Kasey. Oh, I had my chance at the subway stop but Will saved you. And the car... You were inches from death. Mere inches. But there’s no escape now, bitch!” She lowered her voice dramatically. “The time has come.”

  * * *

  WILL STRETCHED his arms above his head and smiled. He’d rewritten a tough scene tonight, one that had been giving him problems for weeks. His head was suddenly clear, his thoughts concise.

  Will had to laugh at himself for his romantic mood. Suddenly, he felt like a different man—coming clean with Kasey had set him free. He was certain that things would work out.

  The writing was going very well, and so was their relationship—despite worries about the stalker. If only the police could get the woman out of his life, he thought wryly, everything would be perfect. He’d heard nothing from them and decided to call first thing in the morning. He’d light a fire under the New York police department and at least make sure they were in contact with the cops in Connecticut. Not that they were any more interested in the case than the ones here, but at least they could corroborate Will’s story about being stalked.

  He glanced at his watch. Midnight. Kasey should be here anytime. He turned off the computer, got up and went into the kitchen. He’d done a little shopping early in the day so they could share a late supper. Eventually, he planned to show off his cooking talent, but tonight they’d have a meal courtesy of the deli and wine store—two varieties of cold pasta salad, a special California chardonnay and apple strudel.

  He set the table, complete with a bouquet of paper white narcissus, which he’d caught a glimpse of at Windows. He knew Kasey liked them, and he finally managed to track them down after calling a dozen florists. He wanted the night to be as perfect as possible.

  After a cool shower, Will put on khaki pants, a white polo shirt, and slipped his bare feet into a pair of topsiders. He felt optimistic despite the threat that still hung over them. It certainly wouldn’t keep him from being with Kasey.

  But where was she? He’d actually expected her to come home early tonight, at least by twelve, and it was twelve-twenty. Had she come in and gone to her place even though he’d told her not to? Probably. She was so damned stubborn. He reached for the phone and punched in her number.

  It rang ten times before he hung up.

  Maybe she was still at work. With all the emergencies piling up at Windows, he wouldn’t be surprised. He pulled out the phone book and found the number. But all he got was the answering machine giving the restaurant’s hours and location. Checking the phone book again, Will found Judy’s number. Kasey had promised she’d share a taxi with her friend.

  Judy answered on the second ring.

  “Judy. This is Will Eastman.” He didn’t wait for h
er response. “Did you and Kasey share a taxi tonight? She’s not home yet and—”

  “Oh, my God.”

  Will’s heart jumped at her exclamation.

  “I let her out nearly an hour ago. I watched her go into the building. I waited until she waved. Tim was right there—”

  Will hung up the phone and headed out the door. He hit the elevator button again and again. “Come on, come on,” he muttered, aware that he was probably overreacting. More than likely, Kasey was talking to Tim or Mr. Lemnos. Or visiting with Glenna. There was bound to be a simple explanation.

  The elevator finally appeared, and Will jumped onto it. If there was a simple explanation, why was he feeling so damned anxious? She wasn’t that late. Not yet. He burst into the lobby the moment the doors slid open.

  Expecting Tim, he was surprised to see an unfamiliar face at the doorman’s stand.

  “Where’s Tim?” he asked almost rudely.

  “He went off duty at midnight. I’m Curtis.”

  Without introducing himself, Will asked, “Do you know Kasey Halliday?”

  “Sure do.”

  “Have you seen her tonight?”

  Curtis shook his head. “Not since I came on. She probably came in during Tim’s shift.”

  “She’s not home yet.”

  “Well, sometimes Ms. Halliday works late. She—”

  “No! Don’t you understand? She got off about an hour ago, and the taxi let her out right in front. Tim saw her—”

  “Well, like I said, Tim’s off duty.”

  Will felt perspiration break out on his face as he turned away and almost leapt back on the elevator, pushing the button frantically.

  When the car stopped at nineteen, he went to Kasey’s door first, knocked loudly and called her name.

  No answer.

  He headed for Glenna’s. She wasn’t home, but the Kramers were. And Russ Kramer wasn’t happy to be wakened after midnight.