The Stranger In Room 205 (Hot off the Press! 1)

“What makes you say that?”

“Maybe I’m getting to know you better than you think.”

“Or maybe you just think you are.”

He chuckled. “Maybe. So, was I right?”

“You were right,” she said with a sigh of resignation. “I’ve been feeling guilty all evening, even though I had no other choice. And I know I should have fired him, rather than just threatened to do so. I’ve been worrying about the future of the paper because the managing editor isn’t holding up his responsibilities. I’ve convinced the assistant editor to fill in the slack, but he made me promise I’d either get Marvin back to work or find someone else to replace him. Soon.”

“He doesn’t want the job himself?”

“No. He’s been writing the great American novel for about ten years now and he said he needs plenty of free time to finish it. The managing editor position is too time-consuming and responsibility-intensive for Riley to want it.”

“Lazy?”

“Oh, no, he’s not lazy. Just…difficult to pin down. Riley’s a free spirit. You should identify with that,” she added. It occurred to her that Riley would probably live a drifter’s existence himself if it weren’t for the novel that had been his anchor for so long.

“Why don’t you handle the job? What, exactly, do you do at the newspaper?”

She lifted an eyebrow. “Very little. My law practice keeps me too busy to—”

The swing jerked. “Your what?”

Surprised, she blinked at him. “Surely you know I’m an attorney.”

“No, I didn’t know that. I guess it never came up.”

She could tell from his tone that he wasn’t pleased with the information. “What have you got against attorneys?”

He paused a moment before he answered. “I’m not sure.”

“Oh, that makes sense.” Had she ever met a more perplexing male?

“Sorry, there’s just something about lawyers…”

“I’ve heard all the jokes, so don’t waste your breath. I know why sharks won’t eat lawyers—professional courtesy. I know what you call a hundred lawyers at the bottom of the ocean—a good start. I know why the lawyer crossed the road—to chase the ambulance on the other side. Have I missed any?”

His scowl had changed to a reluctant smile. “Maybe a few.”

“Yes, well, who would you call to protect your rights in a lawsuit? A plumber? Who would you turn to if you were mistakenly arrested for a crime? A bank teller?”

“Okay, I’ll admit that lawyers have their uses. I was just surprised, that’s all. I thought the newspaper was your only job.”

“No. Actually, I didn’t even want that job. My father, who was also an attorney, supervised the operation of the newspaper until his unexpected death a year ago. My sister, Kara, had always planned to take over the paper, but she recently had a change of heart. Since my mother didn’t feel qualified, especially with the demands of her diner, that left me. I tried to talk Mother into letting me sell, but the paper’s been in our family so long she wouldn’t hear of it.”

“So you’re doing all this to please your mother?”

“I guess I am,” she answered with a faint sigh. “My mother seems to think we’d be letting down my father if we sold the paper. Unlike my sister, I can’t do that to her now.”

“Whoa. I heard some hostility toward your sister there.”

“She dropped all her responsibilities and ran off on some harebrained mission to find musical stardom for her boyfriend. She didn’t think about anyone but herself. You bet I’m feeling hostile toward her, especially tonight, after dealing with yet another unpleasant chore that should have been hers.”

“You’re angry with her for pursuing a dream?”

Worded like that, it sounded petty and selfish. “If it were her dream, I’d be more sympathetic. But it’s some guy’s dream she’s chasing, not her own. And she didn’t give a thought to those of us left behind to clean up after her.”

“She loves the guy?”