"Tempo..." Edmund answered his phone.
"Edmund?"
"Brooke?" he said. "You're supposed to be on vacation. What are you doing calling into work?"
"Oh, no reason." Brooke said. "I just uh... I wanted to see how things were... going back home." She paused.
"They're going fine, Brooke," Edmund said. "Really. You should be enjoying your vacation."
"Oh, Edmund. Edmund I am. I am. I actually... I didn't call about work."
"I kind of figured that." he said. "So... what did you call all the way from the Caribbean to tell me?"
"I wanted you to be the first to know." Brooke said.
"What?" he asked.
"I'm getting married." Edmund was silent. "Edmund? Are you still there?"
"Yeah," he said. "Yeah, I'm still here. You just... you caught me off guard. Congratulations. Really. I'm happy for you two." Edmund paused. "Listen, feel free to use Wildwind."
"Thanks, Edmund," she said. "I really appreciate that."
"So when were you planning on making the ceremony?"
"Oh, not for a while yet," Brooke said. "We're really in no rush."
Edmund saw a light flash on his phone. "Look, Brooke, I've got another call coming in. Enjoy the rest of your vacation, OK? I'll talk to you later." Edmund picked up the other line. "Tempo..." he said. "Yes it is... Uh huh... I have my children to consider... I know I wrote the story... Just that it's high profile... I don't want to be there for it... I know. I know that it was my investigation that helped put him away... I can't handle a death penalty case... I know... I'll sit this one out... Thanks for the call."
Edmund hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair. He took a deep breath, running his hands over his face. There was a knock at the office door and it swung inward slightly.
"Edmund?" Mia said, entering the office with Colby. "hey," she said. "Are you OK?"
"Yeah," Edmund said, leaning forward. "Hi there, Colby."
Colby smiled. "Colby and I are spending some quality time together right?" Colby nodded. "While Liza and Adam are at the S-H-R-I-N-K." Edmund leaned back again. "Colby, sweetie. Why don't you go see if Jill will give you a tour, huh? Then you can come back and tell me all the neat hiding places you found." Colby nodded excitedly and ran out of the office. "Edmund?" Mia took a seat in front of his desk. "What is it?"
"It's nothing." he said.
"No, no," she said. "I know that look. You can tell me... Please?"
Edmund looked at her. "I just got a call from out West." He shook his head. "It was about eleven or twelve years ago, before I came to Pine Valley... There was a young girl who was... she was found murdered. I uh, I was following the case, reporting on it. And when they finally found the SOB who killed this girl, the governor credited me with helping to put him away."
"So... what's that have to do with why you're all upset?"
"The murderer, Brian Donnovan, he requested for me to be there... for the execution."
Mia was shocked. "What are your going to do?" she asked.
"I'm not going to leave my kids to see a killer take his last breaths." He paused. "This whole thing is just a bit much for me to handle."
Mia reached out and took his hands. "I can't even imagine what this might be like for you."
"I'll be fine." Edmund assured her. "I just didn't expect to hear Donnovan's name again."
"Aunt Mia?" Colby walked into the office. "Can we go now?"
Sure, sweetie," she said, standing. "We were just on our way out to lunch and were wondering if you wanted to join us."
Edmund took a deep breath. "Could I take a raincheck?" he asked.
"Yeah," Mia said. "Yeah, sure. Are you going to be OK?" Edmund nodded. "Alright. You have my number."
"All of them," Edmund smiled. "Enjoy lunch." Mia nodded as she took Colby's hand and left the office.
Edmund took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair. He tried to calm his nerves and forget about the call, but he had no luck. He stood from behind his desk and walked to the door, hitting the lights as he left the office. All he wanted to do now was go home to his children.
"Edmund?"
"Brooke?" he said. "You're supposed to be on vacation. What are you doing calling into work?"
"Oh, no reason." Brooke said. "I just uh... I wanted to see how things were... going back home." She paused.
"They're going fine, Brooke," Edmund said. "Really. You should be enjoying your vacation."
"Oh, Edmund. Edmund I am. I am. I actually... I didn't call about work."
"I kind of figured that." he said. "So... what did you call all the way from the Caribbean to tell me?"
"I wanted you to be the first to know." Brooke said.
"What?" he asked.
"I'm getting married." Edmund was silent. "Edmund? Are you still there?"
"Yeah," he said. "Yeah, I'm still here. You just... you caught me off guard. Congratulations. Really. I'm happy for you two." Edmund paused. "Listen, feel free to use Wildwind."
"Thanks, Edmund," she said. "I really appreciate that."
"So when were you planning on making the ceremony?"
"Oh, not for a while yet," Brooke said. "We're really in no rush."
Edmund saw a light flash on his phone. "Look, Brooke, I've got another call coming in. Enjoy the rest of your vacation, OK? I'll talk to you later." Edmund picked up the other line. "Tempo..." he said. "Yes it is... Uh huh... I have my children to consider... I know I wrote the story... Just that it's high profile... I don't want to be there for it... I know. I know that it was my investigation that helped put him away... I can't handle a death penalty case... I know... I'll sit this one out... Thanks for the call."
Edmund hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair. He took a deep breath, running his hands over his face. There was a knock at the office door and it swung inward slightly.
"Edmund?" Mia said, entering the office with Colby. "hey," she said. "Are you OK?"
"Yeah," Edmund said, leaning forward. "Hi there, Colby."
Colby smiled. "Colby and I are spending some quality time together right?" Colby nodded. "While Liza and Adam are at the S-H-R-I-N-K." Edmund leaned back again. "Colby, sweetie. Why don't you go see if Jill will give you a tour, huh? Then you can come back and tell me all the neat hiding places you found." Colby nodded excitedly and ran out of the office. "Edmund?" Mia took a seat in front of his desk. "What is it?"
"It's nothing." he said.
"No, no," she said. "I know that look. You can tell me... Please?"
Edmund looked at her. "I just got a call from out West." He shook his head. "It was about eleven or twelve years ago, before I came to Pine Valley... There was a young girl who was... she was found murdered. I uh, I was following the case, reporting on it. And when they finally found the SOB who killed this girl, the governor credited me with helping to put him away."
"So... what's that have to do with why you're all upset?"
"The murderer, Brian Donnovan, he requested for me to be there... for the execution."
Mia was shocked. "What are your going to do?" she asked.
"I'm not going to leave my kids to see a killer take his last breaths." He paused. "This whole thing is just a bit much for me to handle."
Mia reached out and took his hands. "I can't even imagine what this might be like for you."
"I'll be fine." Edmund assured her. "I just didn't expect to hear Donnovan's name again."
"Aunt Mia?" Colby walked into the office. "Can we go now?"
Sure, sweetie," she said, standing. "We were just on our way out to lunch and were wondering if you wanted to join us."
Edmund took a deep breath. "Could I take a raincheck?" he asked.
"Yeah," Mia said. "Yeah, sure. Are you going to be OK?" Edmund nodded. "Alright. You have my number."
"All of them," Edmund smiled. "Enjoy lunch." Mia nodded as she took Colby's hand and left the office.
Edmund took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair. He tried to calm his nerves and forget about the call, but he had no luck. He stood from behind his desk and walked to the door, hitting the lights as he left the office. All he wanted to do now was go home to his children.
