Steele easily picked the lock on Laura's
front door, making a mental note to see that she changed her locks.
If someone as rusty as he was at lock picking could get inside,
anyone could do it. Cautiously, he turned the knob and opened
the door, listening.
He could hear voices, but they weren't in the living area, so
he entered the house and closed the door just as quietly as he'd
opened it. Moving to the chair, he lifted the jacket, noting that
it was obviously tailor made. He examined the label, frowning
as he thought the name of the tailor familiar. And the size- He
returned the jacket to the chair, and moved toward the kitchen,
going through the music room instead of the more direct route
through the dining area.
"I really want to thank you for all your help, Laura,"
a man said, causing Steele to lean against the wall as he recognized
the voice.
"I didn't do anything," Laura insisted. "Here you
go. Why don't you go get dressed and then we'll finish our discussion."
Steele moved into the doorway, surprised to find Daniel wearing
the black silk robe that Laura had gotten for him a week ago.
"An excellent idea, Miss Holt," he said, causing both
Daniel and Laura to turn in surprise. "I hope you won't mind
another participant, however."
"I thought you were going home?" Laura questioned, recovering
before Daniel, who had gone a bit pale, she thought. "How
did you get in here- Let me guess: you picked the lock."
She glanced from Daniel to his son, and shook her head. "Two
of kind."
Daniel cleared his throat softly as Steele's blue eyes hardened
to cold steel. "I doubt that."
Lifting his now dry clothes, Daniel said, "I think I'll just-
go and get dressed."
Steele waited a moment before stepping aside for the older man
to pass. "Just make sure you don't disappear, Daniel. I'm
looking forward to hearing an explanation of why you're here."
Daniel nodded once, and then vanished down the hallway toward
the bedrooms.
Laura went to the coffee pot and took out a fresh cup. "Coffee?"
she offered, wanting to do anything except look into those accusing
blue eyes that she could feel locked on her back.
"No, thank you. What I want is an explanation."
"An explanation?" Laura asked, concentrating on her
coffee.
"As to why Daniel is in YOUR house, wearing MY robe."
"Oh, that. After he got wet, I couldn't just let him drip
all over the floor, could I? So I gave him the robe to wear while
his things dried-"
Steele sighed. "And how did he get wet?"
"I startled him when I got home and found him making coffee,"
she told him.
"Let me get this straight. You found Daniel IN the house
when you got here?"
"That's right," Laura confessed, nodding. "I didn't
think he was here. He was supposed to wait outside, but he picked
the lock and-"
"Then you were expecting him."
"Yes. I ran into him as he was leaving the office earlier,
suggested he come here and we could- talk," she told him,
risking a glance in his direction, then wished she hadn't.
"Talk? About what- precisely?"
"I thought I could- smooth the waters for his visit,"
Laura said. "Make things go a little easier-"
"Laura, you had no right to interfere in what happens between
Daniel and me," Steele told her in firm voice.
"Oh, really? Just like you had no right to interfere between
my mother and myself?"
"It worked, didn't it? At least you can spend five minutes
in the same room with her without looking for the nearest blunt
instrument- and *I* didn't go behind your back to talk to Abigail,"
he reminded her.
"I seem to remember a meeting between the two of you in your
office-"
"Ah, but Abigail came to me, not the other way round,"
Steele pointed out. "And there was nothing secret about it.
All we talked about was your decision to become a private detective.
If we hadn't wanted you to know about the meeting, she would have
been gone before you and Murphy returned."
"I'm just trying to help bring you and Daniel closer, Harry.
He's your FATHER for God's sake!"
"That's another thing. I hope you haven't been calling me
"Harry" in front of Daniel. The LAST thing I need is
for him to find out that you and I are-"
"I knew about you and Laura before I got here, Harry,"
Daniel admitted from the doorway in a quiet voice, causing Steele
to turn around and face him.
"I wasn't aware that it was common knowledge," Steele
replied in a stiff tone.
"It's not. But even though we're not as close as we once
were, I still try to keep up. I read the newspapers. And I DO
still have some friends in Los Angeles who keep any eye on you
for me."
"You're having me spied on now? Is that it?"
"That's not fair, Harry," Laura began.
"Stay out of this, Miss Holt. Answer me, Daniel. Are you
having me spied on?"
"Only so that I know you're all right," Daniel confessed.
He looked at Laura. "I'll be going now, Laura."
"Best idea you've had all night," Steele commented.
"No," Laura insisted, rushing to follow Daniel into
the living room, where he picked up his jacket. "You're not
going anywhere until we finish our discussion."
Daniel glanced behind her to where Steele was standing, and shook
his head. "I don't think that now is a good time, my dear."
"There's never going to BE a good time if you two keep running
in opposite directions everytime you see each other!" Laura
declared. She pointed to a chair. "Now SIT!"
"Laura, if he wants to go-" Steele began, only to have
her whirl to face him. "This is MY house, and Daniel is MY
guest. Now. You. Sit." She pushed him onto the sofa. "Neither
one of you are leaving here until you talk to each other like
civilized human beings."
Daniel looked at Steele. "Is she always this- "
"Assertive?" Steele finished. "Dictatorial? She
can be. She also tends to stick her nose in where it's not wanted,"
he said with a pointed glance in Laura's direction. She stuck
her tongue out in response. Steele sighed. "Okay, Daniel.
Out with it."
"I beg your pardon?"
"How much do you need this time," Steele asked, pulling
out his check book.
"I don't need any money, Harry." Steele paused, looking
doubtful. "I need your help," Daniel admitted quickly,
fully expecting Steele to begin to laugh and toss him out.
"MY help?"
"A while back- after you and I- parted company, Horace- you
remember Horace, I'm sure- well, he and I were approached by a
gentleman who asked us to appropriate a gem that he coveted."
"Horace," Steele said derisively. "The man's a
fool. I wouldn't trust him. Never understood why you did."
"You were right, harry, and I'm sorry that I didn't realize
it sooner- before it cost poor Horace his life."
Steele frowned. "He's dead?"
"Yes. We stole the gem with no problem- but our- buyer was
in a bit of trouble and couldn't claim his prize. So I kept it
safe, waiting. Then a couple of years ago, Horace came upon this
idea of using the gem to make a bit of extra while we were waiting."
"Let me guess: The Switch." He turned to Laura. "Offer
the Mark something valuable, get the money for it, then switch
the real item for a copy before disappearing."
"Daniel explained it," Laura told him.
"What happened?"
"Nothing the first few times we pulled it. Everything went
like clock work. But this last time-"
"Spit it out, Daniel," Steele said. "I'm in no
mood to drag this out."
"I got the money, got out, and Horace was supposed to make
the switch. But somehow he dropped the ball, and left the real
gem instead of the paste one. Before we could rectify the matter,
our original buyer contacted us again."
"And wanted his property. Which you didn't have. You didn't
try to pass off the copy on him, I hope?"
"Oh, no. But he wasn't pleased when he found out that using
the gem had been Horace's idea in the first place- nor when he
discovered that it had been Horace who lost the gem."
"So he killed Horace."
Daniel's face grew somber. "Yes. And he made some rather-
graphic predictions about my life expectancy as well unless I
returned the gem to him."
"I'm not sure what you expect me to do, Daniel- I could pay
him what he's already paid you-"
"He won't take it. He wants the gem. I had hoped that you
would be willing to help me- retrieve it, but all things considered-"
Steele laughed in disbelief. "Daniel, I don't DO that kind
of thing anymore, remember? Straight and narrow?"
"I know," Daniel admitted with a deep sigh. "It
was a foolish idea. Not the first one I've had." He rose
from the chair. "I suppose I'll go to my hotel and try to
come up with another plan-"
Laura jumped up as well. "We'll talk tomorrow, Daniel,"
she offered. "Maybe between the two of us-"
Daniel was almost out the door before Steele spoke. "Perhaps
if I spoke to your buyer, Daniel. Made him an offer to forget
the gem and leave you alone-?"
"I appreciate the offer, Harry," Daniel said, stepping
back into the living room. "But he won't even consider that
option. I'm afraid he's quite determined."
"It's worth a try, at least. Who is he?" At that, Daniel
hesitated. "Daniel? If you want my help, I'll have to know
everything."
"Really, Harry, there's no need. I shouldn't have-"
"Fine. Then go. It doesn't matter to me one way or the other."
Daniel didn't move. "Reginald Malcolm." He said simply,
wincing slightly as he saw the recognition and disbelief in Steele's
expression.
"Malcolm? You're not serious."
"I wish I weren't. He made us an offer-"
"You simply couldn't turn down," Steele finished, closing
his eyes for a moment. "Of all people for you to -"
"WHO is this Reginald Malcolm?" Laura wanted to know.
"The name's vaguely familiar-"
Steele's eyes remained on Daniel as he answered. "Malcolm
is one of the biggest organized crime bosses in England, Laura.
They police have been trying to bring him down for years- but
he always manages to slither out of their grasp. If he doesn't
get his gem back, there won't be enough left of Daniel to fit
inside a shoe box." He was aware of Daniel watching him as
he rose to pace the room. "Where is Malcolm now?"
"He managed to get out of the country- I believe he was going
to try and get into America-"
"He can't get through customs," Laura said, only to
stop as both men looked at her. "But he wouldn't need to,
right?"
"No. Not with his connections," Steele confirmed. "There's
an entire underworld class that doesn't recognize the need for
customs, so they simply- circumvent them." He turned to Daniel.
"Why would Malcolm be coming to America?" When Daniel
didn't immediately respond, Steele answered his own question.
"To get his gem. You sold the gem to an American?"
Daniel nodded, swallowing heavily as he did so. "Yes. In-
New York." He watched Steele closely.
"Who did you sell it to?" Steele asked.
"You'd better tell him, Daniel," Laura said in a quiet
voice.
"Amos Cosgrove," Daniel confessed.
"Good Lord. The -"gem" that you've been referring
to- it wasn't a six carat, round faceted cut-"
Daniel nodded. "I'm afraid so."
Steele sat down heavily. "The Halifax Diamond. Dear God,
Daniel. What the bloody hell have you gotten me into? I suppose
Laura's told you that the agency is providing security for the
diamond?"
"I read about it in the paper," Daniel said. "I
hadn't planned on that. But since you are, I can hardly ask you
to help me steal it back, can I?"
"Steal it- No. No, you can't. You couldn't have even if the
agency WEREN'T involved. As it is, I won't compromise the Agency's
good name to risk it."
"I thought not." Daniel pushed away from the chair he'd
been standing behind. "I suppose I'll wish you farewell,
then. I doubt I'll have the chance to say goodbye once Malcolm
discovers that I wasn't successful in retrieving his diamond."
The man turned toward the front door, shoulders slumped, defeated.
"Stop him, Harry," Laura insisted. "If you don't
help him, I will."
Daniel paused, his hand on the doorknob as Steele spoke again.
"How? May I remind you, MISS Holt, that you are employed
by the Remington Steele Agency, -at least temporarily- and larceny
is NOT part of your training?"
"It was when we stole the "Five Nudes of Cairo",
Mr. Steele!" Laura replied, rushing to grab Daniel's arm
and stop his exit. "Besides, I have a plan!"
Daniel and Steele exchanged troubled looks before turning to look
at Laura. "A plan?" Steele repeated, not sure he really
wanted to hear what she was going to say.
To Be Continued---