More Steele With a Twist Episode 6

More Steele With a Twist
Episode Six
"I think there's someone out there," Bernice told Daniel as they drank their coffee.

Daniel quietly placed his cup and saucer on the table and rose, looking for something to use as a weapon. There was a tap on the door, and a quiet voice called out. "It's us."

"Thank God," Daniel sighed upon hearing his son's voice. The door opened to admit Steele and Laura. "We were becoming concerned," he said.

"NOW will you tell me what's going on?" Bernice asked Steele.

"Tomorrow," he told her.

"But-"

"Right now," Steele said, gathering Bernice's wrap and purse from the back of a chair and holding them out toward her, "I'm going to take you down to the limo, and Fred's going to take you home, where I want you to lock your doors and stay for the rest of the night."

"But-you said that you would explain-"

"And I promise you full accounting, Bernice- tomorrow. At the moment, the less you know about what's going on, the safer you'll be." He glanced at Laura. "I'll be right back. See if you and he can keep out of trouble."

Laura nodded, looking at the closed door for a long moment before Daniel asked, "Did he do it?"

"Yes," she told him. "he's got the diamond."

"I wasn't sure he would go through with it."

"He did, Daniel. But I don't think you know how much it cost him to switch that diamond for the fake one."

Daniel ran a hand through his hair as he drew a deep breath. "Believe me, Laura, I'm fully aware of what that action cost him. Over the last five years, he's managed to build something that he can take pride in, something that's in no way connected to the man he once was. Stealing that diamond, for whatever reason- put him right back into that life that he's worked so hard to escape." He sat down. "I shouldn't have come here, I suppose. It might have saved my life, but it probably put paid to any chance that I might've reconciled with Harry."

Laura sat down beside him, placing a hand on his back, wishing she knew what to do to help him. "I think he's angry with me, as well."

"I hope not," Daniel told her, taking her hand in his. "I think he needs someone like you. Someone who still knows what it's like to take a chance, to live life without fear of being hurt."

"Oh, believe me, Daniel, I'm no less afraid of being hurt than Harry is. But I just hide it a little better."

"Well, I still hope that you and he can work through this. I'd hate to think that I was responsible for destroying your relationship."

"I'm not about to let that happen," Laura assured him. "Right now, though, I think we need to concentrate on the matter at hand."

"Laura- promise me something," he said.

"What?"

"I want your promise that you won't tell Harry why I wasn't there for him."

"But- Daniel, he needs to know. And if he won't hear it from you, maybe-"

"No. I just feel that it's- something *I* need to tell him. Not you, not anyone else."

Laura studied his face for a moment. "Okay. I promise."

"Thank you. What's our next move?" he asked her.

"I wish I knew. He kept talking about a plan he's come up with- but he wouldn't' tell me about it. Said he needed to make sure Bernice was safe first."

***

Steele tapped the roof of the limo twice, then watched the car turn toward the exit for the underground garage. He was about to enter the elevator when he heard the sound of another car entering the cavernous concrete room and paused, letting the doors close and moving back into the shadows of a corner. Some sixth sense alerted him to danger, and he fought to slow his breathing as Murphy's car pulled to a stop. Steele started to move forward, but he heard voices and pulled back quickly. There were two voices: Murphy's- and Reginald Malcolm's.

"Here we are," Murphy said, sounding a bit strange, Steele thought, then caught the glint of an overhead light on the knife in Malcolm's hand.

"Okay. Take the keys out of the ignition and hand them back to me," Malcolm said. "Good lad. Now. Very slowly, open your door-" he matched Murphy's movements, opening the rear door at the same time. "I wouldn't try to be a hero, if I were you. As deserted as this place is, you'd bleed to death before anyone found you." He kept the knife against Murphy's skin as he got out of the car, then pulled his arm quickly around the center post to return the weapon to its threatening position. "Okay. Now get out." Once Murphy was out of the car, Malcolm pulled Murphy's left arm behind his back, lowering the knife to his side. "Let's go." At the elevator, he asked, "What floor?"

"Eleventh," Murphy responded, his eyes narrowing as he peered into the dark corner.

Steele lifted his arm to silence his associate, but the movement caused his sleeve to brush the wall, and he froze.

"What was that?" Malcolm asked.

"Rats," Murphy told him. "We've had a problem with them down here lately. All the rain- Someone said they'd seen one as big as a Volkswagen in the channel-"

Murphy grunted as his arm was pulled tighter. "Funny man." The elevator doors opened, and Malcolm backed into the car, pulling Murphy with him. "Press the button."

Steele waited for the doors to close, then lifted his eyes upward, wondering whether his plan would still work. After a moment, he decided that it would, -with a few modifications- and pulled open the stairway door.

***

"You're sure they're here?" Malcolm asked Murphy as they left the elevator on the eleventh floor. The offices beyond the glass doors were dark.

"I told you, that was that was the agency limo we passed leaving the garage. Steele probably got here just before we did."

Malcolm released Murphy's arm and held out the keys. "Unlock it."

Murphy knelt and unlocked the bottom lock, then the center one, trying to decide whether or not to try and jump Malcolm. If all he was carrying was that switchblade- his mind was made up as he heard the sound of a gun being cocked. "Let's go in. Quietly. No need to announce our arrival, is there?"

He knocked once on Steele's door, and winced as Laura opened it, saying, "Where have you been? We're were staring to worry- Murphy."

"And Malcolm," Daniel added, seeing the man standing behind Murphy before Laura saw him.

Malcolm pushed Murphy into the room ahead of him, and closed the door. "Where's O'Leary?"

"His name's Steele," Daniel informed the man, as Laura joined Murphy on the sofa to inspect the small nicks on his neck.

"I don't care what name he's calling himself. He was supposed to have my diamond. Now where is he?"

"I don't know," Laura said truthfully, rising from the sofa to face Malcolm. "But he'll have your diamond for you- and I hope you choke on it!"

Daniel pulled her back. "Laura,-"

"That's right, Chalmers. Tell the girl the way things are. Explain to her that it's foolhardy to attack a man who's holding the only gun in the room." His eyes narrowed. "Or am I? This is an American private detective agency, right? This one wasn't carrying a piece or else I'd be dead now," he said, pointing toward Murphy.

"Steele doesn't like us to carry guns," Murphy told him. "Prefers we use this-" he pointed to his head, "instead."

"Good for me. Bad for you. Now. Why don't we all sit down and wait for him to get here?"

"Listen, you-" Laura began again, but this time Murphy pulled her down to sit at his side, his eyes meeting hers, begging her to stay cool.

"Once I have my property, I'll be on my way."

"And you expect us to believe that?" Laura said with a derisive snort.

"Of course," Malcolm said, his eyes glittering dangerously, "I might make ONE exception. I don't like women with big mouths. They annoy me." When Laura would have spoken again, Murphy forcibly pulled her back. "Where did Steele go?" Malcolm asked again.

"To get your diamond," Daniel informed him. "He couldn't very well take it earlier, when everyone was there-"

Malcolm slowly sank into a chair, watching the trio through narrowed eyes. "Then I guess we'll wait."

***

Steele wasn't surprised to find the glass doors unlocked- Malcolm wouldn't have taken the time to lock them after bringing Murphy into the office. So getting into the reception area was an easy task. He went to Bernice's desk, and located the agency gun- but the bullets were nowhere to be found. He hoped they weren't in HIS desk as he moved quietly to Murphy's office and pulled open the top drawer of the desk there. "Come to papa," he whispered, putting the six shells into the revolver before hiding it against his side, under his tuxedo jacket.

Instead of going back out to the reception area, he went through the door that connected to Laura's office, and stood at the common door into his office, listening.

"Look, Malcolm, you're not going to get away with this.-"

"If I were you, lady, I'd close my mouth. Unless you want me to close it permanently-"

Steele groaned under his breath, wondering what Laura was trying to accomplish. He placed his hand on the doorknob and turned it, hesitating when the "click" seemed inordinately loud in the dark office. But when there was no alarm raised, he pulled it open just enough to be able to see where everyone was- and to be able to make out the .38 caliber handgun that Malcolm was holding. So he'd eschewed the knife for a more deadly weapon. And it made Laura's tirade that much more foolish.

"What's taking him so long?" Malcolm asked. "Shouldn't take someone with his talents this long to grab that diamond. Especially since he knows the layout and alarm system so well- being as how he's the one who installed it," he said with a laugh. "Nice set up he's got here. Must've scammed quite a lot over the years using it."

Steele took a deep breath, and pulled the diamond out of his pocket, admiring the soft shimmer of moonlight from outside reflected by the facets of the gem, as Daniel spoke. "On the contrary, Malcolm, Remington's one of the rarities- he's managed to turn his life completely around- gotten out of the life. Everything he's got now, he's EARNED-through hard work and his own efforts."

"Are you looking for me?" Steele asked, opening the door as he casually tossed the diamond up and caught it in his hand.

Malcolm stood, tipping the chair backward in his haste. "Give that to me," he ordered, holding out his left hand, palm up.

Steele tossed it again. "Not yet. I want some assurances first that you'll leave Los Angeles."

"First thing. Believe me. The sooner I get out of this country, the better."

"And that you won't go after Daniel-" He looked at Laura, then glanced at the door into the reception area, then back to her.

"I won't," Malcolm said, his attention on the diamond as it rose in the air and returned to Steele's hand. "Now give it to me!"

Steele met Murphy's eyes, sending a silent message. "Catch," Steele said, tossing the gem at him, grabbing for his gun at the same moment. Murphy rose from the sofa, rushing toward Malcolm, as Laura made a dash for the door.

Malcolm caught the diamond, then pointed the gun in Laura's direction as she was about to open the door. Murphy froze on the spot. "No one move. Who's out there, Steele?" he asked.

"No one. I was hoping that Miss Holt would be able to summon the authorities-"

"She won't be summoning anyone," Malcolm said. "I don't like it when people doublecross me, Steele. There's always a price to be paid for that." Steele saw his finger tighten on the gun's trigger as he prepared to fire. "Drop the gun, Steele," he said, "Or the lady dies." Fully aware that Malcolm would make good on his threat, Steele let the gun fall to the carpeted floor. Malcolm smiled. "Come here, lady." He waited until she was close, and pulled her against him, his arm around her neck, the gun now pointed at Steele, Murphy and Daniel. "I'm taking her with me as insurance. Once I make sure this is the real diamond and I'm on the plane out of here, I'll let her go."

"Take me, Malcolm," Daniel said. "I'm the one responsible for this mess-"

"Sorry, Chalmers. I have other plans for you." He fired the gun once, hitting Daniel and opened the door to make his escape as Steele and Murphy were attending to the wounded man.

"FREEZE!" The room seemed to be filled with police, all with weapons cocked- and pointing directly at Malcolm.

"You can't get out of here, Malcolm," Laura insisted. "Give it up!"

"I've worked too long to stay OUT of prison, lady, to just walk in now." He pressed the gun against Laura's head, telling the police, "Let me through unless you want to see her die."

"Let her go, Malcolm," a man said. "We can work something out-"

Malcolm laughed shortly, shaking his head. "The only thing that you gentlemen will work out is which prison I'll be in. No, thank you."

"Malcolm," Steele said from just inside the office doorway, "I've got a clear shot at your back. If you don't release Miss Holt on the count of three, I'll take the shot."

To Be Continued---