Part 9 : Laura and Remington are in Marty's
trying to have their romantic dinner and mix business with pleasure.
After taking a few turns they arrived
at Marty's.
"So Miss Holt, it seems that finally we will be able to have
our romantic dinner, no?" he said.
"Aren't you forgetting something, Mr Steele?? The case? Thanks
to it we've arrived here for what appears to be a romantic dinner
but we still have to observe the couple."
"Oh...yes...of course, the case..but finally we've managed
it Miss Holt, we saw the entire ballet and hopefully we can dine
without being interrupted."
"Yes Mr Steele, we have managed it," and she smiled
as she entered the restaurant.
"Good evening Mr Steele, Miss Holt, how have you been?"
asked Tony, the maitre d'.
"Good...very good, Tony, is our table ready?" Remington
asked.
"Yes, of course Mr Steele..everything is ready and I hope
you both can enjoy a pleasant evening."
"Good, thank you Tony." The moved towards a great table
in the northern corner of the restaurant with an incredible view
of San Francisco from both the windows that surrounded the table.
In the center of the table there were candles surrounded by flowers
and, of course, a bottle of Dom Perignon was already cooling.
As soon as they sat down, Tony showed the bottle to Remington
for his approval and selection and proceeded to open and serve
the champagne.
In the meantime, Laura tried to observe the couple who were seated
two tables away.
"Uh, Tony..." Laura said, "Could you come here
for a second..."
"Yes, Miss Holt, what would you like?" he asked her
in a low voice.
"Could you tell me if you know those two sitting over there
and if they're waiting for someone before they eat."
"Yes, Miss Holt, they're a handsome couple don't you think?
Just like the two of you...He is Mr Stefenson, a computer engineer
or something like that, and she is Miss Harris, an executive secretary
of a company...I don't know what kind of company....Ah! And they're
waiting for another person before dessert, a Mr Orsoff or something
of the kind."
"OK, thank you Tony."
"Why do you ask Miss Holt?...You're not here to work....as
always...are you? I thought that this time...."
Remington interrupted and said, "Actually, it's a combination
Tony, of business and pleasure, and we're eager for it to finish
up being only the latter," he said while looking slyly at
Laura.
"Ah!! Well," Tony sighed, "At last. I hope your
wishes come true."
Remington sighed with relief, thinking that he had anticipated
Laura's reaction and had instructed Mildred to explain to Tony
everything he was supposed to say.
"Well, Tony, tonight we'll leave it up to you to decide what
we will eat...do you agree Miss Holt?"
Laura was absently trying to watch the reactions of the couple.
She answered, "Yes.....yes, OK"
"Very well...I'll arrange everything," Tony said and
quickly left them aline.
"Laura, my love," Remington interrupted her thoughts,
"Don't you think we should drink a toast and not fail to
take advantage of this wonderful champagne?"
"Oh, yes, I'm sorry..but this case is fishy to me, something
doesn't fit."
"Come on, forget the case for a moment and let's drink to
us and that our days be always this wonderful. Cheers, my love,
to many more days like today."
"Cheers, my love, may all your wishes come true!" They
crossed their glasses and he took her by the shoulders and drew
her towards him and they clinked glasses, took a sip and gave
each other a tender kiss, looking with intense love into each
others eyes. The mood was broken when Laura saw that the young
woman had headed for the bathroom.
"I have to follow her," she said to Remington, with
a look full of affection, she threw a kiss in the air, stood up
and went after the young woman.
Remington sighed deeply, thinking, this has all been so that
we could have our much longed for romantic weekend WITHOUT INTERRUPTIONS.
Laura entered the bathroom and positioned herself next to the
young woman, who was in front of the mirror touching up her makeup.
Laura did the same and took advantage of the opportunity to speak
to the young woman, "Beautiful night, don't you think?"
The young woman looked at her in surprise, "Yes, actually
it is...especially when one can share it with a loved one, don't
you agree?"
Laura felt her heart tremble.... she was trying to prove something
against a person who, just like herself, was living a moment of
the sweetest love of her life. What am I doing? she thought,
but her professionalism stopped her from forgetting her objective,
even though her heart said otherwise. "Yes, it's just like
you say....without that person, these moments wouldn't be so beautiful,"
Laura said, while looking into the young woman's purse which was
half open on the table. She saw a disk among the makeup, keys
and a handkerchief and said to herself, There it is, if I take
it, I finish the story, they won't have anything to sell.
Oh, if Mr Steele were here with his natural ability for these
things. But while she was thinking all this, the young woman
had taken her purse and begun to leave the bathroom, near the
door she turned, looked at Laura and said,
"I hope your night is as wonderful as mine. Good evening."
and she left.
Laura stood perplexed, unable to say a word. Yes, indeed she was
hoping that this would be as wonderful a night as their day had
been, she remained several seconds longer, watching the door close
behind the young woman, moving her head with a gesture of perturbation,
and then she returned to her table. When she was again seated
in front of Remington, Laura wore a lost expression.
"Well, what happened? Is something wrong?"
Laura recovered her senses, "No, Mr Steele...it's just that
this damn case is all a mess, I don't like it.....I don't like
it at all," she said, angry, but in fact angry with herself
because what she wanted was for there to be no case and for them
to be there enjoying the moment, that had already been delayed,
with the man she loved, and for the young woman to be able to
do the same.
"But, what's got you worried, my love?" When Laura heard
him she became more enraged with the situation.
"That young woman is lovely and she's so in love.... and
we....we have to ruin all that."
"My darling, calm down...did you discover something that
has you so upset?"
"Yes...yes," she said between sobs, "She has a
disk in her purse that must surely be what they will give to whoever...and
then...we.....we have to intervene and...."
"OK, I know..I know, Miss Holt, but it seems to me that whatever
has you so upset is not merely the case..or am I mistaken?"
Laura breathed deeply and said, "Ah!.......Mr Steele, how
well you know me. Yes, it's true, I don't want to interfere between
the two of them, just as I don't want anyone to interfere between
us....I WANT TO LEAVE ALL THIS AND..."
"US?? Miss Holt...US? How beautiful that sounds coming from
your lips.....OK, let's not hurry, maybe we won't have to destroy
anything.....Hmmm...let's see if I can put this into my best Holt
style. Mmm... Mr Warren already knows what information is missing,
what he wants to know is who is selling it....right?"
"Right...but how can we make it so that we don't ruin anything?"
"Well, let's see if I've learned from my teacher...we'll
leave the couple to give the disk to the buyer, then we follow
him and steal it back and we leave the couple to spend the weekend
and on Monday we take the disk to Warren and the details of the
buyer and the information on the couple, at least that way we
give them a few days of happiness....what do you think Miss Holt?"
"Great...it sounds like a plan...but there are some details
that aren't coming out right."
"Mr Steele, Miss Holt, here's your meal," Tony said
interrupting them, "I hope you enjoy it. You won't have to
leave it for later this time, right?"
Remington and Laura looked to him and with a sigh they said, "Thank
you Tony.....not this time, we'll be here and we'll enjoy the
food."
"Ah, what a relief."
Remington took his glass of champagne, "So, my love, it's
time for us to leave business and devote ourselves to pleasure...wasn't
that our objective?...You know...to mix..." he told her with
a cheeky gesture.
"Oh! Yes, yes..in any case, there's nothing we can do until
dessert," she responded with a certain sadness in her voice.
Touching their glasses together they set about enjoying Tony's
exquisite crab crepes.
In the kitchen, Mildred waited, along with Max Donahue (Atomic
Man), for the culminating moment, the moment towards which all
her preparations with the boss had been directed.
Max asked her, "Mildred, won't Laura be angry with all of
this...you see, I appreciate her so much and I wouldn't see her
harmed for anything in the world."
"The Boss assured me she wouldn't..and I believe him, he
told me that at first she'd get angry....that's just the way Laura
is....but then THE MOMENT would arrive... I don't really know
what moment...and everything would be fine....and I think that's
how it will be...If you had seen the faces on those two this afternoon,
you'd know what I was talking about."
"But why all the deceit? If what they want is a romantic
weekend for the two of them, alone, why are we in the middle?"
"Well, actually, the boss had intended various times for
them to have a weekend in San Francisco or a romantic evening
and they've never managed to carry it off because work always
interrupts them, their plans are always cut short because of the
arrival of a case. Just at the moment when they... well....you
know....So the boss thought he'd invent a case that would bring
them here and when they discovered that this case didn't exist,
they could finally take advantage of a weekend together and meanwhile
have everything controlled so that nothing external could interrupt
them."
"It's all right, I get the point, but there's something I
don't understand. How is he going to manage it so that Laura doesn't
get angry and go back to LA when she sees that she's been deceived??
You already know my girl doesn't like anyone who deceives her."
"Well....I'll be honest with you, there's still a part of
the plan that the Boss hasn't told me, but I suspect it will make
Laura SO HAPPY that she'll forget all the deceit...Surely that
later she'll make the Boss pay for his deceit but I'm certain
it won't be today."
"AH...but you know all that's going on and you don't want
to tell me!!"
"No, Max....no...it's just a suspicion I have from something
that the Boss asked me, quite insistently, to bring, but really,
I don't know what he has in mind....the only thing I can tell
you for sure is that the Boss wants all the deceit to be discovered,
you and I will be there beside them both."
"Very well, I won't ask any more...I really want those two
to be able to be together...they're the most beautiful couple
I've ever seen in my life and I love that girl like the father
she lost as a child....and like the daughter I never had."
"OK, Max, now it's your turn to get in on the action, just
when they've ordered dessert. Oh, Tony, how's everything going?"
"Well, I think, Miss Krebs..it seems the situation is under
control. I already have the violinists read for the moment Mr
Steele gives me the sign."
"Well, I think everything is in order, let me know when they
order dessert so that I can put the last part of the plan into
action."
Laura, despite the delicious meal and Remington's sweetness in
trying to distract her attention, talking of the ballet and how
much he liked Romeo and Juliet and of how fortunate it had been
that they played that program, couldn't set aside her feeling
of perturbation. She thought of the case for several moments,
immediately tearing her mind away and only focusing on Remington.
Then her mind jumped to another subject and finally she felt an
unstoppable desire to take him by the hand and run from there
and lose themselves in San Francisco, like two lovers hungry for
solitude. Why am I having these feelings, she thought,
I should be feeling happy..finally we've managed to be here
for a romantic interlude and I'm looking to ruin it...why? Why
can't I enjoy it? What is it that has me so upset?
Remington knew when Laura was disturbed, "What's wrong
my love, perhaps you're unable to separate the waters?"
"Oh, I'm sorry! But these waters are a little too churned
up for my liking....there's something...something.."
"All right...calm down...we'll do something....we can leave
pleasure...if you want? Why don't we just focus on work...and
try to finish this as quickly as possible...it's always been difficult
to mix oil and water. It will make you feel better, I think."
"Yes, OK," she said to him, shaking her ill at ease
head.
"Mr Steele, the usual desserts...strawberry flambee for Miss
Holt and lemon sorbet and champagne for you?" Tony asked.
"Yes, Tony, the usual."
"OK," Laura said hurriedly, trying to see if dedicating
themselves to the case had made her feel more safe and calm, "How
are we going to get the floppy disk from whoever they give it
to?? You're going to have to follow him and change it over I don't
know how." While she tried to explain a plan, Remington began
to make gestures with his eyes, trying to show that someone had
entered the scene.
"Oh, my God, there he is, the third man, and we haven't planned
anything...."
"Come on Miss Holt...relax, we've already thought of something....
and incidently....are you referring to the movie when you say
the third man??"
"No....it just left my lips, I see you've also made a school
Mr Steele," she told him with a small smile, cheering up,
although for an instant Remington felt extremely guilty for deceiving
Laura. It's all for a just cause, he told himself.
"But....Mr Steele...you know something.....this third man
seems familiar to me... isn't he well known to you?"
No..not really..." he said fearfully, thinking of Laura's
observation despite the excellent disguise Max wore.
The third man sat with his back to Remington and Laura and between
the couple, they spoke for a few minutes and soon the young woman
opened her purse and took out the disk, the man also took out
an envelope and gave it to the young woman.
"There it is....they've made the exchange," Laura stated
excitedly, "Now it's your job....do you have what you're
making the change with?"
Remington called Tony over with out saying a word and asked that
he bring him a disk, in a low voice in his ear. Tony quickly brought
Mr Steele what he had asked for and he slipped it into his pocket.
"Is this OK, Miss Holt?"
"Yes, it's fine....when are you going to make the change?"
Laura asked anxiously.
"When I leave here...you stay calm, I have enough experience
in these things and I don't think I've lost my touch yet."
"Yes, I know..." Laura said, somewhat bothered thinking
about Remington's dark past
and that it had always caused her so many doubts but that it had
also been very useful in many occasions. At that moment, the third
man rose, said goodbye to the couple and walked out.
To Be Continued---