"Daddy, I can't let you do this."
"I'm doing it for YOU!" Edward insisted. "Don't you see that? It's the only way to force you to live up to your potential. To make people realize that you're not just Remington Steele's assistant or secretary."
"Daddy, I don't want recognition. Not this way. I just want to help people. I want to help you."
"You can help me by going back downstairs, Laura," Edward ordered. "Now."
"I'm sorry, Daddy, but I can't do that. I tried to tell you that I wasn't the same Laura that you deserted," she told him. "I'm not used to being told what to do anymore and then doing it without question."
"You're still my Laura," Edward insisted. "You were never like the others."
"The others? Daddy, do you know what I remember most about the time before you left? I remember how nothing moved in our house without your approval. Mother- Mother bent over backwards to do everything you wanted- if you wanted the towels folded just so, she folded them that way. If you wanted dinner on the table at six, we ate at six, not a second later. If that was what you wanted, why did you leave? Why did you throw all of that away?"
Remington stood there, balancing on the ledge, his heart near to breaking as he listened to Laura's voice. She sounded like a lost little girl, needing answers to questions that she'd been too afraid to ask for too long.
"I felt- suffocated," Edward admitted. "I wanted some space, too. Your mother- Abigail, she never understood that. Even when I'd do something that I wanted to do, she wouldn't say anything, but I could see in her eyes that she was disappointed, that she disapproved. Do you remember those poker games I used to have at the house?" he asked.
"Yes," Laura recalled with a watery smile. "You and your friends taught me to play."
"And you were good. You were always more like me. Damn it, Laura, from the time you were a little girl, all you talked about was being a detective. I'm trying to give that you. I wasn't there to give it to you before-"
"You can't GIVE it to me, Daddy," Laura insisted. "It's something I have to do on my own. Give me the gun, Daddy. Please," she said, holding out her hand and taking a step closer.
But Edward shook his head and moved closer to where Remington stood. "I can't. It's too late."
"No, it's not."
"Grace. I didn't want to hurt her. Anymore than I wanted to hurt her mother. Or anyone else. They just didn't understand me the way you do, Laura," he said, his attention moving from the man on the ledge to where Laura stood, watching him.
"What happened to Grace, Daddy?"
"She wanted to go back to work. I couldn't let her do that. She couldn't take care of me if she did. When she got a job anyway, I - I guess I frightened her. Told her that I was never going to let her go."
"Is that when she asked for a restraining order?" Remington risked asking. He had been slowly edging his way down the ledge, away from Holt, unnoticed, as the older man's gaze was locked on Laura.
"Yes. She thought I'd threatened her. I-I didn't mean to hit her. She refused to see me, refused my calls. Finally I had enough. I found out she was planning to come back here- back to her mother. I couldn't lose her. I'd already lost you-"
"You didn't lose me, Daddy. I've been here the entire time. You're the one who was lost."
Remington climbed quietly from the ledge, moving to Edward's side, ready to grab the man if need be, to protect Laura. Given her father's past actions with women who defied him, Laura's questioning could very possibly set him off again.
"I wanted to call, Laura," Edward said. "But I was afraid that you wouldn't want to talk to me. Afraid that you were angry with me for leaving." The sound of sirens reached them from the street below, giving Remington the distraction he needed.
He grabbed Edward Holt, knocking the gun from his hand. Edward shook Remington off, moving toward the ledge. "It's too late. Too late for everything. Everything except choosing how it ends."
"Daddy-" Laura said, taking a step closer to him.
But Edward levered himself up onto the narrow ledge. "I won't let them take me, Laura. I want to control my own destiny. It's my decision."
"Edward, no," Remington called out, but the man had already stepped out into nothing. He rushed to the edge and managed to grab Edward's hand, hearing Laura's scream.
"Daddy! No!" Suddenly she was there, beside him, reaching down, trying to grab her father's hand. "Don't leave me again, daddy!" she was saying. "Don't-"
"Hang on, Edward," Remington said, gritting his teeth as his arm felt pulled from its socket by the weight of Edward Holt. "I'll pull up back up-"
"Don't bother. No reason," Edward said.
"Don't let go, Edward!" Remington ordered, but he could feel the older man's fingers relaxing.
"I love you, Laura. You really are different from the others. More like me. Love you. Remember that, at least…"
"NO!" Remington yelled as Edward's fingers slipped from his grasp. "Hang on!!"
"DADDY!!!!!!!" Laura screamed, leaning over the ledge as far as she could.
Remington didn't have the luxury of time to think about what had just happened. He grabbed Laura from the ledge and pulled her into his arms. "Shh," he murmured. "Shh. It's all right, luv. It's going to be all right."
The stairway door burst open and several police officers piled out onto the rooftop, guns drawn. Remington nodded toward the east side of the building. They were followed by Lt. Jarvis, who took one look at Laura Holt in Remington's arms and read the situation with deadly accuracy. "Take her downstairs," he said quietly. "I'll talk to you down there."
Remington nodded, leading Laura away.
Jarvis went to the edge of the building where several of his officers were standing. Picking up his radio, he called in. "This is Jarvis. You can cancel that APB on Edward Holt. He's been found."
***
Remington led Laura past a worried, hovering Mildred, into his office, where he saw her seated on the sofa. "Can I get you anything?" he asked, watching as the now calm woman sat there, staring into space, as if seeing her father fall again.
She shook her head. "No," she managed to say. "I just- I need to be alone for a few minutes-"
"I'll be right outside if you need anything," he told her as Mildred returned with a wet cloth for Laura to use on her tear stained face.
Laura didn't respond.
Remington closed the door behind them as they left the office. "She's awfully calm, isn't she?" Mildred commented.
"TOO calm," Remington agreed. "Remember when her house got blown up? She was like this then, too. Keep an eye on her, Mildred, will you? I'm going out to talk to Lt. Jarvis."
"You got it, Chief. Maybe I'll make her some tea."
"Good idea," Remington said absently as he left the office.
Mildred went into the coffee room to find Laura's cup.
***
Laura realized she was shredding the terry-cloth rag that Mildred had given her and tossed it onto the table before her, burying her head in her hands. Things were so confused. She couldn't think. Why couldn't she THINK? All she could see was her father, slipping out of Remington's grasp, and then falling. It was like a scene in a movie, all in slow motion. Only this wasn't one of Remington's movies. This was real.
Her father was dead.
Unable to remain sitting, Laura rose and went to the door. Opening it, she walked out of the office unseen by Mildred, who was still in the coffee room.
She needed to find a place where she could think…
***
Mildred heard voices in the outer office and returned, carrying the hot cup of tea, just the way Laura liked it. Mr. Steele was talking to a middle aged blonde woman. "I know that you suggested that I stay in Connecticut, Remington," she was telling him, and Mildred realized that this was Laura's mother, Abigail Holt. "And I know that Laura and I haven't always gotten along, but she IS my daughter, and I just couldn't stay away after you told me that Edward was here."
"Was being the operative word, I'm afraid," Remington said. "Mildred, this is Laura's mother, Abigail. Abigail, I'm sure Laura's mentioned Mildred?"
"Of course," Abigail said. "Laura's always talking about how she doesn't know how she managed before you went to work for the Agency. What do you mean, 'was', Remington?" Abigail asked, returning to the question at hand.
"I'll just take this in to Miss Holt," Mildred told them, sensing that Mr. Steele needed to talk to Laura's mother alone.
"Did you happen to notice all the police in the area and building, Abigail?" Remington wondered.
"This is Los Angeles. The police are usually everywhere. The crime rate is MUCH lower in -" Abigail's eyes widened. "Edward didn't hurt Laura, did he?"
"No," Mr. Steele assured her as Mildred opened the door into the corner office. "Edward's dead, Abigail."
Mildred glanced at the sofa, and finding it empty, she looked at the window. "Miss Holt?" she called quietly. Going into the bath, Mildred was becoming more concerned. She opened the connecting door between Mr. Steele's office and Miss Holt's, but that room was empty as well.
Pulling open the door back into the reception area, Mildred cried out, "She's gone, Mr. Steele!"
"Gone?" Remington repeated, frowning. He went into his office, unknowingly following Mildred's path, with Abigail close on his heels. "You didn't see her leave, Mildred?"
"I was only in the coffee room for a minute," Mildred told him. "She must have left then."
Abigail drew a shuddering breath as Remington made a decision. "I'll go down and let Jarvis know that she's missing. Maybe he can help. Mildred,-" he paused, seeing her feelings of guilt clearly on her round face. "I don't blame you, Mildred. She probably would have gone even if you HAD been in here. Call the garage, will you? See if her car's still down there, and if anyone's seen her. Then call me on the phone in the limo."
Abigail touched his arm as Remington turned to leave. "Find her, Remington. Please."
"I will, Abigail," he promised. "I will."
***
The garage attendant had confirmed that Laura's Rabbit had left the underground parking area not very long ago. After talking to Mildred, Remington told Fred to keep an eye out for the white convertible, then sat back to think things out.
He lifted a hand, intending to rub it over his face, but stopped, looking at his fingers. They began to shake as reaction to what had happened on the roof finally began to set in. He'd tried, he had really TRIED to hold onto Edward, but he'd failed.
Would Laura ever be able to forgive him for that failure? He wondered.
Remington took a deep breath and forced himself to put his own fears aside. The business at hand involved finding Laura. Even if she never forgave him, he had to make sure she was all right.
So where would she go, he wondered. Where would she feel safe? He whispered a frantic prayer that she WAS safe.
"Did you say something, sir?" Fred asked from the front seat.
"No. No, Fred. Just muttering to myself. Keep an eye out." The light was beginning to go as the sun sank behind a horizon of steel and glass buildings.
While Laura was more than able to take care of herself, Remington still worried about her being out in the city alone. Especially in her current frame of mind.
The mobile phone rang, causing Remington to jump. "Steele here."
"Steele, its Lt. Jarvis. One of our units has located Miss Holt's car-"
"Where?" Remington asked quickly.
"Griffith Park. Near the Observatory. They're going to check it out-"
"No. I'll do it," Remington said. "Thank you,
Jimmy." He hung up. "Griffith Part Observatory, Fred.
And let's not worry about the lights, eh?"
Remington was thrown back in the seat as the limo accelerated.
***
A black and white police cruiser was sitting behind Laura's white Rabbit when Fred brought the limo alongside the curb. Remington was out of the car before it came to a complete stop. "Have you seen her?" he asked the officer.
"No, sir. Lt. Jarvis said that you wanted to handle it."
"Of course. Thank you. Thank you very much for all your help," Remington said, moving toward the Observatory.
Laura and Mildred had lured Lt. Jarvis up here when Major Descoine had attempted to frame Remington for murder. When he'd asked why Griffith Part, Laura had smiled. "It's a favorite place of mine. I know most of it like the back of my hand. Whenever I have a decision to make, or need to think things out, I go there. Something about the view of Los Angeles seems to put things in perspective."
Yet, even after all this time in LA, Remington himself had yet to visit the landmark. Oh, he'd seen it in "Rebel Without a Cause", of course. "James Dean, Natalie Wood, Warner Brothers, 1955," Remington murmured under his breath as he climbed the first set of steps that would take him upstairs.
"The Observatory will be closing in ten minutes," a soft voice informed him as it filtered through the public address system. "All visitors are asked to make their way to the nearest exit. Thank you."
Remington saw several people head toward the stairs he'd just come up. He ducked behind a corner and remained where he was for a moment. Glancing at the wall behind him, he noticed some faded graffiti on the white plaster. A heart with an arrow through it, containing the initials. "L.H." and "M.K." Remington grinned in spite of his worry. The infamous Marty Klopman, he reasoned, wondering not for the first time if the man ever wondered where the box of Kisses that he'd received for Christmas a few years ago had come from.
"The Observatory will be closing in five minutes," the soft voice announced again. "All visitors…"
Remington looked around, wondering where he could hide until after closing time. Laura was here. And he was going to find her.
To Be Continued…