They had hired extra help for the
evening. Two parking valets, another maid- even extra kitchen
help. Laura hadn't been as certain about this as Remington had
been. Inviting the cream of Los Angeles society to the house had
seemed a bit much to her, but as she stood beside Mildred and
Katherine, watching as Remington led the way to the converted
solarium, she had to admit that was certainly in his element.
"Gives new meaning to the term tall, dark and handsome, doesn't
he?" Jessica asked as she paused beside Laura.
Laura smiled. "He certainly does." Remington stood before
the doors of the room, lifting his hands to quiet the twenty people
he had invited.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm not going to make a speech. I
just wanted to thank you all personally for coming. " His
blue eyes sought out his wife. "Laura, come up here, will
you?" The crowd parted easily for her, and as she saw the
look in his eyes, she lifted her head slightly. She took his offered
hand as she joined him. "Without further pomp, I invite you
all to view the Steele Collection." He opened the doors,
standing aside as his guests filed into the room. On the wall
away from the garden and on the end walls, were hung several well-known
works of art. Reubens, Monet, a few lesser known artists even
an odd statue or two. Remington stood there, smiling, watching.
"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" Laura asked.
"Why shouldn't he, Laura?" Robert asked. "I often
considered doing exactly as Remington has- investing in art. But
I never found anything I really liked enough to buy it."
"It's wonderful, Mr. Steele," Mrs. Stanton-Gaines enthused.
"But, I do have a question-is this room secure enough for
all of these wonderful treasures?" She indicated the wall
of windows, French doors in the center. "Entering this room
would be child's play to a thief."
"I can assure you, Mrs. Stanton-Gaines," Remington said
loudly enough for several people nearby to overhear, "that
this room has the very latest in security features. The windows
are two and one half inch thick, bullet proof glass. The doors
are monitored by a laser beam, which, when tripped instantly alerts
the police to an intruder. There are also other laser monitors
around the room. They're disabled at the moment, but when the
doors close behind us, they will be automatically activated. And
those doors are locked with a keypad combination known only to
Mrs. Steele and myself. The system's been tested by some of the
best experts in the field," he told them, refusing to look
at Laura as she smiled at him, remembering that it had been Remington
himself who had designed and tested the elaborate system. "It
wouldn't do at all for Remington Steele to be the victim of an
art thief, now would it?" he had asked when she had commented
on his intense attention to every detail, and he asked it again
now. Laughter rippled through the group.
Laura's eyes moved to the door, and her expression must have mirrored
her surprise, because Jessica noticed something was wrong. "Are
you all right, Laura?" she asked as Remington 's attention
was caught by a curious guest asking him to further explain the
system.
"What the hell is she doing here?" Laura wondered.
Jessica searched the area where Laura's attention was focused.
She didn't see anything unusual. Most of the people she had met
over the course of her time in Los Angeles. Except for a blonde
woman who was looking at the Monet across the room. "Who
is she?"
"A bleach-blonde piranha," Laura muttered, starting
to move in that direction. "I'll teach her to crash a party-"
she began, only to find herself drawn to Remington's side.
"Laura, there's someone here who would like to meet you-"
he was saying.
"Well there's someone here that I've already met- and who
I'm sure WASN'T on the guest list," she whispered.
"A gate crasher?" Remington asked, frowning. "Where?"
"Over there by the Monet," Laura told him.
"Good Lord," Remington said, quickly draining the glass
of champagne in his hand before grabbing another from the tray
as it was carried past. "Felicia."
"What I want to know is WHY she's here. And how she got in."
Remington saw the look on her face, and smiled nervously. "Now,
Laura. Surely you don't think that I - Laura, I haven't seen Felicia
since that fiasco in London -" He smiled at a passing guest.
"Maybe she's here with another guest," he suggested.
"I'll go and ask-"
She grabbed his arm. "Not without ME you won't," Laura
told him.
Jessica, totally confused, found Mildred Krebbs looking at a Reubens
on the far wall. "Mildred,"
"Yes, Miss Beecham?"
"Would you happen to know who that woman across the way might
be?"
Mildred peered around several other people, then her eyes widened.
"That blonde bimbo. What's she doing here?"
"I find it interesting that both your and Laura's reactions
are similar. Who is she, Mildred?"
It was Katherine who answered. "Her name is Felicia, dear.
An old friend of Daniel- and Remington's from the old days."
Her worried gaze followed Remington and Laura as they worked their
way across the room to the woman, stopping occasionally to speak
to someone who asked a question, yet never losing track of their
goal.
As they neared that goal, Remington bent to whisper "Chin
up, Laura," in her ear. "She can't hold a candle to
you. Remember that." He smiled, speaking to the woman. "Not
one of Monet's best, of course," he commented, "eh,
Felicia? But one takes what one can get."
"I don't know. I've always been rather partial to this canvas,"
Felicia replied.
"You're looking well, Felicia. This IS a bit of a surprise,
though."
She turned at last, her gaze sweeping over Laura, pausing momentarily
on the diamond pendant before smiling warmly at Remington. "Michael-Forgive
me. I suppose I should call you Remington."
"This is an invitation only party, Felicia," Laura said,
keeping her voice down. "And I don't recall seeing YOUR name
on the guest list."
Felicia sighed. "As predictable as ever, Lisa."
"It's LAURA," Laura said. "Laura Steele."
She held up her left hand to show her the ring.
Remington saw Felicia's eyes narrow, and sensing the possibility
of an unpleasant scene, he put himself between the two women,
taking the arm of each. "Ladies. Why don't we continue this
little conversation somewhere a little more private?" he
suggested, pulling them along toward the door.
Robert saw him and asked, "Something wrong, Remington?"
"Just- renewing an old acquaintance, Robert," he explained,
moving down the hall. "Take over for me, will you?"
Robert, a concerned frown on his face, stood watching until the
trio turned the corner to the study. He sensed someone else watching
as well, and looked around to find a group consisting of Katherine,
Mildred, Jessica and Tony. "Would someone care to fill me
in on what's going on?"
Felicia rubbed her arm as Remington released her and closed the
door. "There was no need to manhandle me, Mi-" She smiled
at him. "Remington."
"Why are you here, Felicia?"
"It's all quite above board, darling," she said.
"In a pig's eye, " was Laura's comment.
Remington shook his head. "Laura, please. I'm waiting, Felicia."
He sat on the edge of the mahogany desk, watching her.
"I was in town visiting a friend. He received an invitation
to your little get together, and found himself unable to attend
at the last minute. So he suggested I attend in his place."
"And just WHO is this friend?" Laura asked archly, clearly
not wanting to accept ANY explanation.
"Charles Harwood. Of Harwood Electronics?"
"We purchased most of the components for the security system
from Harwood," Remington said. "I put his name on the
guest list as a courtesy."
"She's still a party crasher, Remington-"
Felicia sighed. "Really, Remington. She's like a terrier
with a bone. Just refuses to let go-"
Laura started toward the other woman, but Remington quickly grabbed
her from behind, high around the waist, pulling her to him. "Now,
Laura-"
Felicia's gaze sharpened as she looked at Laura again, finally
coming to rest on her slightly swollen abdomen that was revealed
by Remington's arm around his wife. "I wondered how you finally
managed to trap him, Lisa. I never realized you wanted children,"
she told Remington.
"There are a great many things you don't know about me, Felicia,"
he replied, forcing Laura to stay where she was by keeping his
arm around her.
"There was a time when that wasn't true," she reminded
him in a seductively low voice.
"That time is past. LONG past."
She looked around the room. "You've certainly done very well
for yourself, darling. This house, that little bauble that Lisa's
wearing-" Laura's hand went up to the diamond pendant as
if she were afraid that Felicia might rip if off of her neck.
"Even an art collection. I was quite impressed with the Monet.
I hadn't realized that particular work was on the market."
"It only became available last week. Felicia, if you're planning
on having a go at my- collection, I wouldn't advise it."
She laughed. "Really, darling. I'm hurt that you would even
suspect me of such a thing. I'm certain that the system you designed
is quite foolproof. After all, you tested it yourself, I'm sure.
And if YOU couldn't get past it, then, what hope would I have
of doing so?" She moved closer, ignoring the struggling Laura,
to trace his tuxedo lapel with a long, perfectly manicured fingernail.
"Get your claws off of him," Laura ordered, redoubling
her effort to escape Remington's hold, wanting nothing so much
as to scratch this woman's eyes out.
"What's wrong, Lisa?" Felicia asked. "Afraid he's
gotten bored with playing house and that he's ready for someone
more- exciting?"
"Laura-" Remington warned, knowing that he wasn't going
to be able to keep the two apart much longer. "I think you'd
better go, Felicia."
"Very well," she said with a deep sigh. "I'll go.
I only came to give- Remington my regards." She smiled at
him. "I'm staying at the Savoy, darling, and I'll be in town
for a few more days, if you should- decide to call."
"I hope you enjoy your visit," was all Remington said,
trying to keep Laura from doing something foolish.
"I can see that you're busy. Don't bother to show me out.
I believe I can find my own way."
"You always have, Felicia."
Once the door closed behind her smirking face, Remington released
Laura, then had to beat her to the door. "Get out of my way,
Remington-" she said.
"Why? So you can go after her? She's not worth it, Laura,"
he said, touching her face, then drawing her into his arms. "I
told you she can't hold a candle to you. I meant that."
"She just- makes me so-"
"I know, love. I know. I think she does it deliberately,
trying to goad you into doing something." He rubbed her back.
"Now calm down. She's gone. Perhaps if we're lucky, she'll
simply leave town and won't trouble us again."
"She's here for a reason, Remington. I think she plans to
steal that Monet."
"She can't get in, Laura. You know yourself that there is
no way around that system." He bent to kiss her. "Ready
to rejoin our guests?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," she said.
He remained against the door. "If she's still out there,
Laura, please let me handle it, okay?"
Laura smiled. "If Felicia is still here, you have more than
me to worry about."
"What do you mean?"
"Mildred's out there, too."
Remington's eyes widened in fear as he pulled the door open, urging
Laura along, hoping to avert certain disaster.