As soon as Fred opened the door of the limo, Remington got out. He took several steps toward the house before he realized that Daniel hadn't followed. "Aren't you coming in?" he asked. "I thought you might like to meet Rikki-"
"I think it best if we wait until all of this is over and I can meet her as Daniel Chalmers, Harry, instead of Col. Frobish. Wouldn't want to confuse the child, would we?"
"No, I suppose not," Remington agreed.
"I'll wait here." He sat there, watching as the younger man approached the single story house and knocked on the door. Truth be told, he simply wasn't ready to meet Harry's daughter. But explaining his reasons to Harry would have been impossible.
***
Laura opened the door and looked behind Remington. "Where's your friend?" she asked.
"In the limo. He didn't want to intrude-" he was explaining as he entered the house, only to be set upon by a tiny tornado named Rikki.
"Uncle Rem!" she cried, running from the area of her bedroom, her black curly hair fastened on one side in a pony tail, the other hanging loose.
Remington scooped her up into his arms. "There's my favorite girl," he said, giving her a kiss. "I like the hair style," he commented, touching her pony tail with a wink at Maria, who was waiting in the doorway to the bedroom, comb in her hand.
"The moment she heard your voice, Sr. Steele, she came running out before I could stop her," Maria told him.
Rikki pointed into the living room. "Come see what Gramma brought me," she said, squirming out of his arms. She grabbed his hand and tried to drag him over to where he could see a board game set up on the coffee table. "We can play."
Laura laughed. "We don't have time right now, Rikki," she said, and when Rikki looked mutinous, Laura knelt before her daughter. "Mommy and Grandma are going to dinner with Uncle Rem, remember? You have to finish getting ready for *your* date."
"Pizza!" Rikki said, and ran back to her room. Maria laughed and shook her head as she turned to follow her charge.
"Date?" Remington asked Laura.
"Murphy's taking her for pizza," Laura explained as Abigail came from the direction of the bedroom, where she'd been freshening her make up.
"Indeed?" Remington asked. "When did this come about?"
"This afternoon. He's hasn't been spending much time with Rikki lately, and since we were going to be out for the evening- why am I explaining this to you?"
"Because he's Rikki's-" Abigail began, only to fall silent as Laura glanced toward Rikki's bedroom.
"Mother!" she hissed, grabbing her wrap. "Let's get out of here before you say something you shouldn't."
Remington assisted both women with their wraps, paying extra special attention to Abigail, earning a look of gratitude from the woman as she turned toward the door. "Night, Rikki!" Laura called. "You be good!"
She came running from her room again, and this time her hair was properly put up. She gave Laura and Abigail and hug, then it was Remington's turn. "Night, Poppet," he said, and she giggled as she always did at the nickname. "Don't forget *our* date tomorrow afternoon, eh?"
"Puppets!" Rikki said, nodding.
"I'll see you tomorrow," he promised, giving her a big hug before releasing her to follow Laura and Abigail.
***
At the restaurant, once everyone had ordered, Abigail said to Daniel, "Laura tells me that you were in the Royal Hussars, Mr. Frobish."
"Colonel," Daniel corrected. "But I'd prefer you to call me Reggie."
Abigail giggled. "All right, Reggie," she said. "I think it's fascinating- your being a military man-"
"I'm retired," he assured her. "Now, I spend my time recalling past glories-" Abigail sighed, resting her chin on her hand, her expression dreamy.
"You mentioned earlier that you served with Remington's father," Laura reminded him. "When was that?"
"Before the lad was born," Daniel informed her smoothly. Harry had warned him that Laura would try to grill him about his past. "After he died, I- stepped in, so to speak."
"How convenient," Laura murmured. "What do you do, -Reggie?" she asked.
"I'm retired," he said again in answer to her question.
Abigail sighed again, this time apologetically. "Really, Laura. One would think you had reason to distrust Reggie, the way you're asking him question, dear." She smiled at Daniel again. "Children."
He returned her smile. "Perhaps- before I leave, you and I might spend an evening together - just the two of us?"
"I'm only here for the weekend," Abigail told him regretfully.
"Then there's- someone waiting for you at home?" he asked with a look of disappointment.
"No, not really," Abigail said, and giggled again. "Well, I suppose I *could* extend my visit by a- few days."
Laura rolled her eyes and sat back, glaring accusingly at Remington, who just smiled, and decided that perhaps it was time to steer the conversation to other areas as their food arrived. "Laura tells me that you just returned from Europe, Abigail."
"Oh, yes. I loved it. So romantic."
"Where all did you visit?" he asked.
"London, Paris- Rome."
"Cannes?" Remington asked.
"Oh, yes. I even won a few dollars at the Casino there," she confided, drawing a surprised look from Laura. "You really should visit there sometime, Laura," she said. "You'd like it."
"I've been trying for years to get her to join me on one of my little jaunts to Europe," Remington told Abigail, "but she always has some excuse-"
"I couldn't very well just run off and leave Rikki, could I?" Laura reminded him, bringing the toe of her shoe into contact with his shin.
Remington hid his grimace of pain behind a sip of wine. "I thought I suggested that we all three go?" he continued bravely, moving his leg out of harms way when she would have kicked him again. He smiled at her frustrated glare.
"Europe has a charm all its own," Daniel noted. "But I find myself drawn to the South of France- the beaches, the climate. I've got my eye on a modest villa there- a place to settle down and spend my declining years-"
Abigail sighed, the dreamy look back in her eyes, and Remington gave up. It was a losing battle, obviously.
***
Murphy watched as Rikki ate her fourth slice of pizza, wondering where the child put it all in that tiny body. "Aren't you going to eat, Uncle Murphy?" she asked, noticing that he'd barely taken a bite of his own pizza.
He picked up the pizza and took a huge bite, causing her to giggle. "So. What have you been up to, lately?" he asked.
"Uncle Rem took me to ride some horses," she told him.
"Where you scared?"
"Not with Uncle Rem," she said, picking up another slice. "He put me in front of him on this *big* horse and we rode around in a circle a few times-"
"Did you like it?"
She nodded. "He said next time maybe we'd find a baby horse for me to ride on by myself."
"I see. Guess you haven't been missing me at all, then," he said.
Rikki scrambled from her chair and ran around to climb into his lap and give him a hug. "I love you, Uncle Murphy."
"I love you, too, honey. I've missed seeing you. But I guess with Uncle Rem around,-" he picked up a napkin to wipe her hands, fully aware of the fact that she'd gotten pizza sauce on his jacket. But he ignored it, as he always did. "I guess that I just want to know that I'm still important to you."
She looked up at him, and then gave him another hug. "You're my Uncle Murphy," she said, as if that answered everything.
Murphy returned her hug with a deep sigh and asked, "You wanna play some games?" he asked, nodding toward the game room.
"Sure!" she said, and slid out of his lap to run in that direction.
"Hey! Wait for me!" he said, following her.
***
Laura barely let Fred open the rear door of the limo before she was out of the vehicle and heading toward the front door of her house. They had dropped her mother off at her hotel after dinner, and now Daniel waited in the limo once again as Remington followed Laura.
"Laura- what's wrong?" he asked. "I thought the evening went well, all things considered."
"I'm just not sure I like the idea of a stranger monopolizing my mother they way your friend *Reggie* did tonight," she declared.
Remington smiled slightly and looked down at her. "Look at it this way- at least it kept her from asking questions about *us*."
Laura's expression cleared a bit as she pulled her key from her purse. "You're right. It did, didn't it? Maybe it wasn't such a bad evening after all, hmm?"
"If Reggie weren't waiting for me, I'd like to make it an even better evening," he said, leaning closer to her.
"But he is," she said, putting the key into the door. "What time are you picking Rikki up tomorrow?"
"Around one, I think. Aren't you going with us?"
"I have to work on the Grawley case," she reminded him. "And *you* are supposed to meet with our client tomorrow morning."
"On Saturday?" he questioned. "Really, Laura."
"Remington Steele doesn't punch a time clock," she reminded him. "Ten o'clock at the Gregory Place Hotel. Room 423." He nodded, already trying to think of a reason why he wouldn't be there. "Good night, Remington."
"Good night," he said, and waited for the door to close before going back out to the limo.
"Problems?" Daniel asked.
"Nothing I can't handle," Remington assured him. "Let's go get changed and get to work, shall we?"
Daniel smiled. "It's nice working with you again, Harry. It's been too long."
"Just don't get used to it, Daniel," Remington warned.
"Of course not. Your place is here, now, with your daughter. But it would be nice to take one, final jaunt across the continent, eh? Like the old days?"
Remington shook his head. "You're looking at a reformed man, Daniel."
"You're never tempted to- get back in the game?"
"Oh, I'm tempted-"
"And what do you do?"
"I cheat a solitaire," Remington confessed. "And I think about Rikki- and Laura. Then the feeling passes. I don't want to mess this up, Daniel. It's too important."
Daniel sat back, letting the darkness hide his expression.
***
The English style pub was almost empty at this late hour when Daniel and Remington entered. Daniel was dressed down- a sweater over his shirt- and no tie. Remington on the other hand, was dressed like a street thug. Leather jacket, tight jeans, boots and a tee-shirt a size too small. He put a stick of chewing gum into his mouth as he and Daniel watched two men throwing darts across the room. "The heavyset one in the tailored suit is Grawley," Daniel said in a voice that didn't carry further than the two of them. "Ex-soccer player for Manchester United - til he injured his knee in a game and was forced to retire. He'll bet on anything- prefers the ponies, however."
Remington studied their mark, noticing that for such a bulky man, his movements seemed spare and easy. "Who's the other one?" he asked.
"Joseph. He's one of ours." Daniel picked up his glass. "Do your stuff, Johnny."
Remington shot him a look, then moved toward Joseph as he went to retrieve the darts from the board. Grabbing him, he pushed the smaller man up against the wall. "Hey, there, my man," Remington said, slipping easily back into the tough street talk of his misspent youth.
"J-Johnny," Joseph stammered nervously, glancing toward the bar to find Daniel standing there watching.
"Here now, what's going on?" Grawley demanded to know.
Remington glanced in the other man's direction as he kept Joseph pinned. "Stay outa this. It's between my man and me here. You owe Mr. Tucker some money, mate. You were supposed t'pay up yesterday. And Mr. Tucker don't like when people don't do as they promise."
"I'll have the money for you tomorrow, Mr. Tucker," Joseph promised with an Irish brogue. "I just had a little trouble- you know how it is."
Remington gave Grawley a second look as he kept the little Irishman against the wall. "I've seen you somewhere before- Didn't you used to play football? Man United?"
Grawley gave him a lopsided grin. "Used to. Long time ago. Old news." He tossed a dart, which hit the bulls eye easily.
"Arthur Grawley, right?" Remington said, trying to sound in awe of the man. "Yeah. I remember watchin' you play," he added, still in character. "I was there the day you got hurt. Rough break that was."
"Rougher for me," Grawley said, throwing the second dart. It missed the mark.
"Yeah," Remington agreed.
"Get on with it, Johnny," Daniel said in a bored tone, totally dropping the English accent he usually favored for his own nondescript one. "The less time we have to spend in here the better. Don't like the smell of the place much." Grawley gave him a sharp look of disapproval.
Remington dragged Joseph over to the chair where Daniel was now lounging comfortably, lit cigar in one hand, and glass of beer in the other. "I'll have it for you tomorrow morning, Mr. Tucker," Joseph insisted. "Every penny."
"I'll see you then." Joseph made a hasty departure, giving Remington a wide berth as he left. Remington gathered the darts and handed them to Daniel, who rose from his chair to stand at the taped mark on the floor.
Daniel sighted his throw as he spoke. "You know, I've got a theory about why you Limeys like soccer so much- gives you a chance to watch all those young boys in short pants," he said nastily, laughing at his crude joke.
Grawley eyed "Johnny". "Who *is* that?"
"Jake Tucker," Johnny said, putting another stick of gum into his mouth. "My boss."
"You got an ugly mouth, Tucker," Grawley growled, watching as Daniel hit the bulls eye with all three darts.
"No wonder you Limeys lost your empire. You're all whiners," he declared as Remington gathered the darts for Grawley and stepped aside.
Grawley easily repeated Daniel's feat with the darts and gave him a grin. "Lemme know when you get bored, Yank."
"A thousand says you can't make it four in a row," Daniel challenged.
"I don't bet on things like this," Grawley said. "No challenge in a sure thing."
"That's the English for you, Johnny," Daniel said with a laugh. "The minute you call em, they back down."
Grawley's expression was nasty. "You're on, Yank," he said.
"Get the darts, Johnny," Daniel says, lounging in the chair again.
Remington went to the dartboard and withdrew the darts, sliding a plastic disk from his hand into the opening for the bulls eye as he did so. "Here you go, Mr. Grawley," he said, handing the darts over.
Grawley sighted and threw the dart, only to have it fall to the floor as Daniel chuckled. "Looks like you lost, Limey. I'll take my money now."
"I ain't got that kind of money on me," Grawley informed him.
Daniel nodded. "I'll send Johnny round in the morning to collect," he said, rising from the chair, Remington at his side. "Just make sure it's in American, pal." He laughed again, and Remington waved as they left.
"Bye, Mr. Grawley."
****
Laura hung up the hotel telephone in frustration as it continued to ring on the other end. No answer. And he hadn't been at his apartment when she had dropped by, either. A glance at her watch revealed that it was ten o'clock- she was due to meet with Mr. Grawley and give him an update on his case- and Remington was supposed to have been with her. Deciding that he'd better have a very good excuse when she next saw him, Laura got into the elevators and went up to the fourth floor.
Grawley let her into the room with a frown. "You're alone," he commented, going back to what he'd evidently been doing before her arrival: sit-ups.
"Mr. Steele is still tied up on another case," she told him.
"Any luck findin' Danny?" he asked.
"We're in the process of tracing the numbers that we found in his hotel room," Laura says. "But he didn't come back to that room all night- and -"
Grawley got up and glared at her. "Listen, lady, you may be good at whatever it is you do, but I don't want to stay any longer in this God-forsaken city than I have to. So either you get your high profile boss on this case, or I'll take my business elsewhere."
"Mr. Grawley-"
He opened the door for her. "The next face I see at this door had better be that of Remington Steele."
Angry, Laura stalked out of the door and back to the elevators. She was going to find Remington if it was the last thing she ever did and *drag* him back her to Grawley's room.
Remington, still dressed as Johnny Todd, got off of the second lift as the one Laura was in closed its doors. He found Grawley's room and knocked once. "Who is it?" the ex-football player asked through the wood.
"Johnny Todd," Remington confirmed.
The door opened, and Grawley handed him some money. "Here you go," he said, and started to close the door. But Remington stopped him.
"Tucker cheated you, Mr. Grawley," he said.
Grawley scowled. "Why tell me? You work for the Yank."
"Only because I made the mistake of placin' a bet with him that I couldn't afford to lose. I'm working it off being his collector. But I think it's time he was taken down a notch or two. And I think you're the man who can help me do it."
"I got enough problems of my own, pal," Grawley said, starting to close the door again.
"Tucker runs a horse race parlour down at the harbour. High class operation- but I've found a flaw in his system. He's got it rigged in his favour."
"Why not place the bet yourself, then?"
"He'd trace it back to me in a flash," Remington said. "I figure it's my one chance to pay him off and have a few bob left for myself. Make a fresh start, eh?"
"How much are you willin' to put in?" Grawley asked.
"Two thousand." Grawley looked doubtful. "Two thousand? At twenty to one? That's Four thousand dollars."
"How's it work?" Grawley wanted to know, opening the door for him to enter the room.
"You're in?"
"Didn't say that. I'm just -naturally curious."
***
Laura returned to the house in time to watch Rikki win another game of Chutes and Ladders- this time from Murphy, who had dropped by to return the child's sweater that had been left in his car. There was a vase filled with roses on the end table, and Laura stopped to admire them, thinking that Remington had sent them to her.
"Aren't they lovely, dear?" Abigail asked, smiling brightly as she came from the bedroom.
"Yes. Yes, they are," Laura agreed, wondering why the roses were making her mother look so giddy. "Remington's always sending me-" she ignored Murphy's frustrated sigh.
"Oh, they're not from Remington, dear," Abigail informed her as the telephone rang.
Laura picked it up. "Hello?"
"Linda, dear, how are you this morning?" It only took her a second to recognize the voice.
"Reggie." Laura saw her mother turn to look at her with a smile. "You wouldn't happen to know where Remington is, would you? We were supposed to meet at ten to see a client."
"I'm afraid not. He told me that he had some business to attend to this morning. I hope nothing's happened to him."
"Something will if I don't find him soon," Laura muttered darkly.
"If I see him, I'll be sure to relay your message- is your mother there, by any chance?"
Laura turned to her mother. "It's for you."
Abigail was humming as she took the receiver and spoke in a quiet voice. "Hello? . . . Yes. I got them," she sighed, touching the roses as Laura exchanged a concerned look with Murphy. "Oh, you wicked-" she stopped, realizing that others were listening. "I'm going to change telephones," she told him, and held the phone out to Laura. "Laura, would you mind hanging this up when I pick up in the bedroom? Thank you, dear."
Laura debated on listening in as her mother picked up the extension, but seeing Rikki and Murphy's eyes on her, decided against it. Hanging up, she looked at her daughter. "Rikki, why don't you go into your bedroom and pick out what you want to wear this afternoon, okay?"
"Okay," Rikki said, skipping into her bedroom as Laura went to the kitchen door.
"Maria, I'm going out for awhile. Make sure Rikki's ready for her trip to the puppet show at two if I'm not back- and tell Mr. Steele that I'm looking for him!" She returned to the living room, grabbing her coat as Murphy stood up. "Come on, Murphy," she said. "We've got a little breaking and entering to do."
***
As she picked the lock on Remington's apartment, she glanced up at Murphy. "Why did you call my mother, Murphy? And don't bother to deny it. She told me you called and gave her some song and dance about Remington not being a fit father for Rikki-" The door opened, and she entered, Murphy right behind her.
"I was only trying to help, Laura. I thought she would come here and-"
"And get rid of your competition?" Laura suggested, glancing into Remington's bedroom, then the kitchen, before going into the second bedroom that Remington had insisted on in case Rikki ever stayed over for some reason.
"Do you blame me, Laura?" Murphy asked as she pulled out the suitcase from under the bed. It had seen better days, she thought, the stitching was frayed and the corners scuffed from years of usage. "Why are you so concerned about this guy spending time with your mother?" he asked in an obvious attempt to distract her away from his transgression.
She opened the case. "Because I'm suspicious of anyone who makes my mother giggle like a school girl and sends her red roses-" she stopped as she found a handful of passports buried beneath the clothes.
"Good God," Murphy sighed. "He's another Steele!"
Laura opened the passports. "Leighton Sinclair, Britain. Eric Gunnar, Sweden. Col. Reginald Frobish, Hong Kong." She paused as she read the fourth. "And Daniel Chalmers, Canada."
"Chalmers? Isn't that the guy that Grawley's looking for? What are you going to do?"
Laura opened another compartment of the suitcase and lifted out a white wig and a pair of thick-lensed glasses. "Blow the lid off whatever Remington and his friend are up to," she declared. "I want you go to back to the office and run a full check on those names on the passports. I want to know *everything* about Daniel Chalmers or whoever he is."
"What are you gonna do?"
"Wait for Remington to come back here," she said, picking up the wig and glasses. "And then I'm going to find out exactly what Remington and his friend are up to."
To Be Continued---