Bundles of money are emptied from sacks and counted before being tied with a strip of paper with the letters "FRB". The bundles are then fed into a 'currency destructor' machine and shred into pulped paper.
A security guard with a trolley of money sacks passes a nervous looking man, A. R. Hollis. The man, thirty-ish and of small build, looks at his watch. It is Friday, 11:45am. With resolve, he picks up the telephone and dials. "Miss Hothmier? Yes, this is Mr Hollis. Ah, it seems the currency shredder in destruction room three is acting up again. Yes, I've called the repair man and cancelled this afternoon's, ah, transfer from the vault. You might as well send the crew home. Yeah ... what? Ah, you have a nice weekend too."
Hollis slowly hangs up the telephone and picks up a leather briefcase from underneath his desk.
A few minutes later he is pushing a trolley from a double-door secured vault as another man pulls the trolley into a room with shelves lined with bundles of money. The latter says, "I'm telling you Hollis, I live for the weekends. Which currency destruction room did you say this was for?"
"Three."
"Well, let's see. Got an eight million ready for the chopper. Four point six million and a two point three million."
"I'll take the two point three."
The man grabs a money sack and hands it Hollis, "There you go."
Hollis places the sack onto trolley, beside his briefcase. He undoes the sack and pulls out the trolley's side-draw and starts emptying the bundles of money into it.
The man picks up a folder and starts telling Hollis of his weekend plans. "Now me, I'm heading over to Catalina for two days *and* nights with Barbara - 'Boom Boom' - Bellows. " He laughs and taps Hollis on his back, "From Accounting. Ah, how about you? You got any plans?" he asks with a knowing smile.
Hollis finishes emptying the sack and takes the folder from the man's hands and signs for the money. "Well, there's a reading of Tolstoy's 'War and Peace' on the radio I thought I might catch."
The man is at a lose for words, "Ah, sounds exciting Hollis."
Hollis wheels the trolley past the 'Currency Destruction 3' room and manoeuvres it into the opposite doorway of 'Room A'. He draws a set of keys from his pocket but nervously drops them on the floor. He stoops to pick them up and is approached by a middle-aged security guard who asks, "Can I give you a hand there Mr Hollis?"
"No!" replies Hollis who then turns to see the guard. "Oh, ah, I, I, I just dropped my keys there." He points to where he had dropped the keys as the guard pushes past him and pats him re-assuredly on his shoulder.
"No problem. I'll get the door for you." The guard unlocks the door, "Can't have a new Assistant Manager spending his lunch hour scrapping for a set of keys now can we?" He opens the door.
"Thanks Horace."
"Forget it. Have a nice weekend," replies Horace as he walks back down the corridor.
"Yes, you too." Hollis waits until the guard has gone and then scoops up his keys before pulling the trolley into Room A and closes the door behind him. Hollis then pushes the trolley, with his briefcase still on top, down a corridor, his face glistening with sweat.
Outside, Hollis carries his briefcase through the car-park to his car. He sits inside his car and notices a couple in the next car kissing. Hollis sinks into his seat and empties the two point six million from his briefcase into a clear plastic bag.
*****
Friday, 6:02pm
The office workers leave as Hollis cleans up his desk, placing a manilla folder into his briefcase. He then follows the stream of workers through the car-park but stops when he sees his car is missing from his assigned car spot.
*****
Saturday, 9:18am
On a bridge, Steele is on the limousine telephone as Fred replaces the back-left tyre. "I'll admit, coming to the office is *hardly* my idea of a perfect Saturday morning. But I can think of more imaginative ways to avoid it than a flat tyre."
In Steele's office, Laura is politely smiling for the benefit of a pacing client as she responds, "I understand Mr Steele and Mr Cutler is most anxious to meet with you as well."
"Oh what's so desperate about his problem that it can't wait until Monday anyway?" Steele spies a dejected Hollis walking along the footpath on the opposite side of the bridge.
"I understand that time is of the essence sir when it comes to a missing school of prize winning carp."
The client walks over the Laura and she holds out the telephone for him as he explains, "Koi. They're called koi!" She nods in agreement. "They hit every pond on my estate. The whole collection." Mr Cutler turns away from Laura and she replaces the handset to her ear.
"Laura, am I to understand that you're dragging us away from a perfectly good weekend to search for missing fish?" Steele watches as Hollis stops, takes off his suit jacket and folds it before starting to climb up a pillar to step over the high railing.
"Yes sir, some of those coy are worth over twenty-five thousand a piece, Mr Steele."
"Oh my God!" says Remington as he realises in horror that Hollis is preparing to climb over the bridge rail and jump. He throws the telephone into the limo and rushes across the street.
"I'll relay your concern to Mr Cutler sir." She stops as she realises Steele is no longer on the other end of the telephone. "Sir," she repeats and then grits through her teeth, "Mr Steele."
"Wait!" yells Steele as he reaches Hollis, now standing on the top of the pillar ready to jump. Steele grabs Hollis' by the waistband, "Ah, you know I'm not in the habit of coming between a man and his maker but," he looks down at the long drop, "surely there must be a better way out of here."
"Not for me there isn't," replies Hollis.
"Ah, nonsense. We all have our grey days."
"Well, I've had a grey life. And it's just turned pitch-black. Thanks but no thanks."
Hollis turns to jump and Steele tightens his grip on Hollis' waistband. "Now just hold on a moment Mr ... ah ..."
"Hollis. Alfred R Hollis." He shakes Steele's hand.
"Remington. Remington Steele." Hollis turns again to jump but Steele tightens his grip and nervously tries to stall. "Now, I mean, ah, think about it for moment Alfred. In every dark corner, there's still one's work to consider."
"Shot to hell."
"Ah. Well then, good friends perhaps."
"Don't have any."
"Ah, treasured loved one!"
Alfred pauses, "Let her down when she needed me most. Could you let me go know?"
"Ah, you know Alfred, I've just had a thought. I mean, if you're so anxious to get to the pavement down there, I mean, why don't you let me drive you? I mean, my car's only over there," Steele starts to pull the man down from the pillar, "and ah, I'll have Fred my chauffeur drive you wherever you like." By now Steele has brought Alfred to street level and hands him his coat and while he picks up Alfred's briefcase.
"I don't think that will produce the same result."
"Now you just let me be the best judge of that," replies Steele, putting his arm around Alfred and heading back to the limo, "Okay? Right."
*****
In the office, Laura is doodling on a writing pad as she sits on Steele's desk. "Now, approximately how many fish would you say were stolen Mr Cutler?"
"They're not just fish they're koi! Now when is Mr Steele arriving?" He looks at his watch, "I have a -" He's cut off as Remington enters the office dragging Alfred with him and then placing him in the chair in front of the desk.
"Now just have a seat in here Alfred, okay?"
"Mr Steele!" says Laura.
"Finally," comments the irate client.
Steele looks from Laura and then shakes the client's hand, "Ah, you're Carpfish."
"Cutler," corrects the client.
"Right." He then turns to Laura, "Can I see you for a moment Miss Holt?"
"Can I see you for a moment Mr Steele?" asks Laura at the same time.
"Maybe I should go," says Alfred standing.
"Out of the question," replies Steele, forcing Alfred back into the chair. "You stay right there and have a seat." He looks at Cutler and instructs, "And you see to it that he does, eh Carpfish."
"Cutler," corrects the client.
"Right. Okay, " says Steele as Laura drags him into her office.
As soon as the door is closed Laura starts, "You're really trying to *punch* a *hole* in this one aren't you?"
"Laura it's not what you think," says Steele trying to calm himself.
"Look. I know stolen fish may sound ridiculous but first it's a *flat* tyre then you *hang* up on me and then you *show* up late. *Who* is that guy anyway?"
Steele is still overwrought as he explains, "His name is Alfred Hollis. And I only brought him here because he was trying to *kill* himself."
Laura stops and looks him up and down, "Please. I know you can do better than that."
Steele becomes worked up again, "Oh but it's true. What's more a reason, I need your help. I've never pulled a man of a bloody bridge and I'm not sure that I can talk fast enough to stop him from trying to do it again!"
"You're serious."
"And more than just a bit frightened too. Excuse me will you?" Steele leans past Laura and opens the connecting door to check on Alfred and then closes it. "Yes. I don't have all the details. But I'm certain that Alfred won't talk to anyone official, which means that right now we're the only ones that are between him and a fast fall into the great hereafter!"
"Alright, alright, alright." Laura places a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "Calm down now. We'll think of something. But first we have to think of a way to get rid off Carpfish."
"I thought his name was Cutler?"
*****
In Steele's office Laura and Remington are listening to Alfred's story. Cutler is nowhere to be seen.
"I, I wasn't trying to *steal* the money you understand. I just wanted to borrow it. For the weekend." He isn't very convincing.
"Oh," Laura politely comments, not believing him as Steele sits, still in shock.
Alfred continues, "I promised Angelica I'd do everything I could to help."
"Angelica?" asks Steele.
"She's a young woman. A very special young woman. The only one to ever make me realise that life could be more than a steady job, a room with two windows and a long book. She moved into the apartment just above mine a few months back. From Spain."
"And you were trying to help her," comments Laura.
"Yeah. You see, she opened one of these little speciality boutiques but it took all the money she bought with her just to get it started. When her supplier suspected she was broke they *demanded* to see the rest of her collateral by this weekend or, or they'd shut her down. She had the money but it was all tied up in Spain so, so *we* thought if she could show them, say, fifty-thousand dollars of solid, American currency-"
"They'd leave her alone until her own funds came through," finished Steele.
Laura asks, "But if you only needed the fifty-thousand then why did you take -"
"Two point three million," Alfred finishes for her and then explains, "It was the smallest they had."
"Oh," says Steele as he and Laura smile.
Alfred continues, "Besides, when you've destroyed as many *billions* as I have, after a while it just turns into ... green paper."
"Until of course, some of it is missing," observes Steele.
"I was going to bring it all back early Monday morning. Feed it into the shredder myself so that everything would balance but now I've lost everything. The money. My job. Angelica." Alfred looks at the windows and then turns and asks, "Do these windows open from the inside?"
"No. No." Laura quickly tells him. "It's a modern building. Sorry."
Remington leads Laura to the corner of the office. "I don't mean to sound negative but it's obvious we can't go to the police and our chances of finding a stolen car with two point three million stashed under the seat ..."
"I know," agrees Laura. "From his shoes jumping must look pretty good. We've *got* to find a way to keep him back off the edg-" She stops as she hears a car horn. They both turn to see Alfred has opened the window and is starting to step out. Laura rushes to the window and pulls him back into the office, "Ah you know Alfred, I would really *love* to meet Angelica." She takes his arm and starts to escort him from the office as Steele takes Alfred's other arm.
Alfred turns around, looking back to the open window. "Hey! I thought you said those windows didn't open from the inside."
"Oh, well, we were lying," laughs Laura as Steele offers, "Ah well, we get the odd loose one."
*****
Inside a block of units Steele and Laura are still leading Alfred down a corridor as they approach a door. Alfred starts to about turn, "I don't think I can face her."
"Alfred, if Angelica is all that you say I'm sure you'll understand," assures Laura.
As soon as Steele knocks on the door Alfred says, "She's not here let's go."
"No, no. Let's wait for her to come back."
Steele knocks on the door again as Alfred offers anther excuse, "I don't have a key."
"No problem," says Steele reaching his hand out to Laura.
"Happen to have it," says Laura as she pulls out a lock-pick out of her handbag and hands it to him.
"Thank you," says Steele as he kneels and starts to work on the lock.
"You're going to break in. That's illegal," observes Alfred. Laura gives him one of her 'looks' and he comments, "Look who's talking."
"Alfred. I know this may sound trite under the circumstances but the fact is we *all* make mistakes," says Remington. "That hardly means that the people we trust most are going to turn their backs on us and desert us. Voilá." He opens the door and they walk into a room with sheet-covered furniture.
"Angelica?" queries Alfred.
"Alfred, ah, are you sure this I her apartment?" asks Steele.
"She's gone. I don't understand."
"Alfred," says Laura, "it doesn't seem as if anyone has lived here for quite sometime." Laura picks up a newspaper and blows the dust off it. Some of it floats onto Steele who quietly coughs and brushes his lapel.
"But that's impossible."
"Hollis?" The trio turn around to see a woman enter the room. "What are you doing here?"
"Mrs Flaggett? What happened to Angelica?" asks Alfred.
"Who?"
"Angelica Di Gama! This is her apartment!" says a panicking Alfred.
"I've managed this building since Ernie caught a slug in 'Nam, Hollis and we've *never* had a tenant in her by that name. This is the *Dubins'* apartment. And they've been in Europe for the past year. Just how did you get in here anyway?" asks the woman becoming irate.
Alfred's face goes blank, "If you'll all just excuse me for a moment," he says before running out the door.
"Alfred! Alfred!" calls out Laura.
Remington calls out, "Alfred don't!" moving Mrs Flaggett to one side.
They both give chase and follow Alfred who runs up the stairs onto to the roof of the building and jumps up onto the railing. Laura and Steele stop running when they see his position.
"Alfred, I want you to stand perfectly still. You hear me?" asks Laura sounding nervous.
Alfred looks blankly then focuses on the ground below, "Angelica!"
Steele tries to reassure Alfred, "We can all appreciate how upset you are about her Alfred, but-"
"No! Look," he happily points to a woman running across the street to a red car, "It's Angelica." Just then he loses his balance and falls, "Ahhhhhh."
Steele yells, "ALFRED!" as he and Laura run to the edge to find that Alfred has fallen onto a ledge about three feet below them.
"That's Angelica," says Alfred as he points again to the woman in the car, which she is now driving away.
Laura and Steele both look puzzled.
"That's Angelica?" asks Laura.
*****
Inside the limousine, Steele and Laura, holding the newspaper from the unit, sit either side of Alfred
"According to the landlady the apartment's been vacant for the last year but this newspaper is only a week old," says Laura.
"Are you suggesting ... 'Gaslight'?" asks Steele.
"What?" asks Alfred.
"Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman, MGM, 1944," supplies Remington to a still confused Alfred.
"In other words Alfred," explains Laura, "Angelica appears to vanish without a *trace*, just a day after the money does."
The implication now dawns on Alfred. "Wait a second. Are you saying my car being stolen last night *wasn't* a co-incidence?"
Steele is suddenly worried what the implications of their assessment of the situation on Alfred's current, fragile state of mind, "No, no, no, no. I mean, dozens of cars are stolen every day. I mean, *hundreds* of them."
"But Angelica *knew* that I'd be taking that money out instead of *destroying* it. You're saying *she* took it."
"Tell me Alfred, the boutique that Angelica opened. What was it called?" asks Laura.
"'Broken Promises'," they all pause as the irony sinks in. "I was afraid to tell her that I had lost the money. All along she was just *using* me."
"Alfred, sometimes it's important for us to try and look beyond the mere facts," says Steele trying to comfort Alfred.
"It's alright Steele. I think I understand now."
"Good," says Steele as he and Laura pat Alfred on the arm.
"Everything's going to be okay,"
"Good," repeats Remington as he and Laura give Alfred another reassuring pat.
Suddenly Alfred lunges across Laura and opens the car door. He is inches above the road hanging onto the arm-rest with Laura and Steele stacked on top of him.
"ALFRED!" scream both Steele and Laura. They look up through the car window of the open door and see an oncoming semi-trailer. "Ahhhhh!" calls out Steele. With a swift movement all three pull back into the limo and the truck sails past blaring its horn.
Inside, Laura is now sandwiched between Remington and Alfred as they gather their breath from the lucky escape. "I had another thought," says Laura looking at Steele.
*****
The doorbell is constantly buzzing as Murphy runs down the stairs in his apartment wearing cotton stubbies and puts on a jumper. "Alright! I'm coming." He opens the door. "Laura?"
Laura walks past him with Alfred and Steele in tow. "Awfully sorry to barge in on your Saturday but ..."
"Steele?" queries Murphy, less than unimpressed at seeing Remington in his home.
"... there is a small favour we need to ask?" finishes Laura as Steele sits Alfred in a chair.
"It will only be for a few hours. Alfred needs somewhere quiet to collect his thoughts." Steele pats Hollis on the arm and instructs, "Sit!" Laura has picked up a pointed ornament and points Remington to the wall.
"Wait! To be perfectly honest guys, now is not exactly the best time." Steele hands him three swords he has lifted from their display on the wall, "You know what I mean?"
"Uh-uh," says Steele as Murphy takes the swords and heads for Laura who is locking his window as Murphy continues. Steele turns around and spots baseball bats and a golf bag filled with clubs.
"Laura? Look, I don't pretend to know what this is about and ordinarily I'd do anything you ask but you specifically told me you could *handle* the 'missing fish' client by yourself and frankly-"
He is stopped by a woman coming down the stairs buttoning up one of his shirts, "Murphy, I thought you'd said you were going to get rid of whoever-" The woman pauses as she comes reaches the bottom of the stairs and looks up to see Laura still holding the pointed ornament, "was at the door".
Steele, with his arms now full with baseball bats and the full golf bag, is at a loss for words and Laura is embarrassed as she manages to say, "Oh dear."
Alfred stands and asks the rhetorical question, "We've come at a bad time, haven't we?"
"Yes, you could say that," agrees Murphy.
Steele comes to life, looking very pleased, and walks to woman carrying the baseball bats and full golf buggy. "Well, I must say, this is an honour to meet you at last, Miss ah ..." He leans the golf bag against his leg and waits for answer.
"Ah, ah, Sherry, Sherry Webster," offers the woman looking at Murphy.
Steele shakes her hand, "Of course, Murphy has told us *so* much about you." He puts his hand back on the golf bag.
"Really?"
"Mhm," nods Steele.
"But we just meet last night," says a slighty confused Sherry.
"Oh." Steele is temporarily at a loss for words but then recovers and puts his arm out to reach around Sherry's shoulder. "Well, I see, tell me, ah, Sherry. Do you by any chance know how to brew a pot of tea?"
Sherry looks down at his hand on her shoulder, "Tea? I guess I- Why?"
"Because tea is such a *mature*, *civilised* drink, and in a few minutes I sense that we need to be as mature and as civilised as we can possibly be." Murphy is unimpressed and Laura looks annoyed. Steele looks down and removes his hand from Sherry's shoulder to the golf bag, "My six iron is slipping, excuse me."
*****
In a punk clothing shop called, 'Broken Promises', Laura and Steele walk towards a still figure leaning over a counter.
"Look at this place. It's hard to picture Alfred getting caught up with someone who likes to wear all this," says Laura.
They both reach out to touch the mannequin, which instantly comes to life, "Hey! You looking for someone to play with go down to one of the boulevards." She glares at Laura and then Steele, "We're strictly trappings in here."
"We were just admiring your, your, uhm, necklace," offers Steele, pointing to the red collar with attached lead around the woman's neck.
"Well it's *not* for sale."
"Oh."
"Is there something else you want?"
The woman looks at Laura who replies, "We were just waiting for Angelica actually. She's supposed to meet us here."
The woman crosses her arms and looks at Steele, "Well, you're in for a *long* wait."
"Oh, why's that?" asks Remington.
"The deadbeats I fire don't come back. *'Specially* when they owe me money."
"She worked for you then?"
"Yeah. She was here for awhile but she was too busy running up a 'phone bill to be *working* for me."
Laura says, "Those must have been *all* the calls to our casting director. If you be able to verify the number I'd be glad to re-imburse you."
"Don't move. I've got the bill right here." The woman leans over the counter and hands Laura the bill. "Thirty-five eighty." She hands the bill to Laura. "So you're casting directors huh? What do you want with Angelica?" she asks looking at Steele.
"Hmn, hmn," he pauses, "Ahh, well we're working on a punk version of, ah, 'Gone With the Wind'." Laura half-smiles at him as he continues, "And we have her in mind for Scarlett. Any idea where we might find her?"
"Yeah. 'Lingerie'."
Steele smiles, "Ah. A bit of a weakness for silk and satin hey?"
"'Lingerie'. It's a club. Down on Sunset."
"Oh," mutters Steele.
"I heard her mention it a couple of times."
"This is our number she kept calling," says Laura looking up from the bill. "Do you by any chance have a 'phone I could use?" She hands the woman the money for the telephone bill.
"Sure, it's right here," says the woman pulling out the 'hand' from an upper body mannequin that is sitting on the counter.
"Oh. Ahh," mumbles Laura.
"Handy," observes Steele.
*****
Back at Murphy's flat, Murphy is now dressed and putting on his shoes as Sherry sits opposite Alfred, holding his hand. "You must feel so hopeless, helpless, turmoiled, frustrated, despondent, panicked, enraged, lonely, exiled."
Alfred nods in agreement, "You wanna end it all too, huh?"
"I have a PhD in psychology."
Murphy looks up from tying his laces, "I thought you said you were a stewardess?"
Sherry continues to look at Alfred, "You tell a man your a doctor of psychology, you end up going home by yourself. They're *all* afraid you're out there to analyse their performance or something. At least as a stewardess I stand a chance of ... getting lucky."
The telephone rings and Murphy answers it, "Yeah ... Yeah, Laura he's alright. No. No, no, no, nothing's happened. Absolutely *nothing* ... What? ... Hey, it's *Saturday*. C'mon, how am I supposed to track down a number on ... Alright, give it to me ... five-five-five, eight-eight-seven-eight."
Alfred sits up, "That's the bank!"
"Hold on a second." Murphy looks at Alfred, "What?"
"All the numbers at the bank start with 'five-five-five'. I don't know whose line 'eight-eight-seven-eight' is but ..."
Murphy looks at the number and then speaks into the telephone, "Uhm. I think I can track down that number after all."
At the store, Laura is talking into the mannequin's hand, "Ah huh ... Ah huh ... Thanks Murph ... Bye." Laura looks at Steele, "All those calls Angelica made were to the bank. But *not* to Alfred." She returns the hand to its wrist, "So whom then?"
"An accomplice perhaps?"
"Possible. Someone else on the *inside*. Someone who knew what Alfred did. Maybe even the kind of a loner that he was."
"Mhmn. Easy prey for a sharp girl with a sad story. She gets him to borrow the money."
"And then they steal it out from under him," finishes Laura. "The perfect patsy. He can't go to the police. Angelica vanishes. And he's left trying to tell a story his own mother wouldn't buy."
As they pass the store owner she comments, "'Gone With the Wind', huh? I guess it takes all kinds." Laura and Steele politely laugh.
*****
Inside Steele's apartment, Alfred is sitting on the couch as Steele opens a bottle of wine, "Look, don't worry. We'll find the money. Well Alfred, I sincerely hope you're through with that self-destructive bent."
Alfred shrugs off Steele's comment, "But it's not your headache."
"Alfred. When a man saves another man's life, it entails a certain responsibility," he re-corks the bottle.
"But why should you worry about what happens to me?" asks Alfred in a small voice.
"Yes. There was a particularly rocky period in my life before I became Remington Steele." He hands Alfred a glass of wine and then corrects his slip-up, "That is, before I dedicated myself to the service of others. I was in a state of perpetual anger. Lashing out at anything and anyone who crossed my path. I didn't realise it then but that anger was directed at myself, a way of ending a life that held no promise. No purpose. No future. No nothing. Then someone came along and taught me self-respect. Imbued in me a certain clarity of thought, a certain sense of direction. Perhaps I'm merely attempting to repay that person through you."
Alfred's spirits have lifted considerably. "Hard to believe. You have everything. Confidence. Success," He watches as Steele takes off his jacket and throws it to one side, "Silk shirts."
"Welll, it just goes to show you Alfred. We all have moments of self-doubt and despair. The trick is to *hang* on until they pass."
The telephone rings and Steele picks it up, "Steele here ... Ah yes Laura, yes, yes, ... Excellent thought ... I'm sure they will welcome us with *open* arms ... Of course, we'll be there right away ... Okay, goodbye."
*****
Inside the bank, the security guard Horace leads Remington, Laura and Alfred down a darkened corridor . "I didn't know you had relatives in Cleveland, Alfred."
Remington pads their story out, "No, first cousins once-removed on his mother's side of the tree."
"This is just a stop-over really on our Hawaii", adds Laura in unfamiliar accent. "Since we were here we just insisted that Cousin Alfred shows us where he worked."
"Ah. It will have to be a quick look I'm afraid," says Horace.
"Mhmn," nods Steele.
They reach a door that Horace unlocks and opens, "We start locking down for the night in 15 minutes."
"Oh," says Steele looking around.
"Nice meeting you all." Horace shakes Remington's hand as Laura enters the room followed by Alfred.
Steele mutters, "Very good," and walks into the office too as Laura says, "Thank you."
As soon as Horace leaves, Laura leaves the opened office and runs down the corridor, back in the direction they entered. She is followed by Steele and Alfred. They enter a large, neat, almost bare, office.
"If your inter-office directory is correct Alfred this should be eight-eight-seven-eight," says Laura as she checks the extension number of the telephone on the desk. "And it is." She picks up a notebook, the only item on the desk-pad.
"Oh no," says Alfred after he enters the office.
"What?" asks Steele.
"It is also the office of "J. P. Whitcomb - the District Supervisor!" says Alfred pointing to the nameplate on the desk.
"Do you know him?" asks Laura now flicking through the desk calendar.
No. Not really. I've never even seen him. But ah-"
Laura cuts him off. "You know it's funny, his calendar hasn't been used for awhile. Except for this address." Laura points at a page in the calendar and Steele takes it from her to look.
Alfred remains standing at the door as he explains, "You see it was J. P. Whitcomb who signed the memo promoting me to Assistant Manager about ... two months ago."
"About the same time Angelica appeared upstairs," confirms Remington, now holding a pen as he starts to pat his pockets for something to write on.
Alfred has a look of resignation, "So the only reason I was promoted was to get the money out of the vault with just my signature."
Steele looks at the ground in front of the desk an picks up a strip of paper with the letters "FRB". He turns it over and starts to write.
Laura has returned to flicking through the notebook that was on the desk, "Alfred, I know it appears you've been very carefully set-up but-", she turns around to see the door closing and Alfred is gone. "Al- Alfred." Laura drops the notebook and rushes out the door with Remington close behind calling out, "Alfred!"
In the corridor, Laura also yells out, "Alfred!" and they both run after the banker. Alfred rushes out into the street, causing the traffic to brake suddenly as he crosses to other side and enters a construction site. Laura and Steele see him and also rush across the street. Inside the site, Alfred looks up to see a construction lift descend. He runs up some stairs, opens a door and stands in the lift-well as he tightens his body and screws up his face waiting as the lift moves downwards towards him. Steele sees Alfred's position and the fast-approaching lift. He calls out again, "Alfred!" as he and Laura run towards the lift. Steele opens the lift door just as it arrives on the ground floor. Steele closes his eyes and pulls Laura aside as she screams at Alfred's impending fate. The lift lands on Alfred but his head forces the lift floor to detach and fall to one side. He is alright. Slowly he looks around as Steele starts to enter the lift, "Alfred?" Suddenly a shot hits the opened lift door just above Remington and Laura's head. They both duck and some shots fire into the lift but miss Alfred.
Alfred slowly realises his dilemma. He jumps over Steele and Laura's crouched figures and yells, "Steele! I think somebody's trying to kill me!" More shots are fired causing Steele and Laura to duck again before the start to chase Alfred as Remington calls out, "Alfred!" over the sound of a screeching car. They stop and look around the empty construction site.
Laura yells in frustration, "We lost him!"
*****
Sunday, 3:45am
Inside Remington's office Murphy is sitting on the couch speaking into the telephone with Sherry sitting nearby on the coffee table. Steele and Laura enter the office as Murphy talks, "Alright. Ah, look if he does come *please* have him return my call. Thank you very much."
"Well? Have you come up with anything?" asks Steele.
"No, no", replies a frustrated Murphy. "I've tried his house, the bank, ALL the hospitals. Nothing. He's *just* gone."
"Well he's got to be out there somewhere. I mean we're not going to find him on the bloody telephone are we?!" snaps Remington.
"Easy, easy. We *all* want to find Alfred, you know," says Laura placing a hand on Remington's shoulder to reassure him.
Steele holds up a hand in defence and mutters, "Hup, hup, hup, hup" as he starts to pace. "What about the beach? I mean, in 'AStar is Born' Frederic March walks himself into the ocean. Or the train station. I mean, Garbo threw herself in front of a train in 'Anna Karenia'."
Murphy puts his head in his hand.
"Or the reservoir! Where Richard Chamberlain drank contaminated water in the 'The Music Lovers'," offers an excited Sherry. Murphy looks out from behind his hand in disbelief at her movie references. Remington is taken aback too.
"I thought your shingle was psychology?" asks a perplexed Murphy.
"Yeah. But I minored in film," replies Sherry with slight hesitation.
Murphy pauses. "Alright! I'm game. You do the movies. I'll do the driving." He holds out his hands to a smiling Laura as he follows Sherry from the office.
Laura continues to smile as she walks over to Remington who is standing in front of his desk. "I wonder where Murphy meet Sherry?" She looks up at him and is concerned, "You alright?"
"Oh, you pull someone off a bridge you think you're doing them a favour. But every corner we turn around in this one just seems to make it worse for him. At least before Alfred *believed* he had a girlfriend. A promotion! You tell me. I mean, what does he have now?"
"He has you," answers Laura placing a hand on his shoulder.
*****
Inside the club 'Lingerie', people dressed in a variety of fashion, some with punk hairdos, are jumping around the dance floor to the sound of loud punk music. Laura and Steele cross the floor dodging the dancers. Remington yells to be heard over the music, "Inspired thought Laura. Looking at these people, one's self-esteem can't help but improve."
"Whoa," says Steele as he looks around. A man in leathers, wearing a dog chain with make-up darkening his eyes and cheeks and forming the look of an open wound running the length of his forehead comes up behind Steele and turns him around.
"Ronnie Chatswood," The man shakes Remington's hand. "I heard about your movie. I want to try out for it."
"Movie?" asks a puzzled Steele.
Laura looks at him, "'Gone With the Win-Re-visited'" as she stamps on his foot.
Steele winces, "Ohhh! Word certainly gets around fast around here doesn't it?"
"Watch this," says the punk who then takes a few steps back, points at Steele and then begins his audition, "Frankly my dear Scarlet," he walks towards them, "YOU STINK!"
Steele wipes some spray from his face, "Interesting interpretation. Very interesting, very interesting."
Laura rescues him, "Of course, if we could see you with the Scarlet we had in mind." The punk looks at them with a smile and walks off into the crowd in search of 'Scarlet'.
"Alright. Watch your foot," says Steele.
'Rhett' walks back toward them leading a dancing Angelica who stops and looks up at Steele and Laura as he introduces her, "Here's Angelica." She stamps on his foot and runs across the dance floor into the lounge area, leaving 'Rhett' hopping as he holds a sore foot.
Steele cuts off Angelica's escape by coming around the bar. Laura approaches from the other side, stopping to grab a set of chains from a table. The woman she grabs them from stands angrily and watches as Laura chains and wraps them around her hands as she walks towards Angelica, "Are you coming along quietly Angelica or do I have to get rough?"
Steele smiles at Angelica and points to Laura.
Standing by a railing looking out over the dance floor, Steele and Laura listen to Angelica explain, "I thought Whitcomb had sent you. That's why I ran off."
"But Whitcomb set you up in that apartment," says Laura trying to figure out Angelica's motives, "You worked for him right?"
"Only because I had to! He has big friends in the Immigration Department. And I'm not legal you know? He says if I don't get Alfredo to take the money he's going to have me sent back."
"Spain?" asks Steele, recalling Alfred's explanation of why Angelica needed the money.
"Tijuana," replies Angelica.
"So you filled Alfred's balloon with a lot of *hot*, sweet air and then *popped* it by stealing his car with the money in it," sums up an unimpressed Laura.
"I'm not so proud of myself okay. When I take the car back to Whitcomb I see he has a gun. That's why I think he's maybe going to kill Alfredo."
"A little deception's alright but the thought of murder upsets your *delicate* sensibilities, hey?"
Angelica tries to break past Steele and Laura but they push her back and Steele warns, "Stay right there. Don't move."
"Alfredo was not the only to fall in love. So many people, everyone's got some kind of game you know. But not 'Fredo. 'Fredo he was just as Alfredo. I went back to the apartment anyway last night. I was going to tell him everything. Warn him about Whitcomb. I waited there all night but he never came back. Finally I got scared and, and left this morning to go looking for him." Angelica is upset.
"That must have been when he pointed you out to us," says Laura.
"Alfredo was with you?" Angelica looks up with hope in her eyes, "You know where he is?!"
"Alfred was with us then but as for your other questions I-"
Laura cuts Steele off, "It will be daylight soon. Angelica. If Alfred really matters to you can you tell us where to look? Was there any place? Any favourite spot where he might go if he were in trouble?"
Angelica is upset again, "I don't know." Then she remembers, "Sometimes, when he was kind of down, he'd want to go walking on the bridge."
"The bridge?" asks Steele looking worried. "Oh no, not that bridge." He starts to leave and grabs Laura's arm, "C'mon."
Laura grabs Angelica's arm and repeats, "C'mon."
*****
Sunday, 5:53am
The limo draws to a stop on the bridge where Steele first saw Alfred attempting to jump. Steele, Laura and Angelica run to the side of the bridge and peer through the railing. Steele jumps up on the ledge and through the trees sees a figure lying at the base.
At ground level they come across Alfred's still figure. Laura gives Remington a gentle push to approach Alfred while she hangs back with Angelica. Steele cautiously walks around the body and kneels pausing before reaching out to roll the figure over. At his touch Alfred wakes with a start. "Steele? What are you going here?"
Steele looks him up and down in disbelief, "Alfred? You're alive!" Steele grabs Alfred's head both his hands.
"Of course I'm alive."
"You're alive! He's alive!" Steele ecstatically pulls Alfred's head to his chest and calls out, "Oo, hoo-hoo! Look Laura, he's alive! Hoo-hoo!" Steele stops his celebration and still holding Alfred's head in his hands asks, "Why are you alive?"
"Oh, oh. You mean how come I didn't, ah ..." Alfred points to the bridge. Laura, now standing beside them, nods waiting for Alfred to answer.
"Well, considering recent events. It's not an unfair question is it?"
"No, well, yeah." Steele pulls Alfred to his feet as the latter explains. "I guess I pretty much hit bottom, when I realised my promotion was just another part of the set-up but ah, when those bullets started flying and, and, and I realised someone was trying to kill me. Why ah, I got kinda mad, you know? I mean, I mean it's one thing for *I* don't feel like living any more. But for somebody ELSE to decide, willy-nilly that I should be *dead*-"
"But Alfred, if you wanted to keep on living the why did you run away from us?" asks Laura.
"Oh, Miss Holt. I couldn't let you take any more risks. Especially not with a killer after me." Laura and Steele beam like proud parents at Alfred's gesture and Steele reaches out and pats Alfred's cheeks. "So I came out here to figure out my next move. I thought about going out to look for Angelica but ah, I guess I must have fallen asleep." Alfred turns and sees a smiling Angelica walking towards him. "Angelica?"
"If I could take it back to the beginning 'Fredo, I wouldn't change a thing. Except the last day."
"Alfred," offers Laura, "She lead us to you. And for what's it's worth, she didn't have to."
"If I knew what Whitcomb did with the money I'd tell you," says Angelica. "So, I see you are alright now. I can be going back to Mexico." She turns quickly and starts to walk away. Steele makes a pushing motion with his hand and says a silent "GO," to Alfred as Laura gives a nod of her head in Angelica's direction. Alfred takes the hint and runs to catch up with Angelica.
"Well, that's all well and good, BUT if we don't find that two-point-three million soon. Do you still have that address that we got off Whitcomb's calendar?"
"Mhmn," mumbles Steele reaching into his breast-pocket to draw out the strip of paper he'd picked up in Whitcomb's office. "I've got it right here, next to my heart."
Laura smiles.
*****
Laura is banging on a side door of a shop with a sign that reads, 'Gunworks - new and used guns - gunsmith'. A male voice from inside is heard, "I hear ya! I hear ya!" She keeps knocking and the voice calls out, "I'll be there in a minute!".
Laura stops knocking and Steele asks, "*Assuming* we get in there, do you think it's a good idea to let Alfred along with us like this." They both look across the carpark to see Alfred and Angelica tête-à-tête as Remington continues. "I mean, I know he seems to back on solid ground but supposing he loses his footing in a place like that? Mmhn?"
Laura nods in agreement but before she can answer the door is opened by a man wearing a dressing gown over his pyjamas and holding a rifle. He isn't happy. "Do you know what time it is? I'll tell you what time it is. It's seven o'clock A M on Sunday. Now what the hell do you think you're doing?"
Laura starts in an emotional, fast-speaking, stressed voice, "I'm really, really sorry but today is Daddy's birthday and with his condition who'll know how many more he'll have and I know he got his favourite gun ever from you a few months," the man nods trying to follow her spiel, "and if Donald hadn't *LOST* it," she turns and gives Steele an annoyed look.
"How was I to know it was in the moose-head?" interjects an unsure, remorseful 'Donald'.
Laura chastises poor 'Donald', "Well, If you'd *had* the decency to hold-off the garage sale until after he was gone," Laura returns talking to the man who looks a bit dazed trying to follow the story, "Sis and I could have given him the vibrating foot bath with the built-in clock radio like we'd planned but NOOO-" Laura again turns to direct her comment to 'Donald'.
The man can't take any more, "Alright. Alright. I suppose a dying man deserves to have his favourite piece close by. Just try and buy it *quietly*, if you can?"
"Yes, yes, yes, really. Thank you, thank you sir, really, thank you, really, thank you," says a humble 'Donald'.
"I'll get the keys." The man shuts the door and Steele congrats Laura on her subterfuge as they shake hands, "Oh very good. Wonderful."
*****
Inside the gun store the store owner is looking through a book-register on a glass-topped cabinet as Laura and Angelica look on. The store owner looks up and ask, "You two *really* sisters?"
Angelica replies, "Funny, most people can tell right off," and Laura hides a smile.
"Well, I can't find any record of a purchase by a J P Whitcomb," says the owner as he closes the book. He points to the guns in the display, "Maybe if you could tell me what the gun looked like. I mean, I carry all kinds." Angelica starts to look and Laura turns around to see Alfred and Steele standing near a rifle display.
Steele is looking away from Alfred who is holding a gun with the nozzle right near his eye as he peers up the barrel. "I don't know the first thing about guns."
Steele turns and then jumps when he sees Alfred's pose with the gun. "Hup!" Steele takes the gun from Alfred. "Well, ah, they're really, ah, very overrated. I mean you just point them away from you and shoot. Nothing could be duller." He places the gun back on the rack as Alfred picks up another gun from the rack. "Ah!" utters Steele as he again takes a gun from Alfred.
At the counter Angelica points to a gun, "I think it looked like this one, except the handle had yellow wood on it."
Murphy and Sherry enter the store as the gun owner queries Angelica, "Are you sure? That's a standard service revolver used by cops and the like."
Murphy taps Laura on the shoulder and tells her, "Laura, you're not going to like it but we managed to locate Whitcomb."
"Where?" asks Laura.
"Sleepy Meadows Memorial Park," says Sherry behind Laura.
"Oh. Well that's a *cemetry* isn't it?"
"J P Whitcomb is dead," states Murphy. "And he has been for the last *two* months."
"What?!" exclaims Alfred, holding yet another gun.
Steele quickly grabs the gun and places an arm around him, "Steady Alfred."
Angelica faints. The store owner asks, "What's happening?"
"Whitcomb is dead?" says Alfred in disbelief.
"You're Dad!" Sherry and Laura, who have knelt to resuscitate Angelica, look up. "Oh, gee I'm so sorry. And on his birthday too."
*****
Sunday, 4:28pm
Inside Steele's office Laura works through the situation. "Obviously, whoever is behind this at the bank knew Whitcomb was *dead* and has been using his name and office to run the scam."
Murphy paces past Laura, "But we've still got less than half a day to find the money."
"Mhnm, and get it back in the bank," adds Sherry.
"And destroy it before somebody blows the whistle in the morning," clarifies Angelica.
Alfred reasons, "It'd be awfully risky for him to lug it around everywhere. He'd probably find some place safe to hide it."
"Mhmn. And unfortunately the only clue we had on our ersatz Mr Whitcomb proved to be a dead-end." Steele holds up the 'FRB' strip of paper and places it on his desk.
Alfred notices the paper, "Wait a second. This is, this is one of the straps we use to bundle the condemned currency."
Laura comes to life asking Steele, "Where did you get this?"
Everyone gathers around the desk as he replies, "From the floor of Whitcomb's office."
"Of course. The bank. He's keeping the money somewhere in the bank. No-one will ever think to look for it there. With all that security where could it be safer?"
"But even if that's true, it's too late. By now Security has already started its lock-down for the night."
"Then we'll break-in," Laura calmly states.
"Break-in?" ask Steele and Murphy.
"Would you all excuse Miss Holt and me for a moment," says Remington taking Laura by the arm, "Step this way," and leading her into her office, "Laura," he closes the door behind them. "Before we go raising the hopes up out there any higher you *might* recall that we're talking about the Federal Reserve Bank of your esteemed Government. *Not* some local liquor store with a simply trip-alarm, a *trusty* deadbolt and a *sleepy* schnauzer."
"Are you telling me it can't be done?"
"With sufficient lead-time, enough preparation perhaps -"
"Well we don't have any of those. But we *do* have is plain and simple Alfred R Hollis, who ran away when someone was trying to kill him because he didn't want to see *us* get killed." Remington starts rubbing his chest as Laura continues, "Or is there more to pulling people off bridges than you bargained for?" Laura fixes him with a stare.
"Believe me Laura, I am painfully aware of my responsibility." He looks towards the closed door, "Painfully."
Laura sympathetically smiles and pats Remington on the shoulder. He slaps himself on the chest, "Ouch."
Steele is disgruntled but walks purposefully back into his office looking at Laura following him. "Alfred. Uhm. Most buildings, like, ah, most people have a soft spot somewhere. Some place where they're very, uhm, vulnerable. Any idea where that might be in the bank?" Laura is watching Steele with a smile playing at her lips as he warms to the challenge.
"I, I don't know. I never thought much of the building," replies an unsure Alfred.
"Ah well, don't think of it as building, think of it as a system. I mean take your job for instance. I mean, after you've finished destroying the money. What happens to it?"
"Well, once the C B S shreds it," starts Alfred.
"Mhn," nods Steele.
Alfred continues, "It goes through a tube into a central pulverising bin and then it continues on up to a dumpster on the roof."
"The roof?" Steele has found his weakness. He turns to Laura and then back to Alfred for confirmation, "The roof."
*****
It is now night. The limo stops outside the construction site beside the Federal Reserve Bank. Steele, Murphy, Laura and Sherry exit the car. They are all dressed head-to-toe in black, except Sherry, who is still in her day clothes.
Murphy looks towards a crane, "You know I'm not a hundred per cent sure I know how to operate one of these things."
Sherry looks up the construction site, "No sweat."
They all look at her as Murphy says, "Don't tell me."
Sherry smiles, "I worked construction during the summers."
Laura laughs as Sherry walks towards the crane. Laura places a hand on Murphy's shoulder and says smiling, "I'll check the hook."
Steele is putting on gloves as he comments to Murphy, "Remarkable young lady that Sherry."
Murphy runs to the crane and Steele walks to a girder with each end ties to a rope. The girder forms the base of a triangle and the ropes attached to it forming the sides of a triangle. At the top the rope, and girder, are attaches to a large hook.
Laura is already standing on the girder as Steele steps onto it. Laura looks up and says, "Before we start, I think there's something you ought to know."
"What's that?"
"I'm not very good with sheer drops."
"Ah yes, then it's unanimous."
Murphy hot-wires the crane and whistles to Steele and Laura as Sherry starts moving the controls, "Here goes nothing!"
Slowly the girder rises. When it is a fair distance from the ground Murphy instructs Sherry, "Now swing them around toward the bank."
Sherry follows his instructions but the hot-wire connection sparks and the girder stops. Laura is knocked off-balance and starts to fall. She hangs on with one hand but drops to hang below the girder.
"LAURA!" Steele cries out in panic and leans across the girder, "Take my hand."
Laura is still hanging on with one hand around the ropes and trying to obtain her grip on the girder with her free hand. Steele places his hand near Laura's hand on the girder, "C'mon." Laura looks down and starts to panic, "Don't look down," advises Steele, "Take my hand, Laura."
Murphy is hurriedly trying to hot-wire the engine again.
"You can do it. Come on. Give us your hand. C'mon. C'mon." She grabs his hand but it slips from his grasp. She tries again and her hands still slips.
"C'mon. *Don't* look down. C'mon, c'mon once more on the count of three. You can do it. One. Two. Three!" Laura grabs his hand and this time he is able to hold her grip.
"C'mon swing. That's it. C'mon, c'mon, c'mon." Laura struggles to swing a leg on top of the girder.
Murphy manages to hot-wire the crane and yells, "Alright, now GET 'EM OUT OF THERE!"
Laura secures her balance on the girder and Sherry slowly glides them to the roof of the bank. Steele jumps off and runs to check the ventilator outlet while Laura remains clutching the rope until the girder comes to a stop on the roof. She follows Steele who is now crouched in an attempt to dislodge the vent.
Laura is losing confidence, "Maybe you were right."
"Mhmn?" Steele is concentrating on trying to move the vent.
" Maybe we shouldn't go through with this."
"Well, I can't say I disagree but if we don't press our the only way back is another ride in that crane."
"By the way, ah, thanks."
Steele meets her gaze, "Pleasure." He lifts the top of the ventilator shaft with Laura's help. The shaft is now easily accessible. Steele ties a rope to the side of the roof and Laura Laura breathes deeply, takes stock and builds up her confidence to continue.
Laura talks to herself, "Go." She steps into the shaft and repeats, "Go," as Steele nods his encouragement. She lands in a pile of paper mulch and holds the rope steady as Steele descends to sit beside her.
"Well, well, if Alfred's map is correct we should be able to-" Steele stops as they hear someone approach. They both lean back against the wall as a guard points a torch into the mulch room before moving on his round.
Steele looks around and says, "I've always wanted to roll about in millions of dollars with a beautiful woman. Curious how one's fantasies are fulfilled, hey?"
Laura looks at him, "Maybe it's time to start thinking about fulfilling some other fantasies."
"Whose? Yours or mine?"
" Ours. It's always good to take things slow, and not rush things between us. Not get in too deep. But only because we assume we'll both be around when the proper time comes."
"I know. I almost lost you out there tonight. Suddenly, I realised I'm not prepared for that at all." They both lean into a kiss and Steele puts his hand on Laura's head to draw her close. Slowly they draw apart, "Ah yes. I can't think of a conversation I'd like to continue more. But I'm afraid I haven't left any room for it in the schedule." Laura gives him a soft kiss. "Come with me. This way." Steele rises and they move towards exit.
A guard walks down the corridor as Laura and Steele peer around the corner. They pull back when they see him and wait until their path is clear. They then enter J P Whitcomb's office and start searching for the money. "It *has* to be here somewhere," says Laura in frustration.
"Yes, unless they've come back here and beat us to it already," comments Steele, searching under the front of the desk. Laura shines her torch onto the desk pad and notices four, small, round indentations near each corner. "Have a look at this."
"Hmnm?"
"What do you make of this?" Laura uses her torch to point the markings to Steele.
Steele shines his torch to the ceiling and mutters, "Ay, ay, ay," as he turns around to pick up the nearby chair and place it onto the deskpad. The chair's legs are a perfect fit to the markings on the table.
"Bless you, Mr Steele," says Laura and watches as he climbs onto the chair and lifts one of the ceiling panels to one side and looks inside the roof.
Steele reaches up and hands down a bundle of money to Laura, "Yes. A trifle more substantial than 'Pennies from heaven', but ...". Steele continues to pass bundles of money to Laura. Laura notices a shadow appear outside the glass door to Whitcomb's office and ducks behind the desk. She doesn't have time to warn Remington. Horace the security guard enters the room and switches on the light. Steele tries to cover his position, "Ah, good. I was hoping someone official was going to stop by. I think I've located the source of the rodent problem you've been having around here. Ah, Montgomery Crewman, State Board of Exterminators. It seems that the mother rat has been using this-"
He stops when he sees Horace aim his gun. Steele continues and warns Laura, "I see you're taking you're gun out. You're gun with the yellow, wooden handle."
"You're not Montgomery Crewman. Or Alfred's cousin from Cleveland. Are you?"
"Whitcomb! You're Whitcomb."
"Whitcomb's dead. Remember? But you can go ahead and take the money down now. Save me the trouble."
Remington resumes extracting the bundles of money from the ceiling and throwing them down onto Laura who tries to avoid being hit. Steele buys some time, "So, you set the whole thing up, hey?"
"Rather ingenious wouldn't you agree?" Steele nods. "You see I wasn't satisfied with a Government pension plan. And knowing that there was all this *unwanted* money *floating* around ..."
"And you knew exactly how tight security was on that money so actually needed someone else to steal it for you."
"Alfred was such a lonely man I thought he needed a woman in his life. Someone he could help."
"But Alfred didn't have enough authority so you, ah, faked his promotion."
"That's the great thing about bureaucracy. The left hand doesn't know what the right is doing. The proper memo signed by the proper official, and nobody even bothers to ask if he's still alive."
"And with the money stolen there was just the matter of killing Alfred."
"I planned for it to be a simple suicide in his apartment but he didn't come back!" Below Steele, Laura judges the distance to Horace from the sound of his voice. "Now I'm going to have to make some other arrangements. Not unlike the arrangements I'm about to make for you!"
Laura quickly stands and pushes the chair so Steele flies on top of Horace. Horace quickly rolls Remington underneath him and starts to stand. Laura then vaults across the desk and follows Steele's flight path landing on top of Horace. This time Horace backs his assailant into the wall but isn't quick enough to dodge Steele's right hook which knocks him out.
Steele walks stand in front of Horace and beside Laura. "Sorry to foul all the arrangements old boy." He then looks at Laura, "You certainly waited long enough to make an entrance." Steele feels his jaw from Horace's punch while they were on the floor, "Or did it take up all that time to think up such a brilliant stunt?"
Laura smiles, "You saved my life this evening," she reaches out and feels Steele's jaw, "I was merely waiting for an opportunity to return the favour."
*****
Monday, 8:46am
Bernice arrives at the office, unlocks the door and walks to her desk throwing her bag on it and then starts to undo her coat. She stops in surprise as a smiling Angelica and Alfred, holding hands and with their eyes only for each other, walk from Steele's office.
Bernice stops them, "Excuse me, but what are you doing here?"
Alfred smiles, "Well, to be honest, we were just contemplating matrimony. But first, there are some investigators we have to talk to down at the bank. Still, it's great to be alive, don't you think?" Alfred and Angelica kiss and then leave as Bernice nods, speechless.
Next, Sherry and Murphy leave Steele's office, holding hands, as Sherry insists, "Stop apologising Murphy. This has been one of the most *meaningful* weekends I've ever spent with a guy. I mean, you really allowed me to be just who I am." Murphy is preening.
"Murphy! What exactly is going-" asks a puzzled Bernice.
"Oh, please, Bernice, some other time. Oh, and I won't be in the rest of the day."
"And where are you going?"
"With any luck, to have my performance analysed," answers Murphy with Sherry looking at him adoringly as they leave.
Finally Laura and Steele leave his office. They are both laughing but stop when they see Bernice.
"All right, that's it. Now I want to know what's been happening here."
Steele responds, "Well, let's see. Ah, we prevented a man from committing suicide, although trying to commit suicide actually saved his life."
"And we broke into a bank," adds Laura.
"And we helped to see that nearly two-and-a-half million dollars was properly destroyed."
"Come on, I'm serious," says Bernice.
"Well, I'd like to elaborate, Miss Wolfe but right now," he places an arm around Laura, "Miss Holt and I have a pressing conversation to complete."
"Well, should I even bother to make the coffee?" asks Bernice.
Laura smiles at Remington, "Ah, no thanks. We'll be having *tea*."