Steele Romance

Part 5

By Nancy Eddy

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Laura arrived at the Sheraton Hotel around seven the next morning. She went straight through the lobby to the elevators. Why hadn't she insisted on their meeting at the office instead of here? She was certain that Daniel wouldn't hurt her, but it left her without the feeling of control that she considered necessary. Taking a deep breath, Laura knocked once on the door.
Daniel opened it, his dark eyes smiling a welcome. "Laura. Do come in."
"Thank you."
He closed the door behind her and indicated a nearby cart. "Would you care for some breakfast?"
"No, thank you, I-"
He lifted a towel. "I ordered some croissants just for you."
"Pretty sure of yourself, aren't you, Daniel?" she asked, smiling to take the edge from her words.
"Not really." His eyes examined her. "You look tired."
"I'll get over it," she assured him.
"If you believe that, Laura, if you really think that you can put everything that happened between you and Harry out of your mind, then you're only fooling yourself."
"He seems to have done it. Running off to Monte Carlo-"
"I see. You'd have preferred that he stay in London moping about instead of forcing himself back into his own work?"
Laura's eyes widened. "He didn't go to Monte Carlo to -"
"Not that he mentioned, my dear," Daniel tried to reassure her. He sat back in his chair, presenting every appearance of a relaxed man without a care in the world. "You mentioned something on the telephone about having located Harry's father -"
Laura nodded, her eyes fixed on his. "It's really a wonder that he hasn't found the man himself," she said.
"Harry's not as good a detective as you are," Daniel reminded her. "And he's never really had any real reason to try and locate his missing parent."
"That's true."
Daniel knew she was still looking at him, and made an elaborate show of refilling their coffee cups. "What did you find?"
"It was really very easy. I just did a records search for baby boys born in Ireland in 1953 - the year that Harry has been told all his life that he was born."
"There must have been quite a few records."
"I had a few criteria to use in narrowing it down," Laura reminded him. "Mother probably unmarried, the child given out for adoption or into foster care - and the name Harry - or some version of it, at least."
"Why Harry? I don't know if that's his real name or not. It's something I took to calling him out of simple necessity. It's better than 'Hey you' at any rate."
"I asked you once why you chose Harry to take under your wing, Daniel. You never really answered my question, you know. Why, out of all the other boys in Brixton did you chose him? What was special about him?"
Daniel rose to prowl about the room. "You've met him, Laura. Surely you understand -"
Laura shook her head. "Not good enough, Daniel. I narrowed the search down to three babies- two of them were adopted. The third remained in the foster care system for some time before he ran away in 1963. What I really found interesting is that during the years of 1953 and 1954, you were in an Irish prison for attempting to rob a bank - and the reports of your sentencing mention a dark haired young woman who declared that she would wait for you no matter how long it took."
Daniel turned away, closing his eyes at the memory of that declaration. It had been the last time he had ever seen her. "I told Harry -"
"Yes. That you were in love with a young woman many years ago, and that you almost gave everything up to be with her. But she died before you got out of prison. Meg Harrison died seven months after you entered that prison - in childbirth."
"Laura, I'm asking you to please drop this. Now."
"I've gone too far, Daniel." She went to him where he stood at the window, looking down at the street below. "I didn't do this to hurt you, Daniel. I just needed to know the truth. To understand why you treat Harry the way you do - why you took him in, taught him everything you know -"
"Meg was the kindest, gentlest creature I'd ever met," he said in a low voice. "She was so CERTAIN that we belonged together- that things would work out."
"But you didn't believe it."
"I wanted to. I wanted to believe it more than anything in the world. But I'd already promised to do that bank job, and I couldn't back out. I thought it would give us a stake - something to start on -"
"Meg's father was wealthy, wasn't he?"
"Yes. And he hated me, didn't think that a con man who had tried to relieve him of some of his ill gotten gains was good enough for his only child. Maybe he was right. I decided that the bank job would be the last one. One last, big score before retiring from the life."
"But you got caught."
"I told Meg to forget about me, to get on with her life, but she wrote me a letter every day - "
"When did she tell you that she was going to have a baby?"
"Laura, is it necessary to delve into all of this?"
"I think so. You haven't talked to anyone about this in a long time, have you?"
"I've NEVER talked to anyone about. Not fully. Too much chance of it getting back to Harry. And I won't risk losing what little he and I have because of his hatred of his father -"
"But it wasn't your fault, Daniel. You were in prison- and I'm sure you tried to find him after you were released."
"I looked everywhere, talked to everyone I'd ever known - Meg's father finally threatened to have me put back in prison if I didn't cease and desist."
"So you gave up - left Ireland-"
He nodded tiredly, and Laura could see the stress of these memories on the man. "I lost myself in White Chapel for awhile - crawled through more pubs than I care to remember- than I CAN remember," he admitted with a smile. "I believed that I had lost the only thing that would have made my life worthwhile - give it some meaning."
"But you left White Chapel," Laura said.
"Eventually, when I realized that I had to make a choice, either drink myself to an early grave or do what I was good at doing. So I set up a con, then another - did rather well. Oh, not nearly as good as I'm doing now, but I was comfortable. Then I pulled off the biggest con I'd ever played - and on my way through Brixton my pocket was picked by a dark haired, blue eyed waif with an Irish lilt to his voice that was all but hidden by the street slang he'd picked up."
"Did you know who he was?"
"I knew those eyes," Daniel told her. His mother had eyes just like them. I guess I suspected, but I needed to spend time with him, get him to tell me about his life, where he'd come from. I shamelessly played on his liking for regular meals to lure him out. And when he finally told me about his earliest memories, they jibed with what I had found out - but I still needed proof."
"Only a blood test would prove paternity," Laura commented.
"I know. And I wasn't in any position to suggest to Harry that he go down for a blood test to find out if I might be his long lost father."
"No. So what did you do?"
"It happened quite by accident. Harry fell ill not after he came to stay with me - and I was forced to take him to the hospital, telling them that I was his father. Harry didn't like the lie, but he went along with it. At any rate, they took a blood sample, and I glanced at his chart. His blood type was the same as mine."
"So you knew."
"Just as I knew by then that Harry would quite possibly stick a knife into his father's heart if they ever met."
"Is that when you decided not to tell him?"
"If I had told him the truth, Laura, Harry would have run as fast and as far away as he could - and I would have lost him forever. I couldn't risk that. So I settled for being his friend - for teaching him how to survive in a world that isn't always fair or pretty. If my teaching him my trade troubles you, then so be it."
"Why Harry?"
"You came up with it yourself. Meg's last name was Harrison. In her letters, she had wanted to give him that name to hopefully mollify her father."
"Harrison Chalmers?" Laura shook her head slowly. "You've been calling him by his real name all these years and he doesn't even know it. Do you ever plan to tell him the truth, Daniel?"
Daniel sighed. "Eventually, I might. Once he's settled somewhere, found himself someone like his mother. Someone like you."
"Daniel," Laura began, but Daniel continued.
"You're a bit like her. Strong, lovely, determined. But you have something on your side that Meg never had."
"What's that?"
"A firm base in reality. Meg was forever living in her dreams of a rosy future. And those dreams were so strong that I began to believe in them myself."
Laura put her hand on his arm. "Don't, Daniel. You were right to believe. You see, as much as your Meg wanted to save you from a life of sorrow, as much as you wanted to save Harry from the horrors of Brixton, I want to save him from the same thing that Meg feared. Only her fears became real."
"And so will yours for Harry, I think. He's good - He's never been caught - oh, he's come close a time or two, but - he's always been lucky. Luck runs out eventually, Laura. And I'd hate to see Harry carted away to prison in chains."
"Is that why you haven't fought me? Why you've practically pushed Harry toward me? Or is it just a change of tactics from your blatant disapproval of Anna?"
Daniel looked at her. "He told you about Anna? I never trusted her, my dear. She was - there was a coldness about her. Harry saw it as an air of sophistication, but I saw it for what it was. I knew that she would use Harry as long as he was convenient, and when she found someone else, leave him wherever they happened to be at the time." He reached out to take her hand. "From the first moment Harry spoke to me about you, I could sense something different about him. And I suggested he invite you to London so I could see for myself what you were like."
"If I was suitable for Harry?"
"Yes."
"And did I pass the test?"
"With flying colours, my dear." He indicated that she should sit down again. "Tell me, Laura, do you still want Harry to come to Los Angeles and take a crack at pretending to be your imaginary boss?"
"I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't."
"Why?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"Why do you think he could do it?"
"He's a con man. And this would be a bigger con than he's ever pulled before, I imagine. The challenge of that alone-"
"If I could find a way to help you get him here - would you give me your word that you will never tell Harry anything about what you've found or that we've discussed here this morning?"
"He won't come here, Daniel. He made that VERY clear in London -"
"Harry's afraid, Laura."
"Afraid? OF what? Me?"
"Change. Of changing his life so completely - of being dependent on anyone else for his happiness. He's not a trusting person. He's been let down so many times in his life -"
"What do you suggest, then, Daniel?"
"If I know anything about Harry, Laura, it's that he has a jealous streak a mile wide- but getting him to admit that isn't easy. If you were seeing someone else - someone that Harry knew and considered wrong for you - Do you have any idea what his reaction would be?"
Laura shook her head. "After what I saw in London? He'd run back to Europe- or you."
"Rather difficult to do that if I was the man in question, wouldn't you say?"
"Daniel, you're not suggesting- It wouldn't work." She lifted her eyes to him. "Would it?"
"He would come running so fast that your head would spin," Daniel declared. His tone lowered, became almost hypnotic. "Think of it, Laura. A chance to con the con man. I'm not suggesting that we do anything more than have dinner together - perhaps take in a show or two -"
"But how would he know about it? He's in Monte Carlo-"
"He was due to return to London this afternoon. I left instructions that someone was to let it slip that I had come to Los Angeles on business- and that I had placed a telephone call to you before I left."
Laura rose to move around the room thoughtfully. At last she stopped, turning a smiling face in Daniel's direction. "When do we start?"

Harry entered the London house with a frown. "Where's Daniel?" he asked Niles, Daniel's butler.
"He left late last evening, sir."
"His car is in the garage -"
"He took a taxi, sir. And some luggage. He said that he left a message for you in the study."
Off on another game, Harry supposed, wondering why Daniel hadn't waited for him to return to join up. "Thank you. I'll be in the study, then." He didn't see Niles' smile as he turned down the hallway.
In the dark paneled room, Harry went to the desk and found the note quickly. "Harry, I had some important business to attend to in Los Angeles. Will call when I can. Daniel."
Los Angeles? Harry thought to himself. Daniel didn't have any business interests that he knew of in that city. The only interest Daniel could have would be a certain lady detective - and hadn't he warned Harry that he would consider Laura fair game if Harry messed up? "Damn," Harry muttered, as his gaze fell on the note pad beside the telephone. There was nothing written on it, but Harry could make out the faint impression of writing. Picking up a pencil, he rubbed the page until the numbers and a name appeared. Laura - and her home number and the number of the Sheraton Hotel. Harry's jaw tightened. If that old fox thought that he was going to stand by and watch - He picked up the telephone and dialed the number for the airline. "Yes. I'd like to make a reservation. Los Angeles. When is your next flight out?"

Laura was about to leave Daniel's hotel room when the telephone rang.
Daniel smiled at her as he picked it up. "Hello? . . Ah, Niles - . . . I see. . . What time?" He glanced at his watch. "Thank you." He hung up and turned to Laura. "Harry left the house minutes ago for the airport. He told Niles that he was going to Los Angeles."
"Which means he should be here- "
"Late tonight, very early tomorrow morning."

Murphy was driving past the Sheraton Hotel on his way to the office when he saw Laura's Rabbit in the parking lot. Wondering why she would e at the hotel so early in the day, he pulled his own beat up Ford into a space not too far away and watched. It wasn't long before Laura appeared, along with a tall, distinguished looking gentleman who spoke to her in an earnest fashion and kissed her hand before watching her drive away. Murphy frowned, then put his car into gear and drove up beside the man, who was now walking back to the hotel. "Excuse me?" The man turned toward the car. "I was wondering if you could tell me how to get to Dohegan Street-"
"Sorry," the man said, his accent clearly British, "but I'm new to the area myself."
"English, huh? Here on vacation?"
Daniel's memory for faces was excellent. It always had been. "Not really. If you'll excuse me, my good man, I have some things to attend to. I hope you find the street you were looking for."
"Yeah. Well, I'll just ask a cop for directions, I guess. Thanks anyway."
Daniel watched the Ford drive away with a smile. He had easily recognized Laura's associate from the photo that Harry had shown him. Boyish, all American good looks- He wondered what Murphy Michaels would say to Laura when he caught up to her.

"Out pretty early today, weren't you, Laura?" Murphy asked as he entered her office.
"I had some errands to run," Laura told him, glancing up at him. "Why do you ask?"
"I happened to see you leaving the Sheraton."
Laura smiled. "I see." She wondered if he'd seen Daniel as well, wondered how this might complicate matters when Harry arrived.
"Who's the English guy you were with?"
"How do you know he's English?" Laura asked him.
"I stopped and asked him for directions. Who is he?"
"Just- someone I met in London this weekend," she said evasively.
"What's his connection to Steele?" Murphy wanted to know, reverting to the only name he had for the man that he was sure Laura couldn't evade.
Laura held out a file folder. "We need to go over the Crandall case," she told him, her tone indicating that she wasn't going to tell him anything.
Murphy took the file. "Laura - what's going on here? You go running off to London to spend the weekend with a man you barely know, you come back and refuse to talk about what happened, and now you're hanging around hotels with another Englishman that you met over the weekend."
Laura kept her attention on the papers before her. "Did you interview the maid that Mrs. Crandall thinks stole that statue?"
With a deep sigh, Murphy gave up. But he was going to get to the bottom of this. Somehow.
Laura sighed softly as Murphy dropped the subject. She really needed to tell him that she was trying to convince Harry to come to Los Angeles and take up the role of Remington Steele on a full time basis. But she wasn't sure what her old friend's reaction would be - yes, she was sure. Maybe that's why she was holding off telling him anything.

That evening, Laura met Daniel in the dining room of the hotel. He lifted her hands to his lips, examining her appearance. "Lovely," he commented, drawing her to the table. "Did you park you car where it would be easily seen?" he asked.
"There's no way he can miss it," she assured him, taking the glass of champagne he had poured for her. "We might have some trouble from another source, Daniel."
"Hmm?" he asked, eyebrows raised.
"My associate, Murphy Michaels saw me leaving the hotel this morning. It's likely that he even followed me here tonight."
"I shouldn't worry about it, my dear." The live band began to play and Daniel asked, "Would you care to take a turn around the dance floor with an old man?"
She smiled as he rose and held out his hand. "I'd love to. But I don't see an old man," she assured him, as she let him lift her to her feet.
Daniel drew her into the dance, maintaining a proper distance between them. "I'm old enough to be your father," he reminded her. "And at the moment, I'm very much regretting that."
Laura laughed softly. "Why Daniel. Are you flirting with me?"
"I never chase a lost cause, my dear. No matter how delightful the rewards might be," he told her, laughing softly as she blushed. "No, I'll just be content to know that Harry's settled here with you."

Across the room, Murphy watched as Laura and her new "friend" danced. It wasn't like Laura to throw herself at another man so quickly. He wanted to know more about the man who was causing her to laugh softly.

After the meal, Daniel took Laura to a concert, using the Agency's limo, and Murphy returned to the dining room to collar the waiter, bribing him into showing Murphy the copy of the ticket that Laura's companion had signed. He couldn't read much of the signature, but the room it was charged to was easy to decipher. After thanking the waiter, Murphy made his way upstairs to the room.
He used a set of lock picks to enter the room, and once inside, began a thorough search. There wasn't much in the suite, but what Murphy DID find caused him to wonder about Laura's sanity. Three passports, three different names. Another one. He HAD to be the fake Steele's crony. Another con man/thief/who-knows-what. Murphy wondered what the man's name was, then rechecked the passports. None of them sounded familiar. He'd check them out back at the office later. He went back downstairs and sat down in the lobby to wait. He never considered that Laura and her friend might go to her place after their evening. Heck, Laura barely invited HIM over to that house. Picking up a magazine, he kept a watchful eye on the doors of the hotel.

It was a little after one a.m. when Murphy looked at his watch once again. Where in the world was she? he wondered. Someone entered the lobby, and upon seeing who it was, Murphy hid behind his magazine. Steele was crossing the lobby, going to the desk. He didn't look very happy, either. Deciding to risk being seen, Murphy rose from the chair and moved to a spot near enough to overhear the conversation.
"Excuse me," Steele said to the woman behind the counter. "I'm looking for a friend who's supposed to be staying here -"
The woman's eyes narrowed. "I've seen you - You're Remington Steele, aren't you?" she asked, smiling broadly. "I was here when you caught those two murders -" she shivered slightly.
"Right now, miss, I'm trying to locate someone else- Daniel Chalmers?"
"Mr. Chalmers? Oh, yes. He checked in last night - Is he a friend of yours, Mr. Steele?"
"I hope so," he said. "Could you - Would it be too much trouble for you to give me his room number? I know it's not usually done, but- It's really VERY important that I speak to him."
"Are you on a another case?" the starry eyed woman asked.
"Something like that. The room number?"
"Well, if I got caught, I could lose my job-"
Harry put some money on the counter, sliding it beneath the book near her hand. "I'd hate for that to happen."
She turned a punched up something on the computer. "Suite 412."
Harry smiled. "Thank you." He was turning around, catching a movement out of the corner of his eye, when the woman spoke again.
"But he's not there, Mr. Steele."
"He's not? Would you happen to know where he is?"
"He had dinner with a woman - I think you know her. I thought she looked familiar. She works for you -"
"Could you - describe her, Miss?"
"Short, dark brown hair, that's all I saw."
It was enough, Harry thought. "You said they had dinner?"
"And then they left to go somewhere else."
"Thank you. You've been very helpful." He turned around and went to the wide post that was nearby. "You're going to have to better than that, mate, if you don't want people to know you're watching them."
Murphy came into view, frowning. "Only reason you spotted me was that you're used to people watching what you do. Kinda goes with the territory, I should think."
"What are you doing hanging around a hotel lobby at this hour of the morning, Murphy?" Harry asked, wanting nothing more than to get upstairs to Daniel's room before he and Laura returned.
"Waiting for Laura to get back from her date with your 'friend'," Murphy told him. "Exactly who is this guy? He's old enough to be her father, for goodness sake."
"Which is exactly why I'm here," Harry explained cryptically.
"I don't want you anywhere near Laura either, pal. Not after the shape she was in this morning. What the hell did you do to her?"
Harry moved toward the elevators. "That's between Laura and myself, Murphy. Now, if you'll excuse me-"
"There's nothing up there that will tell you where they are," Murphy said.
"What do you mean?"
"Just that I've already checked his room."
"How long have they been gone?"
"They left here around nine thirty. The waiter that served them heard something about a late concert. And why the hell am I telling you any of this?"
"Because you care about Laura- and so do I. Three hours is a long time to be at a concert," Harry commented. He took a slip of paper from his jacket, then went to a nearby telephone to dial a number.
"Who are you calling?"
"Laura's house. They might have gone back there -"
"Who IS this guy? Could he be a danger to Laura?"
"Not physically, no," he assured Murphy as he listened to the telephone ringing. At last he hung up. "No answer. Am I right that her car is outside? The white Rabbit?"
"Yeah. She and your friend took the limo." Harry picked up the telephone again. "What now?"
"If I recall correctly, there's a telephone in the limo."
"Yes, but-" Murphy went silent as the other man's hand came up. He saw the blue eyes harden in suppressed anger before he hung up. "Well?"
"Someone picked it up," Harry told him. "I heard Laura laughing softly and then it was hung up again."
"I think we need to find them," Murphy said.
"No. They'll come back here- she has to get her car," Harry pointed out. "Why don't you stay out there watching for them, if she goes directly to her car, then we don't have to worry. I'll wait upstairs."
"In your friend Chalmers' room?"
Harry grinned crookedly. "Where else?"
"Yeah. You get the comfortable watch, while I get to sit in a car. Thanks for nothing."
"If we can stop Laura before she does something foolish, Murphy, I think it will be worth it, don't you?"
Murphy looked at him. "Why are you here? Apparently you and Laura didn't part on the best of terms -"
"I think we can discuss this later, Murphy," Harry suggested, turning toward the elevators. "If they come in, give me a call in Suite 412."
Murphy shook his head, then went out to wait some more.

It was nearly half an hour later before Murphy saw the limo pull into the drive. He crouched down and watched as Chalmers and Laura exited the long dark car before Laura waved the vehicle away. She would have moved toward her own car, but Chalmers took her hand and spoke to her for a moment. Laura nodded and turned toward the hotel with the older man. Murphy hit his steering wheel in anger, then followed them into the building. Once they were safely on the elevator, Murphy dialed the number for Suite 412. "They're on their way up. . . Yeah. BOTH of them. . . Uh-uh. I'm not going anywhere, pal. I'm on my way up too. . . I don't care if Laura does find out-" he paused. She'd be furious if she knew that he'd been following her, waiting for her. Laura never liked to admit that she couldn't take care of herself. The one time Murphy had even suggested that he take the more dangerous road, leaving her to the safe one, she'd blown her top. "Yeah. I'm still here. Okay. I'll wait down here." He hung up the telephone, wondering if he'd just made a big mistake. Letting those two loose with Laura - He sat back down and picked up his magazine.

Daniel unlocked the door, and opened it for Laura to enter the room ahead of him. "Give me a moment to call room service and we'll have that nightcap," he told her, removing her jacket as his eyes surveyed the room, including the paper that he had placed in the door. It was now on the floor.
"I don't know how to thank you, Daniel. This has been a wonderful evening-"
Daniel hung up the telephone and came across to take her hands in his. "Just think about what I suggested, that's all I ask." His dark eyes met hers as he tried to get his message across to her.
"I don't know. It would be awfully difficult to convince people -"
"I'm sure we could come up with something to satisfy them. Surely someone so resourceful would find that a cinch compared to inventing a famous detective." Laura smiled as Daniel bent to place a light kiss on her cheek and whisper, "He's here," in her ear before moving away.
"You know, it might even work out better. I told Harry that he was a very good Remington Steele, but when I envisioned the man, I always thought of him as being more mature. Someone like you."
"At least you didn't say old, my dear."
Laura laughed. "You're not old, Daniel. You could never be old." There was a knock on the door, and Daniel admitted the young man with their drinks. Laura watched as Daniel signed the ticket, then closed the door behind the young man. She accepted the glass he held out.
"To you, my dear. And to Harry's short sightedness in leaving the field clear for me."
Laura gave Daniel a warning look, but she clinked her glass to his before taking a drink. "Do you think he'll be very angry?"
"What reason could he have to be angry? He obviously decided that you weren't important enough to him to come back to Los Angeles with you."
"Perhaps I was asking too much of him. Expecting him to turn his back on everything he'd ever known and start all over again -"
"It wouldn't be the first time he's done it. For me, either. But I suppose Harry just thought he wasn't up to the challenge," Daniel said, sitting down beside Laura on the small sofa.
"And you are?" Laura asked.
"I think so. I'm ready to settle down, take things a bit easier. And considering the fringe benefits -" he lifted her face with his finger, smiling. "I think any man would be a fool to refuse."
Laura finished her drink. "I really have to be going, Daniel. I've an early meeting with a client tomorrow- "
Daniel sighed, picking up her jacket. "You're certain I can't convince you to stay? You wouldn't regret it."
"I know. But- I'm not ready yet, Daniel-"
"I understand. But when you are, I'll be here. Shall I walk you downstairs?"
"That's not necessary. Good night. And thanks again."
"It was my pleasure," Daniel assured her, bowing over her hand and kissing it. "Good night, my dear Laura. Sleep well."
He closed the door behind her as Harry's voice came from the bedroom doorway. "What game are you playing at now, Daniel?"