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"Harley's apartment over the
garage," Tony fumed as he and Jessica walked in the garden
later. "Think he's trying to point out that I'm not family?"
he asked. "Hell, even Mildred gets to stay in the main house."
"I don't think that's it at all, Antony," Jessica said,
trying to mollify him, slipping her arm through his. "I think
he's slowly accepting that you and I are- well- whatever it is
we ARE - It simply makes more sense for you to be out there, since
you'll be helping patrol the grounds." Her hand slid up the
front of his shirt, fingering the buttons. "Besides, who
says I can't go for a walk and just HAPPEN to end up stopping
by to see how you're fairing out there all alone?"
Tony grinned. "His highness won't like it if he finds out."
"Really, Antony, I thought you and my brother were getting
along better these days."
"We are- when it concerns work. But if I so much as MENTION
your name in front of him, he gets this look -"
"Well, we just won't tell him about it, will we?"
**********
Laura sat in her office, gazing out at Jessica and Tony in the
garden beyond the windows. She was really glad that the two of
them seemed to be getting closer- "How come I have the feeling
that those two are plotting something?" Remington asked as
he entered the room.
"Who? Jessica and Tony? What would they be plotting?"
"How she's going to get out to the garage apartment this
evening, I would think."
"She IS a grown woman, Remington," Laura reminded him-
not for the first time. "And she could do a lot worse than
Tony Roselli." Seeing his less than sanguine expression,
Laura decided to change the subject and get his mind off of his
sister's love life. "Everyone settled in?"
"I think so. Katherine and Robert are upstairs with the twins."
He nodded at the report in her hands. "Anything new?"
"Not really. Henry Leonard was an exemplary student, no trouble
- almost TOO perfect, if you ask me." She looked thoughtful.
"Too bad we don't have any contacts at Cambridge to check
him out there."
Remington looked thoughtful now. "I - might be able to get
something done on that end," he told her.
She narrowed her eyes. "You told me you attended Oxford-"
"I didn't really ATTEND either," he confessed, playing
with a paperweight of clear plastic with a tiny rose frozen inside.
"But Daniel and I did a job there several years ago - it
required me to spend quite a bit of time on both campuses and
PRETEND that I was a student. I still have a few contacts I can
call on, I think."
Laura lifted her eyes and shook her head as a buzzer sounded.
She jumped, never having heard the sound before. "What-?"
"Someone's at the front gate, I think," he said, leaving
the room with her at his side to go to the kitchen, where he picked
up the handset. "Hello? . . . Jimmy. Let me open the gate."
He hung up and pushed a button on the panel, then waited for the
light to change back to red beside it, indicating that the gate
was closed and locked again. "Jimmy says he has something
to show us," he told her.
Jimmy nodded at Tony and Jessica as they entered the parlour.
"Miss Beecham. Roselli."
"Jimmy got the results back from the gun," Laura explained,
her eyes on the policeman.
"Did you find any prints?" Remington asked.
"Several. Mostly smudged. There were TWO very good prints,
however. But before I go any further, I have to ask how much you
and Remington recall about the Leonard murder case."
Laura looked at Remington. "Gloria Leonard was having an
affair with her husband's business partner, -" Remington
paused, trying to recall the name.
"David Maxwell," Laura supplied. "They were both
shot to death in a motel on Pico. The police couldn't find the
gun, and Mr. Maxwell's wallet was found on the bed, empty. The
supposition was that it was robbery."
"So how did you become involved?" Jimmy asked. "I
mean, it sounds pretty open and shut to me."
"Mr. Maxwell's widow found herself being cut out of the business
by Mr. Leonard, and wanted us to find a way to force him to honor
her husband's will, making her a full partner in their shipping
firm," Remington told him. "So we began to investigate
Mr. Leonard."
"And discovered that the week before his wife's tragic death,
he took out an insurance policy on her for over a quarter of a
million dollars," Laura said, taking up the narrative. "His
car was given a parking ticket a block away from the motel on
the at the time of the murder, even though he insisted that he'd
been at home all night. Alone."
"Was the house searched for the murder weapon?" he asked.
"Not that I can recall," Laura said. "The police
evidently never considered him a suspect during their investigation.
Remington and I confronted him about the murders - and he still
insisted that he was innocent, that he hadn't killed them. We
told him we were going to the police after leaving him - and we
did. When we returned, there was no answer when we knocked on
the door, and we went around to the study window - James Leonard
was there, dead, from a self inflicted gunshot."
"And since his suicide was seen as a confession, the house
was never searched?"
"I guess not," Laura said, frowning. "All I know
is that Henry ordered the house closed up, furniture and all,
and stayed in London to finish school."
Jimmy shook his head. "Shoddy police work. I told them to
let me work that case," he recalled. "But I was tied
up on another one -"
"What's going on, Jimmy?" Remington asked. "All
of this is public record-"
"Yeah. For the most part. Except that the gun that Mrs. Brierly
was threatened with yesterday is the gun that was used to kill
Gloria Leonard and David Maxwell. And the only clear print I could
find on it- belonged to James Leonard."
"James Leonard is dead," Tony reminded him.
"Yeah. Which means that I don't have anything to go after
his son on without some one placing him here yesterday. If Mrs.
Brierly could get me a positive ID on him as the man who threatened
her and the twins in the park -"
"Speaking of Agatha," Jessica asked, "Shouldn't
she be back by now? I thought Robert and Katherine said she was
right behind them."
"Would she be in the limo?" Jimmy asked.
"No. She- took Mrs. Hobbs' car," Remington told him
as Jimmy picked up the telephone. "It's a - late model Chevrolet
- white - license number -"
"I have it written down in the office," Laura told him.
"Mrs. Hobbs wanted me to check on something for her - "
She left the room, returning a moment later with the license number,
make and model of the car, handing it to Jimmy. "Well?"
"Traffic's going to keep an eye out for it," he told
them.
"I should have insisted she take the limo," Remington
said. "But she was so insistant that she could take care
of herself -"
Laura touched his hand. "She's probably out of gas- you know
how Mrs. Hobbs is always saying she forgot to fill up - "
He nodded absently as Tony asked, "Has Steele had a chance
to tell you about his idea, Jarvis?"
"What idea?"
**********
Mildred sat back, letting Edward Holt drive them toward the Steele
house. "I hope that the new information I found helps,"
Mildred said. "I'm sure it will, Mildred. You're very fond
of Laura and Remington, aren't you?"
"You know I am. They're - they're like my own kids. I mean,
for a long time, neither of them had any family they could count
on, you know?"
"I know. I should have been there for Laura," he said,
tightening his grip on the steering wheel.
"And by being there risk her life?" Mildred reminded
him. "At least you're here now." She saw the white car
on the side of the road, the front end crumpled by a tree trunk.
"There's been an accident," she said as Edward stopped.
"Yes. And that looks like Mrs. Hobbs' car, doesn't it?"
"I suppose - but she's in the hospital-" Mildred said,
getting out of the car as he came to a stop near the wrecked vehicle,
intending to see if she could help the driver.
Edward moved cautiously forward, already having recognized the
woman laying over the steering wheel. "Mildred- use the telephone
in the car and call the police. It's Agatha."
"Agatha?" Mildred turned and hurried back to Edward's
car, picking up the mobile phone and getting the operator. "Hello?
This is an emergency. There's been an accident on HillView drive
- we need an ambulance. And hurry."
**********
"The twins are down for their nap," Laura announced
as she rejoined the others as they maintained their vigil by the
telephone. "Any word?"
"Nothing. And there's no answer at the office. The service
says that Mildred called them an hour ago to tell them she would
be out of the office for the rest of the day."
"Have you tried Daddy's mobile phone?" Laura suggested,
jumping as the telephone rang.
"Steele here."
"Oh, Remington, it's Edward."
"Thank goodness, Edward. Where are you? We've been worried
-"
"There was reason to be," Edward told him. "Mildred
and are fine," he said quickly. "But Agatha's had an
accident."
**********
Edward and Mildred met Laura and Remington as they entered the
hospital's emergency room waiting area. He gave Laura a hug, kept
his arm around her as she asked, "How is she?"
"They just took her up to surgery a minute ago," Edward
said.
"Surgery?" Remington repeated, looking even more concerned.
"She's got a couple of broken ribs and a ruptured spleen
- They think she'll be okay -"
"I shouldn't have let her go alone," Remington said
once again. "I should have insisted-"
"Look, I know Agatha better than either of you. And believe
me, she would have been JUST as insistant that she could take
care of herself. Reminds me of you in that, Laura. Stubborn to
a fault, and just as likely to put herself in harm's way as not
to prove a point."
"Daddy's right, Remington," Laura said quietly.
"How did the accident happen?"
"She was on her way down Hill View," Mildred told them.
"You know where the road curves sharply?"
"Near the bottom? Yes. It's a dangerous curve," Remington
agreed.
"She lost control of the car and it went off the road and
into a tree."
"She lost control? Agatha might not have driven often, but
she once told me that she'd had special training for just such
emergencies -"
"She had," Edward confirmed. "But when someone
cuts the brake line, it's the luck of the draw."
"Cut the brake line?" Remington said. "Someone
CUT the brake line?"
Edward nodded. "It wasn't a full cut- just partial. So the
fluid leaked out slowly - until she was heading down that hill,
coming up on that curve and found she had no brakes."
"How do you know this, Daddy?"
"I checked the car when they loaded it onto the trailer,
honey. And I made sure to point it out to the officer who investigated
the accident." He felt Laura shiver. "I'm surprised
you two are here. Shouldn't you be at home with the kids?"
"Antony's keeping an eye on things," Remington said.
"Jimmy Jarvis followed us into town. He said he'd be here
once he checked in with his office."
"Why don't we go upstairs to the surgery waiting area?"
Mildred suggested. "That's where they'll look for us once
she comes out." As they turned toward the elevators, she
said, "Oh, I almost forgot - take a look at this." She
handed Remington a computer printout.
"What is it, Mildred?" Laura asked, trying to read the
paper as she walked between her husband and father.
Remington handed it to her. "Apparently Henry Leonard barely
graduated from the prep school that he was attending when his
parents were killed. It was only through his uncle's machinations
that he got through at all."
"What was the problem?" Laura wondered.
"The report doesn't say," Mildred said, shrugging.
"I suppose we could call his uncle-" Laura began, but
Mildred shook her head.
They entered the waiting area, lowering their voices as there
were other people waiting as well. "It wouldn't do you any
good, Mrs. Steele," the woman said. "He's dead."
Mildred pointed to the second page of the print out. "He
died a week before Henry Leonard left London for Italy. He spent
a month there, then came back to Los Angeles."
"Italy? Why did he go to Italy?"
"I don't know, Mr. Steele."
Laura held out the report to her husband. "Read the cause
of death for Julius Leonard," she suggested.
"An apparent suicide," he noted. "A single gunshot
to the head."
"I find it strange that two brothers would choose the same
EXACT method to end their lives, don't you?" Laura asked,
taking the report once again to read more. "It says here
that the local authorities were baffled by Leonard's apparent
lack of any of the normal signs of impending suicide. It was only
after his death that it was discovered that he had been involved
in an affair with one of his students at the university - and
that was because they found a letter threatening to expose the
affair is Leonard didn't resign from the faculty immediately."
"He chose to take his life rather than suffer that disgrace,"
Remington stated. "Any trace of the blackmailer?" he
asked.
"Nothing, Chief," Mildred responded.
Remington sat back, putting an arm around Laura. "I think
it's a good bet that young Leonard threatened his uncle for some
reason-"
"But why? Why would he have to do that?" Laura wondered.
"Henry Leonard's a grown man, he could have left London anytime
- There had to be some reason for him to threaten his uncle and
bring about his death. And why Italy? Why not just come back to
Los Angeles immediately?"
"Seems to me we just keep getting more questions and precious
few answers," Remington sighed as Jimmy Jarvis entered the
glass enclosed room.
"Any news?" he asked, nodding at Edward and Mildred.
"She's in surgery," Remington told him. "Ruptured
spleen. And Edward seems to think the accident WASN'T an accident."
"I'd have to agree with you on that, Mr. Holt," Jimmy
said to Edward. "I just took a look at the car. The brake
line was partially cut."
"Are you going to arrest Henry Leonard?" Laura asked.
"All I can do is ask him a few questions, Laura," Jimmy
told her. "Unless Agatha saw him by the car - or can identify
him as the man from the park,- I'll try to get some men over there
to keep an eye on him until then."
"You'll at LEAST be able to give her some protection while
she's here, I hope?" Edward said.
"The cut brake line makes it attempted murder," Jimmy
informed them. "So I've already posted a couple of men on
the floor, and they'll be on duty outside her room once she's
out of surgery."
"Thank you, Jimmy."
"I'm just doing my job, Remington," he said. "It
feels good to be able to do SOMETHING, anyway. I haven't been
much help so far."
"Read this," Laura said, handing over the report. "Tell
me what you make of it."
**********
"She's still in surgery," Laura told Jessica over the
telephone. "I'll let you know as soon as she's out. How are
the kids?"
"A bit confused, I'm afraid. They've been asking about Agatha
all afternoon. What should I tell them?"
"Tell them that Agatha had to go on a little trip, and that
she'll be back as soon as she can," Laura suggested. She
looked at the door as a man in surgical garb entered the room
and looked around. "I have to go, Jessica. I think the doctor's
here."
"Call me. Katherine and Robert are quite worried."
"I will. Good bye."
"Brierly?" the man asked, his eyes automatically on
the small group by the telephone.
"We're with Mrs. Brierly, doctor," Remington said, his
arm around Laura as they all rose to their feet.
"I'm Dr. Sharp." He frowned. "You're - I'm sorry.
I'm sure I've seen you somewhere, Mr.-"
"Steele. Remington Steele."
"Ahh." He grinned. "Of course. I'm a big fan of
yours, Mr. Steele -and of Mrs. Steele's as well."
"Thank you, Dr. Sharp, but, about Agatha?"
"She came through surgery just fine."
"Thank God," Edward murmured, feeling Mildred's hand
slip into his. He smiled at her, greatful that she was here.
"We had to remove her spleen - She seems in good health,
I don't expect there will be any complications."
"How soon will she able to go home?" Remington asked,
repeating Edward's prayer silently as he felt Laura echo her father's
words.
"Well, depending on the speed of her recovery, I'd say she'll
be home in no more than a week, perhaps less. Of course, she'll
have to take it easy, bedrest for the first few days -"
"When can we see her?" Laura asked.
"She'll be in recovery for a few hours - I'd suggest that
you all go home and get some rest. She'll be in a room tomorrow
morning and probably more herself."
"I want to see her," Laura insisted. "Just for
a minute."
"You're not family, are you?" he asked.
"She works for us," Remington admitted. "She's
our children's nanny."
The physician looked uncertain. "The recovery room is off
limits to anyone except family -"
"But Agatha doesn't HAVE any family," Laura pointed
out. "She's not just a nanny, Doctor. She's part of our family
-"
"All right, Mrs. Steele. I can let you in for five minutes.
No more than that."
"Thank you."
Remington looked at her with a curious expression. "Laura-?"
"I just want her to know that there's a very special reason
why she has to get better," she whispered. "Call the
house and let them know she's okay, please?" she asked, then
turned to follow the doctor down the hallway.
Remington turned to see Edward's eyes on him. "What did she
mean by that, Remington?"
"I think- I'd best let Laura explain that when she returns,"
he said, catching Mildred's quickly hidden expression. "Mildred,
could I speak to you for a moment?"
She looked a little worried. "Sure, Mr. Steele." She
let him lead her across the room, then stood there, looking up
at him.
"You know about Laura, don't you?"
"I'm not sure what you're talking about, Chief," she
said.
"Of course you do. You would have made the appointment with
Dr. Phillips- "
"No, I didn't. But I intercepted his call back to her with
the results," Mildred confessed. She looked absolutely miserable.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Steele, I WANTED to tell you, but Mrs. Steele
insisted that it be a secret- for a little while, at least - and
I didn't feel it was my place to tell you-"
Remington pulled the woman close and gave her a hug. "Why
couldn't her mother be more like you, Mildred?" he wondered.
**********
Laura approached the bed cautiously. She had never thought of
Agatha Brierly as being frail before, but seeing her like this,
eyes closed, needles in her arm, monitors surrounding her, the
woman looked incredibly fragile, as if she might break in the
slightest wind. She could see the blue veins beneath the pale
skin. With a shaking hand, Laura reached out to touch Agatha's
cheek. "Agatha? Agatha, it's Laura Steele." She reached
down and took the slim hand in hers. "I know you probably
can't hear me, but I want to tell you this, just in case you can.
You HAVE to get better - because you're going to have another
charge to take care of in about seven months. And I can't think
of anyone else I'd trust with that job except for you." She
thought she felt the fingers around hers move, but Laura wasn't
sure. "Get well, Agatha. We need you. I need you."
The nurse spoke. "Mrs. Steele? You'll have to go now."
Laura nodded, and gave Agatha's hand a squeeze, then released
it before turning away. "Mrs - Steele," Agatha said,
her voice groggy from the anesthetic.
Laura turned back toward her. " Yes, Agatha?" The dark
eyes were open, and Laura almost laughed to see that familiar
spark of life in them.
"I'll be there -" she promised, then closed her eyes
again.
The nurse touched Laura's arm, and she nodded before leaving,
a smile on her face as she rejoined the others. "She's still
out of it," she told them. "I think the doctor's right.
We need to wait until tomorrow to try and see her."
"Well, I think I'll wait around anyway," Jimmy told
them. "Make sure she gets to her room safely, and that the
guard's in place."
"Thank you, Jimmy," Remington said. "You'll let
us know when things are set up?"
"Yeah."
"I want an explanation of your remark about giving Agatha
a reason to get better," Edward told his daughter.
Laura looked at him. "Why don't we wait until we get home,
Daddy?" she suggested, putting her arm through his. "Please?
I promise I'll explain it then."
**********
Jimmy told the nurse in charge of recovery that he needed to speak
to Agatha as soon as she was lucid, then went to the payphone
down the hall and placed a call to the investigating officer for
the Julius Leonard case. He knew it was the middle of the night
in London, but he hoped to find someone who could give him some
information regarding the Leonard case- something that would break
his own case wide open. He was told that the officer, an Inspector
Lombard, was on day duty, and he left a message for the man to
call either him or Remington- giving the young woman who had answered
the telephone the required numbers. Hanging up, he returned to
the waiting area. All he could do now WAS wait. Wait for Agatha
to be awake enough to tell him what happened, and to identify
the man from the park; and wait for information from London.
To Be Continued - - -