Steele With A Twist

Part 13

Laura and Murphy entered the offices just in time to run into her mother and Steele as Abigail was leaving. Laura came up short. her gaze moving suspiciously from her mother to her employer. "Mother! What are you doing here?"
"I was in the area and stopped by," Abigail told her. "The movers have the apartment in such an uproar I simply couldn't stand to spend another moment there. They told me that they should have everything ready to move by tomorrow evening."
"That's good news. Mother, this is Murphy Michaels -"
Murphy shook Abigail Holt's hand, smiling. "Mrs. Holt. It's a pleasure to meet you. Laura's told me a lot about you."
Abigail smiled tightly. "I'm sure none of it good."
Laura looked from her mother to Steele and back again. "Did you want something special?"
"No." She smiled up at Steele. "Thank you again." She glanced at Laura. "Mr. Steele tells me that you're going to be tied up on a case again this evening- are we going to have dinner together at all before I leave?"
"I'll see what I can do, Mother," Laura said. "Excuse me. I have some paperwork to take care of." She disappeared into her office.
Abigail turned to Steele. "You see what I was telling you?"
Steele put an arm around her shoulders. "There, there, Abigail. Things will work out. Just give it time. I'll walk you to the elevator."
"It was nice meeting you, Mr. Michaels," Abigail said.
"Make it Murphy. It was nice meeting you, too." He watched them go through the doors, then headed for Laura's office. She was sitting before the computer, but he could tell she wasn't paying attention to the screen before her. "You okay?"
She nodded. "Is she gone?"
"Steele walked her to the elevator. She's nothing like you described her."
Laura glanced at him. "What do you mean?"
"I expected a two headed monster," he said, drawing a smile from her. "She seems nice enough."
"She's not YOUR mother," Laura pointed out. "You're one of the lucky ones who gets along with BOTH of your parents." She typed something into the computer.
"Well, I have to get some work done- I'm supposed to meet with the coroner who did the Cole autopsy. Care to join me?"
She frowned, shaking her head. "You're much better at that than I am. I think Mr. Steele wants me here to meet with Mrs. Davenport."
"Don't envy you that one. Impossible to please."
"Bernice seems to think she'll respond better to another woman on the case, considering her history."
"What history?" Murphy asked.
Laura tapped the computer screen. "She was raped a few years ago - the man got off in court and came after her again before she was forced to kill him."
"Incredible," Steele commented, entering the room. "Did you know about this, Murphy?"
"Not a thing. Why did you think to check this out, Laura?"
She shrugged. "When Bernice told me about how difficult the woman has been whenever she talks to either of you, yet she's invariably pleasant to Bernice, I figured there must be a reason why she dislikes men - or at least is intimidated by them And you have to admit, Mr. Steele. You DO tend to be a bit intimidating at times."
"Me? Intimidating?"
"I think it's time for me leave," Murphy said. "I'll see you both later. Good luck with Mrs. Davenport, Laura."
"Thanks." Murphy left, stopping by his office on the way out, as Laura turned her chair back to her desk to study the Davenport file. "You and my mother certainly seemed to be great chums all of a sudden."
"She's worried about you," Steele explained. "She asked me to talk you out of becoming a detective."
Laura's eyes lifted to meet his. "And are you going to do that?"
He moved to sit on the edge of her desk. "Not a chance. And I told her as much. How was your lunch?"
"Nice. Murphy's really easy to be with- to talk to - Have you ever considered telling him the truth?"
"Oh, occasionally the thought will cross my mind. But I quickly squelch it and go on."
"Did you get any work done on the plans?"
"I have an idea or two. I'll need to get some things-"
"I'm back!" Bernice called out. She brought a package to Steele. "Here you go. Is there anyway I could leave early today, Mr. Steele?"
"Again, Bernice? Another hot date?"
"If it's too much trouble-"
"Nonsense. Take as much time as you need. This one sounds serious."
She smiled. "It just might be. I'll stay until three-"
"Thank you. Let me know when Mrs. Davenport arrives."
"I will."
Steele opened the connecting door and smiled at Laura. "Why don't we talk in here where it's more comfortable?"

He showed her the plans, told her his ideas, and they were just going over the timetable when the intercom buzzed. "Mrs. Davenport is here, Mr. Steele."
"Thank you, Bernice." He picked up the plans. "I'll take these into your office and work some more on them while you talk to her."
"Alone?" Laura asked.
"If you need me, I'll be in the other room. I'll even leave the door open a bit." He gave her a smile that bolstered her confidence. "You'll be fine."
She waited until he was in the other room, then went to the main door and opened it, smiling her brightest, most businesslike smile. "Mrs. Davenport? I'm Laura Holt, Mr. Steele's associate."
The woman returned the smile, obviously relieved not to have to face Steele himself. "Miss Holt. I wasn't aware that Mr. Steele had any women working for him. - Besides Miss Fox, of course. You're a detective?"
"Yes, I am. Why don't we go into Mr. Steele's office and discuss your case?" She indicated the woman should precede her. Once they were seated, Laura said, "Now. According to what I've read, you want us to install a security system in your house -"
The woman nodded. "The agency came highly recommended," she said. "A friend of mine suggested it. You see, Miss Holt- I'm a widow, and I live alone. As an antique dealer, I often keep valuable items in my house from time to to time while I'm looking for a buyer. Several years ago, a man broke into my house and-" She lowered her eyes. "Well, he -" Laura placed a comforting, sympathetic hand on her arm.
"It's all right, Mrs. Davenport. You don't have to go on."
The woman sighed. "I want to make sure that it doesn't happen again, Miss Holt. Surely you can understand that? A woman alone - surrounded by valuable antiques-"
"I understand completely, Mrs. Davenport. Why don't you tell me what you want, and I'll see what we can do."

Laura escorted Mrs. Davenport out, then turned to find Steele standing in the doorway of her office, smiling at her with approval. "You handled that very well."
"She just needed some understanding and sympathy for what she'd been through," Laura told him.
"I told you Laura could take care of her," Bernice reminded him.
"So you did." He watched as the receptionist stood up, covering the typewriter and grabbing her coat and purse.
"Don't forget your four o'clock at La Royale," she told him. "I'll see you both tomorrow," she said.
"Enjoy your date," he wished, but the moment she was gone, he stood frowning at the empty desk.
"What's wrong?"
"Just a feeling I'm getting about Bernice. If she's serious about this man-"
"You think she would quit her job?"
"It's a possibility. I'm not sure I could replace her easily. She's run the office for two years -"
"I wouldn't worry about it yet. It's just a date, Mr. Steele. It's not as if she's going to elope with the man on a moment's notice," Laura pointed out. "What are we going to do for the next hour?"
"Thirty minutes," Steele corrected. "I want to get to La Royale before Felicia just in case she brings some friends with her."
"Smart move, Mr. Steele," Laura told him, "So that leaves us half an hour."
"My office, Miss Holt," Steele said, opening the door. Once the door was closed, he turned, only to find her directly before him, her arms sliding around his neck. "Miss Holt-"
"I have a couple of ideas about what we can do -"
"I had in mind something more in the line of going over the plan again. And I need you to do some shopping for me while I'm meeting Felicia."
Laura lowered her arms. "You know what they say about all work and no play, Mr. Steele," she muttered, turning toward the conference area as he went to retrieve the plans from her office.

At three thirty, Laura watched as Steele put on his jacket and straightened his tie. "Be careful," she warned him, brushing some lint from his shoulder.
"I will. But I don't think I have anything to worry about with Felicia."
Laura met his blue gaze. "Have you considered the possibility that SHE might have killed Morrison?" she asked, then straightened his lapels.
He shook his head. "Not Felicia. Not her style."
"It's been a long time since you last saw her, Mr. Steele. People DO change, remember?"
Smiling, he touched her cheek. "I'll watch my back," he promised. "You have the list?"
She held up the paper. "Right here."
"I'll see you at my apartment at five. We'll finish making plans and have light meal before setting out."
Laura stood on her toes to place a quick kiss on his mouth. "Later, then."

Following Steele's directions, Laura purchased everything on the list within thirty minutes. After stowing the loot in the trunk of her Rabbit, she got behind the wheel. What to do next? She supposed she could go on to Mr. Steele's apartment and wait for him. Reaching into her pocket, she found the key that he'd given her earlier - and something else as well: the matchbook she'd found at the gallery. Glancing at the street sign, she realized that she was only a block away from the Cave.
Over lunch, she had asked Murphy to take her to the club, but he had refused, giving some of the same reasons that Steele had given her. But Laura was certain that Lisanne could be important to the case. Murphy would be furious if he knew what she was thinking- and as for Mr. Steele- well, if her idea panned out, he couldn't become TOO angry, could he?
So Laura started her little car and drove it around to park it again across the street from the Cave's entrance. Even at this time of day, the place seemed pretty busy. Glancing at her conservatively cut suit, Laura knew she would never blend in with the clientele. Her gaze fell on a second hand clothing store down the block- and her lips curled up as a plan began to form. . .

Steele sat back with a deep sigh as the limo pulled away from La Royale. He had agreed to help Felicia steal the painting - and then told her that once done, he never wanted to see her again. She had tried her very best to convince him to change his mind, but in the end she had given up and let him go.
Now, he brought out his handkerchief to remove the traces of lipstick from his face and glanced at his watch. It was almost six. "Has Miss Holt called, Fred?"
"No, Mr. Steele. But Mr. Michaels called, said he would talk to you tomorrow morning."
Frowning, Steele picked up the telephone and dialed his apartment. His frown deepened when there was no answer. He dialed the number for the office, and was surprised when Murphy answered. "Remington Steele Investigations."
"Murphy? Looking for some overtime?"
"I'm waiting on some test results from the pathologist," he explained.
"The Carter murder?"
"Yeah. Might be the evidence we need to get Howard released."
"Is Laura there?"
"Haven't seen her. Why?"
"We were supposed to meet to discuss the case - But she's out of pocket -"
Murphy groaned softly. "She wouldn't have-"
Steele sat up, something in the other man's tone alerting him. "What wouldn't she do, Murphy?"
"When we were at lunch, she asked me to take her somewhere. I told her no. I thought she'd listen-"
Cold fear gripped Steele. "Where did she want to go?"
He heard Murphy take a deep breath before answering. "The Cave."
"Bloody HELL."
"You want me to go check it out?" Murphy offered.
"No," Steele said, glancing outside. "You stay there and wait for that report. I'm not far from there. I'll go see if she's there- get her out if I can."
"Look, she's only trying to help with the case-"
"I know, Murphy. But if she's pulled this stunt, she might just have blown the whole case out of the water. I'll let you know what's going on."
"Okay. Don't be too hard on her, okay?
"I'll talk to you later."
Murphy stared at the silent phone for a long moment. He didn't want to be in Laura's shoes when Steele caught up with her. He'd heard that soft voice before - Steele was angry. And with reason. "Damn fool stunt, Laura," Murphy muttered, forcing his attention back to the papers before him.

Steele instructed Fred to drive down the street where the Cave was located. His jaw tightened in anger as he saw the white Rabbit parked across the street. Looking around, he found no sign of her. So she was in the club, and he had no choice but to in after her. "Turn the next corner, Fred," he told the driver, "and let me out."
"Yes, Mr. Steele."
"And then you might as well go home. I'll drive back with Miss Holt in her car."
"If you're certain- she might be in one of the shops," Fred suggested.
Steele found himself wondering how Laura had managed to gain the confidence of everyone who worked for him so easily. But she'd gained his as well, he mused. "I doubt it Fred." He waited until the car stopped, then opened the door. "Good night."
"Good night, Mr. Steele. Be careful."
"I will." He closed the door and tapped the roof of the car to signal Fred that he could leave before turning his steps back toward the corner. No time to adopt a costume, or a way to hide his identity. He would just have to chance being recognized, he supposed. And pray that Gutman or Felicia wouldn't be inside the club.

The room was dark, filled with smoke, people laughing, as music blared from speakers overhead. Steele's senses were on full alert, but he moved confidently through the crowd, his eyes seeking out his quarry. At first, there was no sign of Laura. But at last he heard her laughter and turned in that direction. Several men were gathered around a booth in the dark corner. There was a hint of nervousness in Laura's laugh, he thought. He counted four men, all good size. As he moved closer, he caught a glimpse of pink spandex glittering in the dim light. "Come on, pretty girl. Surely you can spare some time for at least ONE of us -"
"I told you, I'm not -"
"She's not available," Steele announced, pushing his way through the men, feeling the outline of a shoulder holster on the one nearest him.
Five sets of eyes fell on Steele. Four in anger at his interruption, and the fifth in surprised relief. "You got no business here," the man with the gun growled.
Steele put his hands in his pockets, finding himself wishing for the switchblade he'd carried for so many years. "The girl happens to BE my business, gentlemen. Now I would suggest that you move along. Find someone you can afford."
"You her pimp?"
"Customer." He looked at Laura, praying she would go along with this. "I'm sorry I'm late - I was in a meeting- Are you ready to go?"
"No," Laura said, knowing that she had to put up at least a token resistance to convince their audience. "I thought we could have drink here-"
"I've made other arrangements," he told her. "Now come along -"
"I'm not ready to leave yet," Laura said.
"Sounds like she doesn't want to go with you, limey," the man sneered.
Steele's eyes narrowed, but he leaned across to softly caress Laura's cheek. "I think I can convince her, can't I, honey? You'd much rather go with me now than stay here and entertain these gentlemen, wouldn't you? Considering I've already paid dearly for your time-"
The leader of the group pulled out his wallet. "I'll double whatever he paid you, honey."
Seeing the money in his hand, Laura's eyes widened. She rose quickly to stand beside Steele. "I'm ready to go."
"What's the matter, darlin'?" the man sneered, blocking their way. "We're not good enough for you , is that it?"
Steele grasped her arm and pushed past the angry man, only to catch sight of Felicia entering the club. She went directly to a back room without looking around, and Steele turned to the man. "I would suggest, friend, that you get out of my way. Now. Or I'll ask my friend in that back room to take care of you."
The man glanced at the door, and Steele thought he went a bit pale. "You know-" he smiled, stepping aside, hands in the air. "Should have said so to begin with."
Steele pulled Laura out of the club and across the street to her car. "Keys," he said shortly.
"Mr. Steele-"
"Not here, Miss Holt." He unlocked the passenger door and pushed her inside before going around to get in himself. He kept an eye on the doorway of the club in case the men changed their minds about letting Laura get away.
"I just wanted to explain -"
"Explain? Explain what? That you deliberately disobeyed my orders about going to that place?"
"I was in the area -"
"Don't you realize -"
"And I thought I would just stop in -"
"That you could have jeopardized everything?"
"See if I could find Lisanne."
"You could have been murdered - or-"
"She didn't show up to get her check," Laura said.
Steele looked at her. "What?"
"Lisanne's roommate told you that she had gone to get her check. She never showed up. And the bartender said that she ALWAYS gets her check at the same time every week."
He shook his head. "Still might not have anything to do with the case, Laura. You took too big a chance finding that out. And if you found it out, why were you still there? And why the devil are you dressed like a common -"
"I was about to leave when I found myself cornered by those four brutes. They refused to let me go before they bought me a drink - And I thought I'd blend in better wearing this. Not too many of the women in that club were wearing business suits," she told him.
"Depends on the kind of business they're in," Steele told her.
"You're still angry, aren't you?"
"Damn right, I'm angry." He shifted gears to turn into the garage beneath his apartment building. Once the car was parked, he killed the engine and turned to look at her. "Murphy and Alan both said you were a loose cannon. I didn't really believe them until tonight. I don't need loose cannons, Laura. I need a team player. Someone who'll listen when I tell them something and not go off alone to follow a lead without telling anyone else. What you did was bloody dangerous. And if you ever do anything like that again -"
"I won't, Mr. Steele," she told him. "From now on, I'll make sure you or Murphy or Bernice knows where I am. I really thought I could find out something that would help -"
Steele reached up, caressing her cheek, then slid her hand behind her neck to pull her across to him, pressing a hard kiss on her lips. "Let's go upstairs so you can change out of those ridiculous clothes, okay?"
"Okay. My other things are in the trunk."
They got out. "Did you manage to get the items I sent you for to begin with?"
She nodded as he unlocked the trunk. "In that box."
"Good. At least you did SOMETHING you were told to do." He picked up the box. "Let's go."

"What happened with Felicia?" Laura asked as he stood back for her to enter the apartment.
"She and I are supposed to steal the painting tomorrow night." He put the box down as Laura started for the bedroom. "Where are you going?"
"To change clothes."
He tossed her one of the packages in the box. "Might as well put these on now," he said. "Save time later."
Laura remembered the black clothing she'd bought and nodded. "I guess you're right. I really AM sorry if I caused any trouble," she told him. "Are you still angry?"
He sighed, then came forward to take her face in his hands. "No. I'm not angry. But you had a very close call tonight - You didn't see Felicia come in, did you?"
"No. When?"
"Just before we left. Luckily, she wasn't in the mood to look around the place. She went straight through to the rooms behind the club."
"Then he's there," Laura told him. "You see? I was right-"
Steele shook his head, then kissed her again. "Go change clothes. I'll heat some soup for us and then we'll go over the plans again." He released her, then turned her toward the bedroom. His smile vanished as he thought about how close Laura had been to being harmed. If he hadn't arrived when he did, those men wouldn't have taken no for an answer. He used the telephone in the kitchen to call and put Murphy's mind at ease about Laura - assuring his friend that Laura understood her mistake- and that she still had a job at the agency.
He made more noise in the kitchen than was normal for him as he exorcised his fear and frustration. Finding a bottle of wine, he removed the cork and poured a glass. He had to give her credit, he supposed. Not too many women - certainly none of his recent acquaintance - would have had the courage to even enter a place like the Cave, much less dressed as she had been. Remembering the way the pink fabric had clung to Laura's every curve, he found himself smiling. He could learn to like spandex, he thought, returning his attention to the soup as it began to simmer.
"Well?" she asked from the doorway. He turned to look at her. If she'd looked good in the spandex, she looked equally good in the black slacks and turtleneck. "Will I do?"
Steele walked around her, his expression thoughtful. "I think you'll DO very nicely, Laura. Not quite as flashy as that pink thing -"
"You liked it," she realized. "You LIKED it." There was a faint thread of incredulity in her voice now. "I didn't think you were the type -"
He quickly turned and poured her a glass of wine. "The soup's ready." He filled two bowls and put them on a tray along with some bread. "Bring the wine and glasses, will you?"
She grabbed both. "Admit it. You LIKED that get up."
He put the bowls on the table, then turned to face her, the ghost of a smile on his face. "I admit it that you had a certain- attraction in it. It certainly left very little of your- charms - to the imagination-"
"But you wouldn't HAVE to use your imagination, Mr. Steele," Laura reminded him, pressing herself against him, "if you'd just-"
Steele cleared his throat and bent to give her a light kiss, then pulled out her chair. "Let's eat, Laura. I'm hungry, and we've got a long night ahead of us."
Laura smiled. "You're right. A VERY long night." Her eyes met his as he sat down at the head of the table, and she could have sworn he was blushing.  Her smile widened even more.