==================================================
Mildred Krebs smiled at the delivery man as she took the crystal vase from him. "See you next week," she told him, carrying the vase over to the door that led into Remington Steele's office. After knocking, she waited for Mr. Steele to call out.
"Come in!"
Opening the door, she smiled again when Laura saw what she was holding. "This just arrived for you, Miss Holt." Mildred had struggled at first to remember not to call the younger woman "Mrs. Steele", but over the last five, almost six months, she had gotten used to the little 'game' that her employer and his wife were playing in keeping their marriage a secret from almost everyone else.
"Has it been a week already?" Laura questioned, taking the vase and putting it onto the coffee table in the conference area where she, Steele, and Murphy were sitting.
"There's a card," Murphy noted.
"There's *always* a card," Laura grumbled, turning her brown-eyed glare on Remington when he spoke.
"I wonder who sent them?" he asked, surveying the blue flowers. "Forget-me-nots, I believe."
"This time," Laura nodded. "Last week, it was five roses."
"And the week before that -" Mildred stopped as that gaze found her. "I'd better get back out to my desk," she decided, turning back toward the door.
"Thank you, Mildred," Steele called out as the door closed behind her, a hint of humor in his tone.
Reaching over, he touched the small white envelope that was attached to a ribbon with a pin, only to have Laura gently slap his fingers away. "Aren't you going to read the card, Laura?" Murphy wanted to know.
"Why should I?" she said. "I know what it says. The same basic thing every one of them has said since he started sending them."
"Why don't we find out?" Steele suggested, pushing the vase closer to her.
Giving a long-suffering sigh, Laura shook her head. "I thought we were discussing cases -"
"That can wait," Steele assured her. He carefully removed the pin and held out the envelope. "Here."
Laura's jaw was tight as she took the envelope and slowly removed the card, glancing at the words that were written on it. "Well?" Murphy asked.
"T minus one week," Laura read. "Love, Daniel."
"One week," Steele mused. "Hard to believe that we've been married for almost six months, isn't it?"
"What happens at six months, anyway?" Murphy wanted to know. "Mr. Chalmers has been sending you these things every week since he found out about your marriage - but I still don't know why."
"Never mind," Laura said, picking up the vase and carrying it toward her office. "Let me put this on my desk, and I'll be back to finish discussing the Overland case."
Steele leaned toward his friend and said quickly, "Daniel gave her six months to tell her mother about our marriage or else he'd do it."
"And that deadline's almost here," Murphy realized, glancing toward Laura's office. "Do you think she'll do it?"
"She might be my wife, Murphy," Steele noted, "but when it comes to reading that woman's mind -" he broke off as Laura returned.
The telephone began to ring, and Steele picked it up as Laura sat down beside him again. "Yes, Mildred? . . . Indeed? Thank you. Would you mind rescheduling my appointments for the afternoon? . . . Thank you."
His words drew frowns from Laura and Murphy. "You going somewhere?" Murphy asked.
"A - meeting that I'd forgotten about," he said, smiling at Laura as he did so. "I should be back by five."
"What kind of meeting?" Laura questioned archly.
"With a client who's asked me to keep things on the QT," he explained. "Doesn't want any contact with anyone but me, unfortunately. Terrified of publicity." Steele rose to his feet. "We'll continue this tomorrow morning."
Laura and Murphy followed him out of the office, with Murphy saying, "You sure you don't want some back up, Steele?"
Steele paused for a moment. "That might be a good idea, Murphy. But you'll have to stay out of sight. Don't want to frighten the client off, do we? We'll see you later, Laura -"
"See me later?!" Laura repeated in disbelief, causing Mildred to wince at her tone.
Steele turned back and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before heading back to join Murphy at the door, just as Daniel Chalmers appeared. "Harry, my boy," he said, not immediately picking up on the tension in the room. "Laura, dear -"
"Ah, Daniel," Steele said, thinking quickly. "Murphy and I are on our way out, but I'm sure you and Laura can find something to discuss while we're gone. See you later," he added quickly, practically pushing Murphy out of the office ahead of him.
"You're not going anywhere," Laura began, starting to follow, only to find Daniel's hand on her elbow, turning her around.
"Harry's right, Laura. We should talk," he noted, looking over at Mildred. "Mildred - you're looking lovely, by the way -" Mildred blushed at the compliment, still totally confused as to what was going on "would you mind holding Laura's calls for a few minutes?" he asked, moving across the reception area toward Steele's office, his fingers still around Laura's elbow.
She kept looking back at the glass doors, "But Daniel, I have to follow -"
"Nonsense," he insisted. "I'm sure that Harry and Murphy can take care of themselves without your being there." He gave Mildred a quick wink as he closed the door behind them.
Laura jerked her arm away from him, and whirled around to confront him. "Daniel! Would you *please* stop this! I agreed to six months, I'll live up to my end of the agreement, okay? Now let me go -"
But Daniel remained in front of the door. "Then you won't mind that I took the liberty of inviting Abigail to join me here at the end of the week, will you?"
Laura's eyes widened, the idea of her mother being in Los Angeles causing her to momentarily forget about where Harry and Murphy had gone and what they might be up to. "You did *what*?!"
"I invited your mother here to for a visit at the end of the week. I thought it would make it easier for you to tell her that you're married to Harry. You *were* going to tell her in person, weren't you? I can't believe that you would have delivered that kind of news over the telephone from across the country."
Laura took a deep breath. "You are an interfering old man, Daniel Chalmers," she accused. "Harry was right. I should have left well enough alone."
"I'm very grateful to you for helping my son and me to find each other again, Laura," Daniel said. "But that being said, I like your mother, and I don't like lying to Abigail."
"So don't see her!" Laura said. "Don't talk to her! Don't you have a con to run somewhere in Europe? Or South America? Somewhere? Anywhere?"
"I'm only thinking of you and Harry, Laura."
"You're only thinking of grandchildren," she sighed, and knew she'd made a mistake when she saw the hopeful look in the old man's eyes. "Augh!!!!!" she groaned, going to the window that overlooked the street below. "I am *not* going to give in to your - blackmail!"
"Then you won't tell your mother?"
"I'll tell her when I'm *ready* to tell her," Laura said, catching sight of the limo coming out of the parking garage. "Daniel, I can't stay here all day arguing about this. I need to find out where Harry and Murphy are going."
"I'm sure it's just a routine case, Laura -"
"No. I can sense that something's up."
"What is the case about?" Daniel wondered.
"I don't know. Harry wouldn't tell me. Said something about the client wanting to protect his privacy and then he decided to take Murphy as 'back up'. Something's going on," she insisted, running a hand across the back of her neck. Since Daniel had moved away from the door, Laura opened it and went into the reception area. "Mildred -"
"Yes, Miss Holt?"
"Who did Mr. Steele get that call from before he rushed out of here?"
"Oh, I don't know if I should - I mean, the Boss said it was pretty hush-hush, you know?"
"From *me*?" Laura questioned. "His *wife*?"
"This was business, Miss Holt," Mildred reminded her. "You and he have both said that while you're here, you're not his wife, you're -"
"She's right, Laura," Daniel pointed out evenly with a small, self-satisfied smile.
"Stay out of this Daniel," Laura said. "I just need a name, Mildred. That's all."
"It was a Mr. Douglas, Miss Holt," Mildred said apologetically. "He said that he was calling to tell Mr. Steele to be at McCallum Park in an hour if he wanted more information."
"That's it?"
"He said that Mr. Steele would know what it was about, and then hung up. I just relayed the message."
Laura paced across the room as she spoke. "Okay. So what do we have? This isn't the first time that Harry's taken off this way." She glanced at Daniel. "You don't think -" she shook her head, denying her thoughts, recalling that Mildred still didn't know about her employer's checkered past. "No. He wouldn't - would he?" she asked Daniel.
"No. He wouldn't involve Murphy in something like that."
"You're right," Laura agreed. "So what *is* he up to?" she asked again.
"Perhaps a six month anniversary gift for you of some kind?"
"You could be right, but again - why involve Murphy?"
"That's something you'll have to ask him," Daniel said.
Laura looked at Mildred. "Do I have anything on the calendar for the next couple of hours, Mildred?"
"No. It's clear -"
"Good. I'll see you later."
"Laura, where are you going?" Daniel asked.
"To do what Harry says I do, of course. 'Play' detective." She waved and left the reception area, leaving Mildred and Daniel standing there.
"We have a problem, Daniel," Mildred said.
"Try to call Harry," Daniel said. "Let him know that Laura's on her way to the park."
Mildred grabbed the phone and dialed the number for the limo's mobile phone. "Fred, it's Mildred. I need to talk to Mr. Steele . . ." she looked up at Daniel while listening to the chauffer. "What about Mr. Michaels? . . . I see. Well, when they get back, would you tell them that I called and that Miss Holt is on her way over to McCallum Park? . . . Thanks." She hung up. "They're both away from the limo right now. Do you know what's going on, Daniel?"
"I might. I just hope that Laura doesn't spoil her surprise."
"How long are you going to be in Los Angeles this time?" Mildred asked him.
"Oh, you know me, Mildred. Whichever way the wind blows. I could still be here in a month - or gone tomorrow."
"Well, if you're here this evening, how would you like a home cooked meal?" she suggested.
Daniel smiled. "I've been called a fool many times, but I'm not enough of one to pass up the chance of a pleasant evening with a lovely lady," he told her, and laughed softly when she blushed again.
==========================================================
"Are you sure this is safe?"
"You're the one who wanted to meet here, Mr. Douglas," Steele reminded him.
"I know," Douglas answered, looking around nervously. "It seemed like a good idea at the time -"
"It wasn't one of your best ideas, Holt," someone else said, causing Steele and Douglas to turn.
"Who are you?" he asked, and Steele knew it was a bluff - a good bluff, but a bluff nonetheless.
"Mr. Paretti wants to see you," the interloper said smoothly. "Mr. Steele. I want to thank you for helping me to find the man I've been looking for all this time. Mr. Paretti is most anxious to talk to him. And I'm sure he'll want to thank you personally."
"Who's 'Mr. Paretti'?" Douglas queried. "I think you're mistaking me for someone else. I don't know anyone named Paretti."
Steele knew it wasn't working, and managed a charming smile. "Ah, gentlemen. I'm sure we could clear up this - misunderstanding - come to some kind of agreement -" his move toward the spokesman was met with the appearance of three guns. "Or perhaps not."
"Mr. Paretti is waiting." The three gunmen indicated that they should move off to their left. "I think he's been patient for long enough. Leo, make sure that Mr. Steele's not armed."
Steele endured Leo's none-too-gentle search with a bland expression, aware that Murphy was somewhere close by with the agency's gun. "Gentlemen, you don't want to do this."
"Shut up. Come on."
"Steele -" his companion said, sounding nervous. "What -"
"Just do as the man says, Mr. Douglas," Steele said as they turned to start down the path. Through the trees, Steele could see a dark non-descript vehicle of later vintage sitting, one door held open by a fifth man.
"Let 'em go!" Murphy called out, and the man pushed Steele and his companion toward the waiting vehicle as one of the armed thugs turned to fire in Murphy's direction.
=========================
Laura heard the gunshots as she approached the area. Ducking instinctively, she stayed low and moved closer - until she could see Murphy hiding behind a tree - waiting. In the distance, she saw a car and three men moving in that direction - and one of them was Harry.
She was concentrating on Harry, and missed seeing the man sneaking up on Murphy until it was too late. At the same moment she called out, "Murphy, look out!" the man slipped around the tree and grabbed Murphy, who had turned in her direction at the sound of her voice. The two men began to struggle, and Laura rushed over to try and break it up, but ended up on her face when a bullet flew past her.
When she looked up, Murphy was lying on the ground near the tree, and she saw Harry being pushed into the back of the car. Jumping to her feet, she ran toward the car as it pulled out with a spray of gravel.
"Damn!" she yelled, watching as it vanished around a corner. Running back to where Murphy lay, she knelt beside him. He was alive, but unconscious, a nasty-looking cut on his forehead where it had impacted with something else. "Fred!" she yelled, hoping that he would hear her. "I need some help here!"
======================================================
"It's my fault," Laura said as she stood with Mildred and Daniel in the hospital waiting room. "If I hadn't rushed in there like that -"
"You don't know that, honey," Mildred said.
"The way you explained it, that man was sneaking up on Murphy. Without your warning, he would possibly be dead right now."
Laura smiled at Daniel. "Thanks, but I distracted him. He was surprised to hear my voice. If I hadn't been so curious - has Harry called?"
"No," Mildred said. "The police are looking for the car, -"
"It was stolen," Jimmy Jarvis said, causing Laura to look up at the police detective.
"Lt. Jarvis. What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I heard the call on the radio," he explained, nodding at Mildred. "Miss Krebs."
"Lieutenant," Mildred said.
"How is Murphy?" Jimmy asked Laura.
"Still unconscious last we heard. You said that the car was stolen?"
"Yeah. It was found about three blocks from the park, abandoned. We're looking at it for prints, and talking to people in the area, but I haven't heard anything yet. Do you know what Steele was working on?"
"No," she had to admit. "H - Mr. Steele and Murphy took off earlier to meet with a client. A Mr. - Douglas, I believe."
"And left you behind?"
"She had to meet with a client at the office," Daniel said quickly.
"You're - Steele's father, aren't you?"
Realizing that Jarvis had never actually *met* Daniel, Laura nodded. "Daniel Chalmers, Lt. James Jarvis."
"Lt. Jarvis," Daniel said, shaking the young man's hand with a firm grip.
"You say that Miss Holt had a meeting with a client?"
"But that client cancelled, and I thought I could be of assistance to Mr. Steele and Murphy," Laura continued.
"Even though you didn't know what case they were working on?"
"It was a surprise for Laura," Daniel said, and Laura saw Mildred frown.
"Daniel -"
"She should know, Mildred. Especially now."
"What should I know, Daniel?" Laura asked. "What kind of surprise was he planning?"
"He'd been trying to locate your father, Miss Holt," Mildred told her. "That meeting today was arranged for them to meet at the park so they could talk to your father about coming to see you."
"My - father?" She thought back to those last minutes at the park, this time focusing not on Harry, but on the men with him. One of them *had* seemed familiar, but with so much going on - "Oh my."
========================================================
"He *found* my - father?" Laura said later.
"Apparently so," Mildred confirmed. "I don't know any details. Mr. Steele was afraid I'd say too much and spoil the surprise. All I know is what I've already said."
"Hopefully we'll get some prints off the car," Jimmy said. "When Murphy wakes up, I need to talk to him."
"I understand," Laura said. "Thank you."
"Steele and I might have been on opposite sides a few times, but I think of him as one of the good guys. I have to go. Later, Miss Krebs. It was nice to meet you, Mr. Chalmers."
"I need to go find out where he is," Laura told Daniel and Mildred once Jimmy had gone.
"Wouldn't it be better to let the police handle it, Laura?" Daniel suggested.
"I'm a detective, for God's sake," Laura pointed out. "It's time I proved that I'm as good as I *think* I am."
"I'll go with you," Daniel said.
"No. I have to do this alone. You stay here with Mildred, wait for news about Murphy. I'll be in touch."
"Laura, I can't believe that Harry would approve of this -"
Laura turned to look at him. "Harry's not here at the moment, Daniel. I'm all he's got." She glanced once toward Murphy's room, and then left.
"She's going into this blind, Daniel," Mildred said.
"I know," Daniel said, putting his arm across the woman's shoulders. "But she's got something going for her as well." When Mildred looked up at him, he said, "She's a very good private investigator. If anyone can find Harry and Tom Holt, she can."
"I hope you're right."
======================================================
One of things that being married to someone did was to make you more aware of where they might hide things. And the knowledge that while someone might *pretend* to hate computers and not understand them, they might be more capable on them than others knew.
Laura entered the office and went to her computer - since Harry didn't have one in his office, it made sense that he might have used hers when she was out with a client or on a stakeout.
She started looking for files that were unfamiliar, and found two. One was easily accessed - and empty. The second was password protected - and Laura set to work trying to guess what Harry might use as a password on a file. She knew that the password input only allowed for five letters or digits, but that didn't make things any easier.
And every moment she wasted trying to gain access to a file that might not even help, the more chance there was that she wouldn't find Harry and her father.
=========================================================
"I'm sorry for getting you into this, Steele," Tom Douglas, aka Tom Holt said quietly as the two men sat in a windowless room, tied back to back.
"It was entirely my fault for trying to track you down," Steele countered, flexing his hands, trying to find any flaws in the ropes that bound them. "If I'd known that you were in the witness protection program, I would have left well enough alone."
"It's been over ten years. I really hoped that Paretti would have forgotten about me."
"The accountant who could have put him into prison for the rest of his life?" Steele questioned. "The man who's very existence forced him to flee the country never to return?"
"I honestly didn't know that Luciano Paretti was into anything illegal, Mr. Steele," Tom insisted, glancing toward the closed door. "I thought he was simply another client, and used the figures he gave me. It was only after I began to notice a pattern of large deposits and withdrawals that I started doing some checking and found that he was laundering money." Tom grunted. "My hands are asleep," he complained. "These ropes are too tight."
"And that's when you contacted the authorities," Steele questioned. "When you found this."
"Yeah. They promised to protect us, but I knew enough to know that it wouldn't work. They offered to let me take Abigail and the girls, but I couldn't do that." His voice broke slightly as he recalled one of the most difficult decisions he'd made in his life. "Laura would have thought it was a huge adventure, but Abby and Frances?" he shook his head. "They would have hated it. Frances was already practically engaged to Donald by then - It was best for me to just leave." His voice lowered until it was almost inaudible. "To disappear and let them live their lives in peace."
"Except that Laura hasn't exactly done that," Steele pointed out. "She's never really gotten over the sense of abandonment your leaving caused."
"I'm sorry. I wish I could have had a chance to explain it to her. I never wanted to leave her. But it was easier for me to disappear than it would have been for all four of us to do so."
"You'll have your chance, Tom," Steele assured the man.
"I appreciate your optimistic attitude, Steele, but at the moment, I don't see much sunshine in this situation. We're tied up, locked in a room, waiting for the man I was going to testify against over ten years ago to come in here and take his revenge. Now, if you can see a way out of that, I'd be delighted to hear what it is."
"We have an ace in the hole, Tom," Steele pointed out. "Murphy's still out there. And so is Laura. I've no doubt that once she's made aware of what was going on, she'll leave no stone in Southern California unturned in her efforts to locate us and gain our freedom."
"She's really a good detective?"
"She's excellent. Better than I am, although I'm not sure she believes that," Steele said.
"I hope you're right. I'd like to see her again. To apologize and try to explain what happened."
"Have you ever seen any of these men before today?" Steele asked.
"No. I guess Paretti got new bodyguards - he's been out of the country for the last ten years. Why do you ask?"
"Keep denying that you're Tom Holt. That might keep them off kilter long enough for Laura and Murphy to find out where we are and rescue us." He thought that the rope gave a little, and began tracing its path as he spoke.
"You really think so?"
"Trust me. For the moment, keep telling them that you're Tom Douglas and that you've never heard of Tom Holt. I think you're safe until Paretti arrives and identifies you. Tell me, Tom, can you reach the end of the rope that's tied our wrists together?"
Tom squirmed around for a minute, nearly toppling them over in the process. "Sorry," he said. "My fingers are still a little numb - I think - Yeah. I have it. Why?"
"Where is it?"
=====================================================
Laura finally gave up in her attempts to 'break' Harry's password and went back into his office. Standing in the center of the room, she looked around, putting herself in his place, trying to get into his mind. Going to the photos on the wall, she stepped up onto the sofa and lifted each one off the wall, looking at the back of them for something possibly taped there.
Finding nothing, she went to his desk - and on the bottom of the center drawer, she hit the jackpot. There was a file taped to the underside of the drawer, and Laura removed it to lay it on the desk. He'd kept a meticulous record of who he had called, when he'd called them, and what the answer to his inquiries had been.
The answers had led him to a Tom Douglas who ran a bed and breakfast near Mount Shasta. Tom Douglas was the same age as her father, and had seemed to spring into existence out of nowhere about two years after he'd abandoned his family. There were contacts within the US Dept. of Justice and the FBI, something that surprised Laura.
What had her father, a CPA, had to do with either of those agencies? "Only one way to find out," she said, picking up the phone and dialing a number for the FBI agent that Harry had spoken to. She tapped a pen on the file as she waited for someone to answer.
"Federal Bureau of Investigation," the receptionist said. "What extension, please?"
Laura gave the extension and waited again. "Agent Bailey," someone finally answered.
"Agent Bailey, my name is Laura Holt, and I work with Remington Steele. I need to talk to you about a case that he's currently working on."
"Miss Holt," Bailey repeated. "Is Mr. Steele aware that you're making this call, Miss Holt?" he asked, his voice guarded.
"No. Mr. Steele was kidnapped this afternoon at gunpoint along with a man that I believe is known to you as Tom Douglas."
"Damn," she heard Bailey said. "I was afraid something like this - I tried to tell Steele he was opening a big can of worms with this search."
"Then you know what's going on?"
"Yes. Look, Miss Holt, why don't you let the Bureau handle this --?"
"Agent Bailey, I'm a private investigator in my own right. The head of the agency that I work for and am a partner in is currently missing. Another operative was seriously injured while trying to stop the kidnapping." Laura wanted to stop there, to remain calm and cool, the very picture of professionalism, but the young woman who remembered watching her father walk away refused to be silenced, and she continued, "And I have reason to believe that Tom Douglas is actually my father, Thomas Holt."
"Can you be in my office in fifteen minutes, Miss Holt?" Bailey asked. "I think we need to talk."
"I'll be there." She returned the file to its hiding place, found a note pad and left a note on Mildred's desk, and then left the office, locking the doors behind her.
======================================================
FBI Agent Jack Bailey was with a woman when Laura was shown into his office. Bailey, a middle aged man with salt and pepper hair and a decided paunch, greeted her with a handshake. "Miss Holt. I'm Jack Bailey. And this is Tina Andrews. Ms. Andrews is with the US Dept. of Justice."
"Ms. Andrews," Laura said, shaking the woman's hand. Tina Andrews was short and round, with close-cropped dark hair and a no-nonsense demeanor. "Now. What you can tell me about Tom Douglas and why someone would want to kidnap both him and Remington Steele?"
"It's possible that Mr. Steele was only taken because he was with Mr. Douglas," Bailey said.
"You told Mr. Bailey on the phone that you believe Mr. Douglas to be your father, Miss Holt," Tina Andrews said. "Why?"
"According to our receptionist and Mr. Steele's father, Mr. Steele was attempting to locate my father, who left when I was 16."
"He was doing this without your knowledge?" Andrews questioned.
"Yes. I helped Mr. Steele to - reconnect with his own father. I think he felt - grateful to me and wanted to return the favor. Am I right? *Is* Tom Douglas really my father?"
Andrews and Bailey looked at each other before Bailey nodded. "Yes. He is."
"He's been in California all this time? Why? Why the name change?"
"Your father was an accountant, Miss Holt," Andrews began, but Laura interrupted her.
"I know that. He was a very *good* accountant."
"Yes, he was. So good, in fact, that when he noticed some discrepancies in the accounts of one of his clients that indicated money laundering - among other things, he came to us with that information. His testimony and the evidence he had would have helped us to put a major crime figure behind bars."
"Witness protection," Laura realized. "He went into the witness protection program, didn't he?"
"Yes," Andrews confirmed. "We gave him a new name, set him up in business in Northern California. We thought it was safe, since at the time, you and your mother and sister moved to Connecticut."
"And even after you came back out here," Bailey continued, "there wasn't a problem, since you never seemed interested in trying to locate your missing father."
"You said that the man he *would have helped* put into prison -"
"Luciano Paretti managed to escape the country for South America two days before he was due to be arrested, Miss Holt," Andrews informed her. "He's been there for the last ten years, safe from extradition. But during that time, he had some friends who were still looking for your father, wanting revenge for his turning state's evidence. A man like Paretti never forgets and never forgives."
"So this - Luciano Paretti got wind that H-Mr. Steele was looking for Tom Holt, and he led them to my father."
"We thought we had it covered, but your father insisted that it was time for him to talk to you, to explain. We were going to set up a meeting between the two of you with him appearing at the Remington Steele Agency as a prospective client, but your father had other ideas. He set up that meeting with Mr. Steele today without our knowledge or approval. If we'd known about it, we would have provided security -"
Laura felt light-headed at the thought of Harry and her father being at the mercy of the Godfather. In her mind, she could hear Harry's voice. "Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Paramount, 1972."
"I beg your pardon, Miss Holt?" Ms. Andrews questioned, and Laura realized that she'd said the words aloud.
"Never mind," she said, waving her hand in a dismissive gesture. "You think that Paretti has them, then?"
"We're sure of it."
Lifting her hand, Laura brushed a stubborn lock of hair from her forehead. "Then where is he?"
"That we don't know yet."
"Do you have any leads?"
"Beyond the fact that they're still in the country, probably in the LA area, no," Bailey confided. "Look, Miss Holt, I'm aware that you're detective, but you can't seriously believe that you're capable of -"
"Try me," she said. "If you won't give me the information I need, I'll go out there and get it on my own. I have a name to ask about," she told them, picking up her purse and turning toward the door. "If nothing else, Paretti will find *me* when he hears that I'm asking questions on the street -"
"Miss Holt, Paretti's a dangerous man. And desperate. He won't hesitate to kill you, Steele or your father if he believes it will allow him to return to the life he lost. Then he could return to this country and set up shop again."
"He'd still be a wanted man, wouldn't he?"
"Without your father's testimony, we still don't have the evidence to convict him. Yes, we have the records, but Tom Holt was our only material witness to some of the deals that Paretti made without being aware of what was going on. We're keeping an eye on all ports of entry. If his people think they have Holt, Paretti will want to be here to witness his execution."
"We're just waiting for him to surface," Tina Andrews told her.
"You have someone here who's willing to bring him out into the open," Laura told them, setting her shoulders and lifting her chin in a silent challenge. "What do you want me to do?"
=======================================================
"So much for the home-made dinner," Mildred said to Daniel as they returned to the office.
"There's always tomorrow night, my dear," Daniel pointed out. "At least we know that young Michaels is going to recover fully from his ordeal."
Murphy had regained consciousness and though he hadn't been able to recall anything about the incident which had put him into the hospital, his memory otherwise had been intact. The doctors, however, had decided to keep him overnight for observation. Daniel had assured the young man that Harry and Laura would be in to see him that evening, not wanting to worry him. It worked, since he didn't remember Laura being at the park or the kidnapping.
"You're lucky that he bought that story about Mr. Steele and Miss Holt being tied up with clients here at the office," Mildred pointed out. "I don't know what we'll tell him when they don't show up to see him this evening."
"We'll think of something," Daniel told her. "I wonder where Laura's gotten off to?"
"I don't know," Mildred fretted, nearly wringing her hands. "I'd feel better if she would call and check in -"
Daniel studied her desk. "What's this?" he asked, picking up a piece of paper. "Have lead. Gone to talk to FBI. Will call." He showed her the note. "I believe that's Laura's handwriting."
"It is," Mildred confirmed, going a little pale. "The FBI?" she repeated. "Oh, Daniel."
"There, there, Mildred, dear," Daniel said, putting his arm around her again. "Things will work out. You'll see."
She looked at him. "I can almost believe it when you say it, Daniel."
"Only 'almost'?" he questioned with a charming smile, hoping to distract her from worrying.
"Oh, you old charmer, you," she laughed. "You could sell a drowning man the entire Pacific Ocean, I bet."
"Where do you think Harry got his charm?" Daniel asked. His smile faded as his own worry came to the fore. "I do hope he's all right."
"I thought you were the one telling me it would be okay?"
"So I was. But when it comes to my son's safety -"
"You really do care about him, don't you?"
"Harry is the most important thing in my life, Mildred. I spent too many years looking for him, thinking I'd never see him again to ever want it to happen again."
=====================================================
Laura, wearing a wireless mike, wasted no time in haunting all the places in the less savory parts of town to ask about the whereabouts of Luciano Paretti. When asked her reason for wanting to talk to him, she simply said that he had some unfinished business with Mr. Steele, and left her card with a request to contact her if they heard anything.
She was heading back to the limo when two men appeared in her path. She was pretty sure that they had been at the park earlier in the day, but everything had happened so quickly, she couldn't be certain of that fact. Both men were obviously armed, and stood in front of her with a menacing air.
"We hear you're looking for Luciano Paretti," one of them growled.
"Yeah," Laura coolly answered, refusing to let the shaking she felt inside show. "You know where I can find him?"
"Maybe. Why do you want to see him?"
"I want to arrange for the release of my boss."
"Your boss?"
"Remington Steele. He was on a case today when some goons tossed him into a car and took off with him and our client." Laura tapped her foot in mock exasperation. "I want him back."
"What about the client?" one of the men asked.
"I don't care about the *client*. Never met him." She pulled a business card out of her pocket. "All I care about is Steele. If you see Paretti, have him give me a call and we'll talk."
She brushed past the men and continued to the limo, sinking gratefully into the leather seats when Fred opened the door for her. "Thank you, Fred." She sat back and lifted a hand to her forehead, only to discover that it was shaking. Laura grabbed it with the other one, hoping to stop the trembling.
"Where to, Miss Holt?" he asked once he was behind the wheel again.
"Around the block, Fred," she told him. "Slowly!" Taking the wire, she said into it, "I'm sure that the last two I spoke with were at the park today and helped kidnap Mr. Steele and Tom Douglas. I'm going to have Fred circle the block, then see if we can't follow them back to wherever Paretti is hiding."
"What was that, Miss Holt?" Fred asked.
"Nothing, Fred. Just continue around the block." She picked up the mobile phone and dialed the number for the office, intending to leave a message with the answering service, but Mildred answered instead.
"Remington Steele Agency," she said.
"Mildred? What are you doing there? Why aren't you at the hospital with Murphy?"
"Oh, Miss Holt," Mildred said, her voice fluttering, and Laura could almost see her looking up at Daniel as she continued. "Daniel and I have been so worried. What's going on?"
"I can't talk right now, Mildred," Laura interrupted, "but I have a lead. How's Murphy?"
"He woke up a couple of hours after you left. He doesn't remember anything about the meeting at the park. The doctors say that it's normal with a head injury. They're keeping him overnight for observation."
"Good idea. Did he ask where Harry and I were?"
"We told him you were working and would be by this evening," Mildred answered. "Or, rather, Daniel did."
"I'll try to get by and give him an excuse about Harry," Laura said. As they came back around the block Laura saw the two men getting into a dark sedan. "I have to go, Mildred. I'll call." She didn't wait for Mildred to respond before she hung up and told Fred, "Follow that sedan, Fred." She was grateful that it was dark now, and it would be more difficult for someone to make a tail. "Stay just close enough so you don't lose them but not too close."
"You've got it, Miss Holt."
She sat back, speaking into the mike again. "They're heading north on the Pacific Coast Highway in a dark Ford sedan." She followed that up with the license number.
The mobile phone rang a few minutes later, and Laura answered expecting to hear Mildred's voice. But Agent Bailey was on the line. "Miss Holt, you can back off now. We have the tail and will take over from here."
"Not on your life, Bailey," she informed him. "I haven't come this far to step back now and let you and your boys take the glory. *I* have more to lose here than you do."
"There's nothing I can say that will make you go back to your office and wait?"
"Nothing."
"Very well. I don't suppose you're carrying a weapon?"
"No. Listen, Bailey, if anyone has a shot at getting in there, it's me. Paretti will have a double reason for being willing to talk to me. Tom Holt is my father. And Remington Steele is my -" she almost slipped up and said 'husband', but stopped before she did so.
Bailey, however, had no reason not to finish her statement. "Is your husband."
"You know -?"
"Miss Holt, we're the FBI. We know everything."
"You didn't know that Paretti was in California," she reminded him. "Or that my father had decided to meet with Remington Steele on his own."
"That's true. Don't worry, *Miss Holt*, your secret is safe with us. We'll hang back and let you go in. But if they find the wire -"
"Then I'll expect you there to back me up," she told him.
===========================================================
Laura watched the dark sedan turn into a gated driveway in the Hills, and considered having Fred drop her off so that she could sneak onto the grounds and use the element of surprise.
But she decided to go on a full frontal assault instead, and had him turn into the drive, stopping at the small speaker box near the gate, which had closed once the sedan entered.
She got out of the car. "Wait here, Fred," she told the driver, who looked concerned, but didn't say anything. Going to the box, she pressed the button, waiting.
"Who's there?" a gruff, unfriendly male voice barked.
"Laura Holt. I want to see Mr. Paretti."
"Walk up the drive," the voice said after a minute, and the metal gate 'clinked' as it opened inward.
"Miss Holt -" Fred began. "I'm not sure this is a good idea -"
"Fred," Laura put her hand lightly on his shoulder, reassuring him. "Go on back to the office. There's nothing more that you can do here."
She took a deep breath before she turned and started up the driveway. Laura forced herself not to jump out of her skin when she heard the gate clang shut behind her. Hearing Fred back the limo out of the drive and pull away left an empty feeling in her stomach. She swallowed as a metallic taste grew in the back of her mouth and knew that if the FBI wasn't there to back her play, none of them would see morning.
=======================================================
"I *told* you that you have the wrong man!" Tom insisted. "I've never heard of this - Tom Holt person. My name is Tom Douglas. I run a bed and breakfast in the northern part of the state -"
"And why were you meeting with Steele if you're *just* a businessman?" demanded the man that who had approached them in the park , as Leo came into entered the room.
"Glen -"
"I wanted to talk to Mr. Steele about doing some work for me," Tom said. "It was personal. The woman I've been seeing has vanished. I hoped he would be able to find her for me," he continued as Leo moved closer to Glen and whispered something quietly.
Glen smiled. "Thank you, Leo. Bring her here when she arrives."
Leo nodded and left the room again. "You seem quite certain that this man is the one you're looking for," Steele said, wondering if the 'she' that Glen had referred to might possibly be Laura.
"Positive," Glen said, holding out a photograph for them to look at. The man in the photo was much younger, with dark hair - and smiling in the camera along with a younger version of Laura. "Don't you agree?" he asked Steele.
Steele studied the photo and then Tom before shaking his head. "No. I don't see the resemblance. The man in that photo is several years younger than Mr. Douglas. And his eyes seem a bit farther apart -"
Glen frowned, shaking his head. "It was taken several years ago. I suppose you're going to tell me that the girl in the photo isn't your daughter?" he asked Tom.
"I don't have a daughter," Tom said. "I'm not married. Never been married. And that is *not* me."
"We'll see," Glen said, a sneer on his face. "I'm sure the young lady in the photo will identify you as Tom Holt -"
"No, she won't, because I'm *not* this - Tom Holt, whoever he is. I've never heard of him or a - Mr. Paretti."
Glen had told them earlier that Mr. Paretti was 'en route' to their location, having been out of the country on 'business'.
"South America, wasn't it?" Steele questioned. "For the last, ten years at least."
Glen's eyes narrowed. "You know a lot about Luciano Paretti, Steele."
"I'm a private detective," Steele reminded the man. "Of course I'd know about one of the biggest crime bosses in to squeeze California during the last twenty years. He's also on the FBI's 'Most Wanted" list, I believe."
"You're right. But without Tom Holt's testimony, he'll never be convicted. He'd simply claim that Holt was skimming money for himself," Glen finished with a humorless grin.
The doorbell rang, a four-tone chime that caused Glen to smile again. "I think we'll find out shortly whether or not Mr. Douglas here is really Tom Holt. That's your associate, Mr. Steele. Tom Holt's daughter."
"Good," Steele said. "Now we'll get this cleared up and we'll be able to leave, Mr. Douglas," he said to Tom. He thought he saw a small glimmer of uncertainty in Glen's eyes, and hoped that Laura was on the same wave-length. If she came in here and gave *any* sign that Tom Douglas was her father, they were all three dead.