Steele With a Twist 3:
Tarnished Steele
Episode 3
"And you have no idea who this Lila Malone is?" Murphy asked once Steele had finished explaining what he knew about recent events.

"Nonewhatsoever. Her voice wasn't familiar when I listened to her message."

"It's probably some slime bucket you sent up the river," Mildred suggested, handing him the newspaper that he'd convinced Murphy to take the time to stop and buy.

Murphy smirked. "Up the river?" Slime bucket? He mouthed in Steele's direction.

"To the slammer," Mildred expounded, not seeing the glance that passed between the two men.

"You're quite likely right, Mildred," Steele agreed. "The question is: Who?"

"It's a long list, Steele," Murphy reminded him. "And- since we don't have access to the agency's files-"

"We don't? Why not?"

"Oops," Murphy muttered, pulling the court order from his jacket pocket. He handed it across the back of the seat. "The Board's shut us down pending an investigation. Office is padlocked, files confiscated."

Steele glanced at the paper and sat back. "Damn. How the bloody hell are we supposed to prove my innocence if we can't get access TOO that proof?"

"I think that's the idea," Murphy told him. "Look, whoever it is, they're good. Must've been planning this for some time to have things this far along already."

"You're right. Don't you have a connection at the Parole Board, Murphy? That young woman-"

"Lesley? Heck, I haven't talked to her in months."

"Maybe it's time you renewed your acquaintance," Steele suggested. "See if she can tell you who might have been released recently that would have a grudge against the agency."

"I'll try. The bank's just around the corner," Murphy informed him. A police car passed, and Steele sunk down in the seat. "You know, it might not be a good idea for you to go in there, Steele. If anyone recognizes you-"

"So how am I supposed to get into that safety deposit box, Murphy?" Steele asked.

"I can do it," Mildred told them. She smiled. "I was going to have to do it sooner or later, right?" Opening her briefcase, she pulled out a paper.

"I can't ask you to involve yourself in this, Mildred," Steele said.

"Who's asking? You have to understand that if I DO find something in that box that proves beyond a doubt that you're guilty, I won't be able to keep quiet-."

"I assure you, Mildred, I'm innocent. And I would appreciate the help." He looked at Murphy as the woman gathered her purse and briefcase. "Why don't you go with her, Murphy?"

"Me? Why?"

"because he doesn't trust me," Mildred answered. "That's all right, Mr. Steele. I don't think I'd trust anyone if I was in your position, either. Come on, Michaels. You can play Federal Marshal." She glanced at him. "Wouldn't happen to have a badge you could flash in there, would you?"

"A bit unethical, don't you think, Mildred?" Steele questioned, frowning as Murphy reached over and opened the glove box to remove a leather wallet. "Murphy?"

The blonde man gave him a sheepish look as he flashed the shield in Steele's direction and then pocketed it. "Necessary sometimes, Boss. Besides," he said, opening the door to get out, "it was Laura's idea."

"Umm," Steele murmured disapprovingly. "Once this is over, Murphy, I think a bit of remedial ethics study is in order. For you AND Miss Holt."

***

Inside the bank, Murphy followed Mildred across the lobby to the desk that led to the safety deposit boxes. "I'm here to get the contents of Box 1786," she informed the woman, tossing her identification on the desk between them as she spoke.

The woman glanced at the card, then at Mildred. "You have a court order, I'm sure?"

Mildred sighed, pulling out the slip of paper she'd removed earlier. "I sent you confirmation about this on my own letter head- you've been expecting it, and you know it. Now cough it up, honey."

The woman picked up the keys, then looked at Murphy. "Are you IRS too?"

He shook his head, then flashed the badge at her as she turned toward the barred entryway to the bank's vault. She removed the box and set it on a table. "Thank you," Mildred said, dismissing the woman with a cool glance.

"You're pretty good at this," Murphy commented to Mildred as he opened the box to inspect the contents.

"yeah, well, you learn a little spending fifteen years on the IRS Fraud squad," she informed him.

"Fraud squad?" he questioned, then turned his attention to cleaning out the box into Mildred's briefcase.

"What's this?" Mildred asked, picking up a coin.

"No telling. Just put it in here and we'll check it later." He fastened the locks with a click and then returned the box to its cubicle. "Shall we, Miss Krebs?"

***

"I can't believe you're going after Mr. Steele when you don't even have a body, Jarvis," Laura insisted.

"The evidence points to the high probability that there IS a body somewhere, Miss Holt," he replied, turning onto the street where Valley Bank was located.

Laura saw Murphy's car sitting in the parking lot, and was sure she saw someone in the back seat. As they got out of the car, Laura asked, "If you won't tell me anything else, maybe you could tell me whether or not you've checked to see if anyone that the Agency put away over the years has gotten out of prison recently."

"Haven't checked," Jarvis told her, indicating that she should precede him into the bank.

As they came out of the vault, Murphy glanced toward the doors, then quickly steered Mildred behind some potted plants. "Uh-oh."

"What's wrong?" Mildred asked, then saw Laura Holt with a man wearing a rumpled suit. "Isn't that Miss Holt?"

"Yeah. With Lt. Jarvis. The LAPD's boy wonder of homicide."

"They're probably here to get whatever's in the safety deposit box," Mildred told him. "So how are we going to get out?"

"Just wait," Murphy said, then did exactly that. Once Jarvis turned toward the vault, Murphy grabbed Mildred's arm. "Come on. Don't run. Just don't' stop."

"This is so exciting," Mildred sighed, following Murphy out of the bank without incident.

"I was getting a little worried," Steele informed them from his hiding place in the rear floorboard of the car. "What took you so long?"

"It wasn't that long," Murphy told him, starting the car and putting it into gear. "It just seemed that way, since you were waiting. Laura and Jarvis are inside the bank, probably finding out that the IRS just confiscated the contents of your safety deposit box."

"I know. I saw them arrive and go in. What was in the box?" Steele asked.

Mildred started to open the briefcase, but Murphy placed a hand on the leather surface. "Why don't we wait till we're someplace a little safer than the streets, um?"

"And where might that be?" Steele questioned. "My apartment's swarming with police, I'm sure they're watching Laura's house and yours, since you're employed at the Agency."

"They're not watching my house," Mildred said. "And it's only a few miles from here."

Steele looked at her. "You're certain, Mildred? I'd hate for you to put yourself at risk-"

"Let's just say that I like rooting for the underdog, Mr. Steele. I don't like seeing innocent people hurt."

"What's the address," Murphy asked.

****

Laura hung back as Jarvis interrogated the poor woman who had given access to the safety deposit boxes to someone from the IRS. "And you just handed it over?" he asked.

"She was with a Federal Marshal," the woman insisted.

"This- Federal Marshal," Jarvis asked, "Wouldn't have been around six foot tall, dark hair, blue eyes, would he?"

"No. He was tall, blonde. Boy next door type."

"Did you at least get a name for either of them?"

"I know my job, Lt. Jarvis," the woman declared, offended. She held out the paper. "Mildred Krebs."

Laura found herself wondering how Harry had managed to convince Miss Krebs to go along with this. And then she wondered WHY Miss Krebs was still with Murphy and Harry. "looks like a dead end, Jarvis," she commented.

"Yeah. Guess so," Jarvis replied as they left the bank.

"Look, can I get a lift back to my car? Since you're obviously not going to prove that Mr. Steele's innocent, I have to work to do." When Jarvis gave her a long look, she added, "Unless I'm under arrest."

"No. You're free to go." He turned to an officer. "Morgan!"

"Yes, Lieutenant?"

"Drive Miss Holt back to Rossmore to get her car."

"Yes, sir."

Jarvis opened the passenger door for Laura to get inside, then closed it. Leaning down, he said, "Miss Holt, I think you should remember that this is an open police investigation of a possible murder. If you get in the way, you could get hurt."

"I've been hurt before, Jarvis," Laura assured him. "I'm just trying to make sure that you don't send an innocent man to prison."

Jarvis straightened as the car drove away. Picking up his radio, he called, "Jacobs."

"Yeah, Jimmy?"

Morgan's taking Holt back to her car. I want a tail on her. She could lead us to Steele."

"I'm on it," Jacobs said through the static. Jarvis got into his own car. It was time to call in that favor from an IRS auditor. He wanted to find out why an IRS agent would have taken the contents of that box.

***

Remington looked around the small house. "Very nice, Mildred."

"Thanks. Anyone want coffee? Tea?"

"Coffee sounds good," Remington said.

"Yeah," Murphy agreed. "Coffee." He held up a Raymond Chandler novel that was laying open and face down on the coffee table, showing the title to Steele.

Remington found a half read paperback romance nearby. "Rather eclectic, our Miss Krebs," he said softly, listening as the woman under discussion puttered in the kitchen. "Why is she with you?"

"She was there when they came to shut down the office. I figured there was no sense in letting them join forces, so-"

"So?"

"I told them that she was our new receptionist," Murphy confessed.

"You what?"

"And then we high tailed out of there. The only reason she went along was because I promised her first crack at you when we found you."

"Oh, thanks, Murphy."

"She's eating out of the palm of your hand, Steele," Murphy pointed out. "She-"

"And what if something from that safety deposit box is so incriminating that I can't charm my way out of it, eh?" Remington asked.

"Here we go," Mildred said, returning with a tray containing three cups of coffee, sugar and cream.

"Let me take that," Remington offered, deftly plucking the tray from the woman's hands and carrying it to the coffee table.

"Thank you, Mr. Steele." She picked up the detective novel and smiled, a bit embarrassed, and laid it aside as Murphy laid the briefcase in that spot. She opened the latches. "Newspaper articles about the Conover Coin Robbery," she said, handing them to Murphy. "And what looks like a confession to the robbery written and signed by a- Louis Malone, dated almost seven years ago."

"Let me see that," Remington said, holding out his hand. He shook his head. "I've never seen this before."

"These aren't much help either," Murphy told him, lifting the newspaper clippings. "A detailed report about the robbery, an interview with Mr. Conover, who said that since the police weren't able to find the person who stole his collection of rare coins, he had decided to hire a private investigator."

"He doesn't name me specifically," Remington pointed out, glancing at the article. "I remember now. He said he didn't want to reveal who the investigator was until he found the coins and the thief. But since neither were found, he never revealed who he'd hired."

Murphy held up the last article. "And Mr. Conover's obituary, stating almost word for word what you just said."

Remington looked into the case. "Was that everything?"

"Oh," Mildred said, digging through the folders. "There was one other thing. A coin."

"A coin?"

She pulled it out. "Some kind of general on it," she said, handing it to Remington.

"Hmm," Remington said, rubbing the coin between his fingers. "Probably put there to make it look like I got to Malone before he sold the coins and took one as evidence."

"Let me see it," Murphy said. Remington flipped it toward his partner, who caught it easily. "Should be easy enough to find out if it's one of the Conover collection, shouldn't it?"

"With some digging, maybe. That news article doesn't list every coin."

"So what's our next move, Mr. Steele?" Mildred asked.

"You still believe I'm innocent, Mildred?"

"I don't see anything here that makes it anymore than your word against this guy's daughter's word," Mildred pointed out as the telephone rang. All three jumped nervously. Mildred picked it up. "Hello?--Supervisor Melisch. What a surprise--well, --yes, yes, I did, but there was a very good reason for it-- Mr. Steele never showed-- No. I didn't know that there was a murder involved. Really? --Yes, but-" she looked flustered. "My car's got a flat tire--Yes, I've got a spare, but it's got TWO flat tires." Murphy winced. Remington covered his face with his hand. "I think that kid down the street whose father I audited last year--A courier? Sure. I'll have it ready for him--No problem." She hung up and visibly sagged. "They're sending a courier over to get the contents of the safety deposit box."

"And Jarvis will probably be on that courier's tail," Murphy pointed out, his eyes on Steele.

Remington stood there for a long moment as if weighing his options. When he spoke, his voice was soft. "I think it's time I cut you and Laura loose on this, Murphy."

To Be Continued---
 
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Original content ©2000 by Nancy Eddy