Kate made an attempt to move away, but Remington's hand fastened itself to her arm to prevent her retreat as he directed his words to Phoebe Chase. "I'm afraid you've arrived at a rather bad time, Miss Chase."
The woman lifted one brow. "Indeed," she said, agreeing with is assessment. "You have a talent for understatement, Mr. Steele. Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Miss Holt," Remington said, pulling Kate-if THAT was her real name- forcibly closer, "was about to tell me her theory about who stole the Royal Lavulite." His blue eyes fixed on Kate's darker ones. "Isn't that right, Miss Holt?"
Kate gave him a treacly smile. "Actually, I do have a theory. Raymond Kessler and Leo Neff were here at the reception earlier this evening."
"The two men who originally stole the gems," Phoebe Chase easily identified.
Remington's gaze hardened. "And you didn't bother to inform me of that?" he asked "Miss Holt".
"I didn't have time, Mr. Steele," she reminded him. "We were rather- busy, if you'll remember."
"Oh, I remember, Miss Holt," Remington assured her grimly. "Every detail."
She smiled. "I have an idea. Why don't you and I go look for them, Miss Chase, while Mr. Steele goes and interviews Lucius Davidson?"
"That's a very idea, Miss Holt," Phoebe agreed.
Remington had the uncomfortable feeling that he was losing control of the situation again. "Ladies, I don't think that's such a good idea-" he began, but "Miss Holt" gave him a brilliant smile as she brought her foot down on his, forcing him to release her arm.
"Nonsense, Mr. Steele. Besides, I believe Betty just entered the hall," she told him. Remington turned to look in that direction, giving Kate the chance she needed to lead Miss Chase away. "Shall we, Phoebe?" she asked as they moved off. "I can call you Phoebe, can't I? For some reason I feel as though I know you already."
Remington watched the two women move toward the side exit until Betty's voice reached him. "Mr. Steele! I just heard what happened. I think you should see this," she told him as she shoved the manila envelope with the photo of Phoebe Chase on top. "That woman is NOT Phoebe Chase," she announced.
"I know, Betty," he said in a quiet, angry voice, watching as Phoebe followed Kate toward the elevators.
"You do?" The wind went out of her sails quickly.
He nodded in the direction that Kate and Phoebe had gone. "I just met the real Phoebe Chase."
"Why isn't she under arrest?" Betty asked, following his gaze as Kate and Phoebe waited for the lift.
"Because she was with me when they were stolen," he told the woman. Keeping him distracted. Probably part of the plan all along. Kate would keep him- occupied while her partners stole the gems. One more relationship down the tubes, he sighed.
"What are we going to do?" Betty asked, frowning as she watched his facial expressions.
"I want you to go and see Lucius Davidson, find out what he knows. I don't think it was coincidence that he insisted the gems be here this evening."
Betty nodded, frowning as he moved away. "And where will you be?
"Finding out more about our faux Miss Chase," he informed her, heading for the elevators just as the doors closed behind his quarry. His hand slapped the "up" button in frustration as he watched the indicator above it move upward until it stopped on the floor where Kate had a room. The car beside him came- and left as he watched the one before him begin its downward descent. Why had she taken Miss Chase up to her room? He wondered. He couldn't very well confront her with the insurance woman around, he decided. But the idea that Kate might very well disappear along with the gems was troubling, to say the least. He moved into the car when it opened and pressed the button for Kate's floor. Might as well reconnoiter the area, anyway, he decided. It couldn't hurt…
~~~~~~
Kate approached the door to her room, then paused. "Oh my. I need to discuss something with Mr. Steele," she suddenly "remembered". "Why don't you take my key and then go on inside and wait for me? I shouldn't be long."
"Every moment we wait, Miss Holt, the gems could be farther and farther away," Phoebe reminded her in a deadpan voice.
"Believe me, Phoebe, I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen." She pressed her room key into the other woman's hand, then turned back toward the elevators, waiting to see Phoebe unlock the door and open it before making a mad dash toward the stairs…
~~~~~~
Daniel Chalmers removed his jacket, removing the diamond earrings that he had "appropriated" from the woman he'd been with this evening. Nice little baubles, he decided, probably fetch a decent price. Pouring a drink, he frowned as there was a knock on the door. Cautiously he opened it, then relaxed slightly as he saw Kate standing there.
She pushed past him. "We've got trouble, Daniel," she informed him, pacing the room.
He closed the door. "Trouble?"
"With a capital "T"," she confirmed, then came the inevitable reference. "The Music Man, Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Warner Brothers, 1962."
Daniel's sigh was long-suffering. "Really, Kate."
She turned to look at him at last. "I'm going to ask you this once, Daniel. And if you've never been truthful with me before, you'd better start now. Did you steal the Royal Lavulite tonight?"
Daniel's eyes widened in surprise. "No. I did hear that they had been lifted, however. I thought that you had-"
"No. Damn!" she began to pace again. "It had to be Kessler and Neff, then."
"I thought I caught sight of those two thugs earlier. But I wouldn't think they had the brains between them to pull it off."
"Then you're wrong. And I've got to find them- and the gems- or I'll be spending the next few years in an English prison."
Her mentor's face became a mask of worry. "There is someone else who could have stolen them, I suppose." When Kate looked at him with questioning eyes, he continued. "I suppose you don't want to hear that Winston was at the reception tonight as well, do you?" he asked, watching her reaction carefully
Kate froze. "Damn!" she said again, "Damn, damn, damn!"
~~~~~~
Remington meant to get off of the lift at Kate's floor, but on the second floor, a group of American tourists joined him, blocking his route of escape, and he was forced to ride up to the top floor of the hotel with the rowdy bunch. He would have pushed the button to return to a lower floor, but two of the people began arguing and refused to let the car go until their disagreement was resolved. Begging their pardon, he departed the car and found the stairway door. Inside, he thought he heard voices, but they were moving away, and they were male. Definitely not Kate and Miss Chase, he decided, taking the first flight of stairs.
~~~~~~
"Winston?" Kate repeated. "Damn!"
"Kate," Daniel said reprovingly, "that's the sixth "damn" I've heard. How many times do I have to remind you-"
"I know," she told him. "A lady doesn't swear," she said, repeating his admonition in a fair imitation of his voice. "I remember, Daniel. What the hell is Winston doing HERE?" she wanted to know, causing him to sigh again.
"Probably the same thing you were doing here," Daniel told her. "Waiting for a chance at the gems." He poured them each a drink. "I've no doubt that he noticed your- attention to Mr. Steele this evening and decided the timing was perfect, since you were keeping the man's attention away from the gems."
"I have to find him," Kate insisted. "And get those gems back."
"Why? There are other gems, Kate," Daniel reminded her. "Frankly, I've never understood your fascination with the Lavulite."
"The recovery fee, of course," she reminded him. "I'm sure Winston has a buyer lined up already, though."
Daniel lifted his glass to her. "Well, Winston did get in ahead of you. All's fair, as they say."
"I'm not the only one he got in ahead of, Daniel," Kate told him. "Kessler and Neff probably think I stole the blasted things. They'll be looking for me to get their cut. When I can't give them the gems-"
"Now that IS a problem," Daniel agreed. "Perhaps the best course would be to simply slip away, lay low for awhile. We could go to my villa in Cannes-"
"No. It's not just that, Daniel," Kate insisted. "If those gems aren't recovered, then the reputation of the Remington Steele Agency will be destroyed."
"And that's important to you?" Daniel questioned. When she was silent, he smiled slightly. "Why, Kate. If I didn't know better, I'd swear that you were - smitten."
"Don't be ridiculous, Daniel," Kate said with a toss of her head.
Daniel watched his protégé for a long moment before coming to a decision. "I might be able to find Winston. I know most of his hiding places."
"Then find him. And then let me know where the bastard is. If I have to get those gems back-even if I have to strangle him with my bare hands."
He winced. She might just make good on her threat. Her history with Winston wasn't exactly a good one. "And what are you going to be doing?"
"Trying to convince Rem-Mr. Steele that I can help him get the gems back and save his agency's good name." She went to the door. "When you find Winston, Daniel, leave a message for Laura Holt at the Remington Steele Agency."
"Laura Holt?" he asked.
"Long story," she said with the ghost of a smile. "I just hope I have the chance to explain it once all this is over…"
He touched her arm. "Be careful, Kate," he warned. "If Kessler and Neff are looking for you- then you're in danger."
"Hey, aren't you the one who's always said I was born under a lucky star?" she reminded him, and stood on tiptoe to give him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be fine," she assured him, and then was gone.
Daniel watched her down the corridor, making sure she was safely inside the elevator before he closed his door. Putting his worry about Kate aside, he concentrated on places where Winston might have gone to ground…
~~~~~~
Remington used his lock pick to enter Kate's room after knocking and receiving no response from within. Hopefully there would be some clue inside as to where she would be meeting her partners to split the take from the robbery.
The room was tidy- but several drawers were only partially closed, signaling that they might have been searched recently. The covers on the bed were slightly askew, a small writing desk had been moved. But there was nothing that interested Remington- until he looked under the bed and found rolled blueprints of the hotel. The security office was marked. He sat down on the bed and noted a book on her nightstand. Films of Grace Kelly. He flipped through the book before rising to search the bureau. Beneath a stack of neatly folded lingerie, he found a stack of passports. Opening them, he read the names. "Tracy Lord, Frances Stevens, Margot Wendice, Lisa Fremont." They sounded familiar, he thought as his gaze fell on the book once more. Keeping the passports in his hand, he opened the book again. All of the names were characters that Grace Kelly had played in the movies, he realized.
"At least I know one thing about you for certain," he muttered to the empty room. "You like Grace Kelly," he said as he opened the closet door. Phoebe Chase's body fell into his arms, causing him to grunt in shocked surprise. He lowered her to the floor and felt for a pulse. She was dead. The body was still warm- she hadn't been that way long. Inspecting the wound, he rose and went to the telephone, his hand hovering over the instrument as he fought an internal battle. He knew that he should call the police. He picked it up, dialed two numbers, and then hung up again.
The Agency's reputation was in bad enough shape, what with the robbery. No, he would find Kate- although he was certain now that "Kate" wasn't her real name- and the gems. It was the only way to even the score.
"For the Agency," he repeated aloud, wondering whom he was trying to convince. He returned the body to the closet and left the room.
~~~~~~
Betty met him as he entered the suite that had been put at their disposal. He looked tired and defeated, she thought, noticing that the light in those incredible blue eyes seemed dimmer. "Did you find them?" she asked quietly. Seeing his glance around the room, she nodded toward the door across the way. "Mr. Davidson's asleep."
Remington nodded absently and ran a hand across the back of his neck. "I found Miss Chase," he confirmed. "Dead. In the closet of her hotel room."
Betty's eyes widened. "Oh my god. Did you tell the police?" she asked.
"No. I can't, Betty. I- introduced her to Miss Chase as- Laura Holt," he confessed in a halting voice.
"What?" He had told her about his imaginary partner when he had realized that his mother would no doubt question her about the woman she believed her son was involved with. "You what?"
"And I think I was overheard by others in the ballroom when I did so. Did you talk to Davidson?" he asked.
"For a minute. He's more worried about his wife and daughter than he is the Lavulite. That's all he talked about, making sure they were safe."
"Hmm. Have you checked on them?"
"I called the house- Mrs. Davidson and the little girl are in the country for a few days- the housekeeper wouldn't give me any further details."
There was a knock on the door, and they both turned as it opened and Kate entered the room, her gaze cautious. "I think we need to talk," she told Remington.
Betty snorted derisively. "Little late for that, don't you think? Haven't you already done enough damage?"
"I'm here, aren't I?" Kate asked, her eyes on Remington. "If I'd had anything to do with those gems being stolen, would I be here now?"
"Maybe," Betty said. "To keep anyone from suspecting you of murder."
Kate frowned. "Murder?"
Remington nodded slowly. "Phoebe Chase was murdered."
"And her body is in YOUR room," Betty finished in an accusing voice.
Kate closed her eyes as a sick feeling rose in her stomach. "Those butchers-"
"Who?" Remington asked, feeling sure that her reaction to Phoebe's death was genuine.
"Kessler and his trained animal Neff. They were probably waiting for me in my room, thinking that I'd stolen the gems. I sent her in there to wait; never thinking-" she closed her eyes again. "She was stabbed, wasn't she? Through the heart, about- here," she said, indicating the exact spot where Phoebe's wound had been.
Betty saw Remington's reaction. "Good guess, right?" Her tone dripped with sarcastic disbelief.
"I've seen their work before- I've been one step ahead or behind them across Europe. They won't give up until they find me and get the gems."
"But you don't have the gems," Remington said, and it wasn't entirely a question, Kate noted. He wanted to believe in her innocence.
"No. I'd planned to steal them later tonight- but someone else beat me to them."
"Which still makes you a thief," Betty pointed out.
"Kessler and Neff are thieves, I'm an artist," she told them proudly. "I was going to return the gems to South Africa for a recovery fee," she said. Her eyes met Remington's. "Do you believe I'm guilty?"
"I do," Betty answered.
"I'm not talking to you," Kate responded, never taking her eyes off of the man before her. "Why the hesitation? Come on, Mr. Steele. Tell me. What would your paragon of virtue Laura Holt do in this situation?"
"She would call the police," Betty said.
"Then call them."
Betty picked up the telephone as Kate turned toward the door. "Where are you going?" she asked.
"Kessler and Neff are looking for me- I think they should find me. Can you meet me in my room? I think we need to arrange a little surprise for them."
Remington nodded as Betty dialed the telephone number…
~~~~~~
Kate moved through the lobby, no real destination in mind. Where the devil were they, she wondered. Typical. Never around when you expected them. She sat down, picking up a magazine from a table. It was only a moment later that she smelled the too strong odor of Raymond Kessler's after shave and felt the end of the closed switchblade against her side.
"We've been looking for you, luv," Leo Neff told her.
"Well you've found me," she told them. "Actually, I've been trying to find you as well. Thought you might be interested in what I have in my room."
"We looked in your room," Kessler told her. "The gems aren't there."
Kate laughed softly. "You don't think I'd leave them out in plain sight, do you? They're hidden." The knife jabbed deeper. "If you kill me, you'll never find them."
Kessler rose and extended a hand toward her. "Then show us where they are."
Kate took his hand gingerly and rose, gasping as she felt Neff prod her again. "Shall we, gentlemen?"
~~~~~~
Kate entered the room first, stepping toward the balcony. "Okay," Kessler said. "No more games. Where are the gems?"
"They're in the bathroom," she told them. "In the tank."
Kessler and Neff both turned to open the bathroom door, and Neff stuttered in fear as Phoebe Chase's body fell into his arms. "We left 'er in the closet, Ray!" he announced. "'Ow'd she get in 'ere?!"
"Good question," Kate agreed as the door to the balcony opened and Remington, Betty and a bevy of Bobbies appeared. Kate approached Neff and took his knife, holding it out. "I think you'll find this is the weapon that killed Miss Chase, Detective," she informed them.
"Thanks, miss," the detective in charge said with a smile as the two murderers were handcuffed.
Kessler frowned. "Who the hell are you, lady?"
Remington caught sight of the detective's curious glance. "Laura Holt," he informed them. "My- associate." Behind him, he heard Betty's angry sigh.
"Thank you, Miss Holt, you must be pretty good if Steele's taken you on. He's the best in the business-"
Kate smiled nervously as the body was removed and the two men were escorted out. "You mentioned something about someone else beating you to the gems," Remington reminded her. "Wouldn't happen to know who that might be, would you?"
"As a matter of fact, I do," Kate admitted. "But I have to wait for word as to where he's gone before I can retrieve the gems."
"How convenient," Betty said softly. "You're not going to believe her, are you, Mr. Steele?" she asked.
"At the moment, Betty, it would appear that we have little choice in the matter. How long do you think we'll have to wait?" he asked the woman who stood before him.
"I don't really know."
"Mr. Steele, she's just giving him enough time to get away," Betty insisted, trying again. "I can't believe that you would trust her-"
Remington lifted a hand to silence the woman. "Betty- would you go and see how Lucius is doing? I need to speak to Miss Holt alone."
"She's NOT Laura Holt," Betty reminded him, then sighed as he glanced at her. "Very well. I'll go." She glared at Kate as she moved past, silently warning the woman to keep her claws to herself.
Once they were alone, Kate moved to the nightstand and fingered the book, uncertain of what to say. Remington watched her for a moment. "Was it all an act?" he asked.
Kate turned to look at him. "Not all of it."
"But which parts can I trust, I wonder? Who do you think stole the gems?" When she hesitated, he continued. "If you want to me to trust you, you'll have to be honest with me."
"Winston," she told him. "He's an old- friend of mine."
The hesitation wasn't lost on Remington. He easily recognized that instead of "friend" she might have used the word "lover". "And you and he planned this together?"
"No. I had no idea that he was in London until after the robbery when someone we both know told me he was here."
"Someone you both know?" Remington asked.
"Do you remember my telling you about the man who took me in? Taught me his trade?"
"Which I mistakenly thought was insurance," he recalled.
"Daniel's in London, too. He's gone to find Winston."
"And warn him that I'm after him?"
"No. He's going to call the Agency and leave a message for Laura Holt, with directions on where we can find Winston and get the gems. But we have to move quickly. While I was going to return them to their rightful owners, Winston will probably sell them to the highest bidder. We don't have much time."
"No," he agreed, his blue eyes taking on a hardness that troubled Kate. "We don't. Because if we don't retrieve those gems, Kate, and quickly, then I'll throw you to the wolves, reputation of the agency be damned," he promised her.
~~~~~~
Daniel found Winston easily. Far more easily than he should have been able to. "Daniel," the tall blonde man said with a welcoming smile as he opened the door of his rented flat. "Come in. This is a surprise."
"I'm surprised that you're still here, Winston. I thought you'd be hiding somewhere until things cooled off."
"What are you talking about, old man?"
"The Lavulite?" Daniel prodded.
Winston's green eyes mirrored his confusion. "Why should I go to ground just because Margot finally reached her goal and stole the bloody things?
Now it was Daniel's turn to be confused. "You didn't steal them?"
"Me? Daniel, I've done a lot of scuzzy things in my time, but jumping Margot's play isn't one of them," he said, his gaze becoming speculative, "Oh, I was going to, even convinced that old man to get the gems to the hotel. But when I realized that Margot was already planning something-But I still think I could have done it. She was so- distracted by Steele's presence that she barely noticed anything else. You know, it's not like Margot to use her womanly wiles to get information from a mark. Every time I suggested she do it, she outright refused."
"You suggested she-?" Daniel asked.
"A few times," Winston admitted, apparently missing the anger in Daniel's voice.
"You know, Kate's right," Daniel decided. "You are a bastard," he announced, and surprised the younger man with a right to the jaw that sent him reeling into a nearby chair.
"What was that for?" Winston asked, rubbing his aching jaw.
"For Kate." He picked up the telephone and began to dial a number. "If I were you, I'd get out of London for awhile. I hear the weather in Fiji is nice this time of year." He pinned Winston with a look that sent the man into the bedroom to start packing a suitcase…
~~~~~~
Leaving Betty to wait for Lucius to wake, Remington and Kate returned to the office to await Daniel's call. Remington wanted to ask more questions about her prior relationship with this Winston, and with the man she called her mentor, Daniel. But he felt that it might be best not to get in any more deeply than he was already. The less he knew about the woman, the better. She was a jewel thief, and a con woman, and heaven knew what else. Definitely NOT the kind of woman he needed to get involved with.
He watched her prowl around the office, seemingly as ill at ease has he was. When the telephone rang, breaking the oppressive silence, he found himself grateful. "Steele here."
"Laura Holt, please."
Remington held out the telephone. "For you."
Kate took the receiver and put it to her ear. "Hello?…Did you find him?…What?! Daniel-…You're certain?…Wonderful…Are you okay?" Remington heard her concern for the man and tamped down the tendril of jealousy it engendered. She laughed softly. "You didn't…Why?…" He wondered what she was smiling about. "Okay. Thank you. I will." She hung up the telephone. "Winston didn't do it either."
"Kate-," he said warningly. "If Winston didn't do it, and Kessler and Neff didn't, then that only leaves-"
"But I was with you, remember?"
"Hmm," he grunted as the telephone rang again. "Steele here."
"Mr. Steele," Betty said, sounding a little out of breath. "You'd better get back to the Grosvenor as soon as possible."
"Why? What's happened?"
"Mr. Davidson is insisting that he has to leave now. I'm not sure how long I can keep him here."
"We're on our way," he told the woman, grabbing his jacket as he spoke.
~~~~~~
They were entered the lobby to a commotion near the elevators. Lucius Davidson was arguing with Betty, causing everyone in the large room to turn and listen. "I told you, Miss Fox, I have to go. I can't wait around here for Steele to come back. I have to find those gems."
Betty grabbed the man's arm in a last ditch effort to stop his departure. Lucius tried to shrug her off, but a passing luggage cart sent them into each other and to the floor. Something flew from Lucius' coat pocket, and slid across the marble tile.
It landed directly at Kate's feet, and she bent to pick it up as Lucius cried out. "No! That's personal property!" he said, scrambling back to his feet to grab the bag from her. He glared up at Remington, and made an attempt to pass him.
"Not until you explain some things, Mr. Davidson," Remington insisted, grabbing the man's arm and pulling him toward a couch and chairs. Taking the pouch, he frowned as he felt the contents through the cloth. "Let's see what this is, shall we?"
"I had to do it," Lucius insisted. "He was threatening my wife and child."
Remington opened the pouch and poured the blue stones into his hand. He saw the appreciative gleam in Kate's eyes, then looked at Lucius. "So you shipped them off to the country and stole the gems yourself to keep them safe?" he deduced.
"I had to," Lucius repeated, and looked sheepishly at Henry, who was hovering nearby. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Henry. I just wanted to keep him from stealing the gems."
"You should have come to me," Remington said gently, a comforting hand on the man's shoulder. "Did you see the man who threatened your wife and daughter?"
"No. But he would have done it. I know he would have."
Remington met Kate's eyes, then handed the gems back to Henry. "See that these are safely locked in the hotel safe, Henry. And you'd better call the police, Betty, let them know that Mr. Davidson has something to tell them."
"Right away, Mr. Steele," Betty said, turning toward the nearest telephone.
~~~~~~
An hour later, Remington noticed that Kate was missing. As soon as possible, he started for the elevator- only to stop as he saw her come off of the lift carrying a suitcase. "Where are you going?" he asked as she turned from the desk after checking out.
"Wherever the gems travel next. Los Angeles, I believe." She moved toward the exit, and he followed.
"home," he said.
"Where I was born," she corrected. "I don't consider anyplace home, I guess."
"Thank you for helping."
"I rather enjoyed it," she admitted with a smile that made her dimples appear. "What will you tell your mother? About Laura Holt, I mean?"
"I'll come up with something, I'm sure. You really did make a delightful Laura," he told her again.
"If I didn't have other commitments, I might consider-" she stopped on the curb as the taxi door was opened.
"Hmm." He lifted her hand and brought it to his lips. "Take care."
His last glance of her was her smile as the cab pulled away from the curb.
Betty joined him. "She's gone?"
"Yes. Other fish to fry."
"You mean other gems to steal, don't you?"
"Come along, Betty. I'll walk you to your car."
~~~~~~
The next morning, Remington was still trying to decide what he was going to tell his mother. So far, he had successfully avoided her telephone call to his flat by using his answering service. Betty was getting into the lift as he approached it and held the car for him. "I was picking up the morning paper and some scones," she informed him. Glancing at the headline, she sighed. "You made the paper again," she said, holding it out for him to read.
"Remington Steele and Associate Foil Jewel Robbery and Solve Murder," it read, and below as a photograph of Remington and Kate shaking the hand of Detective Morris of Scotland Yard, with Kessler and Neff handcuffed in the background. "I never saw the bloody reporters," he muttered as he read the small print. "Remington Steele and his associate Laura Holt are congratulated by Detective Morris of Scotland Yard for their brilliant capture of Raymond Kessler and Leo Neff in the murder of an insurance investigator."
"All I ever get is "unnamed woman"," Betty sighed as the lift doors opened and they started down the corridor. "What are they going to do to Mr. Davidson?"
"Nothing. He intended to return the gems once he was assured of his wife and daughter's safety. And since Henry refuses to press charges- He is going to retire, however," he told her, opening the glass door into the office for her.
"Probably a good idea," Betty agreed, putting the scones and paper on her desk. A sound from the unused office beside Remington's made them both freeze.
Remington moved cautiously toward the partially open door, noticing Betty's surprise that it was open at all. "I closed it," she whispered.
He pushed it open more, and then shook his head as the chair behind the desk squeaked from lack of oil and Kate smiled up at him. "I thought Laura Holt would probably use this office," she told him.
"I thought you had- commitments?" he asked, but he couldn't stop smiling. She had come back.
"I simply couldn't resist the challenge," she told him. "So. What's our first case, Mr. Steele?"