Cotton was everywhere. Harry felt like he was swimming in it. It was one of the oddest, yet one of the most pleasant feelings he'd ever experienced. It seemed untouchable, yet it encompassed him like a warm wooley blanket. He wanted to stay there forever. Slowly however, the cotton balls began to disappear and replaced with them, was a dull throbbing ache in his head as he gingerly opened his eyes.
The face he saw in front of him caused his heart to jump. She was more beautiful there, than he'd ever seen her. Her light brown hair cascaded freely in waves down her bare sleeveless shoulders and her face, though void of make-up, warmed him to the very recesses of his soul.
"Laura?" He whispered.
"Are you losing it Steele?" Came the very male voice. Suddenly, Laura's face vanished from his eyes and blinking, Harry realized it was Murphy that sat in front of him tied to a chair, not Laura.
"What....what happened?" Harry managed to croak out. His own voice was hoarse and foreign to his own ears. Murphy sighed. He hadn't been hit as hard on the noggin as Steele had so he supposed he should count his blessings for that small mercy.
"Whatever it is you're involved in just got us kidnapped and tied to a chair in a basement somewhere. I didn't see where."
"Silver." Harry muttered to no one in particular.
"What?" Murphy questioned. "Care to fill me in Steele? I know you and Daniel have this secrecy code among thieves or something, but I think in case of life or death peril such moral promises can be broken."
"The less you know, the better." Harry stubbornly told him.
"Look, don't try any of that macho I-need-to-protect-you bull OK? It works even less on me than it does on Laura. I know Daniel is your friend, but right now we're in real danger. I need you to tell me what's going on."
"Look, this isn't any of your business Murphy." Harry said patiently. "This is between me, Daniel and an old enemy of his. Nobody else."
"Well, whether you like it or not, I'm sort of seriously involved now so I think you owe me."
"What could I possibly owe you Murphy?" Harry retorted. "All you've ever done is re-enforce Laura's distrust in me."
"Oh no, you did that all by yourself Steele." Murphy pointed out. "Much as I'd like to name all the ways you alienated Laura from you alphabetically, we have to get out of here fast."
"Any suggestions on how to accomplish that great task?" Harry asked him. Murphy's face seemed to take on a rather defeated look.
"No." Looking around, he saw there were no windows. "Looks like we may be here a while."
"Unless they kill us." Harry replied, his deep blue eyes outwardly calm. Inside, his head was reeling with thoughts of all the things he would never get to say and do. <Laura I'm sorry. I never got to tell you....maybe I never will....>
"Why would they kill you? What have you done Steele?" Murphy exclaimed in exasperation.
"It's not what I've done." Harry stated. "This is Daniel's mess."
"Fine, then what's Daniel done?" Murphy questioned, getting more frustrated by the moment. "Look if I'm gonna die at least tell me why! Your secrecy isn't doing anything at the moment except prove your the same stubborn sonofoabitch you were back when I first met you."
At this, Harry bristled visibly.
"I'm not the same man." He argued.
"Then prove it." Murphy challenged. "If we don't get out of here as soon as possible, Laura is going to find us. Then she'll have put herself in the same danger we're in. Do you want that for her?"
"Of course I don't." Harry replied. "I'd give anything to keep Laura out of this."
"Then we need to work together whether you like it or not." Murphy replied. "For that to happen, I need to know what's going on. Who's Silver and what's he got against Daniel?"
Harry sighed in resignation as he realized Murphy was right. Taking a deep breath, he proceeded to tell Murphy the entire story starting with how Dale Silver was really the politician that had hired Murphy and how and why the entire case against Daniel was faked. When he reached the conclusion of the tale, Murphy's reaction was no surprise.
"I can't believe you Steele!" He exclaimed incredulously. "You're trying to tell me that a well respected politician is trying to stop your con-man friend from exposing his checkered past? Why, in all of creation should I believe a word you say?"
"You don't have a choice." Harry replied grimly. "If you don't want to believe what Daniel told me, that's just fine. I'm not asking for your help, nor do I plan to do so in the future. You wanted to know, I told you. End of story. I'll get out of here on my own if I must."
"How do you know Chalmers isn't the one behind this?" Murphy demanded. "How the hell can you be so certain that what he told you is true?"
"I know." Harry replied quietly.
"How?" Murphy pressed, surprised at his assurance.
"I just do, OK?" He burst out angrily. Then, ggrowing quieter, he stared at the cold cement floor. "Daniel may be a con, but I know when he's lying. He wasn't lying about this. I saw the pain in his eyes when he spoke of Annie. I saw the loss, the fear, the regret. You can't fake that. Believe me when I say that I know in my heart what Daniel told me is true."
"Assuming you're right, what the hell do you think they want from us?" Murphy questioned. Harry shrugged.
"I wish I knew." Was his reply. "Any bright ideas on how to get out of here?"
"Unfortunately, no." Murphy admitted. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens won't we?"
"I suppose so." Was Harry's distant response. His mind was already beginning to wander to more frightening thoughts. What if Laura had gone to the coffee shop, waited for him, then left, thinking he'd stood her up? Would she get on a plane back to LA and never forgive him? If that was the case, then it didn't matter whether he got out of the basement or got shot. Without Laura, he was already a dead man. <If there's ever been a time Laura, when I've needed you to trust me on blind faith alone, this is it. Laura, I didn't abandon you this time. Please, please don't give up on me.>
"Earth to Steele!" Murphy's voice cut through his pained thoughts. Looking at him, he shot him a questioning glance. "I just have one question for you."
"What is it?"
"Did you really think I was Laura?"
****
"Wait a minute Miss Holt, run this by me again please?"
Laura sighed, exasperated from explaining Mr. Steele's kidnapping to Mildred once already and worried that explaining it a second time would leave Mr. Steele in danger for longer than he needed to be. They were wasting time just sitting there as it was.
"I already told you Mildred. Mr. Steele was kidnapped. It's up to you, Murphy and I to find him. What else do you need to know?"
Mildred bit her lip worriedly as she realized all the implications of what Laura was telling her. Leaning forward, she tried to think of a way to voice her thoughts delicately.
"All you told me was that you found blood on the ground beside the boss' watch. That doesn't give us much to go on Miss Holt."
Laura shot Mildred one of her classic 'let's get down to business' stares.
"It tells us that whatever Mr. Steele came to England for, obviously went terribly wrong. I have a feeling that Daniel Chalmers has something to do with it. After all, he was at Chalmers' apartment when Murphy and I were there, not to mention...."
"Miss Holt," Mildred interrupted. Laura stopped and looked to Mildred. Her face held a gentle, motherly look on it. "You said there was blood on the ground and his watch right? That doesn't necessarily mean kidnapping."
"Sure it does." Laura replied, failing to acknowledge Mildred's subtle implications. Or maybe she did notice, but pretended not to. Mildred wasn't sure. "What else could have happened?"
That left her wide open. Too wide open in Mildred's opinion. Although inside, she fervently hoped that the boss was OK, she couldn't be entirely sure of it. Neither could Laura. Mildred just wasn't sure how she could get that message across to Laura without being to blunt. Laura, whether she wanted to admit it or not, was in a very fragile place at the moment. To the casual acquaintance she seemed simply focused and intent on the task at hand. To Mildred, Laura was, in reality, frightened for Mr. Steele and terrified of how she would feel if she lost him for good. She managed to ide it all beneath the tough, business woman exterior she'd erected for herself over the years, but Mildred was immune to it.
She felt a mother's need to protect her but logically she knew that Laura was a big girl and humoring her would do no good. It was Mildred's job to remind Laura of the tough reality she may have to face if what happened to Mr. Steele wasn't just a case of kidnapping. Looking at Laura, she realized that she'd been silent for far too long now. After thinking long and hard of the correct wording to use, she spoke.
"Miss Holt, have you considered the possibility that the boss may have been..." she hesitated on the next word, "killed?"
Laura immediately shook her head.
"Mildred he's alive, I know he is."
"How can you possibly?" Mildred asked softly, her own insides churning at the mere thought of the boss being murdered.
"I can't explain it." Laura replied, her voice holding a note of frustration in it. "I would just know. I would feel it if he were dead. I'd be empty inside. All I feel right now is determination to get him back. He's not dead."
Mildred gave her a gentle smile, trying to conceal her own fear for Laura's sake.
"Look, I know how badly you want to believe that honey...so do I, believe me! If you want to get to the bottom of this thing however, you have to be a detective here. We both know that being a detective means looking at all the facts, even the evidence that suggests Mr. Steele might be....dead."
Laura felt like she'd just gotten the wind knocked out of her. For once in her life, she had given up all desire to protect her heart and was now doing as it dictated. Now Mildred was telling her it was the wrong approach! How could she allow herself to think he was dead? If he were, she'd lose everything. Including her heart. No, he couldn't be dead. Not when there was still so much left unsaid between them...so much left undone.
"Mildred I know you're only trying to help but I refuse to consider that alternative. Mr. Steele is alive and I'm going to find him."
"I certainly hope so." Mildred replied worriedly. "I just don't want to see you get hurt."
"Are you saying you won't help me?" Laura questioned. "Is that it?"
"Honey, of course not!" Mildred exclaimed. "I just think that if we're going to find out what happened, we have to look at all the possibilities."
This time Laura caught Mildred's meaning.
"Such as...."
"Such as before we do anything...just to be sure, I think we should check the local morgues." Came Mildred's quiet reply.
"No!" Laura burst out desperately, her calm composure momentarily forgotten. "I...can't do that. I...I can't go in there and look for him like that....I won't!" An image of Mr. Steele's lifeless body spread out on a rolling cart with nothing but a white sheet over top of him and a tag on his toe made itself present in her mind. Laura felt her face drain entirely of colour as she pictured herself having to identify him. He couldn't be dead yet....he didn't even have a name of his own to be buried with!
Mildred noticed Laura's hands were shaking and she'd gone white as a ghost. Immediately, she felt bad for asking such a thing of her. How could she ask Laura to check the morgues for the man she loved's body when she couldn't even rationally accept the possibility of his death?
"It's OK Miss Holt." Mildred told her gently. "I don't want him to be hurt any more than you do. Still, just to be sure, I'll check them. How's that?"
Laura looked away, and nodded, having to bite her lip to keep from crying. Allowing Mildred to do this was just like saying 'hey, he might be dead' and Laura just wasn't ready to do that. She couldn't.
"I'll find Daniel Chalmers." She finally said, turning back to face Mildred. "If he knows anything, I'll find out what it is. I promise."
"Sounds good honey." Mildred replied with a warm smile. She'd say one thing for Miss Holt...no matter how badly things were going, she'd never give up...Mr. Steele could rely on that if he truly was alive. "What about Murphy? Didn't you say he was helping too?"
Laura's face suddenly became pensive.
"Come to think of it, I haven't seen Murphy at all since the night before yesterday at the restaurant. I woke up yesterday and he'd left me a note saying there was something he needed to do. After I called you, I went back to the coffee shop to look for more clues and by the time I returned to the room, I felt it was too late to wake him. I haven't seen him at all today either. I guess I just figured he got up early to get a head start on the Chalmers case."
"Where do you think he is now?" Mildred wondered. Laura shrugged, hoping Mildred couldn't see the extra worry in her eyes. If she did, hopefully she would attribute it to Mr. Steele's disappearance.
The truth was, she had been worried about Murphy, ever since he left her at the restaurant. She knew now that she'd really hurt him and feared he had gone and done something stupid. It was odd, she thought, thinking that Murphy could even be capable of going out and doing something dumb, for that sort of behavior was incredibly unlike him. He was always so practical about things...like her. Her only exception was Mr. Steele and it seemed now that Murphy's exception might have been her.
"I don't know Mildred." She finally admitted. "Right now though, Mr. Steele is the one in immediate danger. Let's get to work. I'm sure Murphy will turn up."
"Gotcha Miss Holt." Mildred replied as she stood up. Secretly she dreaded her first task, but knew it was necessary. Laura headed to the door and turned to Mildred as she opened it.
"He's not dead Mildred." She said one more time. "He can't be dead. I know that for a fact."
Mildred smiled kindly.
"Why's that Miss Holt?"
Laura forced back the invasion of tears that threatened to slide down her cheeks. "Because," she whispered. "Without him I have nothing. I used to only want the agency....but God help me, it just isn't enough any more."
"If he's alive Miss Holt," Mildred said quietly, "we'll find him."
****
Mildred took one look at the word Morgue which was posted in large black letters and shivered. She certainly didn't relish this job one tiny bit.
Crossing her fingers and praying to whatever deity was listening that she didn't find the boss in there, she entered.
A rather plump woman immediately approached her and smiled an all too cheerful smile in Mildred's opinion.
"Can I help you?" She questioned. Mildred gulped down the revulsion she all of a sudden felt at having to be the one to do this morbid task.
"I...I'm looking for someone." She said, her voice
strangely dry. "He disappeared and I don't know what happened.
I don't want to find him here, but I have to try every avenue
I guess." The woman, who's name-tag told Mildred her name
was Muriel, smiled yet again. This time it was a smile
borne of compassion and sympathy.
"What is his name?"
"He's actually got a few of them." Mildred said, hoping she wouldn't sound completely certifiable in saying that. "He uses different names at different times. Could you possibly check them all?"
Muriel looked a little bit confused by the request, but nodded and headed towards the computer database just the same. She typed in a few things then turned to Mildred.
"What are the names please?"
Mildred the proceeded to rattle off all the different alias' the boss had used in the past, hoping she had gotten them all. She watched, clutching her hands together until she nearly drew blood hoping against hope that Mr. Steele's name....whatever it was, would not turn up on that computer.
Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, Muriel looked up.
"My computer records don't have files for any of those names. Looks like your friend isn't here."
Mildred exhaled a breath she didn't even know she'd been holding. Thanking the woman, she shakily left the morgue and checked her map of London to see where she had to go next.
"I'm not sure if I can take much more of this..." She muttered to herself.
****
When Laura returned to Daniel's apartment, she was surprised to find him there.
She had intended to search the place, hoping to find a clue as to his true whereabouts. Instead she found him, scraping his belongings together and putting them in a suitcase. He hadn't noticed her stealthy entrance into his room, but looked up as soon as her foot touched a creaky floorboard.
"Lizzie! What are you doing here? What ever happened to knocking?" The first thing Laura noticed was that he looked visibly frazzled, almost as if he was on his last nerve.
"I know Mr. Steele remember?" She reminded him, holding up her lock-pick kit and smirking. "And the name's Laura. What are you up to Daniel? Looks to me like relocating."
"Then you would be correct in assuming that." Daniel replied as he shut the suitcase. "I'm getting out of here as fast as I can. Things are getting too dangerous for me to stay any longer."
"You'd better believe it." Laura agreed. "Have you spoken to Mr. Steele recently?"
At the mention of his son, Daniel's expression became pensive and guarded.
"Why, what has he told you?"
"Nothing. It seems to be a male thing I think. All I know is that whatever is going on, has landed him in serious danger."
"Danger?" Daniel echoed, his face going very white. "What's happened?"
"I'm not sure." Laura admitted. She held the watch up for Daniel to see the blood there. "He was supposed to meet me at a coffee shop yesterday and when I got there, all I found was this and the blood on the ground. I think he was kidnapped."
"Oh God..." Daniel murmured, sitting down on the
bed and putting his face in his hands. Despite her dislike of
Daniel, Laura felt sorry for him at that moment. He seemed to
regard Mr. Steele as more than just a partner. To him, Mr. Steele
was a close friend....maybe even a brother. "The
watch...Silver..."
"Who's Silver?" She asked him softly, not wanting to upset him further but knowing it must be done.
"I...I told him to leave. He wouldn't listen. Oh, Annie I'm sorry...I swore he wouldn't get Harry..."
"Daniel what on earth are you talking about?" Laura cried in exasperation, abandoning the gentle tone she'd adopted earlier. He wasn't making any sense whatsoever.
"Dale Silver." Daniel told her, finally meeting her eyes. "He's the man that has Harry. You would know him as Andrew Styles."
Laura blanched. Never in a million years had she expected this revelation.
"Why would he kidnap Mr. Steele?" Laura wondered. "He thinks you stole his money, not Mr. Steele."
"He wasn't after me for stealing his money." Daniel replied wearily. "Ours is an old quarrel."
"Tell me Daniel." Laura persisted softly. Daniel hesitated. "Look, this is no time for playing games. You obviously want him back safe and sound as much as I do. If we're going to accomplish that, we're going to have to work together. That means trusting each other. Do we have a deal?"
Daniel still looked hesitant. It wasn't that he didn't want to rescue his son, to the very contrary...he'd give anything to spare Harry his mother's fate. No, it wasn't that at all. It was Laura. Daniel knew now, just how much Harry loved her. It was the same love Daniel had felt for Annie all those years ago. If he got Laura involved and she was hurt in any way, Harry would be heartbroken. He didn't want his son to go through that. He didn't want anyone to go through that.
He was about to reply to Laura, when a rock suddenly smashed through the window and landed with a thud on the floor. Looking to Laura, Daniel snatched it up before she could get her hands on it.
"What is it?" She finally asked. Daniel swallowed the bile rising in his throat as he read it.
"It's a note from Silver." Daniel finally said when his vocal abilities returned to him. "They have Harry and they want to trade him for the video tape."
"What video tape?" Laura questioned. Daniel suddenly felt very old.
"I suppose it's time to come clean." He said with a resigned sigh. Laura stayed silent, fearing she'd jinx his impending confession if she spoke. "Harry is more to me than you think he is. He's not just my partner. Harry is my son."
"Your son?" Laura all but whispered. Shock pierced her brain. "You're his father? The father he's been searching for all his life?" Daniel nodded miserably.
"Perhaps I should start at the beginning."
Laura nodded.
"Yes...yes, I think you'd better."