Altercation.
Steele crossed the office with brisk strides, waving his arms as he spoke. "It's ... it's unethical! You can't just break the rules."
"Bend, Dad, bend." said his son.
Steele waved in the vague direction of the reception area. "It's my name on the door out there. It's my reputation at stake. We must have integrity, honesty, simple ..."
"It's not your name, though, is it?"
"Danny, will you stop interrupting? Your mother and I worked hard to make Remington Steele a name to be respected and now you're playing tawdry little games that, if anyone finds out, will lose us our license."
"I got us the evidence!" said Daniel.
"You stole the bloody evidence! You lifted it like a bloody pickpocket!"
"Sam Spade would have ..."
"This is real life, not the movies. Didn't we teach you anything about integrity? Do you see your sister picking pockets?"
"Dad, if anyone sees you doing it, you're not doing it right." said Daniel.
"You could have a wonderful future ahead of you. You've got a good brain, when you choose to use it, but you have to play by the rules. I don't want to see you turn into some cut-rate conman chasing blondes on the Riviera."
"Why not?" asked Daniel, "Sounds like a good life."
"Because you're better than that, damn it!" said Steele.
Laura came in with Laurie Michaels. "Must you two argue like this?" she said.
"Well, you try talking to him."
"He may have been a little rash, but he did get results."
"He got them the wrong way." said Steele.
Laurie smiled at Daniel and then at Steele, "It was my fault, not Dan's."
"Not true!" said Daniel, "My fault."
"Well, at least you have the honour not to hide behind a woman." said Steele.
"I also have the evidence, which is more than you managed."
"Don't talk to your father like that." said Laura.
"Yes, well, when I do get evidence, at least we won't have to lie about how we got it." said Steele, "Why not steal a few paintings, a diamond or two?"
"Danny wouldn't do that." said Laura, "Would you, Danny?"
He smiled at her innocently. "Do I look like the kind of man who'd do that?"
"Actually, you look more like him every day." said Laura.
Steele glared at her. "You're not helping." He turned to Daniel again. "Daniel, there are certain immutable laws. If you lie, you will get found out. If you steal, you will get caught ... "
"When you're kissing, some bugger will shoot at you." said Daniel.
Laurie blushed. "I should go finish that report."
When she had gone, Steele said, "You and Laurie?"
"She's gorgeous, Dad."
"My son is ... involved with the spawn of Michaels?"
"I like Laurie." said Laura.
"So do I, but no wonder he's starting to bend the rules. She's a bad influence."
"You don't think the bad influence may be closer to home?" she suggested.
"Nonsense! He never knew Daniel Chalmers."
