Mildred spent an anxious weekend at her apartment, looking forward to Monday morning almost as much as she was dreading it. She even called Rose to ask her more about Mr. Roarke. He sounded like quite a handsome man, with a foreign accent that women of all ages drool over. *Sounds a lot like the Boss* Mildred kept looking at her acceptance letter and the plane ticket, and tried to figure out what was going to happen next. Finally, she accepted that she just didn't have enough evidence to figure things out at this point, and tried to distract herself with books and television the rest of the weekend.
Monday morning, Mildred was the first one to arrive in the office. She got the coffee and tea started, picked up the mail and started organizing her day. When Ms. Holt came in at 8:00 sharp, she filled her cup of coffee and tucked herself into her office for a couple of hours tackling paperwork before the 10:30 am meeting. Steele breezed in about a quarter till 10, made himself a cup of tea and settled into his office with the newspaper. A very typical, normal Monday morning at Remington Steele Investigations. At 10:25am, it all changed.
Mildred was working a couple of skip-traces on the computer, and had her back to the door when it opened. She had been so focused on her work, she had lost track of the time. A glance at the clock told her who it had to be behind her, and she slowly swung her chair around to find a handsome middle-aged man dressed in a white suit standing in front of her desk. His hair was silver, with touches of gray at the temples, and it was highlighted by his dark skin. He bowed slightly and reached out a hand towards her, "Ms. Krebs, I am Mr. Roarke, from Fantasy Island. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance at last. I believe I have an appointment with Mr. Steele and Ms. Holt at 10:30?" His words rolled off his tongue with a strong Hispanic accent, and Mildred's first thought was *Rose was right, he is dreamy.* She reached out her hand, and he accepted it and placed a kiss on the back of it in a European fashion. She swallowed hard, "Yes, I'm Mildred Krebs. I'll let them know you've arrived, would you care for a cup of coffee or tea?" He shook his head, "No, thank you very much." He stepped back from the desk and began to admire the decor of the office. Mildred reached out towards the phone with a shaking hand, and buzzed Steele. "Boss, your 10:30 appointment is here to see you." Steele responded, "Send him in, Mildred, and let Ms. Holt know, would you?"
Mildred stood, "This way please," and walked towards Steele's door. She knocked a couple of times before opening the door, and allowing Mr. Roarke to enter ahead of her. "Mr. Steele, this is Mr. Roarke." As the two men shook hands, she closed the door behind her and knocked on the door to Ms. Holt's office, "Ms. Holt, Mr. Roarke is here for his 10:30 appointment and he's with Mr. Steele now." Laura nodded, "I'll just finish up this report real quick and go in, thank you Mildred." Mildred returned to her desk and started at the computer screen, her eyes darting to Steele's office, wondering what was going to happen behind that door, and how it could lead to her fantasy coming true.
Back in Steele's office, the two men shook hands, and Steele offered Mr. Roarke the chair in front of his desk as he settled in behind his desk. "So, Mr. Roarke, Ms. Krebs said you called on Friday with a problem you need our help with." Mr. Roarke nodded, "Yes, Mr. Steele. I run a rather unique business of fulfilling people's fantasies. Do you have any unfulfilled fantasies, Mr. Steele?" Steele's eyes wandered over to the connecting door to Laura's office and for just a moment, a look of longing filled his eyes before he got himself back under control. *Interesting* Mr. Roarke thought. "Everyone has daydreams and fantasies, Mr. Roarke, how can you possibly make them come true?" "Let us just say, a little island magic. I own a small island in the Pacific where I host a limited number of guests each weekend. We have excellent facilities, individual bungalows for all of the guests, swimming pools, hot springs, hiking trails, everything you could possibly want for a weekend tropical getaway. All of my guests come for one reason - they have a fantasy they want to see come true, even if only for a weekend. Sometimes it is the opportunity to do something they've only dreamed of doing, sometimes it's wanting a second chance at something from their past, to see what would have happened if they had taken a different path. The nature of their fantasies are as varied and diverse as my guests. However recently, someone has been deliberating sabotaging the fantasies of my guests."
Steele's eyebrows had steadily climbed during Mr. Roarke's explanation, but jumped up at this last statement, "Sabotaging? How?" Mr. Roarke got up and began to pace back and forth in front of Steele's desk, "Each of the fantasies are prepared well in advance of each guests' arrival, and I oversee everything personally. In the past month, there have been 4 instances of something going wrong with a fantasy. This happens on a very rare occassion, usually because something happens during the fantasy that I didn't anticipate during the preparation work." He paused as the connecting door opened, and Laura Holt entered the room. He smiled, and reached out a hand to her, "I am Mr. Roarke, and it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss..." "Laura Holt, Mr. Steele's associate." Laura introduced herself, and when Mr. Roarke bent to kiss the back of her hand, it struck Laura as very similar to when Mr. Steele had done the exact same thing during their very first case together. It sent a shiver of deja-vu through her, and she returned his smile brightly, trying to hide the effect he had on her. Steele noticed the bright smile, and frowned slightly. *Surely Ms. Holt isn't enchanted so quickly or so easily?* He stood, "Mr. Roarke was just starting to tell me about several incidents of sabotage that have occurred at the holiday resort he runs." Mr. Roarke nodded, "It is called, "Fantasy Island". It is an island I own off the coast of Hawaii. The service we provide to our guests, as I explained to Mr. Steele, is to help people to experience a fantasy, a dream unfulfilled in their lives, and hopefully having that opportunity will help to make their real lives happier. But someone is interfering with my work." He returns to his pacing, and both Steele and Laura stand in front of the desk listening. "First, a guest wanted to revisit her High School homecoming dance, where she was named the Homecoming Queen. The young man that she liked was named the Homecoming King, and she had a most lovely night. However when he asked her out again, she turned him down because she liked him so much. She wanted to know what would have happened if she had said yes instead of no. We started the fantasy the night of the homecoming dance, and another girl was named the Queen!" Laura and Steele looked at each other in confusion, obviously clueless about how exactly this "fantasy fullfillment" was being accomplished.
"That same weekend, a young man who dreamed of playing professional baseball game, wanting to experience Spring Training to see if he had a real chance to succeed. During the baseball game, he hurt his knee sliding into second base, and now will be out for a year after surgery, and may never get to play baseball again." His pacing picked up, "To have one of my guests physically hurt during a fantasy is almost unheard of on Fantasy Island. The first I could dismiss as something changing the parameters, refund the poor woman and apologize. But this second incident made me begin to question is there was something more going on. The next weekend, a young man wanted to drive in a car race, the Indianapolis 500. He didn't care if he won or not, he just wanted a chance to compete. He was involved in a serious crash, not injured, thank God, but definitely NOT what was supposed to happen! He was supposed to finish 3rd in a photo finish!" Mr. Roarke sat down in the chair in the seating area, and ran a hand through his hair, his level of upset increasing. "The last incident was last weekend when a young woman whose dream is to become a jockey wanted to run in the Kentucky Derby. Everything seemed to be going smoothly but as they rounded the last turn, her horse collided with another, and both horses and their riders went down. The horses both had to be put down and the other jockey was killed." He looked up at them, and the misery in his eyes was intense, "We occassionally have to simulate deaths in the process of fantasies, it's not pleasant, but when you're creating a story of life, death sometimes occurs. But to have one of my staff actually killed, it's practially impossible. I have no idea how this is happening, or who is behind it. My services are very exclusive, and I have no competition whatsoever. All of my guests are checked out thoroughly before they are brought to the island, and my staff are almost all natives to the island, and I trust them all completely."
He stood and walked back over to them, "I'm sorry, my throat is a bit dry, do you think I could have a cup of tea after all?" "Of course, of course," Steele said and moved around to the phone, "Mildred, please bring a cup of tea in for Mr. Roarke." Laura's forehead was creased in a frown. "I don't understand how you're able to make these amazing things happen for people on a small island in the Pacific. I mean, you can't possibly have a reproduction of Churchill Downs or the Indianapolis Speedway on your island!" Mr. Roarke smiled at her, as Steele walked back around the desk, and Mildred brought in the tea, "As I explained to Mr. Steele, it is a case of a little island magic. A proprietary secret, I'm sure you understand." He reached to take the tea that Mildred handed to him. As he turned back towards Steele and Laura, the cup slid off the saucer right into Steele's chest. Everyone looked shocked, and Mr. Roarke began to apologize. Steele waved it off, "Not a problem, not a problem, I have a change of clothes in the other room, please excuse me while I clean up, and Mildred, get Mr. Roarke a fresh cup of tea, would you?" Mildred and Steele both left the room, leaving Mr. Roarke and Laura alone. "So, Ms. Holt, do you have any unfulfilled fantasies?" Her gaze wandered to the bathroom door where Steele had just gone to change clothes, and an identical look of longing came into her eyes before they harded, and she turned back to face him, saying, "No, I'm quite well grounded in reality, Mr. Roarke. It's part of the nature of being a detective I guess." *Very interesting, Ms. Krebs' observations appear to be spot on* Mr. Roarke tilted sat back down and Mildred brought him a second cup of tea, taking away the cup and saucer from the first cup. As she bent in front of him, he gave her a smile and a slow wink, out of sight of Laura. Mildred smiled back, and returned to the lobby. *Did that mean things were going well?*
Steele returned in a fresh set of clothes, apologizing for taking so long, and asking what he missed. "Nothing, Mr. Steele, we waited for you to continue our conversation. If you have no competitors, and all of the fantasies are taking place on your island, then logically it must be someone on your staff or someone who has stowed away on your island, for lack of a better way of describing it." Steele nodded, "I think therefore we shall have to travel to your island to investigate this properly." Mr. Roarke nodded, "I can arrange for you to come on the flight this weekend. The flight from Los Angeles to Hawaii is Friday morning, and the final leg of the journey is by sea plane. However, I don't want word getting out that I've had to hire a private investigator, privacy and discretion is so important to my business." Laura nodded, "We understand, we'll go in undercover." She turned towards see, "Do you feel like being a Peppler again, Mr. Steele?" Steele nodded slowly, "Richard and Laura Peppler is a cover we used when posing as husband and wife on a case. But we'll also need a fantasy that we're to be there to fulfill so no one on your staff is suspicious." Mr. Roarke nodded, "Do you have any hobbies or shared interests I could use to build a fantasy around?" Laura said, "I play the piano and dance ballet, but just for enjoyment." Steele piped in, "I love classic films." Mr. Roarke nodded, "Well we could do individual fantasies, perhaps a chance to play at Carnegie Hall for Ms. Holt, and a chance to visit the filming of one of your favorite films, Mr. Steele." Laura's eyes lit up at the thought of playing Carnegie Hall, and Steele's eyes did the same at the thought of seeing one of his beloved films being made. "'The Big Sleep', Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Warner Brothers, 1946", he murmured. Mr. Roarke nodded. "I have basically shut the island down until this mystery is solved, so I don't see why we couldn't extend your stay beyond the weekend and allow you each to have your own individual fantasies, as well as a joint one. Perhaps a movie premiere you'd like to attend?" Laura and Steele both said, in unison, "Gone With The Wind", before looking at each other in surprise. Mr. Roarke chuckled, "Well, that didnt' take long at all, did it?" He glanced down at his watch, "I will need to go and make your travel arrangements, they'll be delivered here to the office by Wednesday at the latest and your flight to Hawaii will leave Friday morning. I believe this deposit will cover any initial expenses?" He reached into an interior pocket of his white coat, and pulled out a folded check which he handed to Steele. Steele opened it, eyes widening slightly before handing it to Laura. She glanced down to see a check for $25,000 made out to Remington Steele Investigations. She nodded, "More than sufficient." she managed around the lump in her throat. This could be one of the biggest cases the agency had every had. *If he researches potential guests, perhaps we could get in on that action by doing a good job...* Laura smiled at the idea of another steady contract that wouldn't involve shootings or running for their lives. Steele said, "Rest assured, Mr. Roarke, we will bring all the resources of Remington Steele Investigations to bear on this problem and resolve things as quickly as possible so you can return to business as usual." Mr. Roarke said, "Excellent," and reached out to shake Steele's hand, and again dipped to place a kiss on Laura's.
He moved into the lobby, and reached out to take Mildred's hand for another slight kiss, "Ms. Krebs, I'm so excited that you'll be visiting my lovely island, and helping Mr. Steele and Ms. Holt solve my problems. Would you do me the pleasure of joining me for an early lunch before I must head for home?" Mildred looked at Steele and Laura in confusion *Did he tell them I'm coming too?* Laura began, "Mildred normally stays here in the office to handle computer searches for us when we're in the field." Mr. Roarke turned around, with a look of confusion, "But Mr. Steele just said he would bring all of his resources, and surely that includes Ms. Krebs. I do so want a chance to show her my beautiful island." Mildred felt herself blushing as she could have sworn that he was flirting just a bit with her. Steele and Laura exchanged a look, "Well, I'm certain three sets of eyes will be better than two, and Mildred is a proven investigator in the field." Mildred smiled, as did Mr. Roarke. "Excellent. Now, can you spare her for lunch, while we discuss what kind of fantasy she'd like to experience at Fantasy Island?" The blush continued, and Laura said, "Of course. Have a nice lunch, Mildred." Mildred grabbed her purse, Mr. Roarke took her hand and tucked it in his arm, and escorted her out of the office.
Laura and Steele just started at the door for a few seconds after they left before turning to look at each other. Steele said, "So, what are your first impressions of our new client, Ms. Holt?" Laura tilted her head in thought, "Well, let's see, suave, debonaire, handsome, well-dressed, cultured, and a sexy accent with a hint of mystery about him. Remind you of anyone we know?" She asked with a lilt in her voice that Steele recognized as her way of teasing him. He simply raised an eyebrow and gave her his "Ha ha very funny" look (as Remington Steele wouldn't lower himself to actually say "Ha ha very funny"). Laura headed towards her office, "I'm going to start researching this Fantasy Island place. Laura settled into the chair in front of her computer, but rather than start typing, she found herself wandering to an image of her at a piano on the stage of Carnegie Hall. *Indulging in a little fantasy during a case - wouldn't be the first time.* Laura thought before sighing and getting to work, but with a smile on her face. Steele wandered back into his office, closing the door, and settling into his chair, he looked out the window. He was lost in thought, thinking about what it would be like to experience a day of filming of "The Big Sleep" in person. *Spending time with Laura in a tropical paradise dedicated to living out ones fantasies - who knows what other fantasies we might be able to explore*. Steele and Laura's thoughts wandered in the same direction, spending time together in a tropical paradise.