This story takes place after the fifth season. It also presumes that Laura and Remington were married
again in a ceremony that included family and friends. I do not own them and this story is not meant to
infringe on the rights of those who do. I am not making any momentary gain from this: it is for
Entertainment purposes only. Feedback is always welcome.
Steele Shadowed by the Past-Chapter 9
Laura pulled into the parking lot of Ashford Castle and alighted from her rental car. She glanced up at the huge structure in front of her. It looked the same, she thought. Laura was glad the new owners had decided not to change anything. She went inside and moved over to the reception desk. A young woman greeted her.
"Welcome to Ashford Castle. May I help you?"
"Yes, I hope so. I don't have a reservation, but do you have a room available?"
"We just had a cancelation so there is one. Please sign the register." As Laura did, the young woman took down a key from the hanger and slid it across the counter towards Laura.
"My husband may be joining me later. Is that all right?"
"Of course." the young woman turned the registration book around and looked at Laura's name. "Mrs. Remington Steele? A telegram came for you." the young woman went through some papers on the desk and picked out the yellow sheet. She handed it to Laura. Sliding the envelope open, she read the communique.
The first thing she noticed was the Rem had not used their 11-40 at the beginning. Then his 'catch up with John Robie' was a puzzle. And what did he mean when he said he would never willingly hurt her?
"Thank you."
Laura paused at the bottom of the stairs, remembering the last time she had been there, when Rem had carried her up the steps. She went upstairs to her room and laid down on her bed, holding the telegram aloft in her hand. Catch up with John Robie. John Robie. Why did that name sound familiar? It wasn't one of the names on Rem's passports. Then it came to her. Rem had taken her to see 'To Catch A Thief' two weeks ago. John Robie had been the name of the character Cary Grant played in the movie. So what was Remington trying to tell her? She tried to recall the plot of the movie. Robie was a reformed thief who was accused of another robbery he didn't commit. He then had to find out who the real thief was to prove his innocence. O.K. So was he going to be involved in a robbery? He couldn't! Laura refused to believe that Rem was going to rob something. How could he? Remington Steele's face was not only known all over the United States but it was also known internationally due to their past adventures abroad. If he was caught and exposed as a thief, Remington Steele Investigations-her agency's reputation would be ruined. All of the years building it up would be for naught. He had done it again. Laura had thought he had left his past behind him, but here it was, biting them in the posterior once more. Alternating between being furious with him, worried about him and just plain loving him, Laura stewed for several moments as thoughts whirled in her head and she couldn't grab hold of any of them. Finally she decided on a course of action. Laura picked up the phone and called the airline to get her on the next flight of London. Disappointed that there were none today, she made a reservation for the first one tomorrow. She would need to rise early to make it, but she had the strongest feeling that time was of the essence. Laura hung up the phone and left the room to take a stroll in the gardens. Then she went into the nearest town to eat dinner and stopped at a chemist to purchase black hair dye to make her disguise complete. Laura guessed that Columbini would have henchmen in London, too. She returned to the castle, dyed her hair and packed, then went to bed. The trip to London was uneventful as she sailed through both Shannon airport and Heathrow, walking past henchmen she vaguely recalled in Columbini's employ. She took the tube to the hotel where they had begun this journey.
"What room is Mildred Krebs in?"
The clerk looked it up in the computer. "225."
Laura took the lift to the second floor and knocked at the door. Mildred opened the door. "Mildred, I'm so glad you're all right!" Laura started to enter the room, but Mildred stopped her.
"Excuse me, do I know you?" Mildred asked suspiciously.
"It's me, Mildred, Laura." she whipped off her glasses. "I dyed my hair as part of the disguise."
Mildred looked at her more closely. "Mrs. Holt-Steele? Why are you in disguise anyway?"
"Columbini's henchmen are everywhere. I escaped from them once before. I wasn't going to let them capture me again."
"Yeah. How did you manage that?"
"A cup of water, my lock pick and a hot pot of coffee in the face did the trick."
"Huh?"
"It's a long story, Mildred—one I don't have time to tell right now. Where's Mr. Steele?"
"Oh, Mrs. Holt-Steele, Columbini has him. And he has a sister. We met her—a twin sister."
"Who has a sister?" Laura asked, puzzled.
"Mr. Steele. He has a twin sister. And she looks like him. But she's Columbini's adopted daughter."
"Wait, Mildred. Start at the beginning. You're confusing me."
Mildred told Laura about the encounter in the airport. "And he now knows his real name, too. It's Harrison Daniel Chalmers."
"So he is Harry.' Laura didn't feel the sense of satisfaction of knowing her husband's real name that she thought she would. He had been Remington Steele for so long—and had proved himself to have many of the qualities she had envisioned from her 'made up' man that it was almost anti-climatic.
"Will we change the name of the agency?" Mildred asked.
"No. He'll still be Remington Steele to the world. Now we have a more pressing matter. I have reason to believe that Mr. Steele is going to be involved in a robbery."
"Oh, honey, no."
"Yes. He gave me a cryptic clue in the telegram he sent me at Ashford Castle. So we need to get a hold of-" Laura answered, but Mildred interrupted as she remembered something.
"Mrs. Holt-Steele, wait. I think the boss gave me a clue, too." she went over to her purse and pulled out the ticket jacket to hand to Laura. She turned it over to find a note scrawled in Remington's handwriting. "Things are not as they seem. Trust me."
"When did he give you this, Mildred?"
"It was funny. He gave me this jacket and said, "Here's your ticket to London.' Then he gave me a look and I knew he was trying to tell me something right under Columbini's nose."
"All right. So he referenced the movie 'To Catch A Thief' which leaves me to believe he's going to steal something, but then he tells you things are not what they seem and he knew you would tell me. Now why would he give us two different statements?" They both pondered the statements for a few moments, then an idea hit Laura. "He's being forced to do it—the robbery That's why he said things are not what they seem. Columbini has something on him. His sister maybe. So we have to find out where the robbery is going to take place and stop Mr. Steele. Do you have any idea where Columbini was taking him?"
Mildred shook her head. "He sent me away before I heard that part of the conversation."
"O.k. There are two possibilities. Here in England or in Ireland."
"That's a whole lot of territory, honey."
"No, chances are the robbery will be in a large city since that's where the museums are so that leaves here in London or Dublin. We have to find a newspaper that lists the temporary exhibits at the major museums to determine if there are any jewels or art on display.'
The two ladies left the room and found a nearby newspaper stand where they picked up a copy of The Time Out for London and the Irish Times for Dublin. Returning to the room, they each took one periodical and glanced through them. Laura found something interesting.
"There's an exhibit at the Tate of a collection of famous nudes. That would be right up his alley." she turned the page and found something else. "And the Ardaugh jewel collection is going to be at the British Museum."
"In Ireland there is an art exhibit at the Chester Beatty Library at Dublin Castle, the Skibbereeen emerald at the National Museum of Ireland and a manuscript collection at Trinity College." Mildred read off, then she paused for a moment and went on, "Mrs. Holt-Steele, that's five possibilities in two different cities in two different countries. How are we going to choose? What if we choose the wrong one—or what if we don't get to Mr. Steele in time to stop him? Do you see the problem here?"
"But John Robie was a jewel thief so he's going after jewels. That leaves the Ardaugh collection or the Skibbereen emerald. He can't do this! He'll ruin everything—everything I've worked for—everything I've worked for—everything I've built up all these years. My agency-" Laura was on the verge of tears.
"Your agency? Doesn't it belong to both you and Mr. Steele?" Mildred pointed out gently.
"You're right, of course. I'm still getting used to that idea." Laura wiped the wetness from her eyes and squared her shoulders. "We have to think like Columbini. Which one of those collections would be worth the most? Which one? Let's go over them again. The Ardaugh collection or the Skibbereen emerald. We have to do this. I know it's impossible, Mildred, but we have to try. Think. Think. I can't stay here and do nothing." Finally her resolve broke and tears streamed down Laura's cheeks. The stress of the past few days and worry about Rem finally caught up with her. Mildred hugged her and shed a few tears herself. Then Laura wiped her eyes and said to Mildred, "O.K. This isn't getting us anywhere. Give me that ticket jacket again, Mildred. He must have left us another clue. I can't believe he managed to give you that warning and not something else to lead us to where the robbery would take place." Laura took the ticket jacket and turned it over and over until she noticed a small picture on the inside. She brought it closer to get a better look. "Mildred, what does that look like to you?" she held the ticket jacket out to the secretary. Mildred looked at it.
"It looks like a four leaf clover."
"No, it's a shamrock! Thank you, Harry, I knew you wouldn't let us down." Laura exclaimed. "Shamrocks grow in Ireland and they are green—like emeralds. He's going to steal the Skibbereen emerald. We have to find out when the display opens." Laura picked up the newspaper again and perused the section where the exhibit was mentioned. "O.K. The display opens tomorrow. Would he try to steal it the first night? No, that would be too obvious. Probably the second or third night. But we'll go to Dublin tomorrow anyway. And he won't be the only person in the National Museum of Ireland that night after hours."
"But, honey, won't that be dangerous?"
"How else am I going to stop him, Mildred?" Laura moved over to the bed and sat down to pick up the phone. She called the airline and made two reservations for a noon flight. After she replaced the receiver, she continued, "I can take care of myself. I've done it many times."
"But this Columbini character is a killer. He killed that young man Sean. I can't let you do this. Mr. Steele wouldn't want you-"
"Mildred, it'll be all right, I promise." Laura reassured the older woman, even though Laura was not that confident herself. "Now I didn't eat breakfast this morning. Let's call room service and get some lunch or would you rather eat out?"
"Mr. Columbini's henchmen, remember? We'd better stay in."
Mildred called room service and ordered lunch.
"You wanted to see me, Mr. Columbini?" Mario said as he walked into the mobster's office.
"Yes, Mario. How is our guest?" his lips curled in a sardonic smile when referring to Remington.
"Restless. He's eager to carry out his assignment and get back to his wife."
"I bet he is." Columbini blew out a smoke ring. "About that. I've decided he's a loose end we can't afford. So as soon as you have the emerald, I want you to kill Fabrini. Make it look like a security guard caught him. Are there are any leads on his wife?"
"No. No sign of her in Dublin or London. The men are still looking. We have them on the hotel in London where she stayed before."
"All right. As soon as you find her, bring her to me."
"Yes, sir." Mario left the office and Columbini blew several more smoke rings as the sardonic smile stayed pasted to his face.
Cara covered her mouth with her hand in horror as she heard her adopted father put a hit out on her brother. She had come into the back anteroom to talk to her father about something, but now she backed out and ran down the hallway. She had to tell Harry about this and get him to trust her that what she was saying was true. The two times she had been in to see her brother, he had been distant and their conversation had been stilted. He still blamed her for turning him over to her adopted father—his sworn enemy. Cara moved down another hallway and came to a stop in front of the room where Harry was being held. The guard grinned at her lasciviously.
"Hello, Ms. Cara." his eyes looked her up and down.
"Hello. Joseph. May I go in and speak to my brother?"
"I'll have to frisk you. Make sure you aren't carrying any weapon like a knife or a gun to help him escape." his black eyes glittered as he started to place his hands on the sides of her breasts, but she pulled away.
"I don't have a knife or a gun and if you don't get your hands off of me, I'll tell my father what you did." Cara said icily, the glint in her blue eyes turning them gray. "Didn't my father tell you I could have unlimited access to my brother?"
"All right. All right." Joseph pulled the key out of his pocket and opened the door. She walked in and the door closed behind her. Rem stood up.
"Cara. To what do I owe this visit?"
"Harry, he's going to kill you." she whispered so that Joseph couldn't hear. "My father is going to kill you as soon as you steal the emerald."
"Now give me one good reason why I should believe you. You're the reason I'm in this room in the first place. Because I'm telling the truth. I heard him tell Mario! Please, Harry, believe me."
"I can't. Has he found Laura?"
"Not yet. They're still looking."
"Then why would he kill me? I'm the bait he's using to bring Laura in. And I can't take the chance he'll kill her unless I steal the emerald. This is a no win situation. I'm damned if I steal the emerald because your father will kill me and damned if I don't because he'll kill Laura."
They both fell silent for a moment, then an idea hit Cara. "All right. What if I go in your place? I'll steal the emerald. Papa won't kill me. I'll use your cat burglar suit or whatever you use for stealing things."
"You're a good eight inches shorter than me. He would know the different right away. Why would you even suggest an idea like that?"
"I told you. He told Mario to kill you. Then I'll go with you. I assure you Papa won't kill anyone in front of me."
"No! You aren't going to be involved in this." It suddenly dawned on Harry his sister could be telling the truth. Offering to put herself in his place or going with him proved it. Maybe he had misjudged Cara. Even though they had met only a couple of days ago, it was obvious a sibling love had sprung up between them—at least on her part. He was still wary of her, but he could feel the barrier around his heart cracking. Then Harry had an idea.
"Cara, could you get a telegram out to Laura?"
"Yes. I'm free to come and go as I please. I'll just tell Papa I'm going shopping."
"O.K. It's short and easy to remember. '11-40. How Tony persuaded Swann to kill Margot in Hitchcock's Dial M we saw last month. Stop.' I hope she gets it."
Cara scribbled the message on an envelope she found in her purse, then she asked, "Where do you want me to send it?"
"The Royale hotel in London and Heathrow airport, no, Dublin airport. If she read my clues right, she'll fly in there."
"I could meet her at the airport."
"Again I don't want you involved in this."
"I'm already involved, big brother. I'm sending this telegram for you." Cara held up the envelope and tapped it.
Oh, terrific, Harry thought. His sister was showing the same stubborn streak his wife had. He had no chance against two independent women! Cara stuck the note in the waistband of her skirt when the door clanked open and she heard her adoptive father speaking to the guard outside. Columbini came into the room and seemed surprised to see Cara.
"Planning an escape with your brother, are you, darling Cara?" An easy smile came to his lips, but his eyes were hard.
"Of course not, Papa." Cara smiled back at him. "Harry was just telling me about his life in Los Angeles and his bride, Laura. I'm so excited to meet her."
"All in due time." Columbini answered, his tone hinting at Harry's worst nightmare. Had he found Laura?
"If you hurt a hair on her head, Columbini, I swear I will-"
"I haven't found her—yet, Fabrini. Cara, will you excuse us? I'm want to talk to your brother."
"Of course. I'm going into town to do some shopping." Cara said easily, throwing one last glance at Harry as she left the room.
"All right, since you are so restless about this robbery, we are going to the National Museum and scout out the security system. I figure as Remington Steel, they will be all too happy to show the world famous detective how it works."
"Lead on." Harry was only too happy to leave his prison and finally do something other than wait. Columbini lead the way out with Harry trailing him. The mobster stopped and whispered to the guard outside.
"While we're gone, place a bug in this room. And tell Joseph to follow Cara. I think they were talking about something other than life in Los Angeles."
"Yes, sir."
Columbini caught up with Harry and they took a limo to Kildare Street where the National Museum was located. They paid the admittance fee and walked into the museum. Picking up a brochure of the layout, they located the Skibbereen emerald exhibit and walked through the museum until they found it. It appeared to be unprotected, but Harry and Columbini both knew that wasn't the case. Harry walked over to a guard.
"Hello, my good man. I'm Remington Steele from Los Angeles, here in your facility to see the latest in security systems in Europe and I understand it is being used to guard the Skibbereen emerald." he pumped the man's hand in his best Remington Steele persona.
"Please to meet you, Mr. Steele. Of course we have all heard of you." The man was obviously fawning over him. "Let me get the curator of the exhibit. He can tell you all about it."
The guard disappeared for a moment and returned with a tall, thin man with rumpled red hair and green eyes. "Mr. Steele, we're honored to have you with us. Now what would you like to know?"
"How you are protecting the Skibbereen emerald. I've heard of its beauty and value, of course. Several million, I understand."
"Two point five to be exact." the curator then explained the entire security system to Rem who nodded in acknowledgement.
"Yes, I see, I see. How many guards are on duty?"
"Two usually. But for this exhibit we've added two more."
"Splendid idea to add another layer of protection. Splendid. Well, I think I've seen everything I need to see. Than you for your time." Harry and Columbini left the museum and returned to the limo.
Cara went into a local tourist office and send the telegram to Laura. Then she spotted Joseph in the window, looking into the store. Why was he here? Was he following her? She went up and down the aisles of the shop, picking up a book on Dublin and a glass with the logo of one of Ireland's famous beers. Cara went to the cashier and paid for her purchases, then she left the shop. As she walked down the street toward her car, she kept an eye out for Joseph. Cara turned a corner and ducked into a doorway to wait for him.
"Why are you following me?" she jumped out when he approached. "Trying to cop another feel? Good luck."
"Your father ordered me to follow you."
"Why?"
"I have no idea Ms. Cara. I just do what he tells me. But I think it has something to do with your brother."
"Harry? He hasn't done anything."
"Your father doesn't agree. And I must say for only knowing him for only a few days, you are quick to come to his defense."
"He's my brother. Twin brother. Of course I'd come to his defense."
"One might wonder about your loyalty to your father."
"It's not a contest and I resent being placed in a situation where I have to choose one over the other. I shouldn't even be talking about this. You are only an employee."
"An employee hired to look after you. What are you doing here at a tourist shop? It's hardly your usual choice for your shopping sprees. Marks and Spencer and Brown and Thomas are more your speed."
"I was getting a few souvenirs for Harry. Do you want to see?" she opened the bag and pulled out the glass and the book. "Happy?"
"All right, all right. Are you ready to go back?"
"Yes, I'm done."
Joseph lead Cara away from the tourist office.
Laura and Mildred arrived at Heathrow via the tube and went to the American gate to check in.
"Oh, Mrs. Holt-Steele, a telegram came for you." the agent handed Laura the yellow envelope and she slid it open to pull out the sheet inside.
'How Tony persuaded Swann to kill Margo in Dial M for Murder.'
"What does it say, honey?" Mildred asked.
Laura told her, then added, "Another clue. We saw Dial M for Murder two weeks ago. Tony wanted Margo dead so he could inherit her money. He found an old college friend to do it—by blackmailing him. That's it! Columbini is blackmailing him. He has something on Rem. So if he is stealing something, he's doing it under duress because Columbini is blackmailing him."
The two women sat down in the gate area and waited for the call to board the plane. The plane was on time and they landed in Dublin. Going through baggage claim, they picked up their luggage and went through customs. They used the hotel shuttle to go to their hotel on St. Stephen's green. Unpacking, they settled in.
"Now what, Mrs. Holt-Steele?" Mildred asked.
"We're going to the National Museum and see the Skibbereen emerald. We'll find a city map of Dublin."
"But, honey, Columbin's men might be there, waiting for you."
"I'm counting on it, Mildred." Laura replied. "That's the only way I'm going to find Rem."
"That could be dangerous!" Mildred protested. "You can't-"
"Mildred, I can take care of myself."
"I don't like it, honey—even if it will reunite you and Mr. Steele. It's like you're bait."
"Then you don't have to come with me. Stay here at the hotel." Laura headed for the door.
"No way. I'm going with you as far as the museum."
"Then let's go."
They left the room and returned to the lobby. Laura picked up a city map of Dublin and asked the desk clerk where the National Museum was located and found out it was only one street over. Leaving the hotel, they found the museum and went inside. Laura picked up a brochure and she and Mildred walked around, joining the crowd around the emeralds. Looking around for a sign of any of Columbini's men, Laura didn't see anyone who looked familiar so she and Mildred took in the rest of the museum. But, as they left, a couple of men surrounded them and grabbed Laura by the arm.
"Your disguise didn't work this time, Mrs. Fabrini. Come with us. Mr. Columbini would like to see you." one of them hissed in her ear. She recognized him as the one she had thrown coffee in his face.
They forced her into a car as Mildred protested,
"Hey! What are you doing? Mrs. Holt-Steele!"
The car drove off.
"I have just picked up your wife." Columbini told Harry as the mobster came into his room.
"When can I see her?"
"In due time, Fabrini. In due time."
"That isn't an answer. When can I see her or could it be you don't really have her?"
"Oh, I have her all right. Come with me."
He lead Henry down the hallway and into another room—with a one way mirror. On the other side, Laura sat on the cot in her room.
"Laura!" Harry called. "Laura! I love you."
"She can't hear you or see you."
"When are you going to let us see each other? I haven't seen my wife in a while."
"And, like I told you, in due time. You are on my schedule now, Fabrini—and so is your wife." They
returned to Harry's room and he was locked inside again.
"Why are you keeping us apart?"
"Because I can. And remember she's my insurance that you will steal the Skibbereen emerald. Don't forget that's the whole reason you're here." A malevolent smile touched Columbini's face as he left the room. Harry punched the wall in frustration. He was right. Laura was the bait and she had apparently fallen into the trap—on purpose if he knew Laura. Now he had to figure out how to keep her safe and hold off Columbini. Slowly a plan formed in his mind, one he hoped would keep Laura safe.
And keep him out of jail.
"Showtime-" one of the henchmen said as he came into the room and grabbed Harry by the arm. He lead him out and pushed him into the back seat of a van.
Cara, dressed in a black turtleneck and dark pants, crouched in the bushes, blending into the darkness. She was going to help Harry whether he wanted it or not. Cara was not going to let her adopted father kiss the brother she had just found. She glided through the blackness to open the back door of the van and climbed in. Shutting the door quietly, she hid under a tarp. When they reached the museum, the van came to a stop outside the service door. As she started to throw off the tarp, the back door of the van opened. Cara pulled the tarp over her again and froze. She heard the clank of the grappling hook and other equipment being taken from the back of the van. Then her heart sank as she heard the click of the lock.
Now how was she going to get out of here...
"Come, my dear." Columbini said as he opened the door to the room where Laura was being held.
"It's about time." Laura shot back as he lead her out of the room. Suddenly Columbini pulled out a gun and poked it into her side.
"Just remember, do not try to escape or it will be the last thing you do. Unlike the last time on the plane, you will not escape me. There's one more thing I must do before we leave." Columbini nudged Laura forward down the hallway to take a turn into what appeared to be his office. He sat Laura down in the chair and tied her wrists. Columbini picked up the phone and dialed 'O".
"Operator, will you please give me the number of the Garda station nearest to the National Museum." he scribbled down the number and cut off the call, then dialed the new number. "Hello, Garda? I have a tip that there will be an attempt to steal the Skibbereen emerald at the National Museum this evening. Who am I? An anonymous citizen." he replaced the receiver and pulled Laura to her feet. Laura frowned as tears stung her eyes. Apparently Columbini's plan was to hold the gun on Rem as if he was holding him for the police. Rem was walking into a trap—and there was nothing she could do to warn him. There didn't seem to be any way out of this. She had never felt so hopeless in her life...
Rem shot a spear gun into a vent. He dragged a grappling hook along the rope until it sank into the grate to re-open and clinched itself inside. He glided down the rope, landing away from sensor lights in the floor. He dodged the guards making their rounds by hiding until he reached the alarm box which he disarmed. Rem headed for the display of the emeralds. As he reached for them, lights suddenly flooded the room. Columbini and Laura rushed in.
"Rem!" Laura started to run toward him, but Columbini drew his gun and held it up to her temple.
"Stay where you are." she looked helplessly at Harry.
"All right, Fabrini. Give me the emeralds or your wife dies."
At that moment Cara rushed in and skidded to a halt in front of Harry as a human shied.
"No, Papa, I won't let you-"
"Cara! What are you doing here?" her adopted father snapped.
"I won't let you do this."
"I don't want you in the middle of this. You don't belong here." the mobster added.
"And I can't let you shoot Harry. Yeah, I heard you tell Mario to kill him after you get the emeralds.'
"Which I don't have yet." Columbini pressed the gun against Laura's temple again. "Give it to me, Fabrini."
"Everyone freeze." At that moment three Garda, their guns drawn, swooped into the museum.
"What is going on here?"
"This man is stealing the Skibbereen emerald." Columbini said. Rem put his plan into action.
"I'm so glad you're here, Officers. I'm Remington Steele and I'm actually here to test the security system around the emeralds. I was hired by the museum."
The Garda lowered their guns on Harry. "I've heard of you, Mr. Steele." one of the officers replied. "Sorry, we received a tip that someone was going to steal the emeralds."
As he planned, Rem now had Columbini against a wall. The mobster couldn't tell the Garda that he had planned the robbery without incriminating himself. And since he was the one standing there with a gun...The only problem was that it was still pointed at Laura.
"Put the gun down, sir." one of the Garda said as they all pointed their guns at the mobster. Columbini suddenly started laughing as he lowered the gun.
"There's just one thing I want you to know, Fabrini. The robbery you pulled on me wasn't the only reason I hated you. I hated your father. Chalmers stole my life from me when he stole your mother. I was going to be a respectable businessman so your mother would be proud. You should have been my son. So I stole something important to them—your sister."
Cara gasped at this revelation. Columbini went on. "That is why your father didn't know about her. I made a promise to your mother to take care of her. So I can't let you take her away from me."
"No!" Rem yelled as he darted around Cara and pushed Laura out of the way. The mobster tried to squeeze off a shot, but it went wild and hit the wall. The officers fired and Columbini dropped to the floor, holding his shoulder as blood spurted through his fingers.
"Papa!" Cara tended to her father and pulled off her sweater to push it against the wound to staunch the flow of blood while Rem scrambled over to Laura on his knees and started raining kisses over her face, finally landing on her lips over and over.
""I-told-you-I would-come-back-to-you-even-if-it-was-on-my-knees. I love you, I love you."
"Rem, I love you, too, but could you untie me?"
Remington undid the ties and pulled Laura to him again to press his lips against hers in a kiss that was full of all of the pent up feelings he had been holding inside over the few days he hadn't been with her.
The officers held Columbini and cuffed him. As the Garda started to lead the mobster away, he said,
"Wait. Can I say something to my daughter?" They stopped and Columbini continued, "I do love you, Cara. I've always loved you."
"How can you say that? You took me away from my family. I can't deal with this right now."
"Let's go." Two of the Garda took Columbini out of the museum.
"Laura, I want you to meet my sister, Cara. Cara, Laura."
"Hi, Laura. I'm so glad to finally meet you." To Laura's surprise, Cara hugged her. "Harry has told me a lot about you."
"I look forward to getting to know you, Cara." she paused and then said, "So Harry is his real name?"
"Yes. Harrison Daniel Chalmers."
"Do you know how long I've waited to find out his real name—ever since we met." Laura turned her attention back to Harry. "Were you really going to steal those emeralds?"
"I had to. Columbini was going to kill you if I didn't—until I had that great idea of putting it back on him."
"Mr. Steele, we'll need your statement." the one Garda who had stayed behind said. "And yours, too, Mrs. Steele."
"Can it wait until morning. This has been a long day and I want to get my wife back to the hotel."
"Of course. Go to the O'Connell Street station."
"We will." The Garda left.
"Let's go, Laura." Rem started to walk, but winced again when he landed on his sprained ankle. Laura saw the pain stamped on his face and slid her arms around his waist.
"Help me get him out of here, Cara." Cara also slid her arm around Rem and they walked slowly out of the museum. They took a cab back to the hotel, even though it was only two blocks away. Opening the door to the room, they all entered and found Mildred reading one of her romance novels.
"Mr. Steele! Mrs. Holt-Steele. What's the matter, Mr. Steele?"
"He re-injured his ankle. Here, sit down." Laura and Cara lowered him to the nearest chair.
"I'm all right. I just twisted it." Harry pulled Laura down on his lap. "I'll be fine in a minute. We have some unfinished business to attend to." Rem cupped Laura's face in his hands and kissed her.
"Surely not what I think you're thinking. Your ankle, Harry."
"I don't plan on using my ankle." he rose from the chair and slipped his arm around Laura's waist.
"Good night, Mildred."
He lead Laura into the next room and closed the door.
After making their statements the next day, Rem, Laura and Mildred stayed in Dublin for the next few days while Cara showed them the sights and got to know her brother and sister-in-law.
The Book of Kells at Trinity College. The Georgian doors on Merrion Square. Ha-penny Bridge over the Liffey. The mummified remains of a cat and rat who became trapped behind the organ in Christ Church Cathedral. St. Patrick's Cathedral. National Museum in the daylight. Customs House. O'Connell Street. The General Post Office where they could still the bullet holes from the battle in 1916 which started the fight for Irish independence. Temple Bar.
At the end of their visit, they packed and headed for the airport. As they waited for their plane, they were surprised when Cara came up to them, a carry on and her purse in hand.
"Do you have room for one more?" she asked as she held up her ticket jacket.
"You want to come to Los Angeles with us?" Harry asked. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Nothing to hold me here now."
"But your father-"
"He's out on bail, but I have nothing to say to him now. You're my family. Do you have room in your life for me?"
"We'll make room." Laura hugged her new found sister-in-law.
As they boarded the plane, Rem looked back on last time.
The shadows had faded into the past-where they belonged.
He stepped into the light of a brighter future with a wife and sister by his side.
Author's note:
I'm so sorry this took me so long to write. If I get another idea for a story, I'm going to write it before
I post so I won't do this again. Thank ya'll for being patient with me and I hope it came to a satisfying conclusion.
