Chapter 29

Laura woke as the first rays of sunlight filtered into the room. She immediately reached for her husband only to find his side of the bed cold and empty. She looked around the room to find it just as empty as the space beside her. Standing, she pulled her robe around herself and wandered into the sitting area where she found Remington, leaning against the window staring at the street below. Without a sound she closed the gap between them, coming to a standstill beside him.

Although Remington had not lifted his head to watch her, he knew the instant she was beside him, offering a hand to pull her close. Laura took it, settling herself against his side, trying to see what he was watching.

Outside, partially hidden in an alley across the street, was a small group of boys, ranging in age from ten to fourteen. One older boy was gesturing to the younger ones as if he were directing them. One by one the boys disappeared from view, only to reappear following a well dressed gentleman or woman, 'accidentally' bumping into them. "Just watch the young ones, Laura. They create the diversion as the older boys pick the pockets of those poor unsuspecting souls. One of the oldest cons in the book," Remington stated quietly.

"Which one were you?" Laura asked.

"Me? Well, I started off causing the diversion, but my quick fingers helped me rise through the ranks I guess you could say. It wasn't long before I was much like that older boy. I must have been about thirteen when I had my first big score," he recounted, the memory so fresh in his mind. He chuckled, remembering the thrill of the take and how cocky he was, crowing his success far and wide amongst the other abandoned factory squatters. "Me and a couple other lads managed to steal away with a good portion of the cash from the wallet before some gang members commandeered it. We lived high on the hog for precisely 14 hours...huh...… we thought we were rolling in the big time. We were so full of ourselves….it wasn't to last long though... My 'big score' started a chain of events that led to some unsavoury events."

"What happened?" asked Laura, furrowing her brows, half scared to hear the sordid details of his precarious childhood, but riveted all the same, invested in learning everything possible about this good man who had risen above his mean start in life.

"The man's pocket I picked was known to have considerable wealth, and through my filching of his wallet, some junior members of one of central London's crime gangs masterminded the break-and-enter robbery of his home based on information gleaned from that pick. Some people got hurt, others arrested...I was young enough not to get dragged into that particular job. But the whole affair didn't sit well with me...I tried to keep to myself after that."

Laura rubbed his hand with hers, shuddering at the thought. "And after?" she asked quietly.

"After what? That day? It was a new day, just trying to survive… that is until I met Daniel. I didn't know who he was. He was just a mark on the street as far as I was concerned. A well dressed gentleman on his way in the city. Much to my surprise as soon as my hand hit his pocket he grabbed me, held on tight he did. Dragged me into the alley... " he reminisced, half smiling, shaking his head. "I thought he would beat me, but instead he held my wrist until I stopped struggling. He just… stared at me… like he knew me, but I didn't know why. When I finally stopped he asked me if I wanted to get a bite to eat. Just like that. Like we were old mates, you know." Remington stared off, out the window, lost in thought.

"Did you go with him?" Laura asked, nudging him back to her.

"Daniel?" he laughed, "No, I ran like hell as soon as I felt his grip loosen. A few days later, he found me again. For a week, every time I turned around, there he was. I thought he was… well, I won't tell you what I thought…" he stopped.

"I can imagine. A fine featured young boy being followed by an older gentleman. It doesn't take a detective to figure that out. What'd you do?" Laura slipped her arm around his waist, hugging him closer, offering him comfort with her presence.

"The first few times, I ran and hid. Then after a while, I let my curiosity get the better of me. Or maybe it was the hunger pangs of an empty belly, eh… in any case, I finally stopped running and asked him why he was following me. He told him he saw 'great potential in me'…." he shook his head and swiped at his mouth.

Laura watched his face, the troubled emotions he must have experienced at the time casting shadows across his handsome face, like threatening storm clouds closing in on a fine day. "How did you reply?"

"I told him to go to hell!" Remington laughed heartily at the memory. "But Daniel… ah.. .Daniel didn't give up. He followed me around that whole day, you know. Watched me, studied me. At one point he stopped me, gave me a few pointers, then walked away. Just like that. Just… left." He was watching the boys below again, his keen blue eyes not fully focused, as if he was watching the same scene, but in a different time and place.

Taking Laura by surprise, Remington suddenly turned to her, grasping her arms, and announced, "Let's get dressed then, shall we? We'll grab a bite to eat then ...I promised you a tour of London!"

"Now? Don't you want to talk some more?" Laura asked, confused by his sudden change in mood, and a little disappointed she couldn't uncover more about his past.

"In time, Laura, all in good time. Now, wear something comfortable. And good shoes. We'll be doing a fair bit of walking. And hurry," he instructed as he stepped away toward the bedroom, stripping off his robe as he went.

"But...wait… slow down. Why the rush?" Laura called after him. "You could at least tell me where we are going!" Hearing no response, she walked into the room to find him, jeans on, buttoning up a crisp white shirt. "Rem?"

"Laura, indulge me just this once, please. No questions, not yet," he pleaded as he tucked in his shirt and pulled on a cream colored sweater.

Throwing her hands in the air, Laura groused, "Oh hell!" She yanked a pair of khaki's and a sweater from a drawer and, rushed to get dressed and catch up to Remington who was pacing from one window to the next watching something intently outside.

"Laura, meet me in the lobby," he called out to her and left the hotel suite without waiting for a reply.

"Rem! Wait…." she was cut off by the slamming of the door. Shaking her head, Laura walked into the bathroom to try to fix her hair. She finger combed her locks back into a low, curly ponytail, carefully avoiding the line of stitches as she tried to hide the area. Wetting a brush, she ran it through her bangs, she silently cursing her hairdresser yet again. When she finally felt presentable, she took another minute to apply a thin layer of makeup in an attempt to hide some of her freckles.

Wondering how to dress for the weather, Laura walked towards the windows to get an idea of the temperature outdoors. She looked up towards the sky first, then looked down. She stopped short, inhaling sharply, and brought her hand to her chest. Outside, she could see Rem talking to the oldest of the boys. She watched as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of cash. The older boy held his hands up, as if he was refusing the handout. She could see Rem nodding, his hand extended, offering the money again, his other hand jammed into his jacket pocket. The boy reached out tentatively, then snatched the bills and took off running. As Remington watched him go, he ran a hand through his hair before swiping his face. Laura's heart melted a little as she watched Remington turn away from the alley and walk back across the street towards the hotel.