Double Trouble Squared
by Julie Feldman
I do not own any of the canon characters. They belong to R.A. Dick and 20th Century Fox. The new characters listed below are mine.
Cast of Characters:
Carolyn Muir a beautiful, intelligent widow who writes for a living.
Captain Daniel Gregg, the ghost of the original builder of Gull Cottage who can only be seen by
by those he wishes to see him.
Candy and Jonathan Muir, Mrs. Muir's children who are well-acquainted with Capt. Gregg.
Martha Grant, Mrs. Muir's stalwart housekeeper who knows Captain Gregg as well.
Claymore Gregg, The owner of Gull Cottage, Mrs. Muir's landlord, supposed descendant of
Daniel Gregg, town Justice of the Peace (and other town positions) and a penny-
pinching scaredy-cat.
Ed Peavey, handyman, constable and Martha's boyfriend.
Norrie Coolidge, owner of the best restaurant in town, assistant constable.
Deke Tuttle, furniture maker and "restorer", occasional librarian and member of the town
council.
Sean Callahan, Daniel Gregg look-alike, a writer from Ireland and a self-confessed
scoundrel "without a sincere bone in me body".
Elvira Grover, Chairperson of the Schooner Bay Historical Society and the doyenne of
Schooner Bay "high society".
Eric Gregg, claims he is a Harvard-educated lawyer. He is well dressed and bears
a strong resemblance to Claymore Gregg without glasses.
David "Davy" Gregg, Eric's cousin. Davie looks just like "Danny" the fisherman, but
he's not the brightest bulb in the box. However, he is very mechanical and for
that reason, he serves Eric as his driver and assistant. He has an accent that at times
seems English, then Irish, then somewhat Canadian. No one really wants to know
where he came from, only that it wasn't where Eric was from.
Remington Steele, a suave private detective, originally from Ireland and of definitely murky
background.
Laura Steele, California-born wife of Remington and herself a detective. Originally
a red-head with long flowing locks, she is now a blonde with a 60's style bob. Although "Remington Steele" originally took place at least 15 years after GAMM, and Steele and Laura were not married in the series, I am borrowing them for my own purposes.
The story takes place in June of 1970, sometime after the episode "Wedding Day?".
Chapter 1:
Eric Gregg was enjoying his pipe and gazing at the Maine coastline from the passenger's seat of the black Cadillac De Ville while his cousin Davy drove. It was only a few days ago that they had stopped into the dealership in Hartford, Connecticut and for only $50 had driven away with the car, ostensibly for a weekend trial. After all, who wouldn't want the best (but most circumspect) New York City divorce lawyer to be seen with their car. By the time that the dealership realized that the car wasn't back, it would be rather embarrassing to take out a warrant for the arrest of Winston M. Winfield, Attorney-at-Law and his chauffeur. They'd drive the car for a week or so after stealing a set of plates. If they really liked the car, they'd steal more plates. If not, they'd sell it to someone privately. In the meantime, there was other business to attend to.
Eric had known for some time that he and Davy bore a significant resemblance to other men. Actually, Eric had an entirely forgettable face and with a toupee and a variety of accessories, could easily look entirely different. His cousin, however, was a very handsome man. Blond and blue-eyed with a strong jaw, people took notice. Especially women. Sometimes Eric made him grow a beard or a mustache, sometimes he made him dye his hair (which Davy hated). Still, it wasn't easy to keep him from being noticed.
"Davy, let's go over the story one more time, OK?" Eric asked.
"Do we have ta?" Davy whined. "I always do what you tell me to, don't I?"
"Yes."
"And I never say nothin' unless you tell me what to say, don't I?"
"Yes."
"So why do you have to tell me again, Eric?"
"Because this time I need you to be ready to talk to some people for me. Some women
people. And you know how confusing women can make a man."
"I guess."
It was almost the end of the school year; only three weeks to go. Candy and some friends were playing on the swings in the play area at the end of the lunch hour when she noticed the big Cadillac drive by slowly. A big, fancy car like that was unusual in little and down-to-earth Schooner Bay, and she knew that the people inside of it weren't from anywhere near to town. She could make out two men in it. One of them looked very much like Claymore Gregg. The other man looked familiar, too, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why. Mentally making a note to tell her mother about it, she returned her attention to her thoughts about the end of the school.
"Why is it," she pondered, "that the last few weeks before summer recess are always soooo long?"
Perhaps it was because the days were longer, the weather warmer and the classrooms stuffier. Perhaps it was because freedom from the school schedule was waiting for her and her brother on July 1st. And maybe it was because Captain Gregg had promised to teach Candy and her brother to sail a little boat her mother had bought after one of her bigger articles was published at Christmas. Still, there were three more weeks of homework and tests, and despite the fact that both Candy and Jonathan were good students and usually enjoyed school, the girl was feeling in general, that enough was enough.
The big Cadillac oozed down Front Street and parked in front of Claymore Gregg's office. The lunch crowd, such as it was, was leaving Norrie's Lobster House, and they made note of the fancy vehicle and the two men walking into the building.
"When did Claymore go and buy a new car?" Deke Tuttle asked Ed Peavey.
"Don' know," Ed replied. "Not in character for him, is it?"
"No, don't say as it is".
Claymore looked up as the two strangers entered. At first his mouth just hung open, and then he stood.
"Alright, Captain. I don't know what kind of trick you're playing here, but I'm not scared this time. Why don't you just tell me what you want, and you can stop with your little 'ghostie'". He waited for a moment and when nothing in particular happened, he put his hands on his hips and said, "Well?"
Eric looked at his doppelganger curiously. He had investigated Claymore Gregg as well as he could and knew that this was a cowardly miser in front of him, but nowhere had there been any indication that the man was crazy as a loon. It might make this go faster. And then again, not. He extended his hand across the desk.
"How do you do. My name is Eric Gregg. This is my first cousin, David Gregg."
"'Gregg' did you say?" asked Claymore, excited. "Are we related?"
"Perhaps, perhaps not," the well-dressed version answered. "At any rate, we are here to claim our inheritance. You see, Davy and I are direct descendants of Daniel Gregg, and we have proof. We also have a court order for you to show cause why all the property you currently claim to have inherited from his estate should not be turned over to us."
Claymore sat down heavily in his chair, his face gray. "No… it's not possible. Captain Gregg was a bachelor. He had no children. You two can't be his direct heirs."
Eric smiled and rocked back on his heels. "He had no legitimate children, I agree. But he did have a son by Maria Seastrom. She was our great-, great-grandmother. He met her in New York in late 1867, on his way home from his last voyage. We have her diary. It was apparently a one-time encounter and she didn't know how to contact him once she realized she was carrying his child."
Claymore stood again, and began to walk around his office, now preening. "So all you have is her word? I don't think that would stand up in a court of law. Really, gentlemen! I have business to conduct, so if you wouldn't mind, being on your way?"
"We have a copy of her son's birth certificate and Daniel Gregg, merchant captain, is listed as the father. We also have the child's baptismal certificate. From there we have the birth certificates, marriage licenses and death certificates of all our ancestors. They are all certified true by the governing authorities. The case has been registered in the Southern District Court of New York. Here is your 'Show Cause' order. It has been a pleasure meeting you, Claymore. Now, if you excuse us, we do indeed have to be on our way."
Leaving the office of C. Gregg Realty, the two men nearly knocked over Elvira Grover. Miss Grover might have been getting on in years, but she was sturdy as a teak-masted schooner, and the bump on her shoulder only made her take greater notice of the Gregg cousins. She also had a very, very good memory. She would not forget these two, she was sure.