"All right. Everyone calm down," Steed ordered. "Let's go over what we
know."
"Esteed has been kidnapped," Cassandra pointed out.
"By an unknown assailant," Mrs. Peel added.
"Actually," Verena interrupted. "Alexis and I have something to add." She glanced meaningfully at the oblivious Alexis. "Don't we," she added, jabbing Alexis in the arm.
"What? Oh yeah," Alexis pulled a tape recorder out of her pocket, and pressed Play. Peter's voice filled the room.
"I have a plan that will get my wife back. Once we leave, you'll have Steed-"
"All to myself," Tara's voice completed.
Mrs. Peel looked at her husband, stunned. "You mean you and Tara planned to kidnap these children?"
Tara looked outraged. "I planned no such thing. Peter merely informed me that he was going to win his wife back, and then I would be able to marry Steed."
"I am not some plaything to be won at your convenience," Mrs. Peel informed her husband. Her voice took on a saddened tone. "I now realize that I've grown in the years we were apart. I am not the same woman you married, and I've found my life-mate-Steed."
Tara looked on in awe. "Steed! You never told me you had such feelings for her."
Steed cleared his throat. "A gentleman wouldn't be such a cad."
Tara now turned to Peter, "And you went to such lengths to win back the woman you loved. I am truly in awe."
"The woman I thought I loved," Peter corrected her. "All I ever saw in Emma was her beauty and her presence as my wife. I now realize there was something missing-the warmth I feel when I look at you," the two embraced.
"Let's not forget that he kidnapped Esteed," Verena pointed out.
Peter looked stricken. "But that's the problem. I hired someone to kidnap her-but that person double-crossed me. He was supposed to give me daily updates on where she was being held and her condition. I haven't heard anything."
"Who could she have been kidnapped by," Cassandra asked logically.
Steed and Mrs. Peel exchanged glances. "Let's go through the whole list," he answered.
**************************************************************************** ***********************************
"Could it be-"
"No," Mrs. Peel responded. "We haven't seen him since he tried to make that last movie. How about-"
"No," Steed shot the idea down. "Brodny never would have been able to pull something like this off, and I'm sure I would have heard of any schemes They were planning. Could it have been-"
"Well, he is out on parole." Mrs. Peel leafed through Steed's files. "The only one out on parole, in fact."
"Who?" Everyone yelled this question together.
Steed and Mrs. Peel looked a bit embarrassed. "Dr. Creswell," Steed answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
**************************************************************************** ***********************************
"Yes, me," Creswell answered with a smirk. "But," he questioned. "How do you know me? We've never met."
Esteed quickly invented something. "I've read all of the Ministry's files."
"And you remembered me? I'm flattered."
"Don't be. Photographic memory."
**************************************************************************** ***********************************
Everyone at Steed's flat sat, waiting anxiously for Creswell to contact them. The phone rang, stratling everyone. Steed leaped for the receiver.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Steed?"
"Who is this?"
"That's of no importance," Creswell replied. "I think you know why I'm calling."
Steed grunted an acknowledgement.
"Well then, you and your partner are to meet me, alone, at an abandoned house near," Creswell proceeded to give Steed accurate directions to his old house. "If I see any sign that you have brought any one else, your little friend will be killed instantly," Creswell hung up the phone.
"Esteed has been kidnapped," Cassandra pointed out.
"By an unknown assailant," Mrs. Peel added.
"Actually," Verena interrupted. "Alexis and I have something to add." She glanced meaningfully at the oblivious Alexis. "Don't we," she added, jabbing Alexis in the arm.
"What? Oh yeah," Alexis pulled a tape recorder out of her pocket, and pressed Play. Peter's voice filled the room.
"I have a plan that will get my wife back. Once we leave, you'll have Steed-"
"All to myself," Tara's voice completed.
Mrs. Peel looked at her husband, stunned. "You mean you and Tara planned to kidnap these children?"
Tara looked outraged. "I planned no such thing. Peter merely informed me that he was going to win his wife back, and then I would be able to marry Steed."
"I am not some plaything to be won at your convenience," Mrs. Peel informed her husband. Her voice took on a saddened tone. "I now realize that I've grown in the years we were apart. I am not the same woman you married, and I've found my life-mate-Steed."
Tara looked on in awe. "Steed! You never told me you had such feelings for her."
Steed cleared his throat. "A gentleman wouldn't be such a cad."
Tara now turned to Peter, "And you went to such lengths to win back the woman you loved. I am truly in awe."
"The woman I thought I loved," Peter corrected her. "All I ever saw in Emma was her beauty and her presence as my wife. I now realize there was something missing-the warmth I feel when I look at you," the two embraced.
"Let's not forget that he kidnapped Esteed," Verena pointed out.
Peter looked stricken. "But that's the problem. I hired someone to kidnap her-but that person double-crossed me. He was supposed to give me daily updates on where she was being held and her condition. I haven't heard anything."
"Who could she have been kidnapped by," Cassandra asked logically.
Steed and Mrs. Peel exchanged glances. "Let's go through the whole list," he answered.
**************************************************************************** ***********************************
"Could it be-"
"No," Mrs. Peel responded. "We haven't seen him since he tried to make that last movie. How about-"
"No," Steed shot the idea down. "Brodny never would have been able to pull something like this off, and I'm sure I would have heard of any schemes They were planning. Could it have been-"
"Well, he is out on parole." Mrs. Peel leafed through Steed's files. "The only one out on parole, in fact."
"Who?" Everyone yelled this question together.
Steed and Mrs. Peel looked a bit embarrassed. "Dr. Creswell," Steed answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
**************************************************************************** ***********************************
"Yes, me," Creswell answered with a smirk. "But," he questioned. "How do you know me? We've never met."
Esteed quickly invented something. "I've read all of the Ministry's files."
"And you remembered me? I'm flattered."
"Don't be. Photographic memory."
**************************************************************************** ***********************************
Everyone at Steed's flat sat, waiting anxiously for Creswell to contact them. The phone rang, stratling everyone. Steed leaped for the receiver.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Steed?"
"Who is this?"
"That's of no importance," Creswell replied. "I think you know why I'm calling."
Steed grunted an acknowledgement.
"Well then, you and your partner are to meet me, alone, at an abandoned house near," Creswell proceeded to give Steed accurate directions to his old house. "If I see any sign that you have brought any one else, your little friend will be killed instantly," Creswell hung up the phone.