Chapter 9

Once they were back in Rossmore, they decided to have some rest to help clear their minds. After a brief shower, the middle of the night found them not able to sleep in spite of their tiredness. Time was going on and there were no clues in front of them.

They were laying in bed, both with their eyes opened looking through the darkness, not finding responses to their questions.

"Are you asleep?" Laura was the first to speak.

"I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight." He answered turning his body to hers.

"Me neither. I can't believe what's happening. Why is that we always find trouble, exposing what we already have to be destroyed when we try to take a step ahead? We are just getting over about learning not to create the trouble ourselves, and then someone else gives us a shove to send us in separate ways…"

"Perhaps we could appreciate it from a different angle. When you allow yourself to love, it means that if there is some higher power willing to separate that person from you, or steal you away from him, you'll fight against it until the end. When you allow yourself to love, you are making a commitment. It doesn't matter how dangerous the situation turns out, you are there for the other one, as the other one there for you fighting against anything. We are not exposing our love. We are living it. And although that sometimes reality seems to be trying to separate us; at least, it gets us even closer. We did take a lot of steps ahead, Laura. Look at us."

"I know what you mean, I wasn't clear. What I wanted to say is; does everybody find trouble every time when trying to make a step ahead or it's just us?"

"Maybe what happens to us it's because we are special." He told her.

"I know we are special, and we have something special between us. But it doesn't feel fair…"

"Take a look to the brightest side of the situation, Laura. We are together in this one."

She looked at him. "I know. But we have to find a solution before Monday ends. We have only one day… The brightness is slowly vanishing. What are we going to do?" she stood in silence for a moment. "I'm scared," she told him, her voice slightly trembling.

"I love you, Laura. I love the way your forehead crinkles when you are worried, I love the way you have to put everyone at ease, I love waking up and looking at you and being the happiest I've ever been. Don't be scared of love…He looked into her teary eyes through the dark, and after a sweet kiss he told her, "The solution…" he kissed her again "It will come to us."

"You know I love you, do you?"

"I do, but I love you reminding me of it." He took her in his arms for the night"

Sunday morning found them in the office, still without luck about finding Mildred's whereabouts. They were missing her ability, and they were missing her coffee as well. It was going to be a long day.

"Where do you suggest we should start?" asked Mr. Steele.

"We'll go through the Agency files. Let's start from the last year going back in time. You can check on a half, and I'll check on the other half.

"Fifty-fifty, Mrs. Steele?"

"Fifty-fifty sounds good to me." She assured him.

"Just remember it's an emergency. Don't have this paperwork percentage distribution in mind for the future, Laura."

"I know. Don't cry like a baby, Mr. Steele. You can do better…"

After a few hours searching in the agency files looking for police agents mixed in their cases, they finally had a list to start.

"What do you have?" asked Laura.

"Swat Captain from the Santa's; Norman Keyes, which is not a policeman, but has enough knowledge about the Police Department as one of them, and Mildred's Sheriff Clifford," he answered.

"I don't think Swat Captain from the Santa's case could have anything serious against us. Norman Keyes? Maybe; he wasn't happy about how the case was closed in Las Vegas, and less happy with the diamonds heist end. About Sheriff Clifford, he was a cutie. I can't imagine anything against you coming from him."

"Who is in your fifty part?" he asked her.

"Well, Lieutenant Benjamin, Lieutenant Zweigenhoff and Lieutenant Jarvis."

"The three Lieutenants…"

"I don't believe Jarvis could even think about doing something like this. Benjamin was eager to protect us last time so I would put him off. And Zweigenhoff, he could be the one, but I don't think he'll have a chance to be near the Police Department after our last case together."

"Maybe he has some friends…" he suggested.

"Maybe he does. But we don't know them. His whole squadron got disabled after his behavior. That puts us in front of nothing," she told him.

"We should call Jarvis. Maybe he could help us just off the record. He owns us one Laura. Let's go to collect it." He told her.

They made the call and gave Jarvis the possible suspicious names. After taking note, he asked them to wait until 4 o'clock in the afternoon. That would give him some time to run a search.

After a few hours following with their task among last year's files, the phone rang. Mr. Steele answered, and in a few minutes, the records and the agency were behind them. Jarvis had found something. He wanted them at the Police Station as soon as possible.

"We are here, Jarvis. What do you have?" asked Mrs. Steele.

"It seems that although Lt. Zweigenhoff's squadron was disabled after that case, he did have a contact still working with us in the force."

"I knew it," said Mr. Steele.

"Go ahead, please," asked Laura after sharing a brief glance with her husband...

"It's his nephew. He is one of the operatives in my squadron. I didn't know they were relatives until today, when I was working over your asked research and checked Lt. Zweigenhoff's profile. His wife's name, Ronson, took my attention."

"So, this agent could have been the one alerting the INS, just looking for revenge in the name of his uncle…" said Laura.

"Yes, but that's not all. To be sure about his success, agent Ronson changed some of the information about Mr. Steele's social security number. He erased one number, so it was an alert to call the attention of the INS."

"So, that's why the INS expedient starts?" asked Mr. Steele.

"It seems that's the reason the INS accepted the Police Department request. Your social security number was the wrong one," answered Jarvis.

Laura and Mr. Steele found themselves sharing a convenient silence. They were trying to keep themselves out of the Social Security scam, knowing that if Jarvis was satisfied with the clues he had found until then, he was going to put off the request in front of the INS, and that could be the end of the case against Mr. Steele. Mr. Steele's social security number should be forgotten as fast as possible. They were married at that point because of the INS request. They would be able to change their marital status in the future if they decided so. They kept their mouths shut while all those thoughts wondered through both of their minds."

"We will follow with our internal procedures, and be sure agent Ronson will have the correct punishment, Mr. Steele. I'll return your recovered personal items tomorrow as an exception, given the circumstances; once our files are finished."

"Well, it seems you have a case closed again, Detective Jarvis. I was sure we were going to be in the most capable hands, as I assured Laura before we talked yesterday." Mr. Steele stood up feeling Laura's incredulous gaze and shook hands with the policeman. "Thank you very much." Laura shook hands with Jarvis, and they left the Police Station.

"I remember you being thrilled when I told you to call Jarvis…" said Laura with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"I was just adding some support to your retelling, Laura. Isn't that what a married man is supposed to do in public?"

"A married man is supposed to support her wife in public, but he is supposed to do it in private as well."

"Sure, but not every man has such a smart and confident wife working beside him. It's not always easy to endure."

"Endure? You feel you have to endure being beside me? Then you'll have to rethink your position. Maybe you are not ready to endure our new situation."

He stopped in his tracks, took her hand and asked her to get into the car. Once they were in, he grabbed her hand again and told her, "Sorry about that, Laura. It didn't sound as I wanted. But sometimes it's hard to behave when I see that your brilliant mind is racing miles ahead of mine, and I need to light a spark to make you turn back, to keep a part of your attention over me, to not being left behind."

"You act like a spoiled baby sometimes."

"I know." He smiled at her, and started the car.