- Felony: Steeling (Finale)
Date: Saturday, April 22, 2000
- sue hantak <hantaks@mtco.com>
***********************************************************
Laura was treated to lunch the next day by Claire. Laura relayed
the information to her and promised she would pry no further.
The conversation then turned to a more personal nature.
"You mind if I ask you a personal question, Miss Holt?"
"Sure, but please, call me Laura," she responded.
"You work for Mr. Steele?"
Laura nodded while swallowing then clarified, "We sort of
formed the agency together. Even though it's the nineties, it's
still better for business to have a man's name on the door."
They shared a contemptuous feminist expression.
"How long have the two of you been involved?"
"About ten years"
Claire's eye's focused on Laura's waist told Laura where the
next question was heading. Without being asked, Laura divulged,
"He's our third, Evan is six, Scot is three and a half........
Do you have any children?"
Claire almost choked, "No......No we don't"
"We?" the investigator in Laura went into action.
"I'm ........involved with someone....it's.......complicated"
Claire admitted.
"You work with him?......your boss by any chance?"
*Damn, she's perceptive* Claire thought to herself. She tried
to steer the conversation back to Laura,
"Can I ask why you're not married?.....Sorry.......Sorry,
it's none of my business."
Laura chuckled to herself *How much of this should I tell her?*
"No, it's okay....We actually were married once....sort
of...."
Claire's confusion was apparent.
The statute of limitations expired a long time ago and she didn't
think a NY county ADA had any jurisdiction anyway. Laura went
on to explain, "Mr. Steele and I got married when he was
reported to the INS. We were together romantically before that,
but while we were 'married', we mostly fought. I was always suspicious
of his motives for being with me. After two years we got a divorce
on paper, but stayed together."
"Why didn't you just get married for real?"
"I know he's with me because he wants to be, not because
he feels he has an obligation."
Claire remained silent, taking all of this in.
Laura continued, "Besides it drives him crazy......he's
asked me a dozen times or so." Laura leaned back in her
chair, grinning that she has the upper hand in all of this. "I
have four different engagement rings. and two wedding bands.......
This is the only one that matters to me" . Laura tugged
at the silver chain around her neck that supported a small heart
locket and a mother's ring with emerald and sapphire stones.
Office of DA Adam Schiff
3:00 PM
Laura's information on RAM provided the DA's office with the
missing piece of the puzzle When they checked into RAM's business
they found the Massucci crime family as the primary investor
in the company.
"Deangelo is small-time muscle in the Massucci organization."
Claire explained.
"He was probably earning his stripes on the Newby and Jacobs
hits." Jack added.
"So it's unlikely he wants a pair of cement shoes in exchange
for testimony," Adam reasoned in his usual cynical manner.
"Adam, his attorney knows we don't have very much,"
Jack pointed out.
Adam peeked over the top of his glasses that rested on the bottom
half of his nose, "Get his lawyer in here, make the offer.
He'll have a good laugh and maybe you'll get a counter offer."
A few hours later, after Deangelo's lawyer, in fact did laugh
at the plea offer, Jack yanked his tie off expressing his frustration
over the case. Claire sat opposite him at the conference table
in his office, tapping her pen in her own perturbed way. "Jack,
this one is slipping away from us."
"As credible as our witness is, I hate going to bat with
just her."
"We have the files.... that shows motive." Claire offered
half-heartedly
"The files show that RAM had a motive, not specifically
Deangelo. His lawyer will gladly show the jury that any number
of people at RAM or even the bank and title company had motive
too......without the weapon or something else, I'd say they have
their reasonable doubt."
Jack disappeared behind the door to change into his jeans for
the ride home.
***********************************************************
Laura tossed amid another restless night . Even though she promised
to drop the investigation of this "case", her dogged
determination wouldn't let go of the grasp it had on her mind.
Remington couldn't sleep if he knew Laura was up. Early in their
relationship, she would get up and try to leave. Uncomfortable,
embarrassed or some other silly insecurity wouldn't let her relax
in his bed. He could never sleep himself knowing that she would
likely escape if he dozed off. As a result he developed a sleep
pattern of only being able to sleep himself once he knew Laura
wasn't going anywhere.
Laura rolled to face him, "I'm sorry.........I'll just get
up and watch TV or something."
"No.....Stay here", he moved his arm across her body
to keep her in bed.
"It's kind of cozy in a double bed for the three of us"
Laura hinted as she settled in closer to his body.
"You never know what you might bump into," Remington
arched slightly to push himself suggestively against her thigh.
Even with Abigail just down the hall, he coaxed her into quiet
and very discreet lovemaking that night.
The next day, Remington had two objectives. One, to get Laura
away and two, to put an end to this case himself. At Remington's
suggestion, Abigail insisted Laura spend the day with her touring
the mansions in Newport. Mr. Steele guilted Laura into going
then he turned around and headed for Manhattan himself. He met
Claire as he existed the elevator on the tenth floor.
"Mr. Steele?" she called to him in a surprised tone.
"Ms. Kincaid, I was wondering if I might have a word with
your boss?"
He followed Claire down the hall and entered his office without
knocking. "Jack McCoy.......Remington Steele" she announced,
making the introductions. As they shook hands, Claire seated
herself on the leather sofa in Jack's office.
"What can I do for you, Mr. Steele?" Jack motioned
for Remington to take a seat as he leaned against his desk folding
his arms.
"I want to take Laura home."
"Fine, we can always call her if we need her."
"She won't go unless she knows that this is over".
"That is NOT her concern."
"No it's MY concern, Mr. McCoy. Laura doesn't know the meaning
of the word, 'quit'. She will pursue this relentlessly. I can't
allow this to go on......for her sake and for the baby's."
"What are you going to do, Mr. Steele?" Jack laughed
smugly "Make the weapon magically appear?..........Persuade
our reluctant witness to snitch on a powerful crime family?"
"If I can do that, will you promise me to do whatever is
necessary to keep Laura out of this?"
Jack had no idea Remington was serious. He tried to offer some
comfort, "Mr. Steele, I understand your concern." He
subtly glanced at Claire, "If it was my wife, I'm sure I'd
feel the same way. As much as I'd like, I can't just start indicting
people. The cases would be dismissed. It would serve no purpose.
The best I can do at this point is use Laura to convict Mr. Deangelo
and hope he has an interest in a reduced sentence to name names."
Remington stood up to leave, "That won't be necessary, Mr.
McCoy. You'll have what you need......I guarantee it"
Jack wasn't sure what Remington meant by that. The part of him
that tiptoed the fine line of ethics and bent the law on numerous
occasions was intrigued by Remington's promise. Remington knew
it was far from being over doing it McCoy's way. When this goes
to trial, Laura would be called back to testify. The fact the
case now had a mob connection made him feel particularly uneasy.
It had been many, many years since he crossed paths with that
sort of criminal. Luckily the last time he was on the same side
of a reputed mobster. He knew he still had some influence. Even
though, mobsters often thumb their noses at conventional authority,
they seem to have a tremendous amount of respect for their own
associates and adversaries. Steele made a discreet call to Walter
Gallen. Although Remington would never call in a favor just for
his own prosperity, his own family's safety was at stake; much
like the time they escorted Chris and Angel. With children of
his own, Remington could now relate to the feeling behind Mr.
Gallen's "They mean the world to me" sentiment. This
would even deliver McCoy the bigger fish he was hoping to catch.
Gallen actually was a rival of Massucci. He was only too eager
to put a monkeywrench in that family's "business."
Gallen made a few calls of his own. A cryptic threat prompted
an anonymous tip to the police, which provided the murder weapon.
Deangelo had little faith in federal witness protection, but
"Gallen" protection spoke volumes. Soon Deangelo had
a new attorney at the insistence of Gallen. That attorney advised
his client to sing a sweet song about Massucci, the bank corruption
and the ordered hit of the two men.
With a plea agreement in place, Laura's cooperation was no longer
necessary. Her name or face would never be connected to the downfall
of the Massucci crime family. Gallen and Deangelo would be taking
the heat and Steele could take Laura home.
- ***********************************************************
Before they returned to LA, Remington and Laura spent a romantic
evening in Manhattan. Early the next morning with Laura sleeping
in(catching up for the lack over the last several days), Steele
stood on the courthouse steps waiting for Jack to appear. Seeing
Remington, he shuffled up the last few steps to stand eye to
eye with him on the landing.
"Mr. McCoy, I understand you have the gun and your informant."
"Yeah...imagine that...If I weren't the DA...and we weren't
on the courthouse steps, I might be interested to hear how that
happened."
"I'd like to say I was just doing a public service, but
I really had much more selfish motives."
Remington started down the steps when Jack beckoned, "Go
home, Mr. Steele take care of Miss Holt and that baby."
"Easier said than done, mate."
The End
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