Notes, disclaimers, etc
in part one.... BUT....
This one is a little short. I misjudged the spacing a little in
dividing
the parts. Thanks for all the comments thus far, I really want
your
feedback. And thanks again to Lea for the read!
Steele at Home
Part Four
Inside the tiny studio apartment,
Kari fought the urge to cry. She
stared across the room at the wall that was covered with photos.
Photos
of her. At home. At the gym. Shopping. At the studio. There were
even
pictures of her with Andy. And pictures of her in various stages
of
undress. She looked down at the table in front of her. She picked
up the
silver frame housing her most recent headshot. She didn't dare
turn
around to look at the man behind her. Charlie was busy preparing
dinner.
He was talking, but Kari wasn't listening. She didn't hear him
prattle on about how much he loved her or the great life they
were going
to have together now that she was with him. She couldn't hear
a word
her captor was saying through the pain searing through her head.
She was
focused on a picture. The last photo on the wall. It was a photo
of Andy
lying on the floor of his dressing room---a photo taken as he
lay dying.
So focused was she on the photo
that she almost didn't hear the
banging on the front door.
"Wilson!" Remington Steele shouted, "Open up!"
Charlie panicked. There was no
other way out of the apartment. He
wouldn't let anyone take Kari away from him, not now. He grabbed
Kari around the waist, pinning her hands between them. The door
burst
open and Remington and Laura stopped short. Charlie Wilson was
standing
before them, shielding himself by holding Kari Simmons in front
of him,
with a very large knife at her throat.
"This isn't what you want
to do, mate," Remington tried
to talk him down.
Laura's stomach lurched as she
spied the wall of photographs.
Her mind drifted back to a time when the photos had been more
personal---photos of herself. She managed to pull herself together
to
focus on the current situation. Her husband was trying to speak
rationally to a man who had already killed once, and was now backed
into
a corner. She moved almost imperceptibly, but close enough to
Remington
to offer her strength and to surround herself with his strength
as well.
"Don't push me… mate,"
Charlie stared into
Remington's blue eyes. "Uncle Andy tried to take her away
from
me and look where he ended up."
"You don't want to hurt her," Laura said softly.
"Shut up!" Charlie spat.
Kari was openly weeping now.
"Charlie," Laura soothed
as Remington took her hand.
"You don't want anything to happen to Kari. Then everything
you've been through would be for nothing. Come on now, let her
go."
"Listen to her Charlie,"
Remington prodded. "There's
no way out."
Charlie listened to his words.
He knew the man was right. If he hurt
Kari, he might as well kill himself. Without her, he wouldn't
be
able to go on. But he also knew that she'd never go with him.
Before
any of them knew what was happening, he shoved Kari into Laura
and the
women fell to the floor. He lunged at Remington, who was blocking
the
door. Remington ducked and charged into his assailant's midsection,
knocking the knife from his hand. Stumbling to his feet, he reared
back
to charge Remington again. This time however, the detective was
ready
for him. Drawing back to put his full force behind the punch,
Remington's fist landed squarely on Charlie's jaw. He lay
sprawled out at Remington's feet as Laura ran to his side.
~*~*~*~*~
"So this Wilson guy killed
Friedlander and made it look like an
overdose because he thought Kari would run away with him?"
Mildred
leaned against her desk.
"Pretty much," Laura
confirmed. "He thought that with
Andy out of the way, nothing would stand between him and Kari.
He used
the drugs for two reasons, though."
"First, the death could
look like an accident," Remington
picked up the story, "but more importantly, it would ruin
Andy's
reputation."
"Which was payback for what
Charlie felt was Andy's looking
down on him for being just the cleaning man," Laura finished.
"It's a shame he probably won't ever stand trial for
Andy's death. He's in the county mental hospital now."
"What about McIntyre, Mrs.
Steele? You were pretty sure he'd
done it," Mildred asked. "I think you said he was a
slime
ball."
"He's still a slime ball,
Mildred," Laura said with a
rueful smile. "He's just guilty of manipulation and dirty
tricks. Not murder."
"That's good," Mildred
said. "Because he's been
calling all day. Something about the Boss signing release papers
for his
show."
Laura rolled her eyes, and glanced
sidelong at her husband. How was
she going to get them out of this one?
~*~*~*~*~
Laura stood on the balcony overlooking
their view of the city.
Remington walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her
waist.
She leaned into his embrace and turned her head to nuzzle the
side of
his neck.
"You okay?" he asked softy.
"I am now," she rubbed
his arms that were wrapped around
her. "This case hit a little too close to home on so many
levels."
He pulled her tighter and kissed
her temple, and she turned in his
embrace. She looked up at him.
"I'm so sorry you had to
see that," he said quietly.
"It must've brought back some terrible memories for you."
She shook her head against his
chest. "That wasn't as bad as
watching you stare down a killer."
"It wasn't the first time,"
he kissed her. "Remember
that your Remington Steele isn't a plumber."
"No," she kissed him.
"But it was the first time that it
happened to my husband."
"Ah," he grinned. "The first time you cared."
"I wouldn't say that,"
she laid her head against his
chest. "But it was different somehow."
He totally understood, remembering
his primal need to protect his
wife.
"Oh Laura," he said.
"There are so many changes coming
about that we never considered. We've been together for so long.
Who
knew what a difference making it official would make?"
"We already know we make
a great team," she stepped from his
arms and took his hand, leading him inside. "We just have
to be open
to the changes. You know, let the chips fall where they may."
"Well Mrs. Steele, I'm looking
forward to our grand and
glorious adventure," he said, sweeping her up off her feet
and into
his arms.
"Me too, Mr. Steele,"
she said with a long and promise
filled kiss. "But fasten your seat belt; it's going to be
a
bumpy ride."