Steele Drivin' Man 4/?
Date: Thursday, September 21, 2000

Anne Rose <arplab@yahoo.com>

Steele Drivin' Man 4/?
October 2, 1982
Mileage: 5,039

Who is this guy and where did he come from?

The whole day was going great - Miss Holt had a good
plan for delivering the gems to the Huntington
Sheraton, and everything was all set. I drove them
out to the airport for the dry run and the whole deal
went without a hitch. I think Mr. Hunter was
satisfied, even if he did seem awfully jumpy.

Then last evening I was just about to take Miss Holt
home when this Pearson fella tried to bum a ride.
Well, I couldn't say anything but I didn't like the
idea at all. I just shut the door for him and drove.
I could tell from his accent that he wasn't American,
and he sure had the wrong idea about the kind of work
Miss Holt and Mr. Steele do. To me he was just too
smooth, too quick with the answers. I saw enough low
lifes when I was escorting the Thornhills' daughter on
dates to know an operator when I see one.

Before we had even gotten a few blocks down Wilshire,
he told Miss Holt we were being followed and she just
about sank out of sight. I've never seen her looking
so scared. I had an idea we were being tailed, too,
but I was going to wait a couple more blocks, just to
be sure, before I said anything to her. Well, this
cool customer called the mobile operator and gave the
police some cockamamie story about his grandmother's
medicine. In record time, at least for LA cops, that
Mercedes was pulled over, and we all started breathing
again.

I was parked right next to that Mercedes in the
Sheraton loading zone.

When we went out to the airport to get the gems for
real, Pearson rode along. Miss Holt seemed wound up
pretty tight. I thought she was nervous about the
gems, but then they started talking about somebody
who's pretending that he's Mr. Steele, and she went
from uptight to steaming mad in about 30 seconds. I
couldn't help but feel nervous about her trusting
Pearson with all this information. After all, he just
waltzed onto the scene -she hasn't known him very long
at all!

This morning we were back at the hotel so Miss Holt
could finish up the arrangements for getting the gems
out again. Just as she got back in the limo, Pearson
got in a taxi, and looked out his window at us with a
look I just couldn't read. When I glanced in the
rearview mirror, she was nodding her head like she was
trying to convince herself of something. I'll tell
you what I was convinced about - good riddance,
Pearson!

I thought that was the end of it, but just as I was
about to pull away from the curb, Mr. Michaels came
running up, or maybe stumbling was more like it. He
hollered that he'd been blindsided, and Miss Holt
popped a gasket. We took off after Pearson's taxi, as
fast as I could the beast go. I finally got to use
what I learned in driving school, but it would've been
more fun, and much easier, in Mr. Michaels' GTO.
Anyway, I was right with him all the way.

Miss Holt didn't even let me come to a full stop
before she was out the door and running into the
terminal. Mr. Michaels was right behind her. Through
the windows I could see Pearson talking to Mr. Hunter
and some reporters, and when Miss Holt hollered
something at them, Mr. Hunter took off and Mr.
Michaels and Miss Holt collared Pearson. Then when
Miss Holt said something to Pearson, they all took off
down the concourse!

By the time it was all over, Hunter was in handcuffs,
and Miss Holt, Mr. Michaels and Pearson looked like
they'd been in a bar fight.

Wait'll Mr. Steele hears about this guy.

To be continued---

To Part 5

---

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