Ever Increasing Steele Part 30
The truth of his words didn't quite sink in even for himself until at least an hour later. For while Steele was loathe to have the women involved in looking for Conner, it also felt strange and rather disconcerting to work on the case alone.
Mildred had rather happily handed the mission on to him and he knew she'd have a lot to do. Laura he knew would too but she worried him most and not simply for the fact that she was pregnant with two extra and very vulnerable lives to consider. She was meeting with their next scheduled appointment, at the time it had seemed the most logical and practical way to organise their day but now he wasn't quite so sure.
He'd been in touch with some of his contacts and although a few had an idea of where to find Conner none thought that he should. The most convincing argument coming from Felicia who had been contacted by one of them to let her know what he was doing. She'd almost begged him not to look for the man and insisting she was far too young to become a widow.
"You do realise, don't you." He'd said kindly, "that Laura would be the widow not you."
"Oh you know what I mean, darling." she'd said, "I'd feel like I was and really that's all that matters. Besides..." he could almost see her hands waving as she said it, "I'd rather neither of us were and you must think of the sprogs."
"I think about them all the time, about all of you."
"Well there you are then, just stay safe and go back to pretending to be Remington Steele."
"I haven't pretended that in a long time."
"More's the pity."
"I rather like it."
Felicia had ignored that and had simply said, "Promise me one thing?"
"I'll try."
"Don't go rushing off to find him, think about it and then don't do it."
"If only if were that easy."
"Be careful." she'd said before ending the call.
Those parting words rang in his ears now as he looked at the connecting door between his own office and Laura's, she had promised to take a back seat and he trusted her completely. However she was who she was, detecting and taking charge were in the very blood that pumped through her veins. He decided he needed to see for himself that she was still with the clients, that she was still prepared to let him handle Conner.
Strangely the door felt heavier than usual when he pulled it open, and he wondered if that was connected to his feelings of misgiving about the case. He had prepared himself for Laura to be surprised to see him, she might even be slightly annoyed but he was sure he could cope with that. What he hadn't prepared himself for was an empty office, but that was exactly the sight that greeted him, Laura was no-where to be seen.
A terrible sense of foreboding overtook him and he rushed out to the outer office area. Mildred looked up and grinned at him her smile slipping when she saw the look of panic on his face.
"You okay, Boss?"
"Where's Laura?"
"She just went out to run a few errands...." Mildred stopped as Steele visibly paled in front of her, Boss are you okay?"
Steele didn't reply but the way he ran his fingers through his hair with no thought or concern for the result made Mildred shiver, "You don't think she..."
Steele didn't even want to hear his fears voiced aloud as if the sound of them would grant them more validity. "I don't know but I hope not Mildred, I really hope not."
"What will you do?"
"The only thing I can do."
"Wait until she returns?" Mildred said hopefully.
"Afraid not Mildred, I'm going to have to get to him before she does."
Mildred watched as Steele rushed out, then breathed a sigh of relief as he rushed back in again. The relief however was short lived as he rushed past and into his office returning moments later with a piece of paper.
"Helpful to have the address with me wouldn't you say Mildred?"
Mildred didn't get a chance to say anything, before she could even try Steele had blown her a kiss and rushed back out of the door again.
"Oh Boss", she said to the now empty room, 'I sure hope you know what you're doing."
Mildred had rather happily handed the mission on to him and he knew she'd have a lot to do. Laura he knew would too but she worried him most and not simply for the fact that she was pregnant with two extra and very vulnerable lives to consider. She was meeting with their next scheduled appointment, at the time it had seemed the most logical and practical way to organise their day but now he wasn't quite so sure.
He'd been in touch with some of his contacts and although a few had an idea of where to find Conner none thought that he should. The most convincing argument coming from Felicia who had been contacted by one of them to let her know what he was doing. She'd almost begged him not to look for the man and insisting she was far too young to become a widow.
"You do realise, don't you." He'd said kindly, "that Laura would be the widow not you."
"Oh you know what I mean, darling." she'd said, "I'd feel like I was and really that's all that matters. Besides..." he could almost see her hands waving as she said it, "I'd rather neither of us were and you must think of the sprogs."
"I think about them all the time, about all of you."
"Well there you are then, just stay safe and go back to pretending to be Remington Steele."
"I haven't pretended that in a long time."
"More's the pity."
"I rather like it."
Felicia had ignored that and had simply said, "Promise me one thing?"
"I'll try."
"Don't go rushing off to find him, think about it and then don't do it."
"If only if were that easy."
"Be careful." she'd said before ending the call.
Those parting words rang in his ears now as he looked at the connecting door between his own office and Laura's, she had promised to take a back seat and he trusted her completely. However she was who she was, detecting and taking charge were in the very blood that pumped through her veins. He decided he needed to see for himself that she was still with the clients, that she was still prepared to let him handle Conner.
Strangely the door felt heavier than usual when he pulled it open, and he wondered if that was connected to his feelings of misgiving about the case. He had prepared himself for Laura to be surprised to see him, she might even be slightly annoyed but he was sure he could cope with that. What he hadn't prepared himself for was an empty office, but that was exactly the sight that greeted him, Laura was no-where to be seen.
A terrible sense of foreboding overtook him and he rushed out to the outer office area. Mildred looked up and grinned at him her smile slipping when she saw the look of panic on his face.
"You okay, Boss?"
"Where's Laura?"
"She just went out to run a few errands...." Mildred stopped as Steele visibly paled in front of her, Boss are you okay?"
Steele didn't reply but the way he ran his fingers through his hair with no thought or concern for the result made Mildred shiver, "You don't think she..."
Steele didn't even want to hear his fears voiced aloud as if the sound of them would grant them more validity. "I don't know but I hope not Mildred, I really hope not."
"What will you do?"
"The only thing I can do."
"Wait until she returns?" Mildred said hopefully.
"Afraid not Mildred, I'm going to have to get to him before she does."
Mildred watched as Steele rushed out, then breathed a sigh of relief as he rushed back in again. The relief however was short lived as he rushed past and into his office returning moments later with a piece of paper.
"Helpful to have the address with me wouldn't you say Mildred?"
Mildred didn't get a chance to say anything, before she could even try Steele had blown her a kiss and rushed back out of the door again.
"Oh Boss", she said to the now empty room, 'I sure hope you know what you're doing."