The Rather less than Secret Agent's Ball
Part 3 : The Saint and Danger : Episode 1
Dangerfield Loveridge quickly donned a pair of white plastic gloves and picked up the half empty bottle of wine from the hall table where it had been deposited by Angelo.
"I hardly think the mastermind behind this, is likely to leave whacking great fingerprints all over the most obvious clue, do you ?", Templar gave a rhetorical chuckle.
"Old habits die hard, besides handling poison, I feel a little care should be taken.", replied Dangerfield, whilst pushing a temporary cork in the bottle and placing the whole bottle in a transparent plastic ziplock bag.
"I assume from the careful packaging, you don't intend to analyse the contents at the labs here."
"No, I've got another location in mind, it's a bit of a surprise", replied Dangerfield in a mysterious tone, "hope you don't mind."
"Oh no, I love surprises, there's far too few at my time of life.", enthused the Saint.
"Unfortunately the surprise isn't really for you, in fact it is you.", said Dangerfield with an evil smirk.
Templar gave Dangerfield a quizzical raised eyebrow, as they both began to wander out of the mansion towards the stables.
"So how far are we travelling then ?", inquired the Saint.
"I'm afraid it's a bit of a trail.", replied Dangerfield still maintaining an air of mystery.
"In which case you'd better drive, it gives me a bit of gip if I use it too much.", the Saint gently tapped his right leg with his cane.
"Don't worry I always intended to, my Morgan is right over here.", Dangerfield opened the passenger door for Templar before leaping over the driver's side door into his seat.
"Consider the man hours wasted on engineering and fixing the drivers door of a Morgan, you might at least use it occasionally.", grumbled the elderly man as Dangerfield started the engine.
"I didn't buy it for the doors, Simon" ,with these words Dangerfield stepped on the accelerator and the Morgan set off at high speed down the driveway towards the open gate.
Once through the wrought iron gates Dangerfield turned to Templar, "I don't know about you, but I'm relieved to be out of there."
"Yes I know what you mean, the hairs on the back of my neck were leaping about like a plate of Mexican jumping beans.", replied Templar.
"Well something like that, yes."
"I even noticed that Steed was a bit nervous.", the Saint pondered, "which isn't like him at all"
"That's part of the reason I've decided to avoid ministry labs altogether and use a little place I know in Manchester"
"Getting away from the ministry is one thing, but don't you think Manchester's going just a bit too far.", questioned Simon Templar.
"Oh I do have other reasons, there's no hurry is there ?", Dangerfield now having to shout over the wind as the Morgan convertible sped on to the motorway at well over one hundred miles per hour.
"No, I guess not, no hurry at all", the Saint replied as the countryside began to open up around them.
Copyright 2001-2002 Chris Cowan