The time was 9.50 am, Bosley noted, as he glanced up from the paperwork neatly arranged on his desk. One of the Angels would be appearing any moment, he mused, knowing that she always liked to be the early bird. He looked over at his mug of cooled coffee and decided a refill would be nice…ah, you couldn't beat a great coffee first thing in the morning…
He was pleasantly distracted from his musings as the door opened and Kris bounced cheerily into the office.
"Morning Bos, how are ya today?" Kris smiled a wide sweet smile and made towards his desk, dropping her jacket neatly onto the couch as she passed by.
"Oh I'm fine Kris, and you seem mighty fine too!" He smiled back. Kris noticed his half empty mug of coffee as she drew up to his desk. "Well, the sky is blue, the birds are singing and, yeah, I feel just fine! Wanna refill?" She asked, motioning towards his mug, and made for the bar.
"Oh thanks Kris, sure! How about you get one yourself?" Bosley grinned. Kris cast him a sideways grin back. "Thanks Bos, on the house coffee, sure is nice!" She got busy with the percolator just as Kelly opened the door and walked demurely over to the couch, and sat down gracefully, pushing her hair aside. "Morning Bos, Kris! My, do I smell good coffee on the go?" She smiled across at her friend behind the bar.
"Sure, Kel…I don't like your coffee either!" She gave a light giggle and Kelly grinned back. "Three good coffees coming right up…"
"Make that four Kris, huh? My coffee stinks too!" Sabrina strode into the office, usually later than the other 2 angels, but never late, unless there was a big problem. "Morning everyone!" She greeted, smiled over at Bos then sat down on the couch next to Kelly, patted Kelly's shoulder in greeting, crossed her legs, and waited for the phone to ring.
She didn't have to wait very long.
"Good morning, angels, Bosley!" Charlie's so-familiar voice filled the office. "Good morning Charlie!" came the chorused response. Kris handed out the coffees then perched on the end of the couch next to Sabrina.
"I hope you've all recuperated nicely from your last case angels, I have a very interesting case for you today and you're going to need all your wits, patience and stamina for this."
Kelly looked over towards the speakerphone, her brow slightly furrowed. "Patience, Charlie? Any particular reason you mention that quality?" Sabrina and Kris looked over towards Bos, who seemed just as much in the dark.
"Well angels, we have a missing person to trace…"
Sabrina was off her mark already. "Uh, Charlie… missing persons…police matter…?" She let the question in her voice carry the sentence.
"Yes Sabrina, usually it is. However, as I said, this case is very interesting and also, quite unusual. Have any of you heard of Bronwyn Rhys-Davies?…" Charlie waited for any responses.
Kelly looked up again. "Isn't he the man behind a big British computer company? I read somewhere he was looking to merge with a firm here in the States?"
"That's correct Kelly. He began his career with technology after having worked with the British Army on their intelligence devices towards the end of the 2nd world war. He helped kick-start the British technology business and now owns Aztec Limited, a major player in the industry…"
Kris swirled her coffee around a little and made a small sound as she breathed out. "So, Mr Rhys-Davies went missing…presumably over here, Charlie, and we're on the case? Why?"
"No angel, it's his daughter that is missing. They both came to the States a couple of weeks ago…Mr Rhys-Davies to do business, and his daughter, Jessica, accompanied him for a holiday and to learn more about her fathers business, as she is looking to follow in his footsteps. He came to us through a number of channels, as he sees his daughters' disappearance as a very high profile matter and doesn't want the press involved."
Sabrina drained half the contents of her mug and looked towards Bosley and the speakerphone, her brow also furrowed. "So, this is a kidnapping, probably with a ransom demand, with a little cultural exchange. How come the British Intelligence isn't working on this Charlie? I still don't see why Mr Rhys-Davies is hiring us, when I'm sure his own people have very capable means?"
"Very good point Sabrina," Charlie agreed. "You're halfway there! But Mr Rhys-Davies wants people working on both sides of the Atlantic."
"But Charlie, what about this issue of patience?" Kelly was beginning to feel a twinge of something, something didn't smell quite right. And she knew Charlie had a little something up his sleeve for them. She looked at Kris and Sabrina, and their set expressions told her they felt the same.
"Angels, you will be working very closely with a few people from a very covert British intelligence agency. Mr Rhys-Davies has many irons in the fires of the British Government, that's why secrecy is so high on the agenda."
Bosley, who had been very quiet up to now, voiced the questions Kris, Kelly and Sabrina had yet to ask.
"Charlie. Pardon me for sounding a little slow, but I still don't get it. Why the Townsend Agency? We have no connections with government, here OR in England!" He fidgeted with his pencil, tapping it on his note paper.
"Exactly, Bosley, exactly. Our client wishes to apply a 2-stroke attack. Over here, he's mostly an unknown quantity, and wishes to keep it that way until Jessica is found. So, after I fill you in on final details, you have a case to start and a visitor to pick up from LAX tomorrow at 10am."
Everyone looked questioningly at the speakerphone.
"A British agent called Jennifer Caine will be on her way to work with you on this case angels, by request of our client."
Kelly smiled. Now she got the full picture. "So that's where our patience comes in, Charlie?" She looked over at Kris who rolled her eyes, Sabrina shrugged her shoulders and made a face.
"Yes Kelly, I believe the British are a slightly different people from ourselves, but I also believe, in order to reach our common goals, that you will all handle your responsibilities with your customary dignity, warmth and…"
"…Patience!" All three angels finished Charlie's sentence for him.
Sabrina glanced around her, knowing that whatever this 'interesting' case threw at them, they were going to do just that. "You got it Charlie! Let's get this detail pegged down huh guys, then let's start the ball rolling!"