Title: Angels Return(part one)
Author: Rena (renay@uslink.net)
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters that are Copyright@Spelling-Goldberg Productions. This story is meant for enjoyment purposes, and I retain only the rights to the plot, not the characters.
Setting: This story takes place approximately ten years after Sabrina got married and would soon hear the pitter patter of little feet, as mentioned in episode #72, "Angels Remembered."
Author's note: I would like to thank my friend and co-worker Sue, who helped me plan the plot for this story, and also helped to write many scenes. I would also like to give a thank you to Bridget for being a wonderful beta reader...she suggested some wonderful changes that made it a much better story.
Sabrina glanced out the window, then looked at her watch for about the hundredth time in the past ten minutes. 10:45pm. 'Where was Jesse? He should have been home hours ago', she told herself anxiously as she watched the pouring rain, jumping slightly at the sudden clap of thunder. She shivered as lightening lit up the otherwise dark sky.
"Please hurry home, Jess," she whispered, curling up in their bed and drifting off into a troubled sleep.
At 6am Sabrina was wide awake and in the bathroom throwing up violently. After she was finally finished she cleaned herself up, struggled to her feet and staggered back into the bedroom. "Jesse?" She called groggily, blinking. The baby inside her started moving around restlessly. "Come on," she told it gently, patting her stomach reassuringly. "Let's go see if daddy's downstairs." She slowly made her way to the stairs, grabbing the railing and closing her eyes as everything started to spin. She took a few deep breaths until it passed, and then made her way downstairs, holding onto the banister tightly.
Sabrina began a nervous search of the house, then hurried outside to check for Jesse's jeep. Seeing the driveway empty save for her own car she slowly made her way back into the house. She stood inside the door, suddenly feeling very alone and frightened. "I need to call the police." She muttered decisively. She picked up the phone and dialed the Canyon Cove Police Department.
"Hello, my name is Sabrina Walbrydge. I want to report a missing person...my husband, Jesse Walbrydge...he didn't come home last night...no, he didn't call...no, we didn't have a fight...I'm telling you, something's wrong. He just doesn't leave without telling me...24 hours?" Her heart started beating faster and she could barely breathe. "You can't file a missing person report unless he's been missing for 24 hours?! And what am I supposed to do in the meantime?...I have searched the house...no, there's no sign of him anywhere...ok, bye."
Sabrina slowly hung up the phone. Now what? She wandered into the living room and stood by the window, watching and hoping that any minute now she would see her husband pull into the driveway.
'I know something's wrong,' she repeated to herself. 'This isn't like him. He wouldn't just not come home. What if he had an accident?' She shuddered at the very thought that something could have happened to him. She turned and started up the stairs, stopping halfway up as a thought came to her. With a hopeful heart, she hurried into the bedroom. Picking up the phone, she dialed the number of her former boss in Los Angeles, Charles Townsend.
After several rings a man's voice answered. "Hello?"
"Charlie? This is Sabrina. I need your help..."
************
"Bosley, what's this all about? What's the big emergency?" Kelly Garrett asked anxiously, sitting down on the couch in the office of Charles Townsend Private Investigations. Before he could answer, the door opened and two other women walked in.
"Hi, Kel. Bosley, Charlie called and said that we should come in right away," Kris began rapidly.
"Girls, I know as much as you do," Bosley interrupted. "Charlie'll be calling any minute, then we'll find out what's going on."
"What a time to be short handed," Kelly complained.
"That's right!" Jill exclaimed. "Kris told me that Julie left to go back to modeling or something."
"That's right, and we're supposed to be going to Catalina tomorrow," Kris added, sitting on a nearby chair.
"What's in Catalina?" Kelly asked curiously.
"Mark and Brian," Jill grinned.
As if on cue, the phone rang. Bosley spoke briefly into the receiver, then turned on the speaker phone before replacing the receiver in its cradle.
"Good afternoon, Angels."
"Hi, Charlie," Kelly said.
"Hi, Charlie. What's the big emergency?" Kris Munroe asked.
"I'm sorry to have to call you in on your day off, but this morning I received a call from a new client and I thought we should give the case top priority. I think you'll agree."
"Who's the client?" Kelly asked curiously.
"Sabrina Walbrydge." Charlie answered.
"You're kidding,"" Jill Munroe said, stunned.
"I'm afraid I'm not, Angel. She called me a few hours ago. It appears that her husband didn't come home last night. She called the police, but they won't file a missing person's report until he's been missing for 24 hours. They had a storm last night and she's afraid that something may have happened to him. She thought that we might be able to help."
"Of course we'll help," Kelly affirmed, speaking for the group. "When do we leave?"
"Can you be at the airport in two hours? I've already booked the flight."
"We'll be there," Bosley promised.
"Jill, I know you're supposed to be on vacation, but would you mind going as well?" Charlie asked.
"You couldn't keep me away with a 10 foot pole," Jill vowed.
"Okay, Angels. You'd better go pack. Call me when you get there."
"Bye, Charlie." Kelly grabbed her purse and headed towards the door, followed closely by the others. "I'll see you guys in a little while. We'd better hurry."
*********
A short time later the four friends were gathered together at the airport waiting to board their plane to Montana.
"Have any of you talked to Sabrina lately?" Jill asked.
Kelly shook her head. "Not in several months. I wrote to her a few times but she never answered."
"I wonder how she's been doing after the accident and with a new baby coming," Kris said, thinking about the tragic car accident four months earlier that had taken the life of Sabrina's nine year old son.
"I talked to her a few weeks after the funeral, " Kelly offered quietly. "And she was very...how do I describe it...distant."
"What do you mean?" Jill asked curiously.
"I could tell she didn't want to talk about it. I mean, I know how private she is and all, but this was different. She sounded so…cold. It was like she couldn't wait to get off the phone. "
"Now boarding at gate 32, flight 5766 to Billings, Montana," came the voice over the loud speaker.
"Let's go, girls, That's us," Bosley announced, glad for the interruption.
**********
Sabrina sighed as she walked into the barn. She'd spent all day in the house waiting by the phone, and now she couldn't sit still any longer. She walked down the isle until she reached a stall at the end of the row. "Hi, Riccochet."
A soft velvety nose reached over the door and nuzzled her cheek.
Sabrina rubbed the horse's nose. "I wish we could just go for a ride now. You miss Jonathan, don't you?" Riccochet, or Rikki as he was often called, had belonged to her son.
Sabrina looked at her watch: 4:30pm. Jesse had been gone for almost 24 hours now and still she hadn't heard anything about his whereabouts. She headed back towards the house, not wanting to stay away from the phone for very long. Once inside she wandered through the house aimlessly, unable to settle down for any length of time.
It had been during a similar storm when she'd lost control of the mini van and their young son had been killed. Lost in her own thoughts, she jumped slightly at the sudden sound of the doorbell. Sabrina walked to the door as quickly as she could, half afraid of who it might be.
As she opened the door, a wave of relief passed through her when she saw her friends standing on the porch.
Kelly dropped her suitcase and quickly embraced her friend. "Oh Bri! It's so good to see you. Are you okay?"
"Kelly!" Sabrina returned the hug. "I'm so glad you're here."
Kris hugged her, then pulled back and stared at her in disbelief. "Oh, my god. You're HUGE!"
"Thanks a lot," Sabrina groused, pushing her away.
"There's never too much of a good thing," Bosley said gallantly.
Sabrina hugged him tightly.
"Hi, Sabrina."
Sabrina suddenly noticed Jill standing behind Bosley. "Jill! Oh, my gosh. I didn't know you were coming." Sabrina embraced her friend in a tight hug. "I thought you were still in Europe."
"I was in LA visiting Kris when Charlie called."
"Come on in," Sabrina sighed, feeling slightly better than she had all day.
They all followed her as she slowly waddled into the house.
"I wasn't sure when you'd be here. I figured you'd be here tomorrow," Sabrina continued, trying not to sound as nervous as she felt.
Bosley put an arm around her shoulders, taking in her swollen ankles. "Why don't you sit down?" He led her to the couch and helped her get seated as comfortably as she could. "When Charlie called and told us that you were our new client, we wanted to get here as soon as we could. "
"Can I get you some coffee or anything?" Sabrina offered, not sure where she should begin.
"Not right now." Kelly declined. "Bri, what happened? Have you heard from Jesse at all?"
"No," Sabrina sighed, giving in to the inevitable. "He didn't come home last night. And he didn't call or anything. It's just not like him. We had a storm last night and..." Sabrina paused for a few seconds, glancing at the floor and swallowing hard. Storms always affected her badly after the accident. "I'm afraid that he might have been in an accident or something. I called the police but they won't file a report unless he's been missing at least 24 hours. That's when I decided to call Charlie."
Kelly took Sabrina's hand in her own and squeezed it firmly. "We'll find him, Bri. I promise."
"I know you will," Sabrina replied in a quiet voice, looking up at all of them. "I...I can't lose him too."
Kris glanced around the room, taking in the decor. "So where do we start? When was the last time you saw him?"
"Yesterday morning when he left," Sabrina answered, forcing herself not to overreact. "He took a few days off to take care of a neighbor's ranch while he's in the hospital. He's always home by 8:00. And he always calls if he is going to be late. That's why I know something happened. He wouldn't leave without telling me. He...I..." Sabrina's voice trailed off, unable to speak past the lump in her throat.
"Bri, you look kinda tired. Why don't you go lie down for awhile and get some rest?" Jill offered compassionately, patting Sabrina's shoulder.
"That's a good idea," Kelly agreed, nodding. "We can start unpacking and then call Charlie to see what he's come up with so far."
"You can give us the nickel tour later," Bosley added wryly.
"Kris and Jill said they want to share a room. I thought you and I could be roommates until Jesse comes home," Kelly said, grinning. "It'll be just like when we were in the Academy."
"Um, Kelly, I don't think that's such a good idea," Sabrina replied hesitantly, blushing slightly. "I haven't been sleeping very well lately."
"I don't mind," Kelly reassured her. "We can use the time to catch up on gossip."
"I think I'd wake you up in the morning," she continued uncomfortably.
"Since when are you a morning person?" Kelly demanded teasingly.
"I'm not," Sabrina admitted.
"Then what…" Kelly broke off for a few seconds and then started chuckling. "Ohhhhh."
"It's not funny," Sabrina insisted, blushing even more furiously.
"I don't remember you having morning sickness past the third month…" Kris stopped herself, realizing she was putting her foot in her mouth.
"I didn't, but the doctor said that every pregnancy's different," Sabrina answered, too embarrassed to look at them in the eye.
"It's okay," Kelly said compassionately, patting her on the arm.
"Why don't you take the other guest room and I'll sleep on the couch," Bosley offered.
"I can just borrow a sleeping bag and share with Jill and Kris, Bos," Kelly countered guiltily.
"I think I will go take a nap," Sabrina decided in a shaky voice. "Thanks for coming." She got to her feet and slowly made her way upstairs.
"So, what do you guys think?" Kris asked after Sabrina had gone.
"I don't know what to think," Kelly confessed. "We sure don't have much to go on. How do we start?"
"We'll need to find out where he works and who his friends are. Then we can talk to all of them to see if they might have any ideas," Bosley answered.
"Do you think we should take turns staying with Sabrina?" Jill asked hesitantly. "I mean, she's putting up a good front now, but how long can it last?"
"Jill's right," Kelly agreed. "She shouldn't be alone now."
"That's a good idea, girls." Bosley said. "Jill, how about you stay with her tomorrow morning? You haven't seen each other for a couple of years...might be a good time to catch up on things."
"And a good diversion for her." Kris added.
"Sure," Jill agreed readily.
************
Early the next morning found Sabrina in the bathroom again.
"Boy, you weren't kidding about waking people up," Kelly teased, coming into the bathroom.
Sabrina slowly straightened up, face a greenish white. "I'm sorry," she gasped weakly.
"Hey, it's okay," Kelly reassured her, kneeling by her side and putting her arms around her. "Remind me of this when I decide to have kids, okay?"
Sabrina chuckled weakly, then groaned. "Ohhhh, don't make me laugh."
Kris knocked on the door and came in. "We wanted to get an early start. Bosley's downstairs making breakfast," she continued in a quieter voice. "Just scrambled eggs and bacon."
Sabrina bolted over the bowl rapidly, throwing up again.
"Kris, why don't you go downstairs?" Kelly suggested, keeping her arm around Sabrina's shoulders in mute support. "I'll be down in a little while."
Kris nodded and left.
After a few minutes Sabrina finished and slowly straightened.
"Come on, let's get you back into bed," Kelly offered, taking a washcloth and helping her clean up.
"No, I'll just stay here for a few minutes," she protested shakily. "You go downstairs."
"You can't stay on this cold floor, Bri. You'll get sick."
"Trust me, I'm safer staying in one place right now." She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall, swallowing hard.
"I don't want to leave you alone."
"I'll be okay, Kelly. It usually doesn't last long."
Kelly debated on whether to stay or not and decided to honor her friends wishes. She squeezed Sabrina's arm affectionately. "You call me if you need any help, all right?"
Sabrina nodded, too weak to answer.
Kelly got up and went downstairs.
Sabrina came down to the living room about an hour later.
"How are you feeling?" Jill asked worriedly.
"Better," Sabrina answered softly, carefully lowering herself onto the couch.
"Can you tell us where Jesse was working the day he disappeared?" Bosley asked, bringing her a mug of tea.
"These past few days he's been helping out at a friends ranch...George Lazen. George has been in the hospital so Jesse's been going over there to tend to the animals. He took this week off from work."
"Where is this ranch?" Kelly asked. "Maybe we'd better start there."
"Bri, would you make a list of Jesse's friends, his boss, places he likes to hang out?" Jill suggested.
"That's a good idea," Sabrina agreed. She got up, got a piece of paper and a pen, and sat back down again. With a trembling hand she jotted down the names, addresses and phone numbers of her husband's friends.
"What kind of car was he driving?" Kris asked curiously.
"A jeep. It's teal colored, license plate GNT 9854 Sabrina answered woodenly. Kris jotted it down on her pad.
"I just thought of something," Sabrina said. " Until Jesse gets home, I'm gonna need to take care of the animals on George's ranch."
"Okay, great." Kelly said, studying at the list carefully. " Kris, Bosley and I will get in touch with these people, and we'll also check out the ranch…see if we can find anything. Don't worry about the animals. We'll work something out to make sure they're well cared for." This next part was going to be tricky. She knew full well how independent her friend was. "Why don't you and Jill stay here? That way someone'll be by the phone in case he calls. "
Sabrina nodded. "Is there anything else I can do?" She felt like she was in a nightmare that was never going to end.
"Jesse's been gone for over 24 hours now. Do you think we should call the police again?" Bosley suggested.
"No," Sabrina declined. "They wouldn't help when I first called, and now that you're here, I don't need them. You'll find him." She got to her feet to leave the room but paused, turning to face her friends. "Ya know, I spent years chasing crooks and catching the bad guys. I can't even find my own husband. Some detective, huh?" With that, she left the room.
"Let's go," Kelly offered after a minute's pause. "We'd better get started before she falls apart."
************
"Hey Bri, it's Jill. Mind if I come in?" Jill tapped lightly on the bedroom door.
"Come in," Sabrina said in a small voice.
Jill took a deep breath, then opened the door and walked inside. She found Sabrina sitting on the edge of the bed, wringing her hands in her lap. Jill sat down beside her.
For a moment neither of them spoke, then Sabrina whispered. "I'm scared, Jill. Really scared. What if he didn't just disappear? What if...?"
"What do you mean?"
"What if he left because he didn't want to be together anymore?" She confessed hesitantly.
Jill shook her head. "He wouldn't do that," Jill reassured her, putting her arms around her and hugging her. "He loves you."
"I...I'm not so sure anymore." Sabrina replied. "Things haven't been the same between us since the accident. Sometimes we can't even talk to each other. And other times all we do is argue."
"But why?" Jill asked, totally confused. She'd seen how Jesse had looked at Sabrina over the years and knew that he loved her without question.
"He blames me for the accident and for Jonathan's death. I tried to save him. Really I did. But I..." Sabrina paused, unable to speak for a few seconds. She gulped and forced herself to continue, glancing at Jill with desperation in her eyes. " I tried so hard to get him out. But the door...it wouldn't open. Then..." That's when she lost control and started sobbing quietly.
Jill could feel the tears well up in her own eyes. She'd known Sabrina for 15 years and never before had she seen her break down like this. Sabrina had always been the strong one, the one to lend a hand and be supportive, the one to remain calm during a crisis. She put her arms around Sabrina and started rocking her back and forth gently. "It'll be okay, Bri. Just let it out. It's okay to cry."
************
Bosley turned onto the long drive that led to George Lazen's ranch.
"I wish I knew what we were looking for," Kris admitted.
"Anything that might look out of the ordinary," Kelly answered.
"He couldn't just disappear, so there's gotta be something that might give us any kind of clue."
Bosley, Kris and Kelly got out of the car and began looking around the ranch.
"I don't see anything that might be out of the ordinary," Kris said as she glanced around. Her eyes came to rest on a jeep parked in the distance.
"Hey, wait a minute. Didn't Sabrina say that Jesse has a teal colored jeep?" Bosley asked.
"Yeah, so?" Kelly asked in confusion.
"Look," Kris pressed, pointing to a jeep parked near the fence.
Bosley and Kelly glanced over to where she was pointing.
"Let's check it out," Bosley said.
"Hey, look, you guys! The door on the drivers side is open." Kelly hurried to the drivers side of the jeep. She glanced around, suddenly noticing a billfold lying on the floor. She pulled out a handkerchief from her pants pocket and picked it up very carefully, doing her best not to smudge any possible fingerprints. The first thing she saw when she opened it was a picture of Sabrina and nine year old Jonathan.
"This is Jesse's," Kelly said in a subdued voice. "Look." She held up the billfold for Kris and Bosley to see.
"So it's not likely that he left here on his own." Bosley concluded.
"Where do we go from here?" Kris asked. She looked around the ranch. Everything was quiet except for the usual sounds of horses running in the pasture. Her eyes briefly rested on an open gate a short distance away, but then she turned her attention back to her friends.
**********
Jill sat on the couch, her elbows resting on her knees, a cup of coffee in her hands. She glanced up when the front door opened.
"Hi Jill." Kris sat down beside her sister.
"Hi. Find out anything?"
Kelly handed her the billfold. "We found this on the floor of Jesse's jeep. The door on the driver's side was open."
"So that means that he didn't leave on his own? That he probably left by force?" Jill guessed.
Kelly nodded. "Why would you think he left on his own?"
"Apparently things haven't been too good here lately. "
Jill told them all that Sabrina had told her. "I'm not kidding, guys," she concluded. "I've never seen her like this before. It was almost like she'd been keeping everything bottled up inside her for the past four months since the accident. She finally cried herself to sleep."
"But why would Jesse blame her for the accident?" Kelly wondered in disbelief.
"I guess because she was able to get out of the van and he wasn't," Jill sighed, not really sure herself.
"Can you imagine what she must have been going through all these months?" Kelly asked rhetorically, just imagining what it must have been like for Sabrina to have had to deal with everything on her own.
"Grief can cause people to do things that they wouldn't normally do," Bosley observed thoughtfully. "And losing a child... that must be one of the worst kinds of grief there is."
"So what do we do now?" Kris asked.
"After lunch I think we should go into town and talk to some of his friends. We need to know if there might be someone who would want to hurt him or if he has any enemies. " Bosley suggested.
"That sounds as good a plan as any. Let's go," Kelly said. They all trooped into the kitchen.
"You know, I still can't understand why Jesse would blame Bri for Jonathan's death," Kelly commented angrily.
Kris went to the refrigerator, opened it and took out a carton of eggs. "And I'm sure this pregnancy isn't making things any easier."
************
"Let's go, Jonathan," Sabrina instructed wearily. "I'd like to get home before it starts raining any harder."
"Coming, Mom." Jonathan answered agreeably, climbing into the back seat and buckling his seatbelt as Sabrina started the van. It had started to rain only a short time ago, and she knew that in a short period of time the roads in the mountains of Montana could easily become a driving hazard.
"Mom, can Josh and Jacob stay over tonight?" Jonathan asked eagerly.
"Oh, not tonight, Jon," Sabrina sighed. "I'm really not feeling very well." She noticed the crestfallen look on his face and relented slightly. "Maybe another time, okay?"
"Please, Mom? We won't bother you, I promise."
"I'll tell you what. Let's see how ..." She broke off as a large deer appeared out of nowhere and was directly in their path. She slammed on the brakes, hoping to avoid hitting it. The van hydroplaned on the wet road, spinning out of control. Sabrina screamed, and she could hear her son screaming. The van rolled over once and smashed into a tree. Her head slammed into the steering wheel, almost causing her to black out. She felt nauseous and closed her eyes until the worst of it passed.
Her son's continued screaming penetrated the fog in her brain. "Jonathan," she mumbled, forcing her eyes open. Sabrina managed to unfasten her seat belt and opened the door. She held onto the doorframe for support and dragged herself out, blood streaming from her forehead above her left eye. She let go of the doorframe and tried standing. Her legs promptly gave out and she sank to her knees in agony. She ignored the pain as best as she could, her only thought being to reach Jonathan. She crawled around the van, unable to walk. She managed to reach the back door and tried to open it. The sliding door wouldn't budge. She tried again, more desperately this time. It was jammed tight.. It was at that moment that she noticed the flames licking the rear of the van. "Oh, God!!" Because of the wind, the fire was spreading quickly. She knew that it would only be a matter of seconds before the fire would reach her and her son. She tried the door again.
"Mom! Help me! Mommy!" Jonathan cried.
She grabbed the door again, gritting her teeth and pulling on it with all her strength, almost passing out from the searing pain burning her hands. The van abruptly exploded, throwing her backwards and out of the way, knocking her unconscious.
When she came to she found herself being bandaged by a paramedic. She tried to sit up and groaned as everything started spinning.
"Just relax, ma'am," he instructed kindly, putting one hand on her shoulder and lying her down again. "I'm almost done here, then we'll be taking you to the hospital."
"What's burning?" She asked in a dazed voice, closing her eyes.
"You were in a car accident," he answered gently while he finished bandaging her hands. "You're going to be all right."
"Jonathan!" She exclaimed, abruptly remembering everything. She tried to sit up again but didn't have the strength.
"Just lie still," he insisted, placing a hand on her chest.
"You don't understand! My son. Where's my son? Where's - " She heard the sound of fire extinguishers and turned her head towards the burned out hulk of what was once her van. "Jonathan?" She whispered in disbelief, seeing the knot of firemen standing there. "Did you get my son?"
"The ambulance'll be here any minute," he answered evasively.
Abruptly some of the firemen moved out of the way and she saw a body being pulled from the van. "No," she whispered in horror. "No!" She started screaming.
**********
Sabrina sat bolt upright in bed, still screaming. The bedroom door flew open and Kelly, Kris, Jill and Bosley were immediately at her side.
Kelly sat down on the bed and put her arms around her. "It's okay, Bri. We're here for you. Everything'll be okay. Shhh...it's okay." Kelly soothed gently.
Kris sat down on the bed and touched Sabrina's arm. "It's all right, Bri. It was a bad dream."
Sabrina looked at Kris with anguished eyes as she shook her head back and forth. "N...no...wasn't...wasn't a dream."
"It's okay now, Bri," Kelly said reassuringly. "You'll be okay. We're here."
Sabrina lay back against the pillow and closed her eyes, heart pounding furiously. She didn't think anything would ever be okay again.
*********
The next morning they were all sitting in the kitchen. No one had much of an appetite after last night.
"So you think we should bring the cops into it?" Kelly asked wearily, pouring herself another cup of coffee. "I know Sabrina said not to, but I don't understand why. I mean, you'd think she would want as many on the case as possible."
"I think it would be a good idea, but I don't think we should go against her wishes." Jill said.
Bosley nodded. "Jill's right. We'll do the best we can, and if we don't find anything, maybe Sabrina will give us the go ahead to notify the police."
"So what's on the agenda for today?" Kris asked.
"I think it would be a good idea to talk to his boss today, see if he's noticed anything that might be helpful."
"Anyone mind if I stay with Bri this morning?" Kris offered.
"Fine with me," her sister said.
"Me too." Kelly and Bosley said together.
***********
Jill, Kelly and Bosley were at the reception area of The Canyon Cove Search and Rescue, where Jesse worked. "Can I help you, Sir?" A tall, good looking man asked politely.
"Yes," Bosley said as he read the list he held in his hand. "I'd like to speak to Brock Logan."
"I'm Brock Logan. What can I do for you?"
"I'm John Bosley and these are my associates, Kelly Garrett and Jill Munroe. We're from the Charles Townsend Private Investigation Agency in Los Angeles. We'd like to ask you some questions about one of your employees, if we may."
"Yeah, sure. Who?"
"Jesse Walbrydge." Kelly answered.
"Jesse? What would you like to know?"
"What kind of employee is he?" Jill asked.
"Reliable, hard working, easy to get a long with. Why? Is he in some sort of trouble?"
"No, nothing like that," Kelly answered. "He's missing."
"Missing? Since when?" Brock asked in surprise.
"He didn't come home the night before last. Does he have any enemies that you know of?" Bosley queried.
Brock thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Not that I can think of. I know that he hasn't been himself since his little boy died. He's been kind of withdrawn and pretty much keeps to himself. He took the week off to take care of a friend's ranch while he's in the hospital."
"Well, we're staying at the Walbrydge farm, so would you give us a call if you think of anything else that might help us?" Jill asked.
"Sure. Oh, by the way. There is one other thing. The sheriff was here the other day asking questions about Jesse. He didn't say why, though."
"Thank you for your help, Mr. Logan," Kelly said.
Bosley, Kelly and Jill walked outside.
"Bos, that doesn't even make sense," Jill said. "Why would the sheriff be here asking questions? Sabrina hasn't even called the police since that first day."
"I don't know, but we're going to find out. We sure can't keep it from her," Bosley answered.
"Do you think it's a good idea to tell her? It'll just worry her more. And she sure doesn't need that now," Jill mentioned thoughtfully.
"I see your point. But I don't see how we can keep it from her," Kelly remarked honestly.
"Let's talk to some of the other people on this list and see what else we can find out." Bosley decided.
Kelly and Jill both nodded as they followed him to the car.
"Maybe we should look around the ranch again," Kelly suggested. "He was obviously taken against his will. I don't think he would have left his jeep door open and then just walk away. There's got to be something that we're missing...some angle that'll give us a clue as to what happened. He couldn't just disappear off the face of the earth without a trace. "
************
Kris had just finished the breakfast dishes when Sabrina came into the kitchen a short time later.
"Morning, Kris." Sabrina greeted as she sat down at the table.
"Morning, Bri. Can I fix you something to eat?"
Sabrina shook her head. "No thanks. I'm not very hungry. Where is everyone?"
"They went to talk to Jesse's boss."
"And it's your turn to baby-sit," Sabrina concluded dejectedly.
"I'm not baby-sitting," Kris said in a hurt voice.
"I'm sorry, Kris," Sabrina apologized quickly. "I didn't mean that. It's just that..."
"It's okay. I understand." Kris poured them each a cup of coffee and sat down at the table. "How do you feel this morning?"
Sabrina shrugged and lowered her gaze, staring into her coffee cup. "Okay, I guess. I have a doctors appointment this morning. I almost forgot."
"Mind if I tag along?"
"Sure, if you'd like. Besides, I'd like the company. I'm going up to take a shower." Sabrina went back to the living room and started up the stairs when everything tilted about 90 degrees and she sank to the ground, barely able to catch her breath.
"What time's your appointment?" Kris called, going into the living room. She spied Sabrina sitting on the floor, head between her knees. She immediately dropped to her side and put her arm around Sabrina's shoulders. "Bri, what happened? Are you okay?"
"I just got a little dizzy," she answered faintly, shaking her head a few times to clear it. "Just…give me a minute, okay?" Everything seemed to settle into place and she gratefully dragged herself to her feet.
"How do you feel now," Kris asked, concerned.
"Okay, I guess," she said weakly, glancing up the stairs. They seemed insurmountable. She grabbed the banister tightly and managed to climb two steps when she felt her knees start to buckle. "Kris, can you help me upstairs?"
Kris nodded as she put her arm around her friend and helped her into her bedroom. "Need help getting dressed?"
"No, I think I can do it. Thanks."
Kris looked at her dubiously but left the room.
Sabrina sank down on the bed, overcome with exhaustion.
*************
About two hours later Kris was absently paged through a magazine while waiting for Sabrina at the OB/GYN's office.
"Excuse me," a polite voice called.
Kris glanced up and saw a doctor standing beside her.
"Yes?"
"Are you here with Sabrina Walbrydge?"
Kris got to her feet quickly, forgotten magazine falling to the floor. "Yes. Is anything wrong?"
"She'll be out in a few minutes. She told me about her husband."
"Is there anything I can do?" Kris asked worriedly.
"What she really needs is some rest. She doesn't look like she has gotten very much in the past few days."
"She hasn't been sleeping very well lately," Kris admitted.
"I'd like her to spend the next few days with complete bedrest. I know she won't like it, but it's better for her and the baby."
"Don't worry, Doctor. There are four of us staying with her, so between the four of us, we'll make sure she stays in bed," Kris promised.
"Good. She'll be out in a minute." He walked back to his office
True to his word Sabrina joined Kris about five minutes later, uncharacteristically silent.
When they got to the car Sabrina abruptly handed Kris the keys. "I think you'd better drive."
"Is everything okay with the baby?" Kris ventured carefully as the both got into the car and pulling out of the parking lot.
Sabrina leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes, not answering.
Sabrina's silence caused her to glance over. "Bri? What is it? Is something wrong with the baby?"
Sabrina remained silent, staring off into space.
"Sabrina? What is it?" Kris stopped the car and turned to face her friend, gently touching her on the arm. "Please, you can tell me what's wrong."
"I'm having twins," Sabrina answered tonelessly.
"What? Twins?"
"Kris, what am I going to do?" Sabrina asked shakily, absently placing her hands across her stomach. "I can't have twins. I had a hard enough time with one baby. How can I handle two? I...I can't do this."
"Yes, you can. You'll do fine." Kris pulled back onto the highway and headed towards home.
"Can we make one more stop on the way home?"
"Sure. Where?"
"The cemetery."
"Oh...okay...sure. Just tell me how to get there."
"It's just up the road a few miles." They rode the rest of the way in silence, each lost in her own thoughts.
***********
Kris put her arm around Sabrina as they stood beside her son's grave.
"Everyone's been telling me that I need to let go, that I need to get on with my life," Sabrina confessed to Kris softly. "It's like they expect me to just forget what happened or that he was my son. They say I should focus on our new baby. I can't just forget what happened."
"Of course you can't," Kris agreed softly. "Time will heal some of the hurt, but a person can never really forget a tragedy like that."
"I..I tried so hard to get him out. But I couldn't. What if something happens to these babies?"
"You're a wonderful mother. That accident wasn't your fault."
"Then why do I feel like it was?" Sabrina pleaded desperately. "I keep thinking that if I'd done something differently, my son would still be alive today. And what about Jesse? What if he never comes home? I can't raise two kids by myself."
"We'll find Jesse and bring him home. "
*************
"Something doesn't add up," Kelly said as she followed Jill and Bosley into the house later that afternoon. "I just can't put my finger what it is."
Kris glanced up from the magazine she was reading. "Hi, guys. How'd it go?"
"Okay, I guess." Jill said, sitting down beside her sister.
"We talked to everyone on the list, and even went back to talk to Jesse's boss."
"Where's Sabrina?" Kelly asked curiously.
"Sleeping, I hope. She's had a pretty rough day." Kris answered.
Jill immediately detected the note of concern in her sister's voice. "What is it, Kris? What happened?"
Kris took a deep breath, then told them the events of that morning, concluding with their visit to the cemetery.
"She's carrying twins?" Kelly exclaimed incredulously.
"So, what'd you find out about Jesse?" Kris asked.
"Just about everyone we talked to said the same thing," Bosley sighed in defeat. "He's reliable, hard working and easy to get along with."
"Except for..." Kelly glanced at the list. "Except for some guy named Damien Murphy. "He said that Jesse will do almost anything to stay in good with the boss, and that lately he has been rather hostile."
"Everyone else seems to really like Jesse." Jill commented. "So why's he so different? There's gotta be a reason."
"Do you think maybe he's jealous of Jesse for some reason?" Kris ventured.
"I guess that's always a possibility," Bosley remarked thoughtfully. "But then the question is why?"
"He has no reason to be jealous." Sabrina said from the top of the stairs, slowly making her way down. She looked more exhausted than she did earlier. "Damien's higher up on the job than Jess."
Bosley hurried over to her side and slipped his arm around her waist to help support her.
"Bri, is there any reason that you know of why Damien would feel the way he does?"
Sabrina shook her head, heading over to the couch and slowly easing herself onto it. "They're not best friends or anything, but they've always gotten along fine."
"Out of all the people we spoke with, Damien is the only other person besides Brock Logan that mentioned Jesse was taking the week off to help out at the ranch." Kelly observed.
"Actually, he didn't even finish telling us," Jill corrected. "He started to but then stopped. "
"Wait a minute," Sabrina interjected. "Damien knew about the ranch?"
"Yep. Why are you so surprised? They work together, so Jesse must have told him."
Sabrina slowly shook her head. "The only person Jesse told at work was Brock Logan, his boss. George Lazen's very proud and doesn't like people to know when he needs to ask for help. Brock and George are good friends. That's why Brock agreed to let Jesse have the week off without telling anyone else at work. He just told everyone else that Jesse was on vacation."
"Maybe Brock accidentally let it slip," Kelly guessed uncertainly.
"I guess that's possible. But I doubt it," Sabrina said.
"Well, that sure adds another curve. Now what?" Jill groaned morosely. Every time they found one answer all it did was raise more questions.
"I don't know," Bosley answered. "I'm going to call Charlie and tell him what's been going on. Maybe he can come up with something we haven't thought of yet. And in the meantime," Bosley said as he patted Sabrina's arm, "Why don't I walk you back upstairs? You look dead on your feet."
"He's right, Bri." Kris said. "The doctor said you're supposed to stay in bed for a few days."
She sighed, knowing they were right. She struggled to her feet, took two steps and swayed unsteadily.
"Come on," Bosley said, putting his arm around her waist. "I'll even tuck you in."
"Very funny," she grumbled good naturedly as they made their way upstairs.
**********
Later that evening Bosley, Jill, Kris and Kelly were sitting in the living room watching television.
Kelly got up and began pacing.
"Kel, will you stop pacing?" Jill protested plaintively after watching her for a few minutes. "You're gonna wear a hole in the carpet."
"Maybe we're going about this the wrong way," Kelly said reflectively, stopping her pacing.
"What do you mean?" Bosley asked.
"I've been thinking," Kelly said. "We've been checking with all of Jesse's friends. But what about checking into Sabrina's past cases?"
"Kelly, why would we need to do that? She's not the one who's missing." Kris questioned.
Bos and Jill, do you remember the time someone fired a rifle through my bedroom window? At first we thought someone was trying to kill me. Then he tried to kill Jill. Then Sabrina. "
"I remember." Jill said slowly. "But what makes you think of that?"
"And what does it have to do with anything?" Kris asked, interrupting her sister
"Well, maybe this is the same kind of thing. Maybe this guy's not after Jesse at all. What if he wants to get back at Sabrina," Kelly concluded.
"The question is who." Bosley got up and headed towards the kitchen. "I'm
going to call Charlie and tell him your theory, Kelly. I'm going to have him run all of Sabrina's cases through the computer and see if anything turns up. "
*********
Sabrina shivered in the cool Montana night air. She had no idea what time it was as she sat alone on the porch swing, staring out into the darkness.
"Sabrina? What are you doing out here?"
Sabrina was startled at the sudden sound of Bosley's voice. "Oh, hi, Bos. I couldn't sleep."
Bosley went into the house, returning seconds later with a quilt and draped it over her. "You shouldn't be out here in the cold in your pajamas and no jacket," he chided, sitting beside her. "The last thing you need right now is to get sick. "
"Yeah, I know," she answered thickly, sniffling. "I just needed to come outside for some fresh air."
"Wanna talk?" He offered, taking in her swollen eyes and puffy face.
She was silent for a moment as she tried to put her thoughts into words. "You know, before I got married I thought my life couldn't get any better. I had a job that I loved, great friends," she flashed him a shy smile. "But when I met Jesse and got married...I never knew such happiness as possible. And when Jonathan was born I felt that my life was complete. I had a wonderful husband and a brand new baby." She smiled faintly, leaning her head on his shoulder while thinking back to happier times. "He was such a cute little guy, remember? I wanted to name him after Jess but he wouldn't let me. So I named him after the two other most important men in my life."
"I have a confession to make. When you said that you were moving here and Jess was going to be working full time I was afraid you'd starve to death. There aren't too many take-out places here, you know," he pointed out, squeezing her arm affectionately. "All I could keep thinking of was the time that I tried to teach you how to make French toast. Remember? You almost burned down the kitchen."
"Yeah, well, that was a long time ago," she mumbled, blushing. She remembered it vividly. "Jess taught me a few simple things. I make a pretty mean Denver omelet. Jonathan…" she broke off for a few seconds, then mentally shook herself and continued. "Jonathan loved when I put in extra onions and mushrooms."
"Mushrooms?" He repeated dubiously.
"It's not bad," she admitted. "I haven't made it since the accident." Her voice cracked and she sniffled again, trying not to cry. "Bosley, what if Jesse's dead? I don't think I could stand it if he died hating me."
"He doesn't hate you," Bosley reassured her hastily, hugging her reassuringly.
"After Jon's -- death -- he started shutting me out."
"Everyone deals with grief in their own way," he commented softly.
"Jesse and I have always been very close. We could talk to each other about everything. Sure, we had our little disagreements. Everyone has those, but we always worked things out. " Sabrina paused for a few seconds, then continued softly, "After Jonathan died, Jesse became a totally different person...like a stranger. He spent a lot of time by himself, doing things around the farm. At first I just figured that he needed some time. It finally got to the point where we could hardly talk to each other at all. If I tried to talk about Jonathan or the accident, he'd just shut me out. Finally I just quit trying." She looked down at the ground and shifted uncomfortably. "He thinks it's my fault."
"Nobody thinks that," he protested quickly.
"He does. We had a really big fight one night and he said -- he said -- " she broke off, unable to continue.
"It's okay." He continued stroking her shoulder, holding her close.
Sabrina closed her eyes and leaned her head against his chest wearily. "I can't lose Jesse, too, Bosley. I just can't. "
"We haven't given up on finding him yet, so don't you give up either. We'll find him," Bosley promised, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt. "How does he feel about the new baby?"
"I really don't know. I think he would have been very happy if it hadn't happened when it did. I found out I was pregnant a few days after Jonathan died. We always talked about having another child. I think he felt that it was to soon...we both did. How could we be happy about a new baby when we were grieving over the loss of our first child?"
"Bri, it's only been four months," he reminded her compassionately. "It took me more than a year to get over Ann's passing."
"Sometimes I still hear his voice," she admitted. It felt so good to be able to just talk without having to walk on eggshells. "I keep expecting him to come running through the door all excited about the latest little league game," she choked, biting her lip.
"You know, you haven't said how you feel about this."
"That's the million dollar question," she answered quietly, shifting to make herself more comfortable. "There's one part of me that's pretty excited and another part's…guilty." She did look up at him then, swallowing hard. "I'll never forget my son."
"No one expects you to," he reassured her.
She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, mind going back in time to approximately four months ago.
Sabrina was in a daze, barely remembering the funeral. A few hours later some friends and neighbors had come to the house to offer their sympathies.
"Thank you for coming," Sabrina said tonelessly for what seemed like the millionth time to yet another neighbor who came to pay their respects. "There's food and drinks in the pantry. Please help yourselves."
"Bri?" A familiar voice called from behind her.
She turned around in surprise, and before she could blink she found herself engulfed in a bear hug.
"I am so sorry," Bosley continued, releasing her after a few seconds. He took in her appearance carefully. She was hollow-eyed, almost as white as the bandage over her left eye and the ones on her hands. "You holding up okay?"
"I'll survive, I guess," she answered numbly. "Can I get you anything?"
Kris and Kelly came over, both dressed in black. They each took a turn hugging her.
"You know Jill would have been here if she knew," Kris said shakily. "I called every place I could think of."
"I know that," Sabrina interrupted gently, awkwardly patting Kris' shoulder.
"I really did try," Kris repeated, tears filling her eyes.
"She's probably off trying to win the Indy 500 or something," Kelly offered, joke falling flat. She could see that Sabrina was hanging on a thread.
"You're probably right," Kris chuckled through her tears. "Who knows? I'll probably find a telegram waiting for me when I get home." She started crying again. "Oh, God, Bri, I'm so sorry! Excuse me." She hurried outside to get some fresh air.
Sabrina started blinking rapidly, feeling her own tears stinging her eyes. She forced them back with an effort, shoulders shaking.
"I don't know about anyone else, but I could sure use a drink," Bosley finally said.
"Could you bring me one too, Bos?" Kelly asked gratefully.
"Sure," he answered. "Bri?"
Sabrina shook her head, not trusting herself to speak.
He patted Sabrina's shoulder affectionately and headed off to the pantry.
"How are you doing?" Kelly asked gently, embracing her friend again.
"It just doesn't seem real," Sabrina answered in a wooden voice.
"Do you want me to stay here for a few days? I'm sure Charlie won't mind."
"No, that's okay," Sabrina declined quickly.
"Well, you call me if you need anything. I mean it."
Sabrina nodded, feeling the tears start to threaten again. She gulped, refusing to give into them. She knew that once she started she might never stop.
They heard a loud crash and turned around.
Mary Thompson, one of her neighbors, had apparently began collecting some empty plates and glasses to bring into the kitchen and somehow collided with Bosley. There was spilled liquor all over Bosley as well as broken glass all over the floor.
Bosley stood there with a mixture of both embarrassment and disgust on his face, then he stalked off to the bathroom.
"I'd better go clean that up," Sabrina announced abruptly, glad for the diversion. She turned to go.
"Bri, please," Kelly pleaded, grabbing her by the elbow before she could move. "Let someone else take care of it. You look like you're about to fall over."
"I just don't understand it," they heard a woman's voice say. "She couldn't save her own child?! If it were any of my children I would have moved heaven and earth to get to them."
"You don't have any children, Martha," her companion reminded her. 'And thank goodness for that," she mentally added.
"You know perfectly well what I mean, Janet Hoskins! She managed to get herself out, didn't she?" The voices trailed off as they headed towards the front of the living room.
Kelly was so stunned that she stood frozen in place for several seconds. "Of all the hateful…" she finally sputtered once the paralysis wore off. "I can't believe - " she broke off as she saw the look on Sabrina's face.
Sabrina looked as if she'd been slapped. "It's okay," she whispered tremulously.
"No, it is NOT okay!" Kelly snapped, furious that anyone could be so heartless and cruel.
"Kelly, please," Sabrina begged, lower lip trembling. "It doesn't matter." She glanced around for Jesse, wanting him to hold her in his arms more than anything in the world right now. She finally spied him near the dining room embracing the minister, obviously needing comfort himself. Her defenses started crumbling and she knew she had to get out of there until she got herself together. "I'll - I'll be right back," she whispered hoarsely, her chest feeling horribly constricted. She hurried out of the room before she made a scene.
"Bri, wait!" Kelly called anxiously after her but it was to no avail. She sighed tiredly. This had to be one of the longest days of her life. She decided to get some fresh air and see how Kris was doing when she spotted those two women again. Her gaze narrowed and she marched over to the two of them, tapping Martha on the shoulder.
Martha turned around mid-sentence and glared at Kelly as if she were a bug under a microscope. "Yes?"
"Hello, my name's Kelly Garrett," she began with barely controlled fury. "You don't know me, but I'm a very good friend of Sabrina Walbrydge. We couldn't help overhearing your conversation a few minutes ago."
Janet had the grace to blush uncomfortably.
"I understand that the story was in the local papers here, but since you obviously didn't read them let me enlighten you," Kelly continued, voice rising slightly. "Mrs. Walbrydge did everything in her power to try to rescue her son. She didn't end up with a concussion and second degree burns from just sitting there watching him die."
"Young lady, I came here to pay my respects - " Martha tried to interrupt.
"No, ma'am," Kelly corrected grimly. "You came here to see what was going on. Well, you were here and I think it's time you left."
"Are you threatening me?"
"Not at all," Kelly corrected grimly. "I'm just saying that you're very lucky I was raised in a Catholic orphanage. Now, I'm going to get a drink. I suggest that you be gone by the time I get back, because it would be a shame to have all of their training go to waste."
"She didn't mean anything by it, Miss Garrett," Janet began guiltily.
"Don't you dare apologize for me, Janet!" Martha snapped.
"You have five minutes," Kelly stated icily, stalking off.
Sabrina went into her bedroom, sat on the edge of the bed and put a trembling hand on her forehead. This was one of the longest days of her life. She glanced up at the top of the dresser and saw a picture of Jonathan in his little league uniform and a huge grin on his face. She got up as if in a dream, picked it up and traced her finger over his face slowly, tears filling her eyes and the truth crashed around her. He was gone. Her little boy was really gone and he was ever coming back.
'I will not do this,' she instructed herself firmly. 'This isn't the time or place.' The least she could do for her son now was to be brave. She clutched the picture to her tightly and stumbled back to the bed, barely making it before she fell over. She held the picture to her chest and started to cry quietly.
Bosley made his way out of the bathroom, frowning. He'd tried cleaning up the spilled liquor from his suit as best as he could but it was a lost cause. He started back towards the living room when he heard a muffled sob coming from the next room. He hesitated for a second, then walked over to the door and knocked. "Hello?" He called cautiously, opening the door and going inside. He spied Sabrina sitting on the edge of the bed, shoulders hunched over and her back to him. "Sabrina?" He questioned, entering carefully as to not startle her.
She heard his voice and took a few deep breaths to try to control herself, wiping her eyes.
"Let me get Jesse," he began worriedly.
"No!" She pleaded hoarsely, turning to face him. "Don't do that. He has enough on his mind." To her mortification a few tears still slid down her cheeks. She brushed them away quickly.
He sat next to her on the edge of the bed and put his hand on her shoulder.
She flinched, turning slightly away from him but didn't pull away.
"I think one of the worst days of my life was when my wife died," he began softly. "She died of cancer. I kept thinking was that it should have been me."
She nodded, eyes filling with tears again. She clutched the picture to her chest in a white knuckled grip.
"I still miss her," he continued. "I miss her smile…the way she used to laugh..."
Her tenuous control shattered and she started to cry again - deep, racking sobs that almost doubled her over.
He cradled her in his arms and started rocking her back and forth gently. "It's okay, Bri. It's okay," he soothed. "Just let it out. There's no one else here. It's all right." He repeated reassuring phrases to her over and over, just letting her know that someone was there.
After a long time she cried herself out. "I'm sorry," she whispered, hiccuping slightly.
"For what?" He chided gently, handing her his handkerchief. "That's what friends are for."
"I can't believe he's gone," she whispered in a tortured voice. "Oh, god, it hurts." She started crying quietly again. "I just want to die."
"I know," he said sadly, hugging her close to him. How well he remembered feeling that way. "Look, you're really not up to dealing with crowds right now. Why don't you try to get a little rest? Everyone will understand."
"I can't leave Jesse to deal with this all alone," she protested, shaking her head and brushing the tears away, swallowing hard. "I'll be all right. Let me just go - wash my face."
"You sure?" He asked dubiously.
She nodded. "Just give me five minutes."
The babies' movement abruptly brought her back to the present.
"Bri, are you all right?" Bosley asked in concern, shaking her gently. "Should I call the doctor?"
"Huh?" She blinked at him blankly, surprised to feel wetness on her cheeks. "I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" He asked, staring deep into her eyes, not sure if he really believed her or not.
She nodded, wiping the tears away and taking a shaky breath. "I think some people wish that their daddy was home already."
"I think it's time you went back to bed," he suggested after a few seconds.
"Can I sit in the living room for a little while?" She asked hesitantly. "Every time I turn around I see things that remind me of Jesse…"
"Do you want to switch rooms?" He offered. "I don't mind."
"No, thanks," she declined. "I know this'll sound strange, but I feel closer to him there."
"It's not strange at all. Besides, I think that if he comes home I don't think it's me he's going to want to find in your bedroom."
She laughed, feeling better than she had all day. She kissed him on the cheek.
"How about a compromise? You stretch out on the couch," he suggested.
She thought about that for a few seconds and then nodded. "Deal." She started to get to her feet when the ground tilted to a 45 degree angle and she staggered.
Bosley grabbed her before she could fall. "Hey! You all right?"
"I'm okay," she whispered, shaking her head and holding onto his arm tightly. "I just got a little dizzy. That's all." The ground settled back into place and she sighed in relief.
"Come on. Let me walk you inside." He slipped his arm securely around her waist and helped her into the living room.
************