3.

After he had filled Max in on what he had found out about that trainer Yates, Jason decided that his next step would be to look into the Chandlers themselves. The question that was on his mind as he left Max's office was,

"How?" he knew where the Chandler Estate was, but he had no idea how to get inside!

Just as he reached the bottom of the stairs that led down from Max's office, He heard voices coming from the hayloft. He recognized one of the voices as Veronica DiAngelo. It sounded like she was bragging to someone.

"Yeah," she was saying, "Our dear friends the Chandlers are throwing one of their posh garden parties at 4 o'clock this afternoon, and everyone who's anyone is invited! Look at the new outfit I'm going to wear!"

Jason heard the rustling of shopping bags

"Oh, Veronica that's gorgeous!" the other girl gushed.

By the time the other girl finished that sentence, Jason was already heading toward the door. he had an idea!

###########

It was around 3 pm just an hour or so before the Chandlers' garden-party was supposed to start, and there was a car headed up the road toward the ritzy neighborhood where the Chandler's estate was located.

In the Car were Eleanor and Lisa Atwood. Lisa was leaning on her elbow staring out the window looking anything but happy or excited. She looked down at the flowery pastel pink dress she was wearing and almost cringed. This dress was so not her.

"Why," she mused to herself, "Must my mother always drag me into it when she's trying to kiss up to these rich folks?"

Lisa's mother was always trying to get in good with the rich crowd around town. Lisa strongly suspected that her mother had used her friendship with the DiAngelos to wangle an invitation to this party.

Ever since the whole incident with Veronica spending the weekend with Atwood family, Lisa had all but given up trying to convince her mother what the DiAngelos were really like.

"Lisa," said her mother snapping Lisa out of her thoughts, "Are you still sulking?"

"I'm not sulking mother," sighed Lisa, "It's just that I really don't care about these fancy Wing Dings."

"Oh, give it a chance, Sweetie," said her mother, "You might enjoy yourself. I hear the Chandlers have a daughter about your age!"

"Well that explains why I'm here!" thought Lisa, "Mom is hoping to shove me into another friendship with a rich girl, so she can get in good with the parents! She's hopeless!"

##########

Jason was standing in his closet in Arlington putting on an ensemble that he hoped would be proper for crashing a fancy garden party. He checked himself in the mirror on the wall of his room. he was dressed in a light-colored suit, a light blue shirt with a Nehru collar and a white vest and shoes.

"I hope this works." He mused to himself. Then he teleported away. He rematerialized in a secluded spot just inside the wall that surround the Estate. Straightening his clothes, he casually strolled over toward the elaborate, catered refreshment table, he snagged a lemonade off a waiter's tray as he walked by and joined the party.

"It worked I'm in!" he thought, it was still early and there were only a few other guests there, so, he decided mingle for a while and wait until the party filled up a little more, then he would slip away and snoop!

Jason roamed around the party, taking note of all the people that were there. he recognized several people from the local show jumping association.

"Board Members no doubt." He mused to himself

Then the Chandlers made their grand entrance. There was Myron, the father; Chandra, the mother; and two daughters, Charlotte, and Lara.

Charlotte the oldest daughter appeared to be 18 or 19 and just as conceited as her parents. The younger one Lara caught Jason attention because he could tell just by looking at her that she was different than her family. She looked about Jason's age and had short curly blonde hair and blue eyes. But what really caught the boy detective's eye was the fact that she seemed bored with the party and was constant fussing with her designer dress like it was the most uncomfortable thing in the world.

She walked through the perfectly manicured garden and stood listening to the string quartet which was playing something by Bach. The refreshment table had all manner of snacks that she seemed to be in no hurry to try.

As Jason surreptitiously watch she suddenly turned and walked back over to her family. As fast as he could without drawing attention to himself, Jason worked his way over to try and hear what they were saying.

Lara was talking to her dad.

"Daddy, when am I going to get Phantom back? I miss him. Where did Yates take him?!"

"Not Now, Lara," her father hissed through clenched teeth before turning back to the alderman he was talking to.

Jason was stunned.

"Phantom is Lara Chandler's horse and she doesn't know he's at Pine Hollow?!" he mused to himself, "Something is definitely going on around here!"

Meanwhile the Atwood car pulled up in the driveway. Lisa and her mother got out and a Valet took the car and parked it for them.

Mrs. Atwood greeted Helen DiAngelo and Veronica said hello to Lisa through a smile that looked more like clenched teeth.

They turned and walked into the party.

Jason who had his back to the garden entrance was still standing there lost in thought. When suddenly somewhere behind him he heard Lisa Atwood's distinctive contralto voice.

He froze. It didn't sound like she had spotted him yet. there would have been yelling if she had. right now, she was still forcing herself to be nice to Veronica. Jason started moving slowly away without turning around. If he could make it past the garden wall, before she spotted or recognized him, he could get out of sight!

Lisa, on the other hand, was getting hot under the collar. Veronica was going on and on about how this life could have Lisa's if she hadn't made a better choice than to become best friends with the Saddlebags.

Lisa was within a millimeter of telling Veronica to go soak her head in the fondue pot when she spotted something.

There was a boy standing across the way at the garden wall. All she could see was the back of his head. but he had the same haircut as her friend Jason Whyte!

TO BE CONTINUED…. Let me know what you think!