Chapter 3

June 14, 2003

The next morning Blair and Mrs. Garrett were sitting in the living room drinking tea.

"I noticed you have some new people on your staff." Mrs. Garrett said. "What are their names?"

"The new security guard is called Bosley." Blair said. "I think it's his last name."

"Jill is our new maid." Blair said. "Jo met her yesterday and thought she was some actress from a '70's TV show."

"Don't you have a new stable hand too?" Mrs. G asked while taking a drink of tea.

"Yes, her name is Kelly Garrett." Blair said.

Mrs. Garrett started choking on her tea.

"Mrs. Garrett, are you all right?" Blair asked concerned.

"Yes, did you say Kelly Garrett?" Mrs. G asked.

"Yeah, do you know her?" Blair asked.

"I think she might be my daughter." Mrs. G said.

~*~

Sabrina was on the phone talking to Charlie.

"I need you to run those names through the computer." Sabrina said. "I'm heading out to the stables now to talk to Kelly."

"OK" Sabrina said. "Bye Charlie."

"Who's Charlie?" said a voice behind Sabrina. Sabrina turned around and saw Jamie and Tisha standing in front of her.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Tisha asked.

"No" Sabrina said. "He's my boss."

Jamie saw Sabrina's gun lying on the table.

"Why do you carry a gun?" Jamie asked.

"Because I have a permit." Sabrina said.

"Why do you have a permit?" Tisha asked.

"Because I need one to carry a gun." Sabrina said.

"What do you do anyway?" Jamie asked.

"What are you two doing here?" Sabrina asked.

"We were sent to tell you that lunch will be served in about a half hour." Jamie said.

"OK" Sabrina said. "I'll be there."

"You didn't answer my question." Jamie said.

"It's none of your business." Sabrina said. "Now if you'll excuse me I was just heading out to the stables."

Sabrina, Jamie and Tisha left the guesthouse. Sabrina headed for the stables while Jamie and Tisha headed for the main house. When Jamie and Tisha saw Sabrina enter the stables they turned around and went back to the guesthouse.

The door was always unlocked so they let themselves in.

"Push redial on the phone." Tisha said.

Jamie picked up the phone and pushed redial.

"It's an answering machine." Jamie said.

"Hang up." Tisha said.

"No wait." Jamie said. "I just found out something very interesting."

~*~

Sabrina walked into the stables.

"Can I help you?" Kate asked.

"Is Kelly around?" Sabrina asked.

"No, I haven't seen her yet today." Kate said. "Would you like to ride one of the horses?"

"Maybe later." Sabrina said admiring a brown horse with a patch of white on his forehead. "He's beautiful, what's his name?"

"That's Brownie." Kate said. "I can have him ready later if you'd like to ride him."

"That would be great." Sabrina said. "I'll see you after lunch."

~*~

Kelly was walking towards the main house when she spotted the gardener.

"Hi" Kelly said.

"Hi" Mike said, "I haven't seen you around here before."

"I'm new, my name's Kelly." Kelly said.

"I'm Mike." Mike said.

"Have you worked here long?" Kelly asked.

"Over twenty years." Mike said.

"So you knew Paul?" Kelly asked,

"He was my best friend." Mike said.

"How did he die?" Kelly asked.

"You sure ask a lot of nosy questions." Mike said.

"Sorry" Kelly said.

Kelly heard the front door of the mansion open. Mrs. Garrett walked out. As she was walking down the path she dropped her purse and it's contents spilled everywhere."

"Let me help you." Kelly said picking up stuff off of the ground.

Kelly picked up an old photograph of an infant and gave it to Mrs. G.

"Thank you." Mrs. G said sticking it back in her purse.

~*~

After lunch Jamie and Tisha got in the back of the limo.

"Driver we would like to go to the mall." Jamie said.

"Are you going to tell me what you found out now?" Tisha asked.

"OK" Jamie said. "Sabrina is a private detective."

"Whoa!" Tisha said. "How did you find out?"

"The answering machine said something about a Charles Townsend Detective Agency." Jamie said.

Tisha pushed the button to put up the window dividing them from the driver.

"Where are we really going?" Tisha asked.

"Los Angeles" Jamie said. "I want to see what Charlie looks like."

~*~

Sabrina went to the stables after lunch. Kate was waiting with Brownie.

"He's all yours." Kate said.

"Thanks" Sabrina said. "You have something on your bandana?"

"What?" Kate asked.

"I don't know it looks like baby powder." Sabrina said.

"That must be what it is then." Kate said.

"How did you get baby powder on yourself?" Sabrina asked. "You're not the nanny."

"Why do you care how I got baby powder on my clothes?" Kate snapped. "Mind your own business."

"Sorry" Sabrina said as she rode off.

~*~

John stopped the limo outside the mall. Jamie and Tisha got out and started walking in the mall. After they watched John leave they walked back out and took a cab to the airport.

"Why do you want to see what Charlie looks like?" Tisha asked.

"You know Jill, the new maid?" Jamie asked.

"Yeah" Tisha said.

"I found out she is a private detective too." Jamie said. "And so is Kelly, the stable hand."

"Really?" Tisha asked. "The new security guard too?"

"Yup" Jamie said. "I asked all of them about Charlie."

"What did they say?" Tisha asked.

"They wouldn't tell me anything?" Jamie said.

~*~

Jill walked down to the stables during her break.

"Hi, Kelly." Jill said.

"Hi, Jill." Kelly said.

"Are you OK?" Jill asked.

"I don't know." Kelly said. "You know that woman with the red hair that was at the house earlier?"

"Yeah" Jill said. "What about her?"

"I think she's my mother." Kelly said. "She has a picture of me in her purse."

"Are you sure she's your mother." Jill asked.

"I have a picture of my mother right here." Kelly said handing it to Jill.

"Kelly the woman who was at the house today, her name is Edna Garrett and this is a picture of her." Jill said. "I believe she is your mother. She's coming back in about two hours, you can see her then."

"And I thought Garrett was a family name of one of the nun's at the orphanage." Kelly said.

~*~

Jamie and Tisha walked around the airport after buying two tickets to LA.

"Hide!" Tisha said pulling Jamie behind a wall.

"Why?" Jamie asked.

"I forgot my mom was picking Aunt Natalie up from the airport." Tisha said. "They are over there."

"When does our plane leave?" Jamie asked.

"Not for another half-hour." Tisha said.

"Well then we'll just have to lay low until we can get on the plane." Jamie said.

~*~

"Natalie!" Tootie shrieked as she saw her best friend walk through the gate. Tootie had given up on being called Dorothy.

"Tootie, I missed you." Natalie said. "How's Tisha?"

"She's fine." Tootie said. "She and Jamie have been stuck together like glue."

"Where are they?" Natalie asked. "Did you bring them with you?"

"No, they are back at Blair's with Jo." Tootie said. "How was your flight?"

"Long" Natalie said. "I have to go find my luggage and then we can go."

"OK" Tootie said. "Let's go everyone's been dying to see you."

~*~

"John where are you?"

"I just dropped off the kids at the mall." John said. "I'm coming back now."

"I have a bit of interesting news for you." John said. "The woman staying in the guesthouse is a private detective."

"That's very interesting. I'll take care of her right away."

~*~

Kelly walked into the house and spotted Mrs. G sitting by herself in the living room.

"Excuse me" Kelly said. "Could I talk to you?"

"Sure." Mrs. G said. "Sit down."

"Could I ask you a personal question?" Kelly asked.

"Sure" Mrs. G asked.

"When I helped you pick up your things earlier, I saw a picture of a baby and I was wondering who it was." Kelly said. "I have the same picture."

"I see." Mrs. G said. "That's a picture of my daughter, Kelly."

"I recognized that picture." Kelly said. "It's a picture of me."

"I know." Mrs. G said tears running down her face.

"You know?" Kelly asked.

"Yes, when I found out who you were I wasn't sure how to approach you." Mrs. G said.

"The last time I saw you, you were only a baby." Mrs. G said. "You've grown up to be very beautiful."

"I grew up in an orphanage." Kelly said. "They told me my parents abandoned me because they didn't love me anymore."

"We didn't abandon you." Mrs. G said. "We were in a horrible car crash, they told me you died."

Kelly was crying now too.

"I didn't believe you were dead." Mrs. G said. "I've been looking for you ever since."

Kelly and Mrs. G hugged, they were both crying.

"I am your mother and you are my daughter." Mrs. G said. "And I do love you."

~*~

Natalie and Tootie were talking in the car on the way to the mansion.

". So Tad found the security guard dead." Tootie said.

"Really?" Natalie asked. "Do they know who did it?"

"No, but all of a sudden, they have new people on the staff and there is someone staying in the guesthouse." Tootie said.

"Who?" Natalie asked.

"Just one of Tad's friends from college." Tootie said. "I think she was just invited to Maddie's party."

"Probably" Natalie said. "I was doing this crossword puzzle on the plane and I was wondering if you could help me out?"

"Sure" Tootie said. "What do you need?"

"A five-letter word for celestial being." Natalie said.

"Try angel." Tootie said.

~*~

A few hours later Jamie and Tisha arrived in LA.

"OK now what?" Tisha asked.

"Find a phone book." Jamie said.

"Over there." Tisha said pointing to a phone booth. "There should be a phone book in there."

Jamie and Tisha ran over to the phone booth.

"What do I look under?" Tisha asked.

"Townsend, Charles." Jamie said.

"Unlisted." Tisha said.

"See if there is an agency listing." Jamie said.

~*~

Jill was watering plants when Kim and Mindy walked up to her.

"We have to go downstairs and help set up for the party." Kim said.

"OK" Jill said. "I'll be there when I finish with the plants."

"Don't be long." Mindy said.

"I won't." Jill said.

Kim and Mindy walked away.

"So what do you think of her?" Kim asked.

"She's nice." Mindy said. "But she does ask a lot of nosy questions."

Kim nodded her head in agreement.

~*~

Jill went down to the dining room to help decorate and set up for the party. She spotted Kelly helping too.

"Why aren't you in the stables?" Jill asked.

"I have the rest of the afternoon off." Kelly said.

"How did you manage that?" Jill asked.

"I found out Mrs. Garrett is my mother." Kelly said. "And she asked the Warner's if I could come to Maddie's party."

"Where's Bri?" Jill asked. "I haven't seen her much today."

"She went back to the guesthouse to call Charlie." Kelly said.

~*~

Sabrina was on the phone with Charlie.

"Thanks Charlie." Sabrina said. "I think I've got it all figured out now."

~*~

Bosley saw a car pull up to the gate.

"I wonder who that is?" Bosley said. "I thought everybody who was supposed to be here was already here."

Bosley looked over at the list of people allowed through the gate. None of the servants had left except for the limo driver and he came back. The Warner's were still there. Kelly and Jill hadn't left and he had just seen Sabrina go to the guesthouse. Mrs. Warner's friend Jo was still there and so was Mrs. Garrett.

"Ah" Bosley said looking at the names of two people who hadn't yet arrived. "It must be Natalie and Tootie."

Bosley let them through the gate. After the gate was closed, he turned around and watched the guesthouse blow up.

Bosley stood there stunned and then realization set in.

"SABRINA!"