Author: Bridget Frawley ([email protected])

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.
 
 
 

The doorbell rang.

Kelly went to answer it. "Hello?"

"Hi, are you Kelly Garrett?" Bill Cord asked pleasantly.

"Yes, I am, and if you're selling anything I'm not interested."

"I'm not selling anything," he answered, smiling. "May I come in?"

She studied him up and down for a few seconds. "What's this about?"

"I'm a private investigator working for Mr. Oliver Barrows." He pulled out a business card and handed it to her.

"Come in," she said, stepping aside to let him enter.

They both sat on the couch.

"What can I do for you?" Kelly asked pointedly.

"Mr. Barrows hired me to find his missing granddaughter, and I think that's you."

"You must be kidding!" Kelly exclaimed in disbelief.

"Please hear me out. I have proof. Mr. Barrows and his daughter-in-law never got along. He'd heard later that she died and his granddaughter disappeared. By the time Barrows found out about it the girl had disappeared into the foster care system. The accident happened in San Diego." He stared into her eyes intently. "Does any of this sound familiar?"

"I grew up in an orphanage in San Diego," she admitted warily, "but so did a lot of other kids."

"Let me show you his picture." Bill continued, pulling a photo out of his wallet and showing it to her. "There is a family resemblance."

She studied it intently.

"I do have some other proof. You were born in the same month and year as Stephanie. Look, all you have to do is take a blood test. That will prove things one way or the other."

"If this is true, and I'm not saying it is," Kelly said slowly, "why did it take him this long to find his granddaughter?" She wasn't quite ready to accept the fact that it could be her.

"He's been searching on and off for the past 20 years. Have you ever tried to untangle the intricacies of the Bureau of Child Welfare?" He pointed out wryly. "He's 70 years old now and decided that he wanted to make amends to the girl once and for all."

"I don't know..." Kelly began hesitantly.

"What can it hurt?" Cord asked logically. "If you ARE his granddaughter you stand to inherit a sizeable inheritance."

"I don't care about money," Kelly objected, mind reeling.

"You'll make a dying man happy. If you're not his granddaughter what can it hurt? It's only a few minutes of your time."

She sat silently for a few minutes. "Look, let me think about it for a while. I'll call you tomorrow, all right?"

"That's fine. I understand that it's a big decision." He took her hand and smiled at her. "What do you say I take you to dinner? We can celebrate."

"We don't know that I am Stephanie," Kelly pointed out.

"We can celebrate the fact that I found you. It took me two years to get this far, and I have to admit that it's been a pleasure to find you...whatever your name is."

"Thank you," Kelly smiled.

"Shall we say seven?" He pressed.

"Seven's fine," Kelly agreed.

"Terrific. I'll pick you up here. I know this great little Indian restaurant."

"It sounds delicious."

Bill got to his feet and walked to the door. "Good. It's a date." Suddenly he leaned in and kissed her. "I'll see you later."

Kelly nodded, bemused.

Bill left.
 
 

"I told you it would work," Bill stated confidently.

"She bought it?" Glenn Stanley asked in surprise.

"Not 100%, but it's got her thinking. I'm meeting her for dinner tonight."

"Do you think that's smart? She might get suspicious."

"It's perfect. I can keep an eye on her and continue the lost grandchild scam," Bill pointed out. "She's very pretty. It'll only take a little more persuasion and then we've got her."

"You think Barrows will buy it?"

"Of course he will. He's desperate. He's been looking for Stephanie for years. He'll be glad to pay a hefty 'finders fee' to finally see her."

"I still think it's risky, you having a relationship with her."

"What relationship? Dinner, dancing...stop worrying. It'll work out just fine. Have I ever let you down?"

"No," Glenn admitted reluctantly.

"You'll see. In a few weeks we'll never have to work again."
 
 

"I don't know," Sabrina finally said after Kelly had concluded. "It sounds fishy to me."

"That's what I thought, too, but I wanted another opinion," Kelly admitted. "Still, Bri...what if it's true? I may really have some family out there. You don't know what it's like, not knowing where you came from..." She trailed off pensively.

"Kel, if it's true no one would be happier for you than me. Just don't take any chances, okay?"

"I'm meeting him for dinner tonight. Maybe I can pump him for more information."

"Want us to check it out?" Bri offered.

"That might be a good idea, but just you. Let's keep this between us for now."

"Are you sure?"

"I don't want anyone else to know," Kelly admitted. "I'll call you later when I get more details."

"Be careful, all right?"

"Who, me?" Kelly laughed. "I'm one of the most suspicious people there is. Don't worry."

"Just remember that I'm here if you need to talk, all right?"

"You're such a worrier."

"Yeah, I know. That's part of my charm," she quipped.

"I'll call you later," Kelly promised.
 
 

"That was a lovely dinner," Kelly confessed as Bill walked her to her front door.

"I'm glad you had a good time," Bill said, staring deep into her eyes and kissing her passionately.

"So, will I see you tomorrow?" Kelly asked breathlessly after they'd parted.

"I don't know," he teased. "That depends. I didn't think the evening was over yet."

"I'm not that kind of girl," she protested firmly.

"I'm not usually so forward myself, but I've never felt like this about anyone before."

"Bill -- "

"Okay, I'll go, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to stop thinking about you all night." He kissed her again.

"I'll be thinking of you, too," she admitted softly.

"Well, then, what's the problem? I'll be thinking of you. You'll be thinking of me. Why can't we do something about it?"

"We've just met," she pointed out.

"I feel like I've known you forever."

"Bill, please -- "

"Okay, okay!" He acquiesced with good grace. "I'll leave. I'll just go home to my empty little room and dream about you all night."

"Would it help if I told you that I'll be dreaming of you too?"

"Really?" He smiled.

She nodded shyly.
 
 

The next day the telephone rang.

"Hello?" Kelly answered sleepily.

"Kelly?" Sabrina asked sharply.

"Hmmm, it's me. What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?! You said you'd call me last night after your date. I didn't hear from you and I got worried. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. In fact, I'm wonderful."

Bill smiled from beside her and started nibbling on her ear.

"Can I call you later?" Kelly asked distractedly. "I'm a little busy right now."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Sabrina asked curiously, wondering at Kelly's atypical behavior.

"I've never felt better in my life," Kelly reassured her.

"Okay, then I'll talk to you later."
 
 

Kris drove up to Kelly's apartment, got out of her car, went to the front door and knocked. She waited for a few seconds impatiently, then knocked again.

"Hi," Bill said, coming up from behind her.

Kris jumped. "Oh, hi! You startled me."

"I'm sorry. I don't think that your friend's there."

"I think you're right," Kris sighed in resignation. "I guess I should have called first."

"I'm glad you didn't," he smiled, taking her hand. "If you did then I would have never met you."

"Right," she commented neutrally, pulling her hand away and cringing inwardly. This had to be one of the worst pick up lines she'd ever heard.

"Hey, since your friend's not home why don't we go for a drink?" He suggested.

"I don't think so." She turned to leave.

"I'm sure Kelly will be back in a few hours."

"Where do you know Kelly from?" Kris asked suspiciously.

"She's why I'm here." Bill handed her one of his business cards.

"'Bill Cord'," she read skeptically.

"I'm on a case and I think she can help me."

"What kind of case?"

"I'm sorry. I can't discuss it. Client confidentially, you know."

Kris nodded knowingly. "I'd better be going."

"I'll make you a deal," he offered, taking her hand again. "You come with me for drinks, maybe a little dancing, and I'll tell you what I can."

"Are you really on the level?" Kris asked skeptically.

He nodded. "You can even check with her later if you like."

"Okay, but just drinks," Kris agreed.

"Fair enough."

They left.
 
 

Kelly and Sabrina were at Sabrina's apartment.

"I haven't found anything yet," Sabrina said. "He's not a licensed investigator. The address he gave for his office doesn't exist, and the telephone number's for an answering service. It's almost like he doesn't exist. I'm still checking."

"I'm going for the blood test tomorrow," Kelly stated.

"Well, that'll prove things once and for all," Sabrina said, nodding. She studied Kelly for a few seconds. "Are you all right? You've been a little preoccupied lately."

"I'm fine," Kelly grinned.

"What?" Sabrina asked, smiling herself. "Who is he?"

"Bill," Kelly sighed contentedly.

"Bill Cord?" Sabrina asked in surprise.

Kelly nodded.

"Isn't this a little fast? You've only known him for a few days."

"We've been out every night this week. Besides, you fell for Doug O'Neil in less than 48 hours."

Sabrina walked over to the window and stared off into the distance. "Yeah, and we know how that turned out," she commented softly.

Kelly went to Sabrina's side and put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories."

"It's okay," Sabrina reassured her quickly. "When you're right, you're right. I'm the last person to give advice on this subject."

"Bill's nothing like Doug," Kelly stated firmly. "Look, I'm not saying that I'm in love with him. I'm just having a little fun."

"Sure," Sabrina scoffed.

Kelly frowned slightly.

"So, when do we get to meet him?" She asked, forcing herself to not sound so antagonistic.

"I was thinking of dinner next week," Kelly answered in relief. "It depends on how things are going."

"Sounds good," Sabrina agreed neutrally.
 
 

"I don't like it," Glenn complained.

"Why not?" Bill asked in amusement.

"Too many things can go wrong. You're going to screw everything up."

"Don't be an idiot. We're not staying here forever. I've only been dating blondie for the past three days. Why can't I have my cake and eat it too?"

"I still don't like it," Glenn repeated unhappily. "They're friends. It's bound to come out that you're seeing them both sooner or later."

"We'll be long gone by then," Bill promised. "Garrett's taking the blood test tomorrow. You have everything set up on your end?"

Glenn nodded. "One of the lab techs has a little drug problem. I've paid him $300 and he'll say whatever we like."

"Good. I already called Barrows. I said that I'd personally deliver the results as soon as they were ready. He can't wait."

"What if he decides to go to her directly and cut us out?"

"Do I look stupid?! I didn't tell him Garrett's name or anything else. He has to wait for us. He has no choice."

Glenn nodded.

"We'll be out of here in two, three days tops."
 
 

Bri, Kelly and Bosley were all at the agency.

"Where's Kris?" Bosley demanded petulantly, glancing alternately between his watch and the door. "Charlie's going to be calling any minute now."

"Relax, Bos. Maybe her car broke down or something," Sabrina suggested reasonably.

"Then she should have called," he argued. "Doesn't she realize that -- "

"Time is money," Kelly and Sabrina finished in unison.

"Very funny," Bosley snapped, glaring at both of them.

Kris hurried inside breathlessly.

"Where have you been?" Bosley demanded.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Kris apologized, yawning. "Something came up unexpectedly."

"Some thing or some one?" Kelly asked, eyes twinkling.

"Okay, some one," Kris admitted, blushing, "but it was unexpected."

"I think I should start hanging out with the two of you more often," Sabrina observed.

"Ladies, please," Bosley interrupted. "Can we save the dating game for later?"

"Maybe one of these guys has a friend for Bri," Kelly mused thoughtfully.

"Please!" Sabrina protested, rolling her eyes. "Do you remember what happened the last time you tried to fix me up?"

"At least he didn't press charges," Kris said philosophically.

"Was that the guy with the cracked ribs?" Bosley asked curiously.

"They were only bruised," Sabrina corrected tartly. "The man was an octopus. At least I called an ambulance."

"That's true," Kris agreed. She turned to face Kelly. "Actually I met this guy outside of your place."

"You did?" Kelly questioned curiously.

"He said his name was Bill Cord," Kris continued.

"Kris, is this some kind of joke?" Kelly demanded archly.

"No, it's not. Why?" Kris asked in bewilderment.

"That's the guy I've been dating."

"Uh oh," Bosley muttered under his breath.

"He didn't tell me anything about that, I swear!" Kris defended herself. "He just said that you were involved in a case he was working on. That's all."

"What kind of case?" Bosley asked suspiciously.

"How has he been seeing you?" Kelly demanded. "We've been together every evening."

"We've been going out to breakfast, sometimes lunch," Kris answered.

"I don't believe this," Kelly fumed.

"Come on, Kelly," Sabrina tried a different tact. "Kris didn't know you were seeing him."

"It's true, I swear," Kris added hastily. "I'd never do anything to hurt you. You know that Look, I'm supposed to meet him for lunch later. Do you want to come? Maybe we can straighten this out once and for all."

"Are you kidding?!" Kelly demanded angrily.

"It's not a date!" Kris pleaded sharply. "I just want to know what kind of a game he's playing."

"This is crazy!" Kelly exclaimed in a hurt voice. "There's got to be some sort of explanation."

"I can't believe that you'd think I'd do something to hurt you like that," Kris said softly. Suddenly she ran out of the office.

"Kelly, you know Kris would never do anything to hurt you, " Sabrina commented gently.

"I need some air," Kelly announced sharply. She got to her feet and left, slamming the door behind her.

The telephone rang.

"That'll be Charlie," Bosley said wearily.

"He always did have perfect timing," Sabrina sighed wryly.

Bosley put the call on the speaker phone. "Hello, Charlie."

"Hello, Bosley. Angels."

"Hi, Charlie," Sabrina called out.

"I don't hear Kris or Kelly. Where are they?" He questioned.

"It's a long story," Bosley sighed. "Apparently they're both dating the same man."

"Oh, my," Charlie said softly.

"His business card says his name's Bill Cord," Sabrina answered. "I've been doing a little investigating and can't find out anything definite yet."

"I didn't know that," Bosley said, staring at her.

"I only found out about him about four days ago, Bos. Kelly asked me to do it as a favor."

"Well, we're involved now," Charlie decided.

"I agree," Bosley said, going to the bar to pour them both drinks. "We have to do something. But what?"

"It's just so crazy," she agreed. "They're fighting over a guy who obviously doesn't care about either of them." After a few seconds she smiled. "I have an idea. Charlie, can we call you back later?"

"Certainly, Angel. Just keep me posted, all right?" Charlie requested.

"Sure thing." She disconnected the call and started dialing, finishing her drink hastily. "Watch this. -- Hi, Bill. It's Sabrina -- Right. Sabrina Duncan." She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, listen. I need to talk to you. Can you come over to the office? -- It's very important. -- That's fine. -- Uh-huh. See you then." She hung up the phone. "He'lll be here in an hour."

"What do you have in mind?" He asked, intrigued.

She got to her feet. "Come on, we have a lot to do before he gets here."
 
 

Bill Cord knocked on the office door and walked inside.

Sabrina was sitting at the bar.

"Hi," he smiled. "What's up?"

"Drink?" She offered.

"Sure. Scotch neat."

She poured them each a drink then handed him a glass.

"Thanks," he answered, finishing the drink in one gulp.

"I need to talk to you about Kris and Kelly," she began.

"What about them?" He asked innocently.

"You have to choose one or the other."

"That would ruin my plans," he confessed, smiling.

"Oh?"

He nodded.

"Look, how much do you want to leave town?" She asked in annoyance, slamming her glass on the bar top.

"Why are you getting involved?"

"They're my friends," she answered simply. "I won't let you come between them."

He took her hand. "You know, you're very pretty yourself."

"Oh, please!" She snapped, snatching her hand away and walking away from him.

"I'm serious."

"So that's all this is to you...fun and games," she deduced in disgust. "How do you think they'll feel if they find that out?"

"Why should they care? They obviously don't mind sharing me now." He grinned. "Besides, you won't tell them. You said it yourself -- you're their friend. You wouldn't want to hurt them." He went over to her side again and tried to put his arms around her. "Come on, baby, relax. You need to just go with the flow."

"If you don't take your hands off me right now I'll ram that arm right down your throat," Sabrina warned, eyes narrowing dangerously.

"I think I've got enough," Bosley called out, coming into the room.

"What -- what are you talking about?" Bill stammered, glancing over towards him uncertainly.

Sabrina walked over to Bosley's side. "Did you get my best side?"

"Every side's your best side," Bosley answered, smiling.

"This is entrapment!" Bill protested, suddenly realizing he'd been had.

"No, it's not," Sabrina corrected. "No one forced you to show your true colors. You buried yourself."

Bill lunged towards her.

She easily intercepted his lunge, throwing him over her shoulder and onto the floor.

He glared at her with hate-filled eyes.

"You can do one of two things," Bosley advised. "You can stay here and let Kris and Kelly both kill you after they see the tape or you can leave. They'll never be the wiser. It's your choice."

"That's blackmail," Bill objected.

"We don't want anything from you," Sabrina corrected.

"I don't have enough money to get out of town," Bill complained.

Bosley sighed in disgust, walked over to the desk and pulled out his checkbook. He angrily wrote a check, ripped it out of the holder and thrust it towards him. "That's $1,000. Now get out."

Bill took the check and eyed the two of them appraisingly, assessing his options.

"I've had enough of this," Sabrina snapped, patience at an end. She grabbed the telephone and started dialing. "I think Kelly's home by now."

Bill lurched to his feet. "I'm going, I'm going!" He stormed outside, the door slamming behind him.

Sabrina grabbed a can of air freshener from the cabinet and started spraying liberally. Once she was done she put the can on the counter and sat down wearily, closing her eyes as she felt a tension headache coming on.

"At least it's over now," Bosley said, patting her on the shoulder. "Come on. I'll buy you dinner."

"You're on," she smiled, getting to her feet. She pulled out her handkerchief and carefully wrapped it around Cord's discarded glass. "We can drop this off at the lab on the way."

About 2am the doorbell rang.

Sabrina staggered to the door sleepily, tightening the belt of her bathrobe while peering out the peephole. Her eyes widened and she opened the door.

There were two police officers on the threshold.

"Yes?" Sabrina yawned, brushing the hair out of her eyes.

"You Sabrina Duncan?" One asked.

"I am," she nodded. "What's wrong?"

They both pushed inside.

"What's going on?" She demanded in confusion.

"You're under arrest for the murder of Bill Cord," the second officer stated, grabbing her and spinning her around, placing her in handcuffs.

"What?" She asked in amazement.

"You have the right to remain silent," the first officer began.

"This has got to be a mistake," she exclaimed.

"Do you understand?" The first officer continued.

"Yes, yes," she snapped impatiently, knowing the drill.
 

Sabrina was sitting in the interrogation room a few hours later with Kris, Kelly, Bosley and her attorney: Harv Bennett. She'd changed into a suit that Kelly had brought with her for the preliminary hearing.

"Okay, the DA's office has two possible theories," Harv explained. "One is that you killed him in the heat of passion."

"Passion?" Sabrina almost choked, eyes wide with disbelief.

Harv nodded. "You were jealous because he was dating your two friends."

"I wouldn't let that snake touch me," she protested.

Kris and Kelly stared at the floor.

"Sorry," Sabrina mumbled guiltily.

"I wouldn't call her reaction to him passionate," Bosley protested.

"Did they see the tape we made showing what a heel he was?" Sabrina asked anxiously. Surely that was proof.

"They did," Harv confirmed. "Their second theory is that he threatened you, you got into an argument and shot him."

"Bosley gave him a check to leave town," Sabrina countered logically. "Can't you just call the bank and get a copy of the handwriting? If that scenario were true I wouldn't have already paid him. They can just analyze his signature to prove that he'd already gotten what he wanted."

"Um, it was made out to cash," Bosley admitted reluctantly.

"Oh, Bosley," Sabrina groaned, closing her eyes.

"I knew he wouldn't take it if it were payable to him," he explained defensively. "I just wanted it over with."

"Couldn't we get a handwriting expert to analyze the endorsement?" Kris suggested hesitantly.

"We could, but it's not an exact science," Harv answered. "For every expert we bring in they'll bring in another to counter our findings."

"So what do we do?" Kelly asked worriedly.

Harv checked his watch and looked at Sabrina. "Okay, the preliminary hearing's going to start in about a half hour. I have to get going. I'll try to get you out of here as soon as I can, all right?"

Sabrina nodded.

"Hang tough," Harv encouraged.

The rest of them left.
 

"Your honor, we ask that the defendant be remanded without bail," the ADA concluded. "She has a current passport as well as contacts abroad, speaks several languages and poses a severe flight risk."

"Your honor," Harv countered, rising to his feet and facing the bench, "the defendant has a good job, owns property and is willing to turn in her passport to show her good faith."

"Bail is denied," Judge Hollinger decided.

"But your honor -- " Harv began.

"Save it, Mr. Bennett," Hollinger interrupted, holding up his hand to forestall any further protestations. "This is a capital crime and there is no bail. End of discussion." He glared at Sabrina for a few seconds and then slammed down his gavel. "Next case!"

The court officers led Sabrina out of the courtroom.
 

The next day they were at the county lockup.

Sabrina came into the visitor's room wearing orange fatigues. She had a black eye and was favoring her right wrist. She sat down at the table wearily. "Hi."

Kris' eyes widened. "What happened to you?"

"Oh, this?" Sabrina asked innocently, pointing to her eye. "Nothing. Just let it go, okay?"

"It's not nothing," Kelly objected sharply. "Someone did that to you. Were you trying to win friends and influence people?"

Sabrina sighed in annoyance, hoping to avoid this discussion. "I was taking a shower last night when one of the other prisoners decided that she wanted to get to know me a little better than I was comfortable with. I told her thanks but no thanks. She didn't exactly appreciate my rejection. Satisfied?!"

"Will she try anything again?" Kris asked hesitantly.

"She'll have to wait at least four weeks," Sabrina smiled faintly. "She has a broken jaw, a cracked skull and a concussion. She's in the infirmary."

"Remind me to never get you mad at me," Kelly remarked.

"Did you have any luck getting Judge Hollinger to change his mind about bail?" Bosley asked anxiously.

Harv shook his head. "He refuses to budge. He's a real hard liner when it comes to law enforcement officials who break the law ending up on his docket."

"I don't understand something," Kris stated. "If the DA saw the tape Bosley and Sabrina made how could he think it gives her a motive? Wouldn't it have been a motive if Bill had killed her?"

"Apparently they feel that Sabrina was using the tape as leverage against him," Bosley answered reluctantly.

"It's crazy!" Sabrina exploded. "Do they seriously think I'm the only person with a motive?"

"You did threaten him on tape," Bennett pointed out.

"Just to break his arm, not kill him," she corrected angrily. "Come on, if I really killed him do you think that you would have found the body so quickly? He'd have been buried in Mojave somewhere."

Bosley stared at her wide-eyed. "Bri, you're not helping."

"I'm serious!" She snapped in irritation. "Why would I make a tape threatening him just before I killed him?"

"If you try to use that argument before a jury you may as well just plead guilty now," Bennett said coldly.

"No one's that stupid!" She protested.

"Unfortunately a lot of people are," Bennett pointed out.

One of the guards came over. "Visiting hours are over," he announced.

Kelly grabbed Sabrina's hand. "We'll keep digging, I promise."

Sabrina got to her feet and smiled. "I know you will."

"You'll be out before you know it," Kris added.

Sabrina nodded, trying not to let her skepticism show.

The guard came over behind her. "Come on!" He shoved Sabrina towards the door.

She jerked away from him and walked through the doors, head held high.
 
 

"I'm telling you we have to get her out of there," Bosley argued. "She's only been there for a week and she's got a black eye, a sprained wrist, bruises all over her arms and God knows what else. She'll never survive until the trial."

"All she has to do is just keep a low profile for a few weeks," Charlie said.

Bosley stared into the telephone in amazement.

"You're right," Charlie agreed after a few seconds. "Keeping a low profile isn't exactly her strong suit. Let me see what I can do."

"Thanks, Charlie."

Charlie hung up the telephone and called Judge Hollinger in his chambers.

"Hello?"

"Mike? This is Charlie Townsend."

"Oh, hi, Charlie. Listen, I'm sorry about this business with one of your employees."

"Actually that's why I'm calling. Can you see your way to granting bail?"

"Are you kidding?! It's a capital offense. Besides, you know as well as I do that people who've been our side of the fence have a bigger obligation to follow the law than the average citizen."

"I agree with you, but she didn't do this."

"I hate to burst your bubble, my friend, but we both know that they all say that."

"You know I'm an excellent judge of character, Mike. Do you think I'd be that easily taken in?" Charlie asked pointedly.

Mike thought that over.

"I've heard that she's not exactly blending in with the other prisoners," Charlie continued.

"Her file's right here," Hollinger said, digging through the stack of files on his desk until he found the one he wanted. "Hold on." He started skimming.

"Do you see what I mean?" Charlie pressed.

"Yes, I do," Hollinger agreed in a neutral voice.

"We'll surrender her passport and I'll have a notarized letter sent to you stating that I won't be sending her out of the country, or even out of the city on any assignments," Charlie promised.

"Do you know how high I'd have to set bail so that the press and the DA's office wouldn't scream bloody murder?" Hollinger protested. "I don't think that even you could afford it."

"I'll put up the agency as collateral."

"You really think she's innocent."

"I know she's innocent," Charlie corrected firmly.

"All right," Hollinger sighed reluctantly. "I just hope you're not wrong."

"Thank you, Mike. I really appreciate it. Can I ask one more favor?"

"What?" He asked warily.

"Could you call John Bosley as soon as everything's all set up? He'll bring down the appropriate paperwork and pick her up."

Hollinger jotted a note down to remind himself. "That's not a problem. I assume you're in a hurry."

"I'm sure you can understand that I'd like to get her out of there as soon as possible. I'll alert Bosley to start the ball rolling on our end and that he should expect your call in a few hours."
 
 

Sabrina was dozing lightly, curled up in the fetal position.

One of the guards opened her cell door.

Sabrina jerked instantly awake. "What?" She asked groggily, trying to focus.

"Come on, you," he snapped, grabbing her arm and handcuffing her. He grabbed her by the elbow and roughly shoved her in front of him.

"What's going on? Where are we going?" She asked warily, blinking and trying to pull away unsuccessfully.

"Your bail's been posted." He hustled her down the corridor.

She went along on automatic pilot, totally bewildered. Bail had been denied. She'd heard the judge herself. She struggled to figure out what was really happening.

Suddenly they were out in the waiting room.

Bosley took a good look at her. She looked like she'd lost about 10 pounds that she couldn't afford to lose and had dark circles under her eyes. "Would you unhandcuff her, please?"

"Bosley?" She blinked in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

The guard uncuffed her and handed her a brown envelope. "Check the contents and sign here, please."

She did as instructed silently, totally confused.

Bosley slipped his coat off and put it around her. "You ready to go?"

She nodded mutely.

He led her out to the car and helped her inside. He then went to the driver's side, got in and drove off. "I'm sorry you had to be released in those," he apologized. "I thought that you'd want to be out of there as soon as possible."

She waived her hand as if that were of no consequence. "But I thought they denied bail," she said in puzzlement.

"Judge Hollinger changed his mind."

"I don't understand." She paused for a minute, trying to think. She was so tired. "Is this a breakout?"

"At this hour?" Bosley teased, yawning. "Sorry. No. You're the only jailbird here."

She groaned and rubbed her eyes.

He saw the look on her face and felt guilty. "Charlie gave him a call."

She nodded, yawning. The adrenalin that had been keeping her going until now was leaving her system. That coupled with the regular rhythm of the tires on the freeway started to lull her to sleep. She tried to glance at the clock on the dashboard and squinted, but she couldn't make out the numbers. "What time is it?" She asked sleepily, eyes closing

"About 3am." He glanced over at her and saw that she'd fallen fast asleep.

They finally arrived at her apartment.

Bosley pulled up in front of the entrance and shook her. "Bri, wake up. We're here."

"Hmmmm," she mumbled, shifting slightly.

He shook her a little harder. "Come on. We're home."

"What?" She asked groggily, trying to rouse herself unsuccessfully.

He got out of the car, went to the passenger side, opened the door and helped her out.

She started to get out of the car and her legs buckled.

He grabbed her by the waist before she could hit the floor.

"I'm sorry," she yawned, blinking. She hadn't had much sleep the past few days. "I'm so tired."

"It's all right," he sympathized, helping her inside.

"Are we almost there?" She asked wearily, barely able to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

"Almost," he answered, exhausted himself. He dug out the spare set of keys to her apartment from his pants pocket and let them inside, then led her into the bedroom.

She collapsed on the bed gratefully, curling up into a ball and falling asleep in seconds.

Bosley took off her shoes, put a blanket over her and then went into the living room to rest for a few minutes before beginning the trip to go home. He fell asleep.
 

A few hours later she was tossing and turning. "No," she muttered. "Don't touch me. No!" She bolted upright in the bed, breathing heavily. She stared straight ahead, eyes unfocussed.

Bosley ran into the bedroom with his gun drawn, quickly glancing around the room for signs of an intruder. When he didn't see anything amiss he put the gun down on the dresser and went to her side. "You okay?"

She didn't hear him.

He put his arm around her gently. "Bri? It's all right."

After a few seconds she managed to get her breathing somewhat under control. "Where am I?"

"Your apartment. Remember?"

She nodded. She did now. "What time is it?"

"About 6am," he answered, glancing at the clock on her night stand. "I fell asleep on your couch," he admitted sheepishly.

She smiled faintly.

"Why don't I make some tea?" He offered, feeling her shaking.

"I'm fine," she lied.

"I'm not. You scared 20 years off me."

"I'm sorry," she blushed guiltily.

"Come on." He helped out of bed and into the living room. Once she was settled on the couch he made two mugs of tea. He returned to her side, sat down and handed her one of them.

"Thanks," she said gratefully, taking a few sips.

"Want to talk about it?" He offered gently, taking a deep sip of his tea.

"It was nothing...just someone making a pass and not wanting to take no for an answer." She gulped some more tea.

"You're safe now," he said reassuringly.

"You know the first thing I want to do in the morning?" She announced wearily.

"Hmmm?"

"Burn these," she admitted, pointing to her prison fatigues.

He laughed. "I have a feeling that if those aren't returned in perfect condition they'll use it as an excuse to come after you. You haven't exactly endeared yourself to the guards, you know."

She fidgeted uncomfortably.

"I'll make you a deal," he offered. "I'll have them cleaned and pressed in the morning. We can store them in a box in my closet. That way you don't have to look at them again. What do you say?"

"Deal," she smiled.

They drank their tea in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Bos?"

"Hmm?"

"How much was my bail?" She stared into the mug, unable to look him in the eye.

"That's not important," he protested evasively.

"I'm trying to figure out how many years I'll have to work for Charlie for free to pay it all off."

"Once we find out who really killed Cord he'll get his bail money back. Don't worry."

"That much, huh?" She remarked appraisingly.

He put his mug on the table and looked at her. "Bri, do me a favor? Drop this subject, all right? I really don't want to talk about it any more."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. "Fair enough." She yawned hugely. "I'm sorry. I haven't been getting much sleep lately."

"You haven't been eating much either."

"I haven't had much of an appetite," she admitted uncomfortably, looking away.

"I'll make you a deal. Later this morning I'll treat you to a gourmet brunch of your choice. Hash browns, bacon, the works."

"That sounds great," she admitted. "Thanks for the tea." She got to her feet and headed back to the bedroom. "I think I'll change into something more comfortable and try to go back to sleep."

"Want me to leave the door open?" He offered.

"I'll be fine," she smiled. "Good night."

"'Night."

She went back into the bedroom and closed the door behind her.
 

The next day they were all at the office.

"We finally got the fingerprint report," Bosley said. "Bill Cord's real name was Bill Chambers. He had a few arrests for blackmail, but only one conviction. Up until now he'd stayed in the San Diego area."

"I'll check out Oliver Barrows," Kelly offered. "I'll try to find out how he got in touch with Cord in the first place."

"Bos and I'll go check with Cord's parole officer...see who his friends were, check out his apartment," Kris added.

"I can go with Kelly," Sabrina offered.

"You are going to coordinate things from here," Bosley corrected firmly.

"Bos-ley," Sabrina protested, "Kelly shouldn't go there alone."

"I'm sure you're aware of this, but you're out on bail," Bosley explained patiently. "Charlie promised that you wouldn't leave the city."

"And if you're caught we're all out of work," Kris concluded.

"What are you talking about?" Sabrina questioned blankly.

"It's not important," Kelly reassured quickly, glaring at Kris sharply.

"What did you mean, we're all out of work?" Sabrina pressed.

"Charlie put the agency up as collateral," Kris admitted, wide-eyed. "Gosh, Bri, I'm sorry. I thought you knew."

"He put up the agency..." Sabrina trailed off, stunned.

"Look, he knows you didn't kill Cord," Bosley stated firmly. "It's a moot point. Once we find out who the real murderer is you'll be cleared of the charges and he'll get the agency back."

"Still..." Sabrina trailed off.

"Bri, it's okay," Kelly added. "It'll work out. You'll see."

"I'll coordinate things from here," she said softly, mind still reeling.

"She does have a point, though," Kris said, turning towards Kelly. "Do you want me to go see Barrows?"

"I'll be fine," Kelly smiled faintly, touched by their concern. "I'll just handle it like any other Q&A. They'll all be so busy wondering what I'm really doing there that they won't be thinking of anything else. Besides, this gives me the perfect excuse to check them out, too."

"Just remember that I'll be with you in spirit, okay?" Sabrina said softly, taking her hand. "And I'm here if you need to talk."

"Okay, we'll all check in every hour starting at noon," Bosley announced.

They all nodded.
 
 

The car phone rang. Bosley picked it up while keeping an eye out for Kris, who was in one of the pawn shops. "Hello?"

"Hi, Bos, it's me," Sabrina said breathlessly. "I just got a call from one of Charlie's informants. It turns out that Glenn Stanley's here in LA. He's staying at the Silver Springs motel in Burbank. I'm going to check it out right now."

"All right, let me call Kelly and we'll head over there together."

"No time. I'll meet you there."

"Sabrina -- " Bosley began.

"Get back as soon as you can, okay?" She hung up before he could say anything else.

Kris came back into the car. "Nothing, Bos. They haven't seen Cord in about a month."

Bosley peeled out of the parking lot. "Bri's found Glenn Stanley. She's on her way there now."

"Alone?" Kris asked in alarm.

He nodded grimly.

"I'm going to call Kelly and have her meet us there," Kris announced, picking up the telephone and starting to dial.
 
 

Sabrina was searching Glenn's motel room when she felt a gun pressed into her ribs.

"Stop right there," a male voice hissed.

She froze and slowly straightened up, looking up to see who it was.

"How did you find me?" Glenn asked anxiously, gun shaking slightly.

"I'm a detective," she answered simply. "Are you going to kill me the way you killed Cord? Or should I say Chambers?"

"Oh, you know about that, do you? It was an accident," he protested defensively.

"Right..." she scoffed.

"You know, you're really starting to get on my nerves."

She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

"I have the perfect way out of this," he said, pulling a vial of pills out of his pocket and handed them to her.

"Are you kidding?" She asked in disbelief, reading the label. "No one's going to believe I'd commit suicide."

"Sure they will," he disagreed. "It'll either be a suicide or an accidental overdose. Either one works for me."

She shook her head.

"Let me tell you something, okay?" He stated firmly. "I don't want to have to shoot you, but I will. It's either you or me, and I've got the gun. You want this to be painless or not?"

"I'll make you a deal," she countered.

"Lady, do I look like Monty Hall?!" He snapped.

"Give me a glass of water, and for every pill I take you have to answer one question."

"Two pills, one question," he countered.

"Deal," she sighed, knowing it was the best compromise she could hope to get.

He carefully backed into the kitchen, filled a glass of water while covering her the entire time with the gun, then came back and handed it to her.

"Why did you kill Bill Cord?" She asked curiously.

He motioned with the gun.

She popped open the vial, took two pills and washed them down, making a face.

"It was an accident," he insisted. "We got into an argument. He told me about how you got him on the tape." He started chuckling. "That was pretty good."

"So why didn't he leave town?" She asked, taking two more pills.

"I told him that we should cut our losses. He said that the stakes were too high. He pulled out a gun -- this one, in fact -- and it went off."

"And you decided to use our argument to set me up," she concluded, yawning. "So this whole Barrows thing's a scam?"

His eyebrows rose expectantly.

She sighed wearily and took two more pills, wondering how long she'd be able to hold out until help arrived.

"I thought so in the beginning, but now I don't know," he answered thoughtfully. Suddenly he grinned. "It'd be pretty funny if she really did turn out to be his granddaughter, don't you think?"

"Doesn't it matter that you could be ruining both their lives?" She demanded angrily, not knowing how he could be so callous.

He pointed to the bottle with the gun.

"That's not a question," she objected, blinking and trying to keep her eyes open.

"My game, my rules," he explained philosophically. "Besides, this is taking too long." He cocked the gun.

She took two more pills and washed them down. "Why do you think anyone'll think I committed suicide?"

"You were upset. Your career as a PI was over. You were probably going to get convicted to do 25 to life. You couldn't take the stress any more."

"Hold it right there!" Kelly exclaimed from the window.

Glenn spun around in surprise, not hearing them.

"Drop it!" Kris shouted from the kitchen doorway, covering him.

There was a wail of a police siren.

Glenn slowly lowered the gun to the table, realizing that he was outnumbered.

Bosley hurried inside to Sabrina's side.

"What took you so long?" Sabrina complained sleepily, closing her eyes.

Kelly hurried into the room, saw the vial and snatched it out of her hand. "How many of these did you take?" She asked in alarm.

"I don't know," Sabrina whispered, trying to focus.

"Come on, we're going for a walk," Bosley announced loudly, grabbing her and hauling her roughly to her feet. He dragged Sabrina outside and started walking her around in circles. "One foot in front of the other. That's it."

"It's cold," she complained, staggering. She followed his instructions out of reflex.

He helped her remain upright and continued walking briskly. "Keep walking. You'll warm up soon."

"I'll call an ambulance," Kris offered, rushing to the telephone.

"He confessed," Sabrina whispered, trying to smile.

"Well, it's still your word against his. I can't believe you'd do something like this on your own!"

"I waited as long as I could. I was afraid that he'd skip town and we wouldn't find him again," she answered, slipping her hand behind her back and fumbling for something.

"What are you doing?" He asked curiously.

After a few unsuccessful attempts she managed to remove a small tape recorder from under her shirt and handed it over. "Here."

"You taped him?!"

She nodded and closed her eyes. "Do you think he'd have been able to catch me so easily if I didn't want him to?"

Bosley shook his head in amazement.

"The microphone's tucked inside my bra," she admitted proudly, stumbling.

"Smart thinking," he admitted, jostling her again. "Come on, keep walking. It's very good for you."

"I thought you hated exercise," Sabrina complained sleepily.

"Helga taught me to appreciate a brisk walk."

"Helga?" She blinked and tried to concentrate. "Wasn't she the one who sculpted your body in pain?*"

"That's her," he nodded, smiling slightly.

"The cops just took Stanley to the station house and the ambulance is on the way," Kris announced breathlessly, hurrying to their side.

"Good," Bosley sighed. "Come on, Kris. Ask some questions."

"Oh!" She went to Sabrina's other side and followed them along in their circular route. "Bri, you can't give up. Think of your father."

"My dad?" Sabrina mumbled blankly, yawning again.

"He didn't raise you to be a quitter," Kris pressed.

"I'm not quitting," Sabrina protested, trying to stand straighter. "I'm just so tired."

Kelly hurried outside carrying a full water tumbler. "Here, Bri, drink this."

"I'm not thirsty," Sabrina declined tiredly, closing her eyes.

"Come on," Kelly cajoled desperately. "It'll make you feel better."

"Maybe later," Sabrina whispered.

"Sabrina Louise Duncan, if you don't drink this entire glass right now I'll tell everyone just why you don't cook!" Kelly exclaimed furiously.

Sabrina's eyes opened wide with shock.

"Drink!" Kelly forcefully thrust the glass at her.

She took the glass from Kelly's hand and forced herself to drink the entire thing, gagging as it went down.

"Bos, you might want to walk over towards those bushes about now," Kelly suggested in exhaustion.

"Why?" Bosley asked, walking over in that direction.

After about two minutes Sabrina started throwing up violently into the bushes.

They heard the wail of an ambulance.

"Thank God," Kris said, relief evident in her voice. "I'll let them in."

Two ambulance attendants came in with a stretcher.

"What's going on here?" The first one asked.

"Attempted murder," Bosley answered shortly, his arm around Sabrina's waist.

"The guy inside forced her to take a few of these," Kelly explained shakily, handing him the vial she'd taken earlier. "Will she be all right?"

Sabrina was still throwing up.

"It looks like she's getting most of it out of her system," the second guy observed. "We'll still take her to the hospital to get her stomach pumped."

Kelly shivered and nodded. Her knees got weak and she slowly sank down on a nearby bench.

Sabrina finally straightened up and the two attendants helped her onto the stretcher and taking her vital signs.

"What was in that, anyway?" Kris asked nervously.

"Cranberry juice," Kelly answered wearily.

"And what else?" Bosley asked in concern.

"That's it. I think she's allergic to it or something," Kelly explained. "She gets sick every time she drinks it." She shivered again. "I didn't know what else to do."

"You probably just saved her life," the first attendant reassured her.

Sabrina lay back on the stretcher and closed her eyes, hands wrapped around her stomach.

"Anyone want to ride along?" The second attendant offered.

"Kelly?" Bosley asked.

Kelly shook her head. "You go ahead. I don't think I can move right now. We'll meet you there, all right?"

Kris put her arm around Kelly's shoulders sympathetically.

Bosley nodded. "We'll see you there in a few minutes."

Bosley went with them and they drove off.
 
 

Bosley, Kris and Kelly were in Sabrina's room.

"Hi," Sabrina whispered, looking at them wearily.

"The doctor said that you're going to be fine," Kelly smiled.

Sabrina nodded. "Thanks to you."

"You've been cleared of all charges," Bosley stated. "I've already returned your prison fatigues."

She smiled weakly. "Thanks."

"Bri, why don't you cook?" Kris asked. The curiosity had been killing her.

Sabrina glared at Kelly sharply.

"It's a long story," Kelly defended herself, blushing. "I was desperate. I didn't know what else to do."

"Come on, you told Kelly," Kris pressed. "I won't tell anyone else, I swear. Neither will Bosley, will you?"

"Um, no," Bosley agreed.

"When Bill and I were first married we decided to have a few guys from the squad over for Superbowl Sunday," Sabrina sighed wearily, giving in to the inevitable. "I was going to make some chicken wings and ribs. I'd realized that I didn't have a roasting pan, so I thought I'd just fold up some aluminum foil."

"Uh-oh," Bosley commented softly.

"While the food was in the oven I started putting out some chips, beer, stuff like that, when I heard crackling sounds, " Sabrina continued. "I opened the oven door to check on the appetizers and flames shot out."

"What did you do?" Kris asked, wide-eyed.

"Grabbed a bucket of water and threw it in there," Sabrina admitted.

"Oh, my God!" Bosley muttered. "You could have blown up the entire kitchen."

"I almost did," she admitted, blushing. She started absently tracing the pattern of the blanket, unable to look at any of them. "The flames shot out higher and ignited the curtains. That's when Bill and his friends came in. He grabbed the fire extinguisher and put it out. All afternoon the guys kept saying that they'd hoped I was a better cop than I was a chef. They even chipped in and got me an engraved fire extinguisher when I graduated the Police Academy."

"At least no one got hurt," Kelly said philosophically.

"Hey, are you really Barrows' granddaughter?" Kris asked curiously.

"No," Kelly admitted. "The tests didn't match."

"I'm sorry," Kris said, patting Kelly on the shoulder.

"Hey, look at the bright side," Sabrina said weakly. "They were the stuffiest people I've ever seen. You'd have been bored in a week. "

"When did you meet them?" Kelly asked in surprise.

"Do you think I'd let one of my best friends go off with complete strangers before I checked them out?" Sabrina asked wryly, yawning.

"I don't know," Bosley mused. "It would have been fun to see one of them on a whoopee cushion."

"You're terrible," Kelly chuckled.

"We can always plan a midnight raid and short sheet all the beds," Kris offered. "What do you say?"

"It's tempting," Kelly admitted. "It would have been nice to have some family to call my own."

"You do have family," Sabrina corrected firmly. "Us."

"She's right," Bosley agreed. "And I'm happy that we didn't lose you."

Kelly smiled shyly, touched.

"Why don't we go out to dinner?" He continued. "My treat."

"What about me?" Sabrina demanded.

"That's what you get for going off without backup," Bosley pointed out.

"That's not fair!" She objected.

"We'll bring you a doggie bag," Kris promised.

"Hey!" Sabrina protested indignantly.

They all left.
 

* "Marathon Angels" -- aired episode

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