Watson Manor Eventually (Watson Manor Mystery Series Book 1)

by Ronald S. Craig

  Jenny returned to completing the notes she was making on her students for the replacement teacher. The principle told her it wasn't required, but she wanted to make the transition easier for her students. She was just finishing up when Susan entered the lounge.

  "Hey girlfriend," Susan said, trying to stay up beat. "I know you said no, but this one time, meet us at the Branding Iron…" Then tears started to run down Susan's cheeks. "I need a hug."

  Jenny rose from her seat and held her friend. "Stop that or I'll be a mess also."

  "I still can't believe you're leaving." Susan struggled to keep her emotions under control.

  "And here I thought I was the emotional one."

  "You are Jenny, I just got something in my eye." Susan produced a weak smile. "Oh, Jimmy said your car will be ready around 5, for your trip to where ever you are going."

  "Oh that's great. I'll go get it when I leave here."

  "I understand why you're leaving, but wish I knew where you were going."

  "If nobody knows, Paul can't find out. I'll call you. Thanks for keeping this quiet all week."

  "You've been great here and it goes without saying, but I know there is someone waiting for you. Now, 7:30 at the Branding Iron, Sunday night. You'd better be there!" Susan said turning to leave. "Promise me."

  "I'll be there. Wait a minute, you said meet us?"

  "Just a few friends, they think it's just a regular girl's night out. Don't worry; I've kept your secret. It's about time I got you to see the inside of the Branding Iron." Susan gave her a parting glance and left.

  Jenny picked up all her paper work and left it with the school secretary. She headed over to the dealership to pick up the used car she had purchased just the night before. She knew she couldn't drive her car to California. It had been a make-up gift for the first bruise he had given her and she wanted to break any ties that were left to this chapter of her life. She had wanted to replace it sooner, but it hadn't been a priority until a week ago.

  Chapter 3

  "Hey, C.W.," came the familiar greeting from Peg, the waitress as he walked into the diner.

  Kate's Diner was an Arkansas landmark in the old downtown area of West Helena. The walls were lined with old photographs of people and events from a time when all was prosperous; happy faces and busy hands. A time when downtown was bustling with activity, its storefronts gleaming and its streets lined with cars; a time that was worlds away from the neighborhood that C.W. saw as he looked out the window. Tug boats lined up to take barges of grain and cotton to market along the Mississippi river. The fixtures inside the diner dated back to the fifties and had been scrubbed so many times that the shiny plating was worn off. The counter was always inviting, lined with round, deep-cushioned stools covered in dark red leather. To C.W., the place was a cross between a museum and a moratorium.

  Kate, in her seventies then, had been setting up the lunch buffet line as Charlie had seen her do a hundred times before. She gave him a quick wave.

  "Heard you closed the Branding Iron again last night," Peg called from behind the counter, pouring him a cup of coffee. He had become a regular at the local night club every time he was in town to pick up a load. He was known there and the women he met knew he was only passing through and would be gone the next day. The truth was that most of those women never saw sunlight hit his face. Roots and warm tires never mix, so he always made it a point to see dawn from his semi truck sleeper, regardless of where he spent time the night before.

  "That I did," he called back. "They played our song and I was looking for you."

  "Ralph and I went to see his mama. She's gettin' on in years. He's never been the dancing fool you are," she said laughing. "It's been over two years since we shared that dance floor."

  "Well, you know what they say about moss growing," Charlie said.

  "That'll be the day, when ya'll are still long enough for moss to grow."

  "Speaking of moss, you and Ralph have close to a year's growth, don't you? When do I get to meet this lucky guy?"

  "The eleventh of next month. Kate is putting together an anniversary party for us here. Y'all are welcome if you're passing through then." She refilled his cup of coffee. "Eggs will be up in a few. Hey, C.W., you run through Palm Springs don't you?"

  "It's my last fuel stop and sanity check before I hit Long Beach. What's up?"

  "See that gal over there in the last booth?"

  "Yeah." Charlie glanced over at the booth.

  "She's been here over an hour, said something about going to Palm Springs, you know, asking me the best route and all."

  "Highway 49 out there runs through Brinkley to Interstate 40, then she'll head west. Once she sees Highway 17 in Arizona she should take it south, and then head west on Interstate 10 out of Phoenix. Not a real mystery."

  "I know; I just figured if y'all were headed that way..."

  "Is she trying to hitch a ride?"

  "No. She's got a car. I just thought maybe, she'd feel better following somebody. You know, a friend on the road."

  "Don't be looking at me that way. I'm no baby sitter."

  "Just think about it, that's all I'm asking," Peg said as she headed back to the kitchen.

  He looked back at the woman in the booth again and could see she looked a little depressed. I'm no Dear Abby, he thought. She didn't look the hustler type. She had little to no makeup and was dressed down; wearing what could have been a blue light special at Kmart. Mid-twenties, he guessed, with long brown hair. No, he reasoned, this load has got to be on time. He couldn't take any chances of giving Anderson grounds to discontinue his contract.

  Peg set his breakfast down and looked at him pitifully. "Well, can you help us?"

  "Us?" he countered. "Do you even know who she is or anything about her?"

  "Not really, seen her around," Peg said in a softer tone. "You're right, C.W., sorry I pushed. She could be a real loon or even worse, plum crazy like you."

  "Thanks. Thanks a lot." He turned his attention back to his breakfast and quickly ate, not waiting for a third refill of coffee. He got up, focused on a direct departure and left ten dollars on the table. Charlie dreaded having to walk past the woman's booth to leave, but did so with determination. He couldn't help but glance at her as he passed; she looked up at him and managed a small smile.

  "See ya next time, Peg." He quickly passed through the door without waiting for a reply.

  He couldn't get that smile off of his mind and it followed him to his rig and out to the end of the parking lot. What bothered him the most was that he rarely walked away from helping someone that needed a hand.

  "Damn you Peg." he said, bringing his rig to a stop, nearly hitting a car that was recklessly speeding into the parking lot. He sat ten feet from the highway and felt tremendously guilty. Peg's pleading was beginning to overpower his intention of talking himself out of helping. He thought about Nathan and where he would be if he and his family had not reached out to him. No, I have to move on, he told himself.

  He glanced in his mirror and saw the woman from the booth walking out with the man that had just cut him off in the parking lot.

  "See," he said aloud, "she found help." With a sigh of relief, he shifted into gear, checked traffic and started to let out the clutch. Charlie felt much better as he glanced into his mirror again.

  "Did he just hit her?" Charlie shouted. His instincts told him the debate was over; there was no way he could leave. He pulled alongside them and jumped out of his truck.

  She struggled to break free from the tall, heavy set man that had pushed her hard against the car. "Where do you think you're going, bitch?"

  "Back off!" Charlie shouted, grabbing him just in time to save her from another strike.

  Charlie turned his attention to her. "Are you all..."

  The attacker surprised him with a wild punch. Charlie turned and hit him hard in the stomach, folding him over. His second blow to the man's face sent him up on the trunk of a car. Charlie, not wanting to be c
aught off guard again, watched him slide off the trunk to the ground.

  "Who is this clown?" Charlie asked.

  "Look out," she yelled.

  Charlie jumped to his right just in time to dodge the knife, but stumbled back a few steps to regain his balance. Ready for his second attempt with the knife, Charlie caught his wrist with one hand and hit him hard with the other. The man fell back, hitting his head on the bumper and slumping to the ground. Charlie was tensed, ready and alert as he watched the man lie motionless for a moment before he confirmed the man was still breathing, though no longer a threat.

  He turned back to the woman, who was shaking hard and trying to catch her breath. The fear Charlie saw in her eyes told him they had some kind of bad history.

  "Is he all right?" she asked. He was a little confused by her concern for him.

  "He'll be fine, have one hell of a headache though." Charlie checked again to ensure the guy was still down. "This jerk is a friend of yours?"

  "Paul won't leave me alone. He's an abusive bastard. He'll never hit me again."

  Charlie watched as her eyes focused on the knife. He couldn't understand what would anger this guy enough to hit her.

  "Did he find you with another man?" Charlie not believing the question came out of his mouth. The anger he saw triggered the anger he felt when his wife had left that note for him years ago.

  "No. I left him six months ago. I wasn't going to be his punching bag anymore." The combination of rage and fear was still running through her. "He's been haunting me for six months and told me he'd never stop." Her eyes were cold and never broke from the knife. Charlie feared she would be driven to go for the knife and he tensed again, prepared to reach it first.

  She sighed deeply and her eyes softened with tears. She looked at Charlie. "No...I never could. I hate that the thought even crossed my mind. He's just a poison I need to get away from." She wiped her eyes.

  Charlie didn't have all the answers, but knew this guy was a threat to her. If she really wanted to get away from him, He knew the guy would follow her. He walked back to his rig and returned with an axe. "Is this his car?" His tone un-alarming.

  "Yes." She'd slowly raised her head to look at Charlie. "Don't kill him!" she screamed at the sight of the axe.

  "Lady, I'm not going to kill him. I just don't want him to suffocate." He brought the axe down in the center of the trunk. He turned to her and explained calmly, "It's like putting a lizard in a jar; you've got to make air holes in the lid." Charlie pulled the keys out of the ignition and opened the trunk. He surveyed the inside to confirming there was no inside trunk release. He picked Paul up and put him inside. The car was too close to the entrance of the diner, so he drove it to the end of the parking lot. Charlie locked the car, tossed the keys into the trunk with Paul and closed it.

  He walked back to where she stood. "You won't get your chance to get away, if he wakes up and follows you. That should be far enough away from the door, people won't hear him pounding. I'll tell Peg to wait until, say, sometime after lunch to call the cops to report noises coming from the trunk. That'll give you four hours or so. Are you ok to drive?"

  "Yes, I think so. You came along before he got a chance to..." She paused, not able to finish her thought. "Thank you doesn't seem enough."

  "Works for me." He reached slowly to push her hair back, exposing the welt she had just endured. "I'll never understand how a man can do that. I'm sorry. If I wouldn't have left maybe…"

  "If you hadn't come back…" The thought ran through her and she started to shake again. The fear was back in her eyes as they welled up with tears.

  Charlie awkwardly wrapped his arm around her. "He can't get you now." He held her in silence until she stopped shaking. She pulled her head away from his chest slightly, wiped her eyes and looked at him closely for the first time.

  "I've felt trapped for so long," she said slowly. "I feel some hope, thanks for that."

  He was touched by her sincerity making him even more uncomfortable as he realized she was still in his arms. He let go and backed away a few steps."Well, I've got to hit the road; you're going to be okay?"

  "Yes, I am." She glanced at the door of his rig. "C.W. is it?"

  "That's me, everyone knows me as C.W. in town." He stood there for a moment, wanting to say something else, but resisted. "Okay then, I'll go talk to Peg. Take care of yourself."

  He started toward the diner and got twenty feet away when the guilt came back. He stopped and turned to find her looking at him. "Peg said you're headed for Palm Springs."

  "My sister lives there. I can't stay here anymore. This may be my last chance to get away."

  "Hey, look, I'm going through Palm Springs on my run. If you want to follow, it wouldn't be a problem."

  "I'd really feel a lot better, if you don't mind." Then, with new spirit in her voice, she asked, "Can I have five minutes to clean up?"

  "Six and you'll have to catch me out on the road."

  "Fair enough. By the way, I'm Jenny Stevens." She smiled for the first time.

  "Okay, Jenny, listen; if you need to stop, flash your headlights. What're you driving?"

  "That's mine, the tan Ford Mustang over there." She pointed to a mostly tan Ford; a classic once, he figured, but it had become a melting pot of at least three different cars, none of which were the same color. It was an early '70's model with $1,299 still in faded paint on the windshield.

  "Tell me you're joking. You're really planning to drive that to Palm Springs?"

  "My car is sitting in his driveway. It was in both our names… I didn't want to give him any reason to find me. It runs better than it looks," she said with confidence. "I was told it would make it."

  "Five minutes, Jenny," he told her, shaking his head.

  "Great." She offered a quick smile and dashed into the diner to clean up. He followed her in and talked to Peg, who was very upset about what had taken place in the parking lot and was pleased that Charlie was there to help.

  "Thanks, C.W.," Peg said, giving him a hug.

  Charlie took a wet towel out to Jenny's car and cleaned the windshield. As he walked around it for a quick inspection, it occurred to him that he planted the axe into the wrong car. What the hell have I gotten myself into? He thought and then looked under the hood to check the engine fluid levels. With a small prayer on his lips, he closed the hood and walked to his rig.

  When Jenny left the restroom, she walked over to Peg. "Thank you for your help. He said I could follow him. I realize after this morning, I would've been a nervous wreck on my own."

  "He's one of the good ones," Peg said. "I've known him for years."

  Charlie pulled around and pointed his rig toward the highway. He was able to see the door to the diner in his mirror and waited for her to come out. When she had, instead of heading for her car, she walked toward him. "What the hell's wrong now," he said to himself.

  "Peg said you forgot your cup for the road," she said, handing him the coffee and a brown bag. "The biscuits were my idea."

  "I love bis…I mean, thanks, that's nice. You ready?"

  "Almost. What does C.W. stand for?" Her smile was relaxed and trusting.

  "Constantly waiting," he said shortly. "Look Jenny, this is not a date. I'm going to lead you to Palm Springs as long as, Lord willing, your transportation doesn't die on the road."

  "Yes sir, C.W., lead the way." She laughed and turned quickly for her car. Charlie, amazed her car had even started, slowly pulled onto the highway and they were off.

  Chapter 4

  Charlie loved fall in this part of the country. The brilliant colors of the leaves were nature's dramatic reminder of a world in change, when the air was still warm and filled with the sound of leaves rustling under his tires. This season seemed to surprise him, though; somehow being more exhilarating than he remembered.

  Charlie checked his mirrors often to confirm Jenny was close behind. He tried not to feel good about her being there, but he did. Among the red and orange
leaves in the trees forming a tunnel over the highway were the golden leaves that reminded him of her warm eyes. It bothered him that he knew her eyes were brown, that they had penetrated his defenses and became a part of his private world. The women C.W. knew never made this trip with Charlie. The road gave him the freedom to put C.W. to rest, always welcoming Charlie back.

  This time, he was not alone. His peaceful surroundings were quickly interrupted by concern and his head invaded with questions. He wanted to know who she was. He replayed in his mind her friendly and open smile as she handed him the coffee and biscuits. He had noticed then that she was far more attractive than what he'd remembered from earlier in the diner. Her eyes promised more than warmth and trust and he couldn't get a grasp of what it was. The thought of her sent a chill through him. He suspected that she, too, had masks, but felt he hadn't yet seen her wear one.

  He glanced again in the side mirror as he passed the Brinkley City Limit sign. Traffic had started to build behind him, but there was no sign of Jenny. He quickly checked the other side mirror; she wasn't there either. It startled him and he pulled off to the side shoulder. He looked as far down the highway as he could see and there was no sign of her. We've only been on the road for about an hour, he figured, and I know I checked for her frequently. I'll give her another minute, then go back to find her.

  Thirty seconds passed and he couldn't stand not knowing where she was. Suddenly, his passenger door opened. He jumped with surprise, knocking the cup of remaining coffee off the dash.

  "Why did we stop?" she asked.

  Not prepared for the relief he felt, he laughed and shook his head. "I didn't see you in the mirrors and, well… got worried." Uncomfortable with his own concern, he continued, sharply. "Jenny, you have to stay far enough back so I can see you in the mirrors. If you don't stay off my bumper, you might become part of this rig in a panic stop."