Watson Manor Eventually (Watson Manor Mystery Series Book 1)

by Ronald S. Craig

  "Jake, these are beautiful," Jenny said. "There is so much detail. Look. There's even mail in this little mail box!"

  "Thanks, darlin'. I like 'em better than the big ones too. C.W. here's been telling me to try these since the beginnin'."

  "No doubt about it; the others were good but these are traffic stoppers, Jake," Charlie said earnestly. "Take some pictures of these and you'll need a helper before long, Jake. I mean it, these are really fantastic."

  Jenny set it back on the bench and turned to Jake. "How did you get started?"

  "Bout' four years back I was runnin' a rig 'tween Dallas and Memphis. One night this drunk was a using both lanes, didn't give me much choice. It was him or a row o' trees. Them trees wasn't real forgivin' and they took the feelin' from my waist down. C.W. kept comin' 'round kickin' me in the butt." Jake laughed. "Course I couldn't feel it bein' numb and all. Anyhow, he got me to using my hands again; brought me that torch right there. Said he could sell whatever I saw in my mind and could build with my hands. I'll be damned if he didn't do it."

  "I just saw a way to make some money off of you, Jake." Charlie was uncomfortable under a spotlight.

  "Bullshit, C.W.. Oh, sorry ma'am," Jake said, turning to Jenny. "C.W., here, kept me from checkin' out with a bottle in both hands, and I ain't a lying."

  Charlie, growing even more uncomfortable as Jake continued to talk, attempted to change the subject. "Jenny, come meet Nelly." Turning to Jake. "You still got her under the tarp?"

  "Yep. Give your lady a look at mine." Jake was pleased to show her off. Nelly was a 1912 Oldsmobile in perfect condition. "Why don't you and Jenny take her for a spin?"

  "Next time I'm passing through, Jake. You and I will cruise Main Street looking for babes. I… rather we, can't stay too long this trip, got a hot load."

  "Jake, did you restore this?" Jenny interrupted. "I've never seen one before. It belongs in a museum. Race ya for pink slips." They all laughed.

  "Yeah, that's my baby, Jenny." Jake turned his wheelchair to face Charlie. "Hey, C.W., 'fore y'all go, could ya lend me a hand with my work bench?"

  "Sure." Charlie recovered the car with the tarp. "What can I do?"

  "I fig'er if we pull that ol' saw horse over 'bout eight feet, we could lay them two by sixes side by side to extend my bench. What do ya think?"

  "I think we could do better than that. Got a skill saw?" Charlie asked, giving the work bench a once-over in his mind. "What if we make a U-shaped bench in the corner?"

  "That'd be great!" Jake's face lit up.

  "Can I help?" Jenny offered excitedly.

  They all jumped into the project. Charlie cut the boards to length and Jake transported them to Jenny who insisted on being the one to nail them into place. Jake made two trips for lemonade during the construction and two hours later they all stood back with pride.

  "I don't know how to thank y'all. Jenny, pick one of them little sculptures to take with ya," Jake offered with a grateful smile.

  "That's very kind. I had so much fun doing it, I feel like I owe you."

  "Thanks, Jenny," Charlie said. "You were a big help. I'm glad you were here."

  "Really, my pleasure. It reminded me of the time my dad and I built a dog house. Gee, I haven't thought about that in years," Jenny said with a grin. "Those were good times…" She trailed off, her grin slowly fading.

  "Jenny?" Charlie asked softly. He reached for her and turned her gently to face him, "What's wrong?"

  "I found this little stray puppy, Teddy Bear. I was six. My dad pretended to be really mad at first. He said the 'fur ball' couldn't come in the house. It seemed cruel to me, Teddy Bear out in the cold and all. So we built him a little house. All the time we were out there, Teddy Bear kept licking him, like he was saying thank you. Suddenly, my daddy rolled over in the grass with Teddy Bear all over his face and played with him for a long time." The smile returned to her face. "He never had a puppy as a child. It was wonderful to see that puppy bring out the child in him. The best part was, after that time, somehow it was okay for him to be a child sometimes. He became more of a playmate. I had one more year with him before he left for his final tour overseas." She wiped the tears from her cheeks and slid into Charlie's open arms.

  "I'm sorry. He sounds like the kind of father I'd hoped to be one day." Charlie realized his words were genuine, without hesitation, and seemed to be surfacing from somewhere deep and forgotten.

  "He was the best and I...still miss him." Jenny's arms tightened around Charlie. She slowly relaxed her hug and stepped back a little. Locked on the genuine softness she saw in Charlie's eyes. "Thank you. I'm not usually such an emotional disaster…"

  "Hey, we all need a release. Hell, if you can't cry and I'm sure as hell not supposed to, who can?"

  "You're a kind man, C.W. Caring Within, right?" She smiled at her wit but felt the honesty of her words. This man has a soft heart, she realized, and, for a moment, she could close her eyes and feel the comfort of her father's arms around her. There was a trust she couldn't explain and warmth she wouldn't chill with over analyzing it, when it felt so welcome and amazing.

  "Nah. C.W. stands for Conning Women." He laughed and turned to Jake. "We've gotta hit the road ol' buddy." Charlie looked around and saw a four-foot metal sculpture beside the door. "Is this the piece you want me to take?"

  "I calls this one Freedom. Saw me an eagle in my mind and that's what my hands did."

  Jenny looked at the sculpture and realized she mistook it for a pile of scrap metal when she saw it earlier. She looked at Charlie, curious to see his reaction. He met the puzzled look on her face and found it hard not to respond to it. He took his eyes off of Jenny and studied the sculpture as if it was a fine piece of art.

  "Sure Jake, I can see it. Your best yet I think," he said convincingly. "I really like your new stuff, though. In a different way, of course." Charlie walked a fine line hoping not to offend Jake's past efforts, but saw an opportunity to send Jenny over the edge. "Yeah, I think your new stuff shows better communication between your mind and hands."

  Though difficult, Charlie kept a straight face while building up Jake's sculpture. Jenny, on the other hand, was struggling to contain her laughter. Charlie shot her a wink that finally sent her quickly outside.

  "Thanks, C.W. I'm purdee pleased with it. I'm thinkin' yur right about them small sculptures. Not many folk 'round here sees the value of them big ones. Not like they do out west where ya sells 'em."

  Charlie carried the Freedom sculpture out and loaded it up. "The key, I think, is that the smaller sculptures appeal to more people, are less expensive and are easier to find a place to put them," Charlie said, hoping to encourage his new direction. "These large sculptures are targeted to a more specialized group."

  "Are ya thinkin', C.W., I should only be makin' the small ones?"

  "It seems like they've opened up some new markets for you. I would. See ya next trip, Jake." Charlie stood beside Jenny.

  "Jake, it was a real pleasure meeting you." Jenny bent over to hug Jake and kiss his cheek. "I think your new sculptures will really take off." She walked to her car and began to climb in. "And thank you so much for the one you gave me."

  "I'm indebted to ya both for helpin' me. God bless and see ya on the flip side." Jake waved.

  Charlie pulled out with Jenny close behind. They stopped three hours later in downtown Amarillo to top off his tanks and give Jenny a break. They walked into the truck stop diner and took the opportunity to clean up. Charlie came out first and found them a booth. When Jenny came out she looked refreshed and happy.

  "Jake is really a sweet old guy."

  "Yeah, he is," Charlie agreed smiling. "Jenny, you really look happy."

  "I feel happy. Thanks, for today and all. I really love the little house sculpture he gave me and where he's taking his art. I know I'm not an expert, but do people really buy those… other things?" she asked cautiously.

  "He thinks they do and that's what's important." Charlie handed
Jenny a menu. "What are you going to have?"

  She set the menu aside and faced him. "Wait a minute, he thinks they do? What do you do with them?"

  "Jake needed someone to hold the flashlight while his world was blacking out. He is taking off now and feeling good about himself. You said it yourself, how nice the new stuff was."

  "Are you buying them?" she asked, incredulously. "How long have you been buying them?"

  "Look, Jenny, we all find a way to give back. It has been great for me to see the change in Jake. I feel good about being part of his dream."

  "I think he was right. You saved his life as surely as if you had pulled him from a burning building." Jenny paused, still amazed, then focused on Charlie with a keen interest. "What is your dream, C.W.?"

  The waitress, a welcome distraction as far as Charlie was concerned, came over to take their order. Jenny realized she'd made him uncomfortable and sought to put him at ease. "Have you sold any of them?"

  "I tried at first, not sure that I could trust my own sense of what art was."

  "It can be a fine line," she admitted. "You must have quite a collection by now."

  "No, they usually find a home behind the warehouse in Long Beach."

  "The things he is doing now should make you both some money. I've seen similar art going for over four hundred dollars in Little Rock."

  "It's time to let him spread his wings and fly solo. I'll stop and check in on him on my runs, but he's ready and won't need as much support."

  Their lunches came and they were both so hungry that few words passed between them as they ate. She grabbed the bill when it came and paid it before Charlie had the chance. He was surprised and pleased. He didn't feel that she owed him anything, but it was refreshing to see that it was important to her. He had played the game of empty offers a million times before, always managing to pay the bill himself. When he was with a woman the rules stated that he paid, and that was fine with him. When she returned, he gave her a broad smile. "I knew I could get a meal out of you."

  "My pleasure. How much farther are we going today?"

  "I'm hoping to hit Albuquerque tonight, have you got it in ya?"

  "Lead the way. I can hardly wait to wash off this Texas dust and take a hot shower," she said with determination.

  "Yeah, I've been meaning to suggest you should." He laughed playfully. "I'm really sorry, Jenny that this is such a push for you. I wish you…we…had more time to make this run."

  "I'm grateful you're holding my hand on this trip, C.W. I wish I'd have checked the AC in the Mustang before this trip, but, all in all, I'm so grateful you're leading the way."

  "At least you can be thankful it's not August"

  Chapter 7

  Hours on the road, a once peaceful transition from his old home in the south to his new life in California was changing and Charlie found pushing Jenny out of his every thought was a battle he couldn't win. He thought how great it would be if she sat beside him, engaged in playful verbal volley of wit, or simply to look over into those wonderful eyes of hers and feel the warmth of her smile. Just to have her close enough to touch her hand. Then he would get angry with himself for letting her inside his world. He knew lust, physical passion and once thought he had the love of his life. He didn't know these new feeling. Only a day and a half, he thought, this is crazy.

  *****

  An hour out of Albuquerque, Charlie noticed the lights dim on Jenny's car. He began to slow down when they flashed and she pulled off to the side of the road behind him. By the time he was able to back up to where she had stopped; she had already lifted the hood. He grabbed a flashlight and walked back to her car and only needed a quick look under the hood to answer the mystery.

  "Lost the alternator belt. You're very lucky, an alternator is a lot more expensive and your water pump has its own belt. Any chance you have a spare in the trunk?"

  "No, it's clean. Well, was clean until I stuffed it with everything I could fit into it. Got a good spare tire though." She obviously didn't want him to think she was totally unprepared.

  "I'm not a good enough man to make a fan belt out of a tire, sorry." He couldn't resist laughing "We can go into town tonight and bring one back out tomorrow, no problem."

  "You mean leave my car here all night?" She clearly saw a problem.

  "Yeah, I doubt anyone will go out of their way to steal it."

  "It's not the car; it's all of my things inside it," she clarified.

  "How 'bout, I bring Freedom the eagle back here to guard it?" He saw this wasn't a humor wash-over issue.

  "I'm serious, C.W., I'd be a nervous wreck tonight if I left my whole life out here."

  "It's too late tonight to get a new belt, even if I could reach someone on the CB," After a moment in thought, he added, "We could get a belt run out in the morning by another trucker passing through from either direction tomorrow morning."

  "Can we have it towed to the next town?"

  "I don't know if we could get someone reasonable out tonight. If we could, it would probably run a couple hundred bucks. Doesn't make sense for a ten dollar fan belt," he said, with a frustrated look on his face.

  "You could get one brought out tomorrow, by a friend, right?" she asked leading.

  "Yeah, no problem." His curiosity was peaking.

  "How big is your sleeper?"

  "Oh, three bedrooms, two and a half baths with a family room," he said sarcastically. "It's a single full-sized bed."

  "If I promise not to take advantage of you, could it work for tonight?" Jenny's voice lighthearted. She was hoping he would see the humor but at the same time realized she felt an attraction to him. Nothing she couldn't control, she reasoned. They were, after all, two mature adults, but wasn't sure if that would help or complicate sharing a bed.

  "Well, that's half the problem solved. Do I have to make the same promise?" He was not quick enough to jump back and escape her playful swing at him. "Yes, it could work, but it's going to be cozy."

  "Cozy, I thought you were going to offer it to me and you'd sleep in my car, C.W.! Not with me, together in a full size bed. What do you think I am?" When his face registered the shock of her comment, then she smiled and added, "I'm kidding silly, only kidding." Strangely as she laughed, she realized there was no reservation in trusting him.

  "So what year is your Mustang?"

  "71, 302 Windsor V8," Jenny had proudly come back with.

  "And your knowledge about cars comes from where?" Not trying to hide his surprise.

  "When you've got it …You've got it," she replied boldly, then added, "but in my case, I'm just repeating the words that the car salesman thought would close the deal."

  Charlie turned and walked back to his rig, laughing. He reached for CB mic to contact help and set up getting the fan belt they needed. Chatting with drivers along this route for eight years had again paid off. He straightened up the sleeper as best he could. Jenny met him at the passenger door. "It's all set," he said helping her up. "RC said he'd be through about seven or so in the morning. Welcome to my palace."

  "Do any of you guys, truck drivers I mean, have real names?"

  "Nope, doesn't seem to fit somehow. Maybe," he continued after a thought, "it's too personal, hard to explain. If you're not tired I've got cards or a video."

  "I think I'll just lie down, I'm really kind of tired. Thanks though." She crawled between the seats into the sleeper.

  "Jenny, would you hand me a beer from the ice chest? Have one if you'd like."

  The beer came through the curtain and he thanked her. Seated up front, he thought about their day together. It was easy to smile. He liked having her there, liked the feeling of taking care of her. It felt good that she trusted him, a couple days away from being complete strangers. He recalled her wit and working together at Jake's, it had given him a feeling of closeness to her. He saw more than her physical image and was drawn to who she was someone very special, an openness to complete strangers and a desire to touch and be touched b
y their lives. He took a sip of his beer and wondered what thoughts were in her mind. It must have been really hard, he had imagined, for a little girl to lose her father. He felt her pain when the vision of a young mother, fighting back her own tears, tried to explain daddy wasn't coming home. He'd not fought in a war for his country, but had the highest respect for those in uniform and Jenny's shared sacrifice in her father's death in the line of duty, overwhelming. His throat had tightened making it difficult for him to breathe.

  "You didn't answer my question," he heard a soft voice from behind him.

  He took a deep breath to clear his thoughts. "What question?"

  "What's your dream?" she asked in a tone he had not heard before, in a way that penetrated defenses and promised careful handling.

  "What, just because we're sleeping together, you now have to know everything." He laughed and broke his drift into serious thought. He enjoyed her laughter, finished his beer and realized he had never met anyone like her before. His thoughts drifted. She'd been at the Branding Iron Sunday night, if he seen her there, he knew he would have approached, her physical beauty the only lure required, but he would have blocked what was most valuable about her. "Move over. I'm coming back," he warned and started back. She lifted the blanket for him and he slid in behind her.

  "Okay, then tell me what C.W. stands for?" she asked, as if in negotiations.

  "I'll tell you, but you have to remember your promise."

  "What promise?" she asked while thinking about it. Then it came to her. "You mean about taking advantage of you? I promise. What does C.W. stand for?"

  "Carnal Wizard." A smooth delivery, but it drew a playful nudge.