Watson Manor Eventually (Watson Manor Mystery Series Book 1)

by Ronald S. Craig

  "Gray Honda or white Nissan, explain the friggin' difference?" She attempted to keep a straight face, but they burst into laughter and, after exchanging high-fives, were on the road headed back towards San Diego.

  Chapter 22

  Most low rent student apartments had open car ports instead of garages, which sped up Charlie and Jenny's search for the two very distinctive cars. They also discovered there were a lot of low rent student apartments around the university. It was after six and getting darker so they drove to The Break Time in hopes of catching a lead. They realized there was no hope of fitting in as it was a college pub in the front end and had a back room with a band playing. They scanned the bar and tables which seemed to be an older crowd without any luck.

  "I think the band in the back room might draw the younger crowd," Charlie suggested.

  "Worth a shot." They headed toward the back where the band was playing.

  "This place is packed," Charlie said. "But it is Christmas break after all and there's no class tomorrow."

  "I've been thinking about Christmas break and why Stefanie is not at home. The only thing that makes sense is that Gracie is here also."

  "There's the possibility that Stefanie found a boyfriend." They walked through the room trying not to draw too much attention. Jenny gasped when Charlie suddenly grabbed her arm. "We have to go, now!" He led her quickly out of the club.

  "What's going on, Charlie?" she demanded as they crossed the street.

  "I saw the guys we talked to on campus. I'm concerned that seeing us again they might spread the word around and spook the girls. We need to be ready with more than the story Margret gave us."

  "We're here to tell her about her father and the trust fund," she said.

  "I think we're here to help Gracie sort through this mess. I have more questions than answers. I think with her father close to dying this trust fund Margret is presenting is a little shady."

  "You're probably right. I didn't trust her when she told us she remodeled Gracie's room. That's not something a loving parent does."

  "I didn't trust her when she hired us to find Gracie, period. I guess she figured we wouldn't ask the wrong questions or have the contacts that professional agencies have to question her motives."

  They walked to the car through the parking lot looking for either Gracie's or Stephanie's car. When they arrived at their rental car they and got in.

  "I was wondering, why didn't Gracie know about the trust fund?" Jenny asked him.

  "Maybe, it didn't exist until James was sick. Possibly an attempt to have Gracie release her interest in her father's company and assets."

  "You think it looks like its releasing funds for college, but it's a buy out?"

  "We need to get some answers, let's find out who Margret is," he said.

  "In the morning we can do some research. Tonight we should continue to search for the girl's cars while we're clear of whomever was following us."

  "Makes sense. You're not just another pretty face, Jenny." He kissed her.

  Charlie started the car and drove back to the apartment complexes close to the college. They searched a couple of hours and it was about 8:00 p.m. when Jenny crossed another complex off her list.

  "Let's take a look at the Sizzler parking lots, they close around 9:00, I think. It bothers me that no one has seen Gracie on campus," Jenny said.

  "If she left home in a hurry back in July, maybe it was too late to get an application into the school for the fall quarter."

  "If Stefanie was already set up here, then this is where Gracie would want to go to school," Jenny said.

  "I get that, but if they always talked about going to college together, why wouldn't she have sent in her application during her senior year?"

  "Maybe she did, but to a different college. We've heard more than once that she didn't want to be found by Margret"

  "That could be it. I'd sure like to talk to Gracie."

  They found a white Audi in the third Sizzler parking lot they drove through. It was parked way in the back, where the employees are supposed to park they figured.

  "What do we do? I really want to go in and see if it's her," Jenny said excitedly.

  "It's almost 9:00, I think we should wait and see who comes out. I don't want to spook her. We'll know soon enough if it's her."

  "I know. It's just driving me crazy, and no comment from you that it would be a short drive."

  "I'd never say that," Charlie said, acting insulted. "I'd have said that trip was over." He laughed as Jenny gave him one of her playful slaps to his arm.

  The lights dimmed inside at 9:15 and one wave of employees left the restaurant and went to their cars. It wasn't until 9:45 that Jenny spotted her. "There she is."

  "Let's hope she drives home," he said as Gracie got into the Audi.

  "It'd be great if we had one of those tracking devices we could put on her car," Jenny said excitedly as they followed Gracie out of the parking lot.

  "Need I remind you, detective, we're not in this business?"

  "I just got a little confused by being on a stake out, trailing our quarry and doing that hide-and-seek thing at the airport," she said, smiling.

  They followed Gracie into an older neighborhood of small houses with single car garages that were probably built in the fifties. Charlie stayed back as far as he could without losing her. When he turned the corner he almost missed the Audi turn left into a driveway halfway down the block. He shut off his lights, pulled to the curb and waited until Gracie had gone into the house.

  "Now we know where she is and need to find out why," Jenny said softly. They waited fifteen minutes before risking a drive past the front of the house. Charlie was about to start the car when Jenny grabbed his arm. "Wait, let's take a walk past the house from this side of the street. Less suspicious than a slow drive-by and, if we're seen, we can always walk around the block."

  "Good idea. We'll get a better look that way." Charlie got out of the car and Jenny met him on the sidewalk. Hand-in-hand they strolled casually down the block. There was a large hedge between the houses that blocked their view until they were across the street from the house. The lights were on in the house, but drapes were pulled across the front window. Charlie paused briefly to see if there was another car in the driveway, but there wasn't.

  "25673 Candlewood," he said, as they walked past the house. Doubling back after walking past a few more houses down the block, didn't yield any new information. When they reached the car, Charlie returned Jenny's broad grin of success.

  They drove back to the motel and parked on the back-side, away from Harbor Blvd, pleased that they hadn't seen the Ford Taurus that followed them before. Quickly they entered their new room and Jenny headed directly to the bathroom. Charlie sat at the small table and was going through his notes when he heard the shower. He wanted to join her, but started writing down the questions they would seek answers to in the morning. It seemed that every question he came up with triggered two more. When he heard the shower shut off, he sat back to review his list. Jenny came out with a bath towel wrapped around her body and another around her head. "Your turn," she announced.

  "Did you leave me a towel?"

  "I think there are two hand towels left. Oh, and a couple wash cloths, I'm sure of."

  "Thanks; you're all heart. Jenny, look over my list as I search for some soap." He got up and took his turn in the shower. When he was done and opened the door he saw Jenny at the table working on the list of questions.

  Jenny looked up and gasped when she saw him. "Oh my God." She jumped out of her seat and went over for a closer look at him. She slowly let her hand explored his face that lacked the beard and mustache he went in with. To Charlie's relief, an approving smile crossed her face. She let the towel drop to the floor and said with urgency, "Hurry, before my husband comes back!"

  She pulled him to the bed with excited anticipation. Later, when their breathing returned to a slow and steady rate, she rolled out of his arms and turne
d on the bedside lamp. She studied his face for a long time. His expression alternated between a smile and look of concern until she smiled broadly. "I like it. I like it a lot, Charlie. I think you're taking this undercover investigation thing a little too far maybe, but..."

  She was cut off when he grabbed her and pulled her into a distracting passionate kiss. "Speaking of undercover work..." he said, as their heart rates rapidly shot through the roof again.

  Chapter 23

  Charlie and Jenny skipped breakfast Monday morning and were seated in front of a computer at the Campus Internet Cafe moments after it opened. They hadn't found anything more recent on James Wentworth but scrolled back through articles looking for anything on Margret. Jenny found an announcement about their wedding in June of 1994. Her name had been Harris before. The article mentioned she was from Boise, Idaho and moved to San Jose in March of 1993 when she accepted a position at Wentworth Software.

  Jenny searched for Margret Harris in Idaho and little was available. She scrolled down through the items and on the second page found something that caught her eye. It was an obituary dated October 18th, 1992, for a Franklin Harris, survived by his wife Janise M. Harris. She opened the article.

  "Look at this, Charlie."

  Charlie was beside her on a different computer. He was searching for information and noting anything he could find on the hospice where James was or his illness. He leaned over to Jenny. "What've you got?"

  "If this is her, Harris wasn't her maiden name," she answered reading the article. "It says Franklin Harris and his son Gregory Harris, age 15, were buried side-by-side in Our Lady Cemetery following a climbing accident. You take Franklin Harris and I'll go after Janise M." She turned back to her computer.

  It didn't take long to learn that Franklin Harris was the owner of four McDonald's restaurant franchises in Boise.

  "Here it is, Jenny," he announced, reading to her about the accident. "They were both experienced mountain climbers and were discovered by a park ranger at the base of Devil's Face in Northern Idaho on October 12th. It indicates that their equipment failed, causing them to fall 150 feet."

  "Wow, that's horrible." Jenny turned back to her screen and after a few moments turned to Charlie and asked," You want to take a guess what the M, in Janise M, stands for?"

  "Ok, it may sound wild and out there, but Margret?" Charlie locked eyes with Jenny.

  "Right. Did you find anything more on James' illness or where the hospice is?"

  "It's a place called Mountain View in San Jose. Everything I've read indicates that the medical staff involved is very puzzled. We need to call them, maybe learn something. I want to talk to the park ranger, at Devil's Face in Idaho too and see if anything looked suspicious when they found Franklin and Gregory Harris."

  "I'll call Mountain View and you call the ranger," Jenny suggested. She called information on her phone and was quickly connected.

  "Mountain View, how may I direct your call?"

  "Hello. I'm calling on behalf of Gracie Wentworth. Her father, James Wentworth, is in your facility and I was hoping to speak to his doctor," Jenny said.

  "I'll connect you to the third floor nurse's station." Following a short delay her call was forwarded.

  "Hello Miss Wentworth, I'm Betty the head nurse. We've not had the pleasure of meeting you here."

  Jenny figured she would go along with the misunderstanding. "Please call me Gracie. I'm away at school and trying to get home soon. How's my father doing?"

  "Gracie, I'm sorry. We can't release that information over the phone without verification."

  Jenny pulled her notes from her purse, searching for anything specific she could give the nurse. "Please Betty, my stepmother and I don't get along. I just heard about my father's condition. I'm his only child; surely I'm listed as relation. We live at 13824 Pine Crest, in San Jose. Please, I'm so frightened for my father."

  "Ok, dear, I didn't want to upset you, the rules. I'm pleased to say, he has stopped declining, but we still don't know what happened to trigger this. He's still in a comatose state, I'm sorry to say."

  "May I speak to his doctor?"

  "Certainly. Doctor Hunt is on duty today. I'll page her for you."

  "Oh. Betty…does my step mom Margret come in to see him?"

  "Yes; rest assured, he is cared for. She comes in every other day, like clockwork," Betty told her.

  "I'm sorry to bother you, but does she read to him or just talk to him?"

  "Actually, she was here earlier today. She doesn't usually stay very long each time. Can I page Doctor Hunt for you?"

  "Yes, please, and thank you Betty, I hope to meet you soon."

  "My pleasure, dear. I'm real sorry about your father. Keep him in your prayers," Betty said as she transferred Jenny's call.

  "Doctor Rosalyne Hunt."

  "Hello Doctor, I'm calling about my father, James Wentworth. I'm away at school in San Diego and will be home soon. What is your best guess here?"

  "Miss Wentworth, we've never seen anything like this. It's some kind of a blood disorder. We've had a specialist in and he is studying this case and monitoring the blood work daily. It's cyclic. Last night his white blood cell count was up, vitals getting stronger and, boom, I just looked at his monitors 10 minutes ago and he is back down again."

  "Call me, Gracie. Is it a virus? Was he bitten by something? Did he eat something contaminated?"

  "Rosalyne, please. Gracie, it's like the reaction to venom from a snake bite, but there are no marks on him and he should have recovered by this point. We're doing everything we can for him."

  "Thank you, Rosalyne, I know you are. I'll see you soon," Jenny said disconnecting the call. She looked over at Charlie, who was still talking to the park ranger in Idaho. She turned back to her computer and typed "Connie Wentworth, San Jose, California" into the search engine. She opened an article dated May 18, 1993:

  "Constance Wentworth died in a single car accident on May 17th. The police report indicated she fell asleep at the wheel while returning home late from a conference in San Francisco. Witnesses say they slowed down behind her, when they noticed her car crossing lanes as the road curved to the left. The car came to rest against a concrete retaining wall and caught fire on impact from the ruptured fuel tank."

  She printed the report and handed it to Charlie to read. He was off the phone and took the printed sheet.

  When he finished reading it he looked at her with concern. "Can you even imagine what that car looked like? It'd have been impossible to get any evidence of foul play from that wreckage." He set the sheet down and continued, "It took a while to get a hold of the ranger that found the father and son, but he knew Franklin Harris and his son; said they climbed Devil's Face several times a year."

  The ranger told Charlie that there were very few climbers around in October, so when they were found early in the morning, he assumed they had been there all night. After surveying their gear, the ranger found it to be in great shape, with new anchors that had been set properly. The rope was in good condition, except for one, two-foot section that had apparently been dragged back and forth across a sharp edge in the wall, until it snapped.

  "I asked the ranger, if the rope appeared to be cut, Charlie continued, "but he said that would only be possible if another person was up there with them. Now get this, Jenny; when I asked him how a person got back down, once at the top, he said most climbers rappel down. But, in the prime season, the park has a shuttle van at the top of the climb. That means there's vehicle access to the top of Devils Face."

  "You think they were put in their climbing gear by someone who frayed the rope to make it look like an accident?" Jenny asked. After a moment's thought she added, "That doesn't fit; the ranger told you they had anchors in the wall, so they had to have climbed up."

  "You're right. Maybe, they finished their climb at, say, dusk and were met and overpowered on top by someone who frayed the rope and forced them over the edge."

  "I'm beginning to think
Margret is capable of anything, a real black widow. Could she be dosing James with something to keep him comatose until she gets Gracie to sign the release? Rosalyne, his doctor told me his condition was cyclical, up and down. Margret, visits him every other day, but doesn't stay long."

  "Margret thinks we're in Arizona. Either, she is followed by a very tragic black cloud, or as we suspect, is a monster. We need to have her send this trust release form to us there. We'll tell her that we found Gracie at Arizona State University. Then, get it sent to us here. We still don't have anything to support what we think she's up to," he said.

  "If you think, Gracie is in danger now, we need to get her."

  "I think, Margret is not going to do anything until, we get this release either signed or rejected by Gracie. You think, Margret is poisoning James right?"

  "Yes, she was there today and will back on Wednesday."

  "Without seeing, James Wentworth's will, I don't know how important this release is, but Gracie at 18, has got to be a major beneficiary, which puts her in danger. And, if you're right about her poisoning James, he's already in danger," Charlie concluded.

  Charlie went back to his computer and found a University Kinko's in Phoenix and wrote the information down. Then he searched for a branch in San Diego, and noted that information as well. He called the Phoenix Kinko's and explained that a fax would be sent to that location and they would needed it forwarded it to the San Diego office. He was told it wouldn't be a problem.

  "Ok, we can have the release sent to Phoenix and forwarded to us here. Using my cell phone, Margret won't know we aren't in Phoenix and we'll have the document in hand. It might buy us a few days and enough to have the police waiting in the hospice to check Margret's purse on Wednesday."