Watson Manor Eventually (Watson Manor Mystery Series Book 1)

by Ronald S. Craig

  Chapter 26

  Charlie and Jenny had reached Santa Ana when she saw the red Camaro and pointed it out to Charlie. He pulled alongside of them and Jenny verified it was Stefanie driving. Stefanie honked the horn and Charlie dropped back behind her. Jenny was reaching for her phone to call them when it rang. "Hello?"

  "I'm sorry, Jenny. I went crazy and needed to see my dad," Gracie said.

  "I understand Gracie. I would have probably done the same thing. We're not upset with you. We just want to get you there safely, to see your father. How are you two holding up? Need gas or to make a stop?"

  Gracie checked with Stefanie and reported back, "We're ok for now. Is my dad going to be ok?"

  "We hope so, he is in good hands. Do you still have Detective Eberhart's phone number?"

  "It's on Stef's phone log, from when she called her, why?"

  "You can call if you need her. I'm just sorry we're not getting to know you girls better, a little girl chat over the back seat of the truck," Jenny said.

  "That would've been nice. We feel better knowing you're behind us."

  "Charlie wants to stop for dinner in Santa Clarita, the other side of L.A. We can decide there if you want to spend the night or go further tonight. It's about an hour further ahead. Will that work for you two?"

  "Stef says she's good. I haven't driven her bonkers yet." Gracie managed a small laugh.

  "Charlie figured you were going to start at San Diego State next month?"

  "Yes I...hold on," Gracie turned to Stefanie to hear what she was saying. "Stef said, she got her car after she left for San Diego, so Margret doesn't know what she drives."

  "Charlie will be very pleased to hear that."

  It was past the worst part of rush hour traffic and they sailed through LA at just over 50 mph. Charlie was pleased that Jenny was still talking to Gracie as they left L.A. behind them and traffic thinned considerably.

  To be on the cautious side, Charlie wanted to make sure there wasn't any unwelcome company behind them and told Jenny to have the girls drive ahead to Santa Clarita. They would meet them at the diner in the T&A truck stop. Before disconnecting their phone call, Jenny told Gracie that she and Charlie may stop but that they are to continue on.

  "You see anything, suspicious?" Jenny asked.

  "Not yet. If there's someone back there, I don't want them to see the girls in Stefanie's car, which we now know is off their radar." He slowed slightly and was relieved that the girls continued at 65 mph and pulled further ahead. "There's a car a half a mile back maintaining our speed. I want you to watch it now that there are no trucks between us and we're in a straight section of road," Charlie asked.

  "I got them." Jenny turned in her seat to look out the rear window.

  "Are they getting closer, now that I've slowed down?"

  "Hard to say at night, but I don't think so."

  "I'm going to pull over to the shoulder and stop. Watch them closely." He pulled over and quickly came to a stop leaving his lights on with the emergency lights flashing.

  "The lights are gone Charlie."

  "I saw it also. I was still rolling to a stop when they turned their lights off. Damn, it's them. I don't know if they are closer now and can see us. I'll get out and look at the tires, like we hit something. We can only hope that they think the girls are with us." Charlie got out of the truck and took his time walking around it. When he got back in the truck he said, "Call the girls, tell them to stay in the diner until you get there. There's a slim chance they spotted us in San Diego or maybe there is another tracking device on the truck."

  "So how do we get rid of them now?"

  "With this tracking device, they won't need to get real close for fear of being spotted. We'll pull into a different gas station and you quickly slip out. Wait, until I'm gone and go meet the girls. After getting gas, I'll get back on the interstate and lead them away from you and the girls," he told her. "Watch them as I get moving."

  He waited until the road was dark a mile back, turned his signal on and moved into the lane. He drove a good half mile before he saw the head lights come back on behind them.

  "And what is plan B, where we stay together?" Jenny questioned.

  "I'm more worried about your safety, Jenny. The girls will feel better if you're with them."

  "That's not the deal, partner," Jenny said, firmly.

  "Please, Jenny. I couldn't bear the sight of something happening to you. Let me protect you and the girls."

  "You don't get it; if something happens to you I don't want to be left behind grieving. So, plan B it is. What can I do to help?"

  "OK," Charlie conceded. "Call the girls then, and tell them to check in at the Motel 6 across from the T&A truck stop, after they eat. If they don't hear from us by morning, tell them to call Detective Eberhart and drive to San Jose. Make sure they know they're safe here and to wait until morning to leave." Jenny got on the phone and told the girls the plan. Reluctantly, they promised to follow the plan this time.

  "Look under the back seat, there are some tools we may need to use as weapons. I have a gun in the semi truck, but a lot of good that does us now."

  Jenny climbed over the front seat to look for anything she could find that they could use. Charlie watched very closely as he passed the Santa Clarita off ramp, continuing north on interstate 5 to ensure the tail stayed with them.

  *****

  Margret had just hung up the phone with the new plan and called John. "So what's going on, John? It's been three hours," she asked.

  "Two hours ago we confirmed that the transmitter is on his truck."

  "No sign of Gracie's Audi?" Margret asked.

  "Just the truck, but she has to be with them."

  "Good, that'll work. Do you have a throw away, drop gun?"

  "Always."

  "Where are you now?"

  "On Interstate 5, just north of L.A."

  "There's a change in plans. They have to stop for gas or to spend the night somewhere. If they stop at a motel, don't let them check in. Taking a hostage to a motel won't seem believable. When they do stop, have your associate, Dan take them at gun point to one of the remote off ramps."

  "Hostage?" John asked.

  "Here's the way it will play out. I never met the Watsons, but received a ransom demand from them for my darling Gracie. We'll use your P.I. Agency cover. I hired you two to find her. The demand, of course, said no cops or she's dead. You found them on the road and when you tried to stop them they took the remote off ramp to get away. They stopped and had Gracie at gun point, threatened to kill her. Dan shot Jenny and you got off a shot at Charlie but before he's dead, Charlie tragically shot Gracie in the head."

  "You come up with that all by yourself?" John asked.

  "Listen, smart ass, we're covered. Just make it happen."

  "We can do that, but you have us telling the cops this sad, sad story. That's going to cost you more."

  "Make it thirty thousand, but it's critical you leave a clean scene. Get the box of Gracie's stuff I gave them, anything she packed, the faxed document, and of course, your transmitter. Your drop gun has to be used on Gracie and make sure it was fired from Charlie's dead hand for gun powder residue."

  "Heh, we're not stupid. I was thinking fifty grand, being that we're the staring actors in your little drama."

  "It's yours! Just call me when it's done." Margret told him, hanging up the phone.

  Chapter 27

  Jenny climbed back into the front seat with the lug wrench, a large crescent wrench, two large screw drivers and an emergency flare. "Where's the bazooka when you need it?" Jenny said.

  "I wish you were in Santa Clarita with the girls."

  "And let you have all the adventure?"

  "Jenny, I don't know how dangerous this can get," Charlie said seriously.

  "I have two choices; break down or deal with this the only way I know how."

  "I'm going to pull off in Gorman, for gas. Maybe we should call Detective Eberhart and fil
l her in?"

  "I can do that." She put one of the screw drivers and the flare in her purse and removed her phone.

  "Detective Eberhart."

  "Hello, this is Jenny Watson."

  "Didn't recognize the number. So what's going on there?"

  "Gracie and Stefanie are in Santa Clarita in Stefanie's car. Charlie and I are being followed again and are pulling off Interstate 5 in Gorman for gas."

  "Gorman, that's pretty remote. I don't like that. Put Charlie on, Jenny." Jenny handed the phone to Charlie and listened to him describe his truck and give her his license plate number. He told her the girls were in a new, bright red Camaro. He handed the phone back to Jenny.

  "Listen Jenny, I can alert the Highway Patrol, but their following you is not illegal or a reason to have them pulled over. We did get some information back from the lab on Constance Wentworth. Her body was badly burned in the car fire. The tissue sample they did get was only run for alcohol and drug presence. We now have a high level of carbon monoxide in her deep tissue that was induced before the fire started on impact. The car was not even a year old so it probably wasn't a faulty exhaust system. More likely, it was tampered with. It's a flag, but we can't put it in Margret's hands yet," Eberhart explained sadly.

  "Anything on Janise M. Harris?"

  "I requested the accident report and I'm still looking at her. Hey, on your tail, if you get a license plate number, I'll run it for wants and warrants. At least we'll know who they are and can look for a link to Margret. Don't do anything heroic here. Gracie and Stefanie are safe."

  "We're building a bed and breakfast, we're not street fighters," Jenny replied.

  "Remember that." Eberhart disconnecting the call.

  Charlie took the Gorman exit off of Interstate 5 and told Jenny to quickly go into the gas station's convenience store, the moment he stopped. There were no other cars around, probably because it was so remote and gas was fifty cents more a gallon there. He stopped at the pump and Jenny disappeared inside before Charlie saw the black Ford Taurus, pull in for gas across the road. He got out and started fueling the truck keeping an eye on the car. He saw someone putting gas in the car, but couldn't see if he was alone. Charlie casually raised the hood of his truck, to send a signal that everything was normal.

  "Ok, smart guy," a man said, pressing a gun into Charlie's ribs. "Where are Gracie and your wife?"

  "San Jose by now. They took a flight out after I pulled you into this goose chase."

  "Give me your phone, asshole. There's no service where you're going anyway," he laughed smugly. Charlie handed him the phone and watched the man drop it to the ground and smash it with the heel of his shoe. "One more time, tough guy, where are Gracie and your wife?"

  The other man drove the Ford Taurus across the road and parked it in front of the store. He got out and walked towards the truck. "You got this, Dan?" the driver asked.

  "Go check inside the store and look for Gracie and his wife." He turned back to Charlie. "Last chance, where are they?"

  *****

  Jenny watched from inside the store. She saw the black Ford pull in front of the store and the driver got out and walked towards Charlie. She quietly left the store and squatted down at the Ford's driver door, out of sight. Striking the road flare, she threw it inside the car then dashed back inside the store. The Ford had started to burn and when both men turned in surprise to see it, Charlie smashed his elbow into the side of the gunman's face. The gun dropped to the ground.

  "Looking for Jenny? That would be her now."

  Charlie hit him again, with all of his 220 pounds behind a right hook dropping him instantly. Charlie bent down to retrieve the gun when he felt the barrel of a gun pressed to his head.

  "Slowly, or it ends here," the driver said. "Now get those bitches out here."

  Charlie rose very slowly with the gunman's full attention on him and they walked towards the store. Flames were already visible inside the Ford. When he pushed Charlie through the store's door the gunman saw the store clerk on the phone and didn't hesitate to shoot him in the head. He pushed Charlie over to Jenny who stood completely rigid with shock.

  "You're pissing me off, where's Gracie?" he shouted. He put the gun against Jenny's head and continued, "Talk to me or watch her pretty head disappear."

  "Ok. She's not here. We'll take you to her," Charlie said.

  "Get in the truck," he told Charlie. "This gun is on her head, so nothing stupid."

  When they passed by the burning car, the gunman ripped the purse from Jenny and tossed it inside. Charlie pulled the fuel nozzle out of the truck and turned to put it back in the pump.

  "Drop it," the gunman said. "In the truck now."

  He took Jenny over to check on his partner. There was no pulse, a large amount of blood was pooling around his head where it had struck the raised curb around the gas pumps. "You're going to pay dearly for killing him! Pull away from the pumps."

  Charlie started the truck and pulled forward twenty feet. The gunman went over to the fuel nozzle and sprayed gas all over the pumps with a trail out towards Charlie's truck. He left the nozzle flowing then opened the truck's rear door and pushed Jenny inside. He dropped a burning lighter on the trail of gas as he jumped into the truck beside Jenny. "Drive!" he shouted.

  By the time they'd reached the road, the island was completely engulfed in flames. A massive explosion quickly followed, sending a huge fire ball into the sky as they got to the southbound ramp and onto the Interstate. Jenny was sitting behind Charlie in the back seat with the gunman beside her, gun ready. She was physically shaking with hatred. "You're an animal. That clerk was no threat to you," she said.

  "It's a real shame that you and Jack Bauer, here, won't be around to read the story about me and my associate catching up with you two kidnappers to save poor little Gracie. In an attempt to get away you shot the clerk, beat my associate to death, and then set fire to that gas station."

  Charlie had slowly pulled the tire iron across the front seat where Jenny had left it.

  "It was a real tragedy," the gunman continued, "that I didn't shoot you before you put a bullet through Gracie's pretty head. Slim ball that you are, using Gracie for cover when I caught up with you. Or maybe, I'll say that your little wife, here, had me and Gracie in the back seat at gun point. When I was taking the gun away from her she shot Gracie. Yeah, that could work. Either way I'm the hero that got you two despicable characters."

  The gunman's phone rang. "Yeah." After listening a moment, he said, "Just me now…Got it. Where again?" Then he slid his phone into his pocket.

  Charlie took the Santa Clarita exit, drove about a mile to the Motor Lodge and pulled into the parking lot.

  "Nice try, tough guy," the gunman said. "Now let's go to the Motel 6, where Stefanie said they were."

  "She's in on this too?" Jenny shouted.

  "A hard sell, that one. Didn't want money, but when it was explained how her mother could have an accident just like Gracie's mother, she came around."

  Charlie turned the truck around and headed to the parking lot's exit. As he approached the street he tightened his grip on the tire iron and slammed on the brakes. When the gunman's head lashed forward, Charlie's hand swung back, the tire iron meeting the gunman's head with a bone-breaking crack. Charlie put the truck in park then leaped over the seat to finish the job, if needed, though it wasn't. The indentation left by the tire iron across the man's forehead told Charlie he was no longer a threat.

  Charlie reached the rear door handle and shoved the man out the door. He turned to Jenny. "Are you ok?"

  "What happened?" she asked, still dazed from being thrown forward into the back of the front seat.

  "I just didn't like this guy anymore."

  "I was so terrified. We've got to get to the girls, Charlie."

  Charlie saw the gun sitting on the rear seat and left it there, not wanting to have to explain his finger prints on it. He pulled a couple of tie down straps out from under the rear seat a
nd wrapped one around the gunman's arms and waist, the other around his ankles, and then threw him in the back of the truck. He found Jenny was already in the front seat when he got back in the driver's side. "I'll drop you off, at the motel, make sure everything is ok. Then I'm taking this bastard to the police. Use the girl's phone to call Eberhart."

  "I pray they're alright."

  He pulled into the Motel 6 parking lot and didn't see the red Camaro out front. "Smart girls they parked out back," he said, driving behind the motel. When that didn't produce any better results he parked in front of the office and they both went inside.

  The desk clerk informed them that the girls had checked in, but he thought he saw the red Camaro leave about 20 minutes ago.

  "We need to see the room," Jenny demanded.

  "The girls are in danger," Charlie explained. "We need to see if they're hurt inside."

  The clerk called the room and there was no answer. "I can only knock on the door sir; I can't go inside until after check out tomorrow."

  "You have two choices, you open that door or I'll kick it down," Charlie said.

  "I'm calling the police," he said.

  "Please do. That was going to be our second request. But right now we need to decide who opens that door."

  "Please. We need to make sure they're not hurt inside," Jenny said.

  The clerk grabbed a pass key and led them to room 23. The room was on the back side of the motel and on the far end from the office. He knocked, announced who he was and got no answer. When he opened the door, Jenny pushed past him and looked everywhere. "They're gone Charlie. They took their bags and everything." She rushed out of the bathroom.

  Charlie turned to the clerk and said, "Thank you. Now please call the police."

  They pulled the door closed. The clerk went back toward the office. They found a bench outside of the room and collapsed on it.

  "We need to tell Detective Eberhart." Charlie said.