Watson Manor Eventually (Watson Manor Mystery Series Book 1)

by Ronald S. Craig

  "Yes, in a minute, please. I just heard someone pull in. We'll have a lot to tell the police when they find us here."

  "I was thinking, maybe we won't replace your phone," Charlie said.

  "Oh this is my fault, because Margret called my phone?"

  They heard a car drive off and Charlie said, "I guess that wasn't them. We can catch our breath a moment."

  They sat there about ten more minutes and then walked back to the office to talk to the police. When they only saw Charlie's truck out front they went directly into the office.

  "Did you call the police?" Jenny asked.

  "Yeah, they're on their way."

  "Do you have a phone we can use?" Charlie asked. The clerk pointed to the back corner where a public phone hung on the wall. They walked back and called the San Jose Police Department and asked for Detective Eberhart. When connected, his call went to voicemail.

  "The girls have to be headed your way. They are less than an hour north of Santa Clarita in the red Camaro. We were told Stefanie's mother was threatened. Our phones were destroyed, but you can call the girls. I think after we talk to the police, Jenny and I will spend the night here and drive up in the morning." Charlie hung up the phone.

  The police officer was walking through the door as Charlie and Jenny walked back up to the front desk.

  "Is there a problem here?" the officer asked.

  "It's a long story, but the guy in the back of my truck shot the clerk and set fire to the Shell Station in Gorman. He may need medical attention," Charlie said.

  "I'm Officer Winston, and you are?"

  "I'm Charlie Watson, and this is my wife, Jenny."

  Winston noted the information. "The Gorman fire…let's have a look in your truck."

  He held the door for Charlie then followed him to the truck.

  Charlie noticed the tail gate was down and ran to look over the side of the truck bed. "Damn, where the hell is he?" Charlie found one of the tie down straps in the truck bed and the other on the ground behind the truck. "There's no way he got himself out of these," Charlie told Winston, holding up one of the straps. He quickly ran to the rear door and opened it. Seeing the gun on the floor he turned and said, "See, here is his gun."

  "Step away from the truck, Mr. Watson," Winston said sternly, then retrieved his radio to call for assistance.

  "But you have it all wrong…"

  "We'll sort this out at the station." He opened the rear door of the police car and continued, "For now, I want you to wait in the back of my car."

  "What's going on?" Jenny said running out from the office.

  "Ma'am, until we get this sorted out, please wait in my car." Jenny didn't budge looking to Charlie for answers.

  "He's gone, Jenny, but not without someone's help."

  "Margret?" Jenny asked.

  "Please wait in the car; it's just standard procedure," Winston said.

  "Just call Detective Nicole Eberhart at the San Jose Police Department. She'll explain this," Charlie said.

  "There's a detective in route. He'll take your statement. Now, I insist you wait in my car."

  Jenny slid into the rear seat and Charlie followed her. Within five minutes, another patrol car and an unmarked car pulled into the parking lot. They watched the detective search the truck and place the gun, tire iron and straps into evidence bags.

  "They think we did this," Jenny said.

  "When they run the prints on the gun it'll clear this up. Thank God, I never touched it."

  "I did," Jenny said.

  "When did you touch the gun?"

  "It was on the rear seat. When you were putting him in the back of the truck, I threw it on the floor."

  Winston got into the driver's seat and without a word drove them to the police station. They were met at the station by two officers that directed them through a metal detector then took them for finger prints.

  "Are we under arrest?" Jenny asked.

  "No ma'am. There was a gun recently fired and a tire iron with blood on it. So we need to eliminate your prints from those found on the weapons."

  "But…" she started.

  "You can give your statement later," the officer interrupted.

  "Will you please just call Detective... " Charlie began to say.

  "Sir, hold your comments for the formal statement."

  Jenny and Charlie were separated and taken to different rooms for their statements. An hour passed before the door opened and a detective sat down across from Charlie.

  "I'm Detective Morales. We found two sets of prints on the tire iron; yours and your wife's, along with blood and hair."

  "I hit the man in the head with it. He had my wife at gun point in the back seat."

  "That would be the man, who magically disappeared?" Morales asked.

  "Yes, the man who shot the clerk at the gas station in Gorman before taking us hostage and setting the station on fire. Will you please call Detective Eberhart at the San Jose Police Department?"

  "Funny thing about the gun, we have your wife's prints on it. I'm sure we'll get a ballistics match soon from the coroner.

  "You've also got the gunman's prints on that gun. Jenny only pushed it off the seat after I hit him."

  "And these two girls," Morales said, ignoring Charlie's comment and checking his notes, "Stefanie King and Gracie Wentworth; where are they?"

  "They're heading towards San Jose and are probably in danger."

  "We have their license plate number from the Motel 6 check in and have an APB out, as they are possible material witnesses."

  "Did the clerk at the motel see anyone around my truck?"

  "I'll ask the questions, Mr. Watson. Why don't you start at the beginning and take me through this fable?"

  Charlie wanted to hit the arrogant ass but took a minute to calm down before starting with their initial contact with Margret Wentworth. He had gotten to the point where he had realized they were still being followed just south of Santa Clarita.

  "Hold that thought, I'll be right back." Morales stood up and left the room. After 20 minutes the detective returned. "Mr. Watson, please continue with your statement."

  Charlie sensed a major change in the detective's demeanor and continued with his statement. When he was done he asked, "You spoke with Detective Eberhart, didn't you?"

  "Yes, sir, I did. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding here. The prints on the gun belong to John Ellis of, Ellis and Associates Private Investigators in San Jose. A warrant is out for his arrest. We've not been able to identify the other man at the Shell station as of yet, but we believe it's his partner, Dan Wilcox."

  "Is there any word on Gracie and Stefanie?" Charlie asked.

  "Yes, the Highway Patrol is escorting them to San Jose. You're free to go, Mr. Watson. We'll take you and Mrs. Watson to your truck."

  Jenny was waiting for him, and ran into his arms as soon as she saw him walk through the interrogation room door. They held each other in silence for awhile.

  "I can take you to your truck now, if you're ready," Officer Winston said.

  "Please. Did the Motel 6 clerk see anyone around my truck?"

  "He indicated seeing a woman running around from the passenger side to the driver's side of a late model, white, full size Ford. Then she took off in a hurry," Morales answered from behind him.

  Chapter 28

  Officer Winston's police car pulled next to Charlie's truck and the officer said, "Mr. and Mrs. Watson we're sorry for the confusion here." He jumped out and opened the rear doors of his car.

  "We understand," Jenny said, as they got out and walked to the truck. "I just want to be home, Charlie and not see that young store clerk get shot every time I close my eyes."

  "We don't have to stay here tonight. I'll take you home, Jenny."

  "I know it's late and you're as beat as I am, if you want to stay the night here…"

  "No that’s ok. I do want to eat first, a drive through is fine, but I used to drive for a living you might recall."


  "Seems like years ago right now."

  Jenny was fast asleep after 30 minutes on the road home to Marina. Charlie had suggested she stretch out in the back seat but Jenny traded being closer to him over comfort and reminded him it hadn't been that much fun the last time she was back there. It was after four in the morning when Charlie parked the truck next to the mobile home in Marina. Everything was just as they had left it. They passed quickly through the bathroom and fell into bed.

  Jenny was up at 9:30, had gotten dressed, and left him a note saying she had driven into town. When she returned he was still asleep so she got the coffee going and called Detective Eberhart on the replacement phones she had just purchased. She heard the shower at 11:30 and waited to update him on what she had learned.

  He walked out in a pair of jeans, grabbed a cup of coffee and sat across from her. "I had the strangest dream last night," he said.

  "I wish it had been a dream." She handed him his new phone. "Same number. I didn't go into detail with them on how we both lost our phones. I also called Detective Eberhart this morning."

  "Are the girls ok?"

  "Yes, the Highway Patrol escorted them to Stefanie's home where they have police protection."

  "What about, Margret and her friend?"

  "John Ellis was picked up in route to the San Jose Airport last night, Detective Eberhart told me. He is taking a deal and burying Margret, that's all I know."

  "And our star, the wicked step mother?"

  "Actually, when I called Detective Eberhart, she was at Margret's house with a search warrant. No sign of her, but the arrest warrant is in place. Her computer is gone, but they found a vial of something in the refrigerator, that had fallen behind a shelf. They rushed it to Mountain View for review."

  "Do we know why, the girls ran from the Motel 6?" he asked, sipping his coffee.

  "Stefanie told Gracie about the threat Margret made against her mother, and that Margret knew where they were. Gracie tried calling us and got our voice mail. She was smart enough to call Detective Eberhart and she told them to get on Interstate 5 headed north right away."

  "What a blessing they had Stefanie's car," Charlie said.

  "He works in mysterious ways. I would like to go see the girls after lunch."

  "Do you know how to handle a pistol?"

  "No gun. Don't get me a gun," she said firmly.

  "Jenny, I'm not asking you to carry a gun in your purse. I have a pistol in the semi truck that I want closer at hand until they find Margret."

  "I'll never take a life."

  "I'm not saying we hunt her down. I'm saying if she comes at you with a gun intending to kill you, its self-defense, Jenny."

  "Self-defense is a legal term. Life and death is in God's hands, not mine."

  "Are you telling me, that if a gun had been in your hand, you wouldn't have shot that bastard in the store?"

  "I've never felt more rage and hatred in my life for someone than when he shot that young clerk. If I had a gun in my hand, I might point it at him and tell him to drop his, but I'd never, never pull the trigger and kill someone."

  "OK, I think, I need to stay close to you for a while. I'm not letting anything take you from me."

  "I hope that's not the only reason you want to be close to me?"

  "You've become my world, Jenny. When I think of how close a man holding a gun on you almost took it all away..." Charlie couldn't finish his thought. Jenny moved around the table and slid into his embrace. She knew the real meaning in his words as they were her words also. She hoped his arms would pull the fear and horror of yesterday from her as she broke down and cried.

  "I was so afraid," she managed between tearful releases. She felt his arms pull her closer and began to relax in the shield they gave promise to. She channeled all of those emotions into a passionate kiss.

  *****

  Charlie and Jenny were please to see the police presence outside of Stefanie's home when they arrived. Charlie knocked on the door and was greeted by Mrs. King.

  "Hello you must be the Watsons?"

  "Hello Mrs. King. I'm Jenny and this is my husband Charlie."

  "Call me Karen. Please come in. I'm indebted to you two for my daughter and Gracie. Can you forgive my rudeness on the phone when you called?"

  "Of course, we're just so happy they're safe now," Jenny replied.

  When they walked through the entry, Gracie ran to them saying, "I'm so glad to see you. We heard from Detective Eberhart this morning about what happened down there."

  "That's good," Charlie said, "because we don't want to relive it by telling the story." Then he smiled to tell them he was at least partly kidding.

  Jenny turned and saw Stefanie standing in the hallway. Jenny stepped away from Gracie, put her arms out and said, "Over here young lady."

  Relief filled Stefanie's face and she quickly moved across the room and accepted the hug. "I'm so sorry…" Stefanie started to say.

  "None of that," Jenny cut her off. "We've all been under a lot of pressure, caused by one person, and that isn't you. We know you tried to call us."

  "Gracie, is there any news on your father?" Charlie asked.

  "Please sit down," Karen said. "Charlie, Jenny can I get you something to eat or drink?"

  "We had lunch on the way up, thanks Karen," Charlie said, while sitting down on the couch next to Jenny.

  "I spoke to Dr. Hunt, Rosalyne, just before you arrived," Gracie started, adding a smile. "She reminded me that we had spoken earlier."

  Jenny laughed. "Sorry about that. They thought, I was you and I didn't correct them."

  "Anyway, she said they were concerned after Detective Eberhart's first visit and they replaced my father's IV bag immediately. The lab found the same stuff in it that Margret had in her refrigerator. They've sent it out to find out what it is and see if there is something to fight it. But, Rosalyne said my father is already getting stronger."

  "Let's pray for an antidote," Jenny said. "Have you seen him yet?"

  "We're going there tonight. Detective Eberhart is picking us up."

  "I guess with the monster still on the loose, she doesn't want to take any risks," Charlie said.

  "I hope they find her soon. I don't want to go back to, San Diego while she's still out there," Stefanie said.

  "Well, I'm sure your mom is glad you're home for Christmas. Then there's a week after that before school starts," Jenny offered.

  "You've got that right, Jenny. Stefanie wouldn't tell us why she wasn't coming home for Christmas. We didn't even know they were together."

  "I've always been afraid of Margret; didn't want her to know where I was," Gracie said apologetically.

  "We don't find that too hard to understand," Charlie said, "and we just met her."

  "Gracie, please keep us informed on how your father is doing. You can always call us if you need anything," Jenny said.

  "I will, and thank you so much."

  "We're going to see Detective Eberhart and then Charlie and I will get caught up on our Christmas shopping."

  "I'm sure they'll locate her soon. Then you all…I mean we all…can relax and get on with our lives," Charlie said.

  They all walked to the door and exchanged hugs and goodbyes. Getting into the truck, Jenny said, "Now there is love in that house. I saw pictures everywhere."

  "Fourteen, but I really didn't notice."

  "I still don't like the gun under your seat," Jenny said, changing the subject.

  "That's for me. You're better suited with what's under your seat." Charlie watched the puzzled look on her face, she searched under her seat and pulled out an emergency flare. "I know you can handle one of those."

  "Very funny, mister," she said, putting it back under her seat.

  They were led back to Detective Eberhart's office by the desk sergeant at the San Jose Police Department. Detective Eberhart rose from her desk when they walked into her office. "Jenny," she said, offering a hug that Jenny accepted. She turned to Charlie and shook his
hand. "Charlie I'm so relieved to see you both."

  "Detective, we…" Jenny started to say.

  "First off, I'm Nicole to you both."

  "Ok, Nicole, we want to thank you for listening to our concerns and taking action."

  "I've learned that when Charlie has a hunch, pay attention." She paused a moment then added, "and put in for overtime."

  "You saved some lives here, Nicole," Charlie said.

  "We, Charlie, we saved some lives."

  "Are there anymore associates from Ellis Investigations we need to watch out for, or just Margret?" Charlie asked.

  "It was a two man shop. We're holding one, and you retired the other. Margret, as CFO of Wentworth Software, has been embezzling money from the company for over a year. The FBI is trying to trace the banks she used."

  "So, no ideas where she is?" Jenny asked.

  "Not yet. Her passport is flagged and all airport security check points have her picture."

  "How about Janise M. Harris? She might still have that passport," Charlie said.

  "And there was Margret Stanford before that. One very busy woman," Nicole said.

  "You said Ellis is taking a deal and is helping?" Jenny asked.

  "They started working for her in Boise. They were involved with the murder of Mr. Harris and his son, Gregory."

  "Constance Wentworth as well?" Charlie asked.

  "Yes. They installed a small aluminum tube from the auto exhaust through the floor board. The car slowly filled with carbon monoxide putting her to sleep on her drive home. They didn't know what she would hit, so they rigged the car to catch fire on impact which melted the aluminum tube."

  "Tell me honestly, do you think she is a threat to us," Jenny asked.

  "She has money. Between the Harris Estate and what she embezzled from Wentworth, I'm thinking four or five million. She's probably out of the country and we'll never see her again. The warrant reads, 'armed and dangerous'. I encourage you two, for your own safety, to go home and let us take it from here. We have no intension of slowing down our search."

  "Thanks, we have no problem letting you run with it," Charlie said.

  Jenny, in an attempt to hide her concern said with a weak smile, "Oh, Charlie and I were planning to go to, Hawaii anyway, for a little while, maybe six or seven months."