"No Jenny, nothing there, but her car was just located," Chief Walker said.
Chapter 3
"Charlie, take Highway 1 North toward Moss Landing. They found Rosalyne's car."
Charlie made an abrupt U-turn and drove toward the highway. They pulled in behind Chief Walker's SUV twenty minutes later. Charlie and Jenny walked to the dark blue Buick that was pulled way off the shoulder, almost hidden by the surrounding trees. A spare tire and jack were on the ground beside the right rear flat tire, out of view from the road.
"Hello Chief. Thanks for the invitation," Jenny said as they approached the back of the car.
Charlie pulled out his phone and checked it. "No reception bars here to call for help."
"It appears she started to change the flat…" Walker said. "I have Edwards dusting for prints."
"Anything in the car?" Jenny asked.
"No, she might have accepted a ride and took her purse and computer case with her, but the driver's door wasn't locked."
"That’s not right, I can see taking her things, but leaving the door unlocked sounds more forced," Jenny offered.
"Car keys?" Charlie asked.
"Not found around the car. I searched this area and didn't see anything beyond the trash that accumulates here."
The graveled area they were in, off the paved road and shoulder, was formed by foothills coming together leaving a dirt road between them just large enough for a single car to pass. Charlie walked over to the opening and saw the high voltage power lines running between towers and figured the road was for utility access. He walked back to the Buick and squatted down by the flat tire. "Hey Chief, this is strange."
"I noticed the smooth tire track leading here also, Charlie."
Jenny walked over and joined them at the rear tire. "What's strange?"
"The tire was fully inflated to this point then flattened. There is no damage to the tire sidewall caused by driving on a flat tire," Charlie said. "She was either forced off the road here or was meeting someone here."
"So the flat tire and spare on the ground are staged?"
"No question about it," Walker said. "That’s why I have Edwards dusting for prints."
"Hello Charlie, Jenny," Edwards said as he approached them. "There's a third possibility that the car was dumped here and then staged."
"Rosalyne is five-four; five-five at most. Does that match the driver's seat position?" she asked him.
"It's forward, but that doesn't mean she drove it here," Edwards said.
"Has anyone checked the dirt road?" Charlie asked.
"Not yet," Walker said.
"We'll have a look." Charlie took Jenny's hand and they walked back to the start of the dirt road. After sixty feet in on the road between the two foothills, the area opened up with shrubs and trees on both sides of the dirt road. The road ran under the power lines and snaked its way to another set of power lines about a mile further in.
"This road doesn't look like it was used recently, Charlie."
"Not by a vehicle anyway."
"I get it. If I were forced off the road I might make this run for safety."
"That’s the positive side. It's also a good place to dump a body, I'm afraid."
They continued looking between trees and bushes searching for any sign of recent travel on both sides of the dirt road. There were deep channels eroded in the sides of the foothills created by heavy winter rain fall that slowed the search. They walked a quarter mile back on the dirt road and turned around to return to the car.
"It was a thought," he said, "I could see you also making a run from danger."
"What's that, Charlie?" she asked pointing up the side of the foothill.
"Looks like the handle of a leather bag." They left the road and hiked the fifty feet up the slope for a closer look. The handle was snagged on an exposed tree root at the edge of one of the eroded channels. When they reached the edge Jenny pulled the computer case free and they both glanced down into the channel.
"Get the Chief and his SUV, I'll go down and check!" Charlie shouted and Jenny grabbed the computer case then took off in a full run back to Chief Walker.
Charlie worked his way down the steep side of the channel, slipping and regaining his footing. He could see one of her legs was twisted in a way nature hadn't intended, but her skin didn't appear to be punctured. She was on her side and the area she was wedged into was too narrow for him to move in beside her. He called out to her several times, but wasn't rewarded with either a vocal response or body movement.
Straddling the channel with one leg on either side of her from above he was able to bend over and slide his hands under and around her waist forming a cradle to lift her towards him. He rolled her into his arms and pulled her limp but warm body tightly to his chest. Not wasting time to verify alive or dead he had to get her back to the dirt road.
Taking small steps to maintain his balance, he worked his way slowly up one side of the channel as it ran down hill toward the road. There was no energy left when he reached the dirt road to run toward the SUV racing towards him and he stood there and waited.
Edwards opened the back door and Charlie slid in with Rosalyne still held tightly to his chest. "Is she…" he asked closing the door.
"I don't know, just go!" Charlie said as Walker was already turning around."
"The tow truck has her car loaded. Jenny will need your car keys to follow us to the hospital," Walker said.
"I'll need help reaching them, in my right front pocket, Edwards." Charlie lifted Rosalyne as Edwards moved between the front seats to retrieve the keys. They slowed only enough to toss the keys through the side window to Jenny. With full siren blaring they raced to Marina Community Hospital.
Edwards pressed his fingers on Rosalyne's neck. "We have a pulse, weak but it's there." He grabbed the radio and notified the hospital that they were en route. Then he contacted Jacque in the Marina Police Station to have her notify Mr. Wilson.
"Looks like she made a run for it," Walker said weaving through traffic. "Edwards get our patrol cars to block Reservation!"
"Right away, Chief," he said grabbing the radio mic again. The tension in the SUV during the race to the hospital was felt by all of them in silence. Two ER doctors were waiting as the SUV screeched to a halt at the emergency doors. They transferred her to the gurney and the ER doctors rushed her in, shouting direction to the support staff.
Charlie collapsed on a bench outside and waited for Jenny to arrive. He didn't get more than a moment's rest when she ran over and sat down beside him.
"Alive, but a weak pulse. Scratched up from the fall and a nasty broken leg," Charlie said.
"My God, I can't believe she's still alive. I was so sure when we saw her down there it was too late."
"I'm thinkin' this qualifies as the best nature walk we've ever taken, Jenny."
"We could have so easily missed her. Just checking that road felt like a lost cause."
"Not the first time we've had a guiding hand."
"Thank you again, Lord."
Henry Wilson running to the emergency doors stopped at the bench they were sitting on. "How is she?"
Jenny stood up and offered a hug. "They just took her in, Henry."
"We haven't been in yet. Check at the ER desk," Charlie said.
Henry turned from Jenny to enter the emergency room when Chief Walker and Detective Edwards were walking out. "She's in ICU. In shock and severely dehydrated, they have fluids flowing, the next twenty-four hours will be critical," Walker said.
"Can I see her?"
"Go on in Mr. Wilson, third floor," Walker told him as Henry dashed toward the doors. Walker waited until he had left then turned to Charlie and Jenny. "She's in really bad shape. Hours away from total organ shut down, the doctor told me."
"I feel so badly for Rosalyne and Henry," Jenny said.
"It was fortunate the fall didn't cause more than minor bleeding from the cuts," Walker said then added, "and even more fortunate that you tw
o had the forethought to check the road sooner rather than later."
"Like I told Jenny, Chief, I could see Jenny making a run for safety in that situation."
Edwards said, "So we're back to the two scenarios, forced off the road or she was meeting someone and things got out of hand."
"We don't know if this was a random attempt to assault a lone woman in a car or related to something she was looking into?" Jenny said.
"It seems a little too coincidental, given her last message to her husband, that it wasn't related to her digging into something," Charlie said.
"I tend to agree," Walker said. "Hopefully she'll be able to tell us soon. I've posted a patrolman outside her door to be on the safe side."
Chapter 4
Jenny removed Rosalyne's computer from the leather case and set it on her office desk. She was relieved she could get beyond the sign-in screen without need of a password. She plugged in the phone line for the dial modem and prayed her good luck would continue with her email. Jenny made several attempts at a password for the AOL email account and failed. She made a note to contact Henry in the morning for the password or suggestions to help.
Charlie walked into the office and set Madison down, who immediately ran to Jenny. "I've got the BBQ going on the deck. Chicken, steak or burgers tonight?"
"Hello, Maddy. Did you have fun today?" Jenny said picking Madison up for a hug. "Cheeseburgers sound great. Are the Edwards still coming over tonight?"
"Since Julia was the only one at his game and they won, they're doing a makeup celebration at Scoops and More tonight.
"They won, that's great. I know Timmy is still a little frustrated with pitching now instead of last year's T-ball."
"We're working on it. Soon my little buddy will be hittin' home runs."
"I'm done here for tonight, now that we know where Rosalyne is. I guess I was hoping when her screen came up, it would say Dave Smith did it."
"In the morning Chief Walker could call with an update. After chatting with Rosalyne, he could tell us he has an arrest warrant for your Dave Smith."
"I'll pray for her chatting at all in the morning." Jenny set Madison down and shut off the computer. They locked the office door and said good night to Jason, the night desk manager. With Madison in Charlie's arms, they climbed the stairs to their residence on the fourth floor.
*****
The Watsons made it a habit to have breakfast downstairs so they could mingle with the guests at Watson Manor. Initially Jenny thought it would be a good idea but when Lisa made Charlie the best omelet he had ever had, it became an owner's function Charlie rarely missed. Jenny was making the rounds with the coffee pot as Charlie attempted to get at least as much oatmeal inside of Madison as was covering her face and hands.
"How's Rosalyne?" Lisa asked.
"Touch and go last night. We hope to know more after breakfast," Charlie said.
"Out there for two days, how awful."
"We don't know much yet, but falling in that channel might have saved her life."
"I don't understand?" Lisa said.
"We're pretty sure it was at night. If they were chasing her on that dirt road, her leaving it to hide was smart, but disappearing into the channel they would have lost sight of her."
"I hope she'll be alright."
"So do we, Lisa."
Julia came over and sat down next to Charlie. "Lisa, while you’re here, have a seat. Charlie, Lisa and I have talked about a trial offering of a light dinner menu; maybe try it next week."
Lisa added, "Later evening, say between seven and eight thirty. You and Jenny are usually around at that time. I was thinking burgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese and maybe a nightly special dish."
"That could work. I know it's sparse around here at lunch time; but tired after a full day our guests might enjoy not having to go out. I'll run it by Jenny."
"Jenny loves the idea," Jenny said walking over and filling Charlie's coffee cup.
Charlie turned back from facing Jenny and looked directly at Lisa with the most serious expression he could muster. "Like I said, I'll run it past Jenny, but I envision a real hard sell. I'll need one more of your blueberry muffins for strength to sell your idea."
"You've got it, Charlie. Thanks for going to bat for me," Lisa said laughing.
"To quote your little buddy, 'You're silly'," Julia said smiling as she stood up from the table.
"We have some calls to make, silly," Jenny said. "I'll hose our daughter off and meet you in the office."
Charlie was going through the files they had borrowed from Rosalyne's desk when Jenny walked in and put Madison in her playpen. Their office was spacious, as it had once been a one bedroom living unit, with bathroom. They each had a desk and in one corner had an eight-foot couch and two overstuffed chairs, forming a small conversation area. Madison's corner where the playpen usually sat was a general play area with toys.
Charlie said, "She was definitely getting into some dangerous areas. Here is a follow up article about an investigation of Assemblyman Garrison. Apparently his voting record was more for personal gain rather than benefit of his district."
"Yeah, government watchdog was my impression of her. I need to call Henry to see how Rosalyne is doing and if he wants us to continue. He only brought us in to find her." Jenny dialed the Wilson residence and left a message. "He's probably at the hospital. I have his cell phone number in my notes." She found the number and dialed.
"Hello," Henry answered.
"Henry, this is Jenny. How is she?"
"I almost lost her Jenny! She's not good, but there's hope. They have her sedated and in an induced coma, to let her body rebuild. Her leg was a clean break and is in a cast now. There's a policeman outside her door. What's that about?"
"We don't know yet if her being there on the road shoulder was a random or intentional thing."
"Intentional?"
"Chief Walker also thinks as we do that maybe she was uncovering something that was making someone very nervous."
"She has gone too far this time. I've never had any luck trying to reel her in when she's hooked into something, but I never thought it would come to this."
"The Marina Police Department, Chief Walker and Detective Edwards are really good people. We have Rosalyne's computer and some of her files here; do you want us to take them to Marina PD?"
"Chief Walker was here this morning and only said they were investigating. I need to thank you personally for finding Rosalyne. If her life is in danger, will you please stay involved?"
"Of course we will. Henry, do you have any idea what her password might be for her AOL email account?" Jenny asked turning on the computer.
"Try scoopgirl."
Jenny keyed that in and the email account opened with an audible 'You’ve got mail'. "That's it Henry. We'll keep digging into this and keep you and Marina PD posted."
"Thank you. She's my world, Jenny," he said disconnecting the call.
Jenny turned to face Charlie at his desk. "Charlie, I'm into her email."
"You probably won't believe this, but after hearing your conversation and the announcement 'You've got mail', this sharp investigator put that together. What I didn't hear was how Rosalyne is doing."
"They induced a coma to give her body a chance to heal. No speaking to her for a while. OK, mister sharp investigator, let's see if you can find anything for a 'Dave' in those files."
"Keep in mind, Jenny, we don't know if Dave is friend or foe."
"That's a good point. The note she wrote on her desk blotter said 'Call Dave' not 'Contact Dave' so they might not be emailing each other."
"I have some minutes from a City Council meeting, dated May 25th with a Dave Masters listed as a member?"
"Let me ask you something? 'Call Dave' implies some familiarity don't you think? I mean if it was a new contact wouldn't you write 'call Dave Masters'? Assuming that's our Dave of course, but you get my point."
"That seems logical. At least they probably have
spoken before. I didn't think to ask Henry if he knows a Dave. I'll put it on the list. I'm sure we'll have more questions for him. Anything interesting in the minutes?"
"It seems Marina wants to develop some property. Well, run utilities to it, anyway. You'll be pleased to know that our water quality is above the standard. Oh, now here's a shocker, a unanimous vote for a three percent pay raise for City Council members."
"I guess you'd have to be a real politician to publicly refuse a pay raise, while your expense account doubles behind the scenes."
"Do I detect some sarcasm, Jenny?"
"Where was all their enthusiasm for new business when we had to do back-flips to get our foundation poured?"
"I know I'd have been unable to sleep nights if we had destroyed the natural breeding grounds of whatever those endangered bugs were called."
"The real pests wore inspector uniforms," she said. "Rosalyne is very organized, kept her notes in Word files. I have Sentinel Corp with a question mark."
"Phone number, name or location?"
"Looks like an investment group. There's an address at the bottom of her notes, 1200 Mission Blvd, Suite 100, Santa Cruz."
"That could be where she was headed, up Highway1," Charlie said. "Let's take a drive."
Chapter 5
Charlie and Jenny left Watson Manor at nine thirty the following morning to check out Sentinel Corp in Santa Cruz. Jenny rolled her window down and the warm breeze tossed her hair around. Her broad smile told Charlie that this was her element and he needed to make the time to share this serene coastal drive on Highway 1 with the two gals that filled his world. She turned to him and caught him grinning. "What?" she asked, like she had been caught stealing his favorite cookies.
"Just a little sorry we don't do this, as a family without a clock ticking."
"I do love this road. Back on the clock, did you hear anything about Marina PD finding Rosalyne's purse or phone?"
"Her phone would answer a lot of questions. I'd check with Edwards."
Watson Manor Investigations (Watson Manor Mystery Series Book 3) Page 2