"Do we need a detective out there tonight, Taft?"
"It's not a murder scene, she's headed to General. Hit and run maybe, lovers spat. Who knows."
"As we don't know what happened here, you didn't handle the phone, right?"
"It was still connected to 911. I talked to the operator and hit the end call button."
The Sergeant slipped on some gloves and opened the purse. He set the phone aside and pulled out the wallet. He showed the driver's license to Taft. "Is this our gal?"
"Yes, Eden Downey and that matches the car's registration."
"Doesn't look like theft, plenty of plastic and maybe two hundred in cash," the sergeant said and slipped it back into the purse. He picked up the phone, then set it back down on the desk. "Taft, call General and see how Ms. Downey is doing."
Officer Taft sat down at one of the desks and reached for the phone.
The cell phone beside the sergeant started to ring and he answered it.
"Where have you been? Damn it, Charlie I've called six times and they went to your voice message!" Jenny shouted.
"This is Sergeant Masters with Seaside Police, who am I speaking with?"
There was a long pause as Jenny caught her breath."Jenny Watson… is Charlie Watson there?"
"Why are you asking about a Charlie Watson?"
"Because you're holding my husband Charlie's phone, sergeant!"
"We don't have a Charlie Watson here, Mrs. Watson. Do you know an Eden Downey?"
"Yes, what's happened?"
"Are you related to Eden Downey, Mrs. Watson?"
"Oh my God, what's going on there?"
"Give me a minute, hold on," he covered the cell phone. "Taft what's the word?"
"She's waking up now. No physical complications."
Masters uncovered the phone. "I'm sorry Mrs. Watson for the delay. Ms. Downey is doing fine. We usually contact a family member first when there has been an accident, but you seem very concerned and a friend. Can you give me the phone number of a relative of Ms. Downey?"
"Her daughter is in my home. I don't know her family out of state. Why do you have my husband's phone and where is Eden?"
"Ms. Downey is in Monterey General Hospital. Every indication is she is fine and you can call her there. This phone was used to call 911 to request help and was found in Ms. Downey's car."
"I don't understand. Where's Charlie?"
"Answers we don't have yet, I'm sorry. I am sending an officer to speak to Ms. Downey now. Maybe she can answer your questions." Jenny hit end call and sank into the chair.
Jenny was in the fourth floor residence and Julia walked into the living room from Madison's room where the kids were playing. "Did you reach him?" Julia asked.
Jenny looked up slowly her face blank of expression. "Do you think the Chief and Edwards are at the Marina Press by now?"
"Who were you talking to Jenny?"
"Eden is ok, but was in an accident. Some sergeant in Seaside has Charlie's phone. Nobody knows where he is, Julia."
"You said Eden is OK, where is she?"
"Monterey, a hospital there…"
Julia went to the kitchen table and pulled her phone out of her purse. When it was answered she said, "Stan, where are you?"
"We found Sentinel, babe. Union Electric Stock printing plates were in a safe here. No sign of the Hansen's, but units are en route to their residence now," Edwards told her.
"Is Chief Walker there with you?"
"Yes, what's wrong babe? Didn't you hear me, we got 'em!"
"Eden's been in an accident and Charlie is missing. Jenny needs Chief Walker here."
"Let me get him and send him there," Edward said disconnecting the call and walked over to the safe. "Chief, Jenny needs you at Watson Manor."
"What is it?"
"Charlie's missing and Eden's ok, but something about an accident."
"You can handle this Edwards," Walker said heading to his car.
Chief Walker didn't get out of his Police SUV when he pulled into the circle drive at Watson Manor because Jenny and Emily saw him approach from the porch and were opening his doors the moment he stopped.
"Monterey General, Chief," Jenny said. "Our starting place."
Walker punched the name into his center console GPS and they were off. They both shared what information they had on the way. They found Eden sitting up in a bed behind a privacy curtain still in the Emergency Room. Emily ran to her mother sharing a hug powered by relief.
"This is all so confusing," Eden reported holding Emily close. "Officer Taft just left, he said my car was sideswiped and Charlie's phone was in my car?"
"We don't know where he is," Jenny said.
"What do you remember, Eden?"
She looked to Jenny with sorrow masking her face. "Jenny, I never saw Charlie today." Eden turned back to Chief Walker. "It started when Jenny and I went to see Rosalyne in the hospital and she mentioned her newspaper had a Jensen Press. Nobody uses a top of the line Jensen Press for newspaper production, so I got curious. I had some time and needed a distraction and went to Marina Press."
"Was Steve Hansen there?" Walker asked.
"Both he and his wife were there, and some guys in the back. We chatted at his desk, I told them who I was, editor of the Salinas Trib, and he seemed to know that. I mentioned that I had met Rosalyne and that my paper was looking to replace our antiquated production press, understanding his paper had just gone through that process. It was strange, and I don't know how the conversation shifted, but his wife, Debbie I think, asked if I knew the Watsons."
"They knew who you were, Eden. The Hansen's are Sentinel," Walker told her.
"I avoided anything Sentinel and then walked right into their hands, how stupid can you get?"
"Charlie and I found fake stock certificates in their trash. A piece of the puzzle you didn't have Eden."
"What happened next, Eden?" Walker asked.
"When I mentioned we were friends, his initial reluctance to show me the production room changed. He even got excited to show me his 'baby'. I continued the ruse that I had no idea what I was looking at in his production room. Asking questions, what all he was printing when I felt a pinch, like a bee sting in my arm. I was dizzy and the room went dark. The next thing I recall is waking up here an hour ago… They want to keep me overnight for observation, but beyond my confusion and feeling stupid, I want to get out of here!"
"We're going to Seaside PD, do you want to wait here or go with us?" Jenny asked.
Eden swung her legs off the bed and stood slowly to check her balance while Walker held one of her arms. "I'm good," she reported. "Let's get some answers. Chief Walker you need to find the Hansen's."
"They're off the radar, and I'm guessing Charlie is hot on their trail," Walker told her. He glanced to see if Jenny found encouragement in his words and caught a brief glimmer of hope in her closed grin. Eden was walking without support when they reached the emergency room reception desk to sign out.
"Hello, I'm Chief Walker, Marina PD. This is Jenny Watson, Eden Downey and her daughter Emily," Walker said approaching the sergeant's desk at Seaside PD.
"I'm Sergeant Masters. I spoke to you on the phone Mrs. Watson. Let's use the Chief's office," he said leading the way. When they all found seats he continued. "Our detective will go out tomorrow and hopefully discover what happened out there. Mrs. Watson, would you listen to the 911 call and tell us if it is Charlie Watson?"
"Of course!"
Masters turned on the computer and as it booted up he showed them a photo of the Volvo. "What we could determine tonight was Mrs. Downey's Volvo was sideswiped by a large light tan pickup and forced into the side of a hill."
"Charlie has a tan GMC pickup," Jenny told him.
"We discovered that running his name through DMV after you called, Mrs. Watson."
Walker broke in, "Eden Downey was sedated by Steve and Debbie Hansen in Marina this afternoon. Where was her car found?"
"About five miles from here. Highway one
winds through the uphill grade along the coast south of us. There is a scenic view roadside area under construction at the crest. Ms. Downey's Volvo was in that construction site."
"Would that area be a good place to push a car off into the ocean?" Jenny asked.
"That’s exactly what our thoughts were… but given this new information, the Hansen's, we'll need to rethink the evidence we find tomorrow." Masters said and looked at the computer screen. "It's ready." He typed in a few commands.
"911 operator…Listen, we are south of Seaside on highway one. Top of the grade, it's a construction site off the road. Need an ambulance and police now!" Masters hit the pause button and turned back to face Jenny for a response.
"Was that the sound of shattering glass and a gun shot?" Jenny gasped.
"Let it run, sergeant. That was Charlie Watson and clearly your idea he was there to run Eden Downey off a cliff is bullshit. He was there to save her from the Hansen's!" Walker stated.
Sergeant Masters hit the play key and turned the volume up without saying a word. They heard some movement and then silence until the truck was started and the screech of metal against metal. Another gunshot was heard as the screeching of metal gave way to the engine revving. It was clear the engine was moving away from the phone. The gun was heard firing again just before the faint sound of a crash. Silence for moment and Sergeant Masters hit stop.
"Charlie didn't chase them out of there…they went over the cliff," Walker said.
Jenny and Eden were both beyond control, crying at the story Charlie's 911 call had told them. Masters got up from the desk and walked to the office door. "Taft, cancel the APB," he told him quietly.
Chapter 25
"He's a good swimmer!" Jenny stood up and shouted. Chief Walker pulled out his phone, "Damn right, we're not giving up." He hit a few buttons on the phone and waited a moment until his call was connected. "This is Police Chief Walker. I need a helicopter searching the coastline five miles south of Seaside directly below the construction site." He listened a moment. "Yes now! Whatever you have to get in the air, I don't care if it's Channel Six News. Is there a rescue boat we can get moving to that location?" Another pause while he listened. "It’s a cliff, we can't climb down to check the shoreline…Ok, thank you." He turned to Jenny. "They're moving on it."
"It's at minimum, a hundred and fifty foot drop," Masters told them.
"And if it were you, sergeant we'd say, "oh well" and drive home. Had you processed the scene properly, we wouldn't have lost two hours!" Walker told him.
"I need to be there, Chief," Jenny said, looking directly at Walker.
"And so do I." Walker turned back to Masters. "Are we going to follow Officer Taft back or find it on our own?"
"Taft, lead Chief Walker back to the scene. I'll make some more calls for help in the search," he said and turned to face Eden. "Ms. Downey you and your daughter are welcome to stay here if you wish."
Eden looked up at him and then at Jenny. Sobs robbed her voice as pain washed over her face. She looked down.
"They're with us," Jenny said reaching down and taking Eden's hand. "There is no shortage of love in this group."
"Thank you, I am so sorry for this, Jenny." They found the lights flashing on Officer Taft's patrol car when they left the station and got into Walker's SUV. Chief Walker reached over the front seat and handed Eden a cell phone. "We found this at Marina Press, thought you might want it back."
"Thanks," she whispered. "I can't bear the thought…"
"Listen to me Eden. Whatever we find, whatever this is, it is definitely not your fault."
"Mommy, she's right."
They followed Officer Taft into the construction site and parked beside the Volvo. Walker handed Jenny a flashlight and grabbed another for himself. She followed him to the driver's side of the Volvo and after a moment looked at the tire tracks behind it. He led Jenny out of ear shot of his car where Eden and Emily were still seated. "The Volvo was lined up for a direct line off the cliff. Charlie couldn't get in front of it and with his quick thinking … he forced it from the side into the hill."
Jenny remained silent and turned her flashlight toward the center of the lot. She followed the beam to the reflecting red plastic. They walked over and she picked up a piece of the smashed tail light lens. Two sets of tire tracks left that point of impact. The smaller set was at an angle toward the edge. The wider set had dug deep ruts into the ground across the shorter distance of twenty feet to the edge. Jenny sat down and Walker moved away to give her the moment. She spoke softly, "Lord you have blessed me beyond my greatest dreams, but I still need him, Maddy still needs him. Please, I have no right to ask, but please, Lord."
Jenny looked up as a helicopter crossed overhead with a bright spot light yielding a circle of daylight crossing over her and beyond the edge. It dropped quickly as it began its search along the shore.
"Jenny, come with me." He reached down to help her up. They walked to the far edge of the lot where the first section of a concrete edge had been poured and was solid. Jenny kneeled down then lay with her arms clutching the edge to watch the search light scan below.
"There is a small beach to the left," she said. "But if he swam the other way…"
Walker's phone rang, "Hello?"
"Chief Walker?"
"Yes."
"Hello Sir, I am Jason Abbott, lead diver for this search and rescue effort. I have two other divers with me and an ETA of ten minutes. The depth along this shore line is between sixty and a hundred feet. We'll know more when we're in the water."
Walker moved away from Jenny while he listened wanting his questions to not be overheard by her. "Jason, have you been briefed on what we expect you will find?"
"I just got off the phone with Sergeant Masters. I've worked with him before, but something lit a fire under him on this. He indicated possibly two vehicles, one being a GMC pickup. I got the distinct impression that the driver of the pickup is our first priority."
"Yes, that driver saved a woman's life tonight…and he is a personal friend."
"Yes sir, I understand."
"Thank you, Jason. Please keep me advised," Walker said disconnecting the call. He walked back to Jenny. "Jenny, search and rescue is coming in by boat with divers…" He could hear her labored breathing and it broke his heart there was so little he could do for her. He sat down and patted her on the shoulder.
"Rodney," she started to say and following two slow deep breaths continued, "Yeah, that’s right. I need Rodney, now. Not to hold my hand, dear friend, but someone I love to be close. You haven't met stubborn like me and those divers will not find my Charlie."
"Hell, it's not stubborn. If I had a tenth of your faith and courage, I'd be a happy man."
They watched the search boat approach the cliff below them and the boat's surface lights scanning the water. Holding thirty feet back, the boat's deck lights came on and three divers entered the water with hand held search lights. As the divers went down the glow of their high-intensity lights faded.
The helicopter made one more last slow sweep of the shoreline and Jenny tensed as their beam washed over and held on the small beach she had spotted earlier.
"The divers will be down awhile. If I can get Office Taft to make a coffee run would you like some?"
"Please, I'll check on Eden and Emily," she said getting to her feet.
They found Eden removing things from the Volvo glove compartments. "Any word?," she asked as they stopped beside her.
"There are divers in the water now. Would you like some coffee Eden? Maybe some hot chocolate Emily?" Walker asked.
"I would," Emily said.
"Sounds good to me also," Eden added.
Walker sent Taft off and indicated a box of donuts wouldn't hurt either. When Officer Taft returned, he asked Chief Walker to pull the construction gate closed when they left. He apologized, but he was needed for patrol given their small staffed Police Department. They took the donuts and coffee back to the concrete ed
ge.
After thirty minutes, the diver's lights were again visible. One diver was headed back to the boat while the other two search lights moved below the surface along the wall of the cliff. When the diver reached the rescue boat the deck lights revealed body bags being hoisted out of the water.
They all directed their attention in silence back to the divers on the cliffs searching. Fifteen minutes later those lights headed back to the boat. They all seemed to hold their breaths as the two divers dropped their gear on the well lit boat deck. They noticed more activity in the lights that had been scanning the surface of the water around it.
Walker's phone rang. "Walker." He started to walk away.
"No," Jenny called out. "Stay right here."
"Sir, we found both the GMC truck and a Black BMW sedan. Both will be pulled up tomorrow. First, we did not find the driver of the GMC, however, we recovered the occupants of the BMW, a man and woman. There are underwater caves here that trap air and we did a quick search. We'll be back at low tide in the morning, before the salvage ship arrives, for another search."
"Hold on a moment, Jason," Walker said and reported to the group. "They did not find Charlie! The divers will return to check underwater caves with air in the morning." He brought the phone back up to his ear. "Go ahead, Jason."
"I don't want to offer false hope, sir. As a diver I've been in many of those caves. The three of us focused our search around the GMC and found no sign of the driver from the ocean floor to the surface."
"So you think he got out?"
"Several things give us hope. It's clear by the damage to the truck's backend and side impact with the BMW that the truck went backwards off the cliff. During the decent, the heaver front end would drop faster changing a vertical impact to an angled one. That would be the ideal way for defusing the impact energy when it hit the water. To make it easier to visualize, let's say the truck first hit the water at 45 degrees, backend first. This initial contact and the weight of the front coming down would create one hell of a damping wave to buffer the impact. Also, the driver's seat was bent back indicating additional shock absorption from the driver's weight. So we know he was in the truck. There was no other damage inside the driver's compartment and all the windows are intact. To make my point, the occupants of the BMW were smashed against the windshield at impact then instantly forced back when water hammered through."
Watson Manor Investigations (Watson Manor Mystery Series Book 3) Page 15