Watson Manor My Journey Home (Watson Manor Mystery Series Book 4)

by Ronald S. Craig

  "Morning, Chief," Edwards said as Chief Rodney Walker entered the office. "I'm getting a last known from Jenny. She's requested information on Charlie's meeting yesterday with Walter Price, CEO of Branson Systems."

  Walker moved closer to Jenny's desk. "Jenny, I'm sorry our getting re-acquainted is under these circumstances. I've put an APB out on Charlie's truck and have contacted Detective Miller in San Jose P.D.," He noticed my tears of frustration and added, "Jenny, we'll find Charlie."

  "I should have called Julia sooner. I had trouble sleeping, took something. I feel so useless here in finding him!"

  "Blaming yourself is counterproductive, Jenny. None of this is your fault," Walker said with a comforting hand on my shoulder.

  I knew these men were our friends, my friends and I didn't need to recall our history together to feel comfort with them. "Thank you, Chief Walker, Stan. How can I help?"

  Edwards handed me his card. "These numbers are probably already on your phone, but let us know if Charlie calls or you hear back from Price."

  "I can do that. Let me know also, what you find or need from me."

  "Jenny, is there a list of the individuals you were watching?" Walker asked.

  "I told Stan, the files are gone, with Charlie we guess. I'll email Walter Price again for a new list." I turned back to the computer to do just that. Walker went over and picked Maddy up and kissed her cheek. It was a gesture that told me volumes about him.

  "We'll stay in touch, Jenny," Walker told me as they left the office.

  *****

  Charlie woke finding his arms and legs taped to a metal chair. He was seated two feet away from a corner of a gray cinderblock wall giving him no clue to his whereabouts. It felt like a basement. Looking around the area it appeared empty and the only light seemed to be from a table lamp he couldn't see directly behind him. He struggled against the tape and tried to turn the chair, but found it as firmly fixed to the floor as he was taped to the chair. He called out but there was no one else in the room to hear him. He tried to recall what had happened for almost an hour when the sound of footsteps on wooden stairs behind him drew his attention. "Where am I?"

  "Good morning, Mr. Watson. We have some decisions to make this morning and we are leaning towards plan A, letting you return to Watson Manor, your wife Jennifer and daughter Madison."

  "Who the hell are you?"

  "We're in the information business, Mr. Watson. We like to avoid alternate plans, like plan B, killing is such a waste, but that seems to be one of the possible outcomes from our discussion this morning.

  "Are you holding Steve Chandler here as well?"

  "Actually, Mr. Chandler is probably headed to the office this morning. You seem to be an inquisitive man. We've also had our eye on Mr. Chandler, seems the poor fellow is pretty deep in debt and we'd like to help him with that burden. Finding the GPS sending unit on his car was a disappointment for us, but not an unworkable set back. We didn't know at the time we'd found it who was monitoring our friend, but realized we'd need a similar make and model car to transfer the sending unit to be a decoy."

  "You just happened to be driving it around while I was there, that’s bullshit."

  "Mr. Walter Price works hard at keeping an unsuspecting demeanor around his employees, but has completely missed our watching him. He unknowingly introduced you to us yesterday and your wallet told the rest of the story, Watson Investigations."

  "What do you want from me?"

  "First, I want to impress upon you, Mr. Watson, that we are not a group of ignorant street thugs hustling for a few bucks, so take me very seriously. Step one, this morning will be to defuse the local Marina Police Department, my associates reported they just arrived at your home in Marina. You'll call Jennifer and report that you followed one of the engineers last night into Nevada. Your phone lost its charge and you couldn't leave your surveillance position to make a call until your engineer was seen kissing grandma goodbye this morning. A wild goose chase, if you will."

  "And if I don't?"

  "Then I'll bid you goodbye, Mr. Watson with plan B. It wouldn't serve our purpose to also kill your wife and daughter, we'd let them search for you until your grandchildren have children. Your disappearance will make our task more difficult, as alarms would sound for Marina P.D. and at Branson Systems, but we are a dedicated group and will succeed. If, on the other hand, you cooperate and have nothing to report to Mr. Walter Price, we will be gone in a week, including our associates in Marina. Plan A is the win-win; you drive home and simply keep quiet, Mr. Watson. In a week your old life returns and you can stop wondering about your wife and daughter's next breath, if we change our minds having set you free."

  Without a choice, Charlie made the call to Jenny as instructed on his phone held in place for him. When the call ended with Jenny regaining her composure, Charlie's world again went black from another injection.

  Charlie woke stretched out on the back seat of his truck. He felt for and found his wallet and keys. He got out and moved to the driver's seat, needing desperately to see Jenny and Maddy. He was parked beside a long abandoned and crumbling one room cabin surrounded by trees. His dash mounted GPS was powered on and he hit home and waited for it to plot his course. The dash clock indicated it was ten-thirty and the sun filtering through the trees confirmed it was morning. He was about to drive off and cleared the GPS and hit 'Save Location' naming it 'Plan C'. He knew his thinking would clear, but had the insight to write the truck's current mileage in his logbook. Then he pressed the little house on the GPS screen again to take him home.

  Chapter 9

  The safety of Jenny and Madison had to remain Charlie's priority. He struggled with that conflict in his thoughts of stopping his captors from obtaining the information on Branson Systems new guidance system. There had to be a way to accomplish both objectives. If he could put Jenny and Madison safely in a cocoon, he wanted to strike back with a vengeance. His captors had made this very personal now with the threat to his family.

  Charlie knew he wasn't a technology savvy guy, but understood tracking devices. They had full access to his truck while he was sedated, and he had to assume they put at least a tracking device if not also a listening monitor in it as well. Cell phones could be cloned, he realized and these people going after multi-million dollar technology were not operating on a shoe-string budget.

  Charlie constantly checked his mirrors looking for a vehicle following him, although he understood as with his own equipment, there was no need to be on his bumper to track him. He could use both against them, he thought. Misinformation could be given on his phone, and he'd be free to move around to different places in their blend-in Honda while they monitored his truck.

  Traffic was light and he had no trouble crossing three lanes to park on the shoulder of Interstate 101 when he'd decided to get the ball rolling. He opened the file for Branson Systems and looked for the company's phone number. His only thought reaching for his cell phone was 'listen up, bastards, this one's for you'.

  "Branson Systems. How may I direct your call?"

  "Walter Price, please." Charlie had only a minute to wait.

  "Walter Price."

  "Walter, this is Charlie Watson. I promised to advise you if we needed to pullout. Jenny really needs my full attention now, and I'm really sorry to let you down."

  "I thought Jenny was home, recovering?"

  "She is, physically, but with her head injury, she has lost memory of the last three years." Charlie hoped this confession of Jenny's loss of memory would also remove her from the cross hairs of his captors concern as a threat.

  "I had no idea, and understand. Puts us in a real bind though. Anything to report for us to follow-up on?"

  "No, nothing that I've found. I'm just driving home from a wild goose chase and this time away from Jenny is why I needed to call. Again, Walter, sorry we were unable to follow through for you."

  "Thanks for calling, I've got work to do." Price disconnected the call. Charlie envisi
oned Marina P.D. waiting for him at Watson Manor and figured continuing the ruse would solidify his dropping the case for those listening, and pressed a speed dial number.

  "Walker." Was heard after two rings.

  "Hey, Chief, I just wanted to apologize for the mix-up last night."

  "Charlie, everything's ok? You're heading home?"

  "Yes, I just feel really stupid not having a phone charger in the truck. Surveillance last night took me into Nevada, but I'm letting this case go. Jenny needs my full support now. I'm only about an hour away."

  "Yeah, I'd say. Jenny was very upset until you called. I agree, dropping the case is wise for now."

  "It's proved to be a real waste of time, like searching for Gracie was. I owe you a beer for your trouble. Gotta' get home now. Bye, Chief."

  *****

  Chief Walker set his phone on his desk and walked to his office doorway. "Jacque, please call Edwards in and bring me the file on Gracie Wentworth, it's probably with the Detective Nicole Eberhart case file."

  "Edwards is at Watson Manor, Chief."

  "I know. I need him here, right away, Jacque." Jacque called Detective Edwards and took the file to Chief Walker's office.

  "Edwards is on his way. That's an old case, Chief? Was that Charlie on the phone?"

  "Yes," Walker said tapping the file she'd just set on his desk. "He told me his current case was a waste of time, like this one, tracking Gracie down. Then he added that he owed me a beer for our trouble last night."

  "I've never seen you drink a beer, Chief," Jacque's face showing a puzzled expression.

  "Exactly." Walker looked up from the file at her. "Finding Gracie was also far from a waste of time. Charlie's in trouble, Jacque, and someone is listening. I've got another idea. Call Marks in from patrol and see if Steve Wilson can cover for him, three or four days."

  "I'm on it, Chief." Jacque turned and left his office.

  Walker studied the old case file for clues to Charlie's message. The case centered on a bad detective, was that the message, there were more corrupt police involved in his case? Walker wondered. He continued pulling information from the file when Detective Edwards entered his office.

  "What's up Chief?"

  "Charlie just called. Couldn't talk, maybe someone was beside him or listening to his conversation. He said he's dropping the current case, waste of time like locating Gracie. He added that he owes me a beer for our trouble last night."

  Edwards sat down in one of the chairs in front of the Chief's desk. "He's trying to tell us something. Jenny purchased their Spyware tracer because one was used on Charlie's truck during the search for Gracie … he's telling us they're watching him. We need to find a way to communicate with him if he's being watched and monitored."

  "Chief, Jacque said you wanted me?" Officer Marks asked from the Chief's door.

  "Yes, Marks, I've got a job for you. Civilian clothes only, but keep your weapon close. It seems whoever Charlie had under surveillance discovered the tail. They're watching him now, and I'm sure have threatened him and his family."

  "Undercover, Chief?"

  "Eyes open, Marks. You need to look like you're on vacation, but you'll be the Watson's first line of defense. That’s a big responsibility. Can you do that, Marks?"

  "Yes, Sir. When do you want me there?"

  "Ten minutes ago. Without being obvious, get Charlie alone and let him use your phone to fill me in." Officer Marks nodded his head and left the Chief's office. "Edwards, what do you know about their current case?"

  "No more than you do, Chief. Walter Price, CEO of Branson Systems. A San Jose firm, government contractor, I think. The Watsons have been watching the engineer's off hours."

  "Sounds like security leaks, or insurance surveillance. When we hear from Charlie, we can call Detective Miller to assist in San Jose if needed."

  "You know, Detective Miller was the key in wrapping up the case against Eberhart that was tied to the search for Gracie. Maybe, another part of the hint from Charlie?"

  "He'll call us, when it's safe for him to talk. Until then, Edwards, quietly find out what you can about Walter Price and Branson Systems, no direct contact though. Oh, Jenny won't recognize Marks, maybe from the hospital, but you'd better give Julia the heads up."

  "Right away, Chief. You know, I could use a vacation at Watson Manor, also."

  "I know, Edwards. I'm worried too, but if someone is watching Watson Manor, they've already seen us both there this morning. Charlie is trying to make it clear that he is no longer working this case, we can't show up there and jeopardize that effort."

  Chapter 10

  "Your daddy is on his way home, Maddy," I told her for the fifth time, finding it increasingly more difficult to distract her from his absence. I wished it was summer and not the dead chill of winter as I understood from the many photos that she loved playing at the beach. It still surprised me that Watson Manor was doing such a good business, off season, but creating Santa's Village must be a large part of that draw. Maybe Watson Investigations was created to keep us busy January through spring. Would the answers ever return? I know trust is earned over time, and I recognized Charlie's continuous effort to give me a foundation for it, but in reality, the charger story seemed a little farfetched. For all I knew, he could have spent the night with Eden. I hated myself for doubting him, but as surprises kept me off balance, I found it hard to hold on to anything with some degree of certainty, beyond of course that Madison is my daughter.

  "Let's take Shadow for a walk, Maddy."

  "Yeah, fetch boy," She dashed off searching for his favorite rubber dog bone. I grabbed our heavy coats to protect us from the forty-something degrees outside. We greeted Julia downstairs as we passed through the lobby. She was busy with a new guest checking in who looked familiar. It occurred to me, and I made a mental note to ask, did Watson Manor do something special for New Years Eve, just a couple of days away?

  The concrete parking lot was surrounded by grass and new trees which provided a great area for fetch with Shadow. If only all of this could be as easy as bonding with Maddy and Shadow. Children and pets, both straight forward with no depth of deception. Maddy and I alternated tossing the bone for Shadow. I thought it was a result of boundary training when my wild toss sent the bone into the street and Shadow froze at the curb. Maddy and I walked over to retrieve it and discovered Shadow's attention was drawn to a car parked a half-a-block away. It was facing Watson Manor at the curb beside the sand dune that stood between Watson Manor and the ocean. Across the street were a few homes and a city parking lot for equipment, street sweepers and such. Two men were in the car and seemed to be just waiting. It chilled me and I recovered the bone and wanted to get us all back inside.

  "Daddy, Daddy," Maddy hollered as Charlie drove into the parking lot and parked. We walked over and halfway there she ran into his out-stretched arms.

  "Sorry, Maddy that daddy was away." When I was within a few feet of them, he looked at me and added, "Jenny, I'm so regretful for the worry this has caused you."

  "I didn't know what to think, was your being away overnight the norm? Should I be worried?" I asked him feeling the frustration building inside of me. What's our norm? Not the Christmas we just celebrated, but the daily expectations of each other.

  "Maddy, let's go see Aunt Lisa. Mommy and I need to talk about work stuff now." We started walking to the front steps. When we passed through the front doors, Julia was standing there with that same man, where had I seen him before?

  "Charlie, Jenny, this is Mr. Underwood from Redlands. He's staying through New Year's Day with us. Mr. Underwood meet Charlie and Jenny Watson," Julia said with a puzzling urgency.

  "Hello Mr. Underwood, and welcome to Watson Manor," I said extending a hand.

  "Thank you, I'm pleased to be here."

  Charlie extended his hand and commented, "Yes, by all means, we're pleased to have you. This is our daughter, Madison."

  "I'm going to show him around, but I know how you
both like to meet our new guests," Julia said and he followed her into the equipment supply room. Julia is good, I thought. That room holds all of our beach activity equipment and she's laying the groundwork for a summer return.

  Lisa greeted us at her door following Charlie's knock. "Thank God you're ok, Charlie. I should be used to the 'Watson way' being directly opposite of the easy way by now. Maddy, would you like to play a game?"

  Maddy was excited when Charlie set her down and she ran into Lisa's unit.

  "We'll be back before you need to start dinner, Lisa," Charlie said.

  "If not, she'll just have to help me with it." Lisa gave us a smile.

  "Thanks, Lisa," I told her. Then she closed the door and I turned to face Charlie. "Can we have our work stuff talk upstairs in the living room?"

  "Of course, Jenny. I'll be right behind you, fifteen minutes at the most."

  "I'll get some coffee going … do you want coffee or a drink?"

  "Coffee's great, fifteen minutes at the most." I decided the exercise of the stairs would help and left him standing outside of Lisa's door. I looked back from the second-floor landing and instead of moving toward the office, Charlie entered the equipment room. Anger flashed in me. I felt like a coddled child sent to her room and that was over right now. I went back down the stairs and went directly to the equipment room for answers. I opened the door and the three of them looked at me in surprise. Charlie was on the phone and said, "Just a moment, Jenny's here." Then he turned to Julia. "Watch out front, Julia." She moved quickly outside the room and closed the door. "Jenny, I was going to walk you through this upstairs. This is Officer Ron Marks from the Marina P.D…"

  I cut him off. "That's why he looked familiar to me, from the hospital, guarding me. What's going on now?"

  "Chief Walker sent him here, undercover for our protection. You can stay or wait upstairs, but I need to finish telling the Chief what happened."