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

by Ronald S. Craig

  "Mr. and Mrs. Richard, I'm Agent Baker, San Jose FBI." He reached out to shake their hands. "I am so sorry we didn't trap them in our web. Thank you, Mr. Richards for your assistance in this operation, and I want to be very clear, we are in no way done bringing them in."

  "Does Walter Price want me arrested or did I just lose my job?"

  "I think you're confused, Walter Price was very impressed with your efforts to assist us."

  "I was ready to walk out of his company with the complete missile guidance system design on that device."

  "Again, there seems to be more confusion. Special Agent Sanchez reports that the only thing ever on that device was your clever downloading of standard commercially available design software."

  "What happened, Agent Baker?" I asked him.

  "They apparently were going for Mr. Richards' request to see Sandy before he'd deliver the device. They went to the mall. McBride was observed making calls from his vehicle. We later discovered he'd contacted the rental agency to confirm the van had been returned. We'd impounded it hoping for a trace of either McBride or Scott having been in it, nothing. We told the rental agency we were a repair shop, their customer brought the van in reporting brake trouble. We have the man killed at the scene in the morgue as a John Doe and his partner is being held under an alias. We knew McBride had the ability to check and we thought we were covered."

  Baker turned and pointed to Walker. "Chief Walker had the man we now have in custody, call Brittney Scott with the story Sandy had died in transit, so they believed she had died. To show you McBride's cunningness, he called the store at the truck stop, pretending to be a reporter and Dan Porter, a nineteen year old kid, excited to see his name in the paper, told him everything."

  This information sent a chill down my spine and I realized we were no longer in the background. "What did he tell him about us?"

  "He only saw Charlie from behind, a brown haired dude and Chief Walker was an older marine looking dude. Jenny, unfortunately, you not only went into the store but as a 'babe' were far more memorable to him."

  "Sounds to me like Watson Manor just became Fort Watson, and there's no way in hell, Jenny, that I'm staying here!"

  "Of course I can't be sure, but McBride knows we're watching him. We don't have enough for a warrant and suspicious activity is not enough to pull his passport, I think he'll flee the country. I don't think this was his first rodeo and he has money tucked away. Why would he risk coming after you?"

  "I don't know about him, but that Brittney enjoyed turning the screws in me. Where is their risk when help is a phone call away?"

  "Mr. Richards, we can put your family in protective custody for a while until we feel it's safe for you to return home. Oh, and by the way, we pulled a phone tap off of your home phone line and can check your cell phones."

  "Thank you Agent Baker. We'll talk next week about where we are. There's hope you'll find the thread to bring them down, right?"

  "The Richards family is staying with Charlie and me at Watson Manor for a few days, Agent Baker."

  "I'll be close as well," Walker said.

  "I can help also," Baker said. "I'll rotate a team there for a while."

  Chapter 27

  Don turned to Sandy and asked, "Did you ever see a woman where they held you?"

  "No, but I was sleeping, sedated, I guess most of the time."

  "Charlie saw her when they took him. That's how we got this far, Brittney Scott had an arrest file," I told Don.

  "Charlie was taken by them also?"

  "We were hired by Walter Price to watch the engineers. I thought I was following one to a remote location, but it was a ruse, they found our tracking device. I was parked behind a gas station when Brittney approached me, supposedly needing gas money. I was held in a basement, never saw him, but heard a male voice behind me, probably McBride. He wanted me to report all was clear to Walter price and back off."

  "Agent Baker, Charlie saw her, Don talked to her all in connection here, isn't that enough to go after her? And pull McBride in by association? You've seen them together," I asked him.

  "Jenny, I think you've got something there. I was focused on putting the device in McBride's hands, but this could work! I'll process the warrant for their arrest as soon as we have you all in protection. This will put all of you in danger, are you sure you want me to proceed?"

  Don looked at his wife and daughter with the question on his face. "I won't make this decision for you two." It was clear to me that Don wanted nothing more than to bring them down. There was a loathing in his eyes when Brittney's name was mentioned and his comments toward her reflected more than a threat on his daughter's life, I couldn't imagine a need for something more, maybe torture, graphic detail, maybe Brittney really was a monster. Knowing his drive was tremendous to get them, I had the most incredible respect for Don to back off if his wife or daughter asked him to do just that.

  "Dad, they have put you through more suffering than even I recall. My new friends here," Sandy paused and made eye contact with me, Charlie and Walker before she continued. "They saved me by minutes from a nightmare I'd have never forgotten. I'm all for stopping them from doing this again to another family."

  "Don, we're beyond wishing it never happened. If we don't see it through, it will never be behind us. I have little to offer to convict them, but my love and support for my family," Linda said.

  "Charlie?" Baker asked.

  "Follow the old station wagon to Fort Watson, I'll be the guy laid out in the back. Oh, Baker, if that house they rented has a basement, bring photos. It will help our case if I can identify it as where I was held."

  "We are a go then?" Baker asked and looked at Don. "I can assign Special Agent Sanchez to Fort Watson, unless you want someone else."

  "I'm completely satisfied with that choice, Agent Baker."

  "You called, Mr. Watson," Nurse Heidi said entering the room then stopped, just inside the door, and looked around at the assembled group. "Thank you, Mr. Watson for following the two visitor rule so diligently. Jenny, do I need to see if our ball room is available for your party?"

  I hadn't realized Charlie had been holding the call button down on his pendant during our conversation. "No, and we're sorry, Nurse Heidi. It does seem that we need to take this party on the road."

  "Maybe then, Mr. Watson can get the rest he needs."

  "You're invited Nurse Heidi, but I'm leaving with them." The room fell silent as all eyes focused on Nurse Heidi, hands planted firmly on her hips, her face stern in rebuttal, eyes roving the group, almost challenging an attempt to pass her, then just as quickly, her face softened and her hands fell loose at her sides.

  "I'll need an hour with Mr. Watson, to change his bandage, wrap him tightly and dressed for transport."

  "I love you too, Nurse Heidi," Charlie said attempting to lighten the mood.

  "Don't confuse my helpfulness as condoning this crazy decision, Mr. Watson."

  "Works for me."

  "Charlie, Walker and I will go get an air mattress for the back of the wagon. Sandy, you probably want a change of clothes as well."

  "We'll all go shopping," Baker said. "All indications are McBride and his crew both are gone, but I'm here now. I'll push for the warrant, tomorrow being New Year's Day, it may not be until the second."

  I kissed Charlie, then walked over and placed my hand on Nurse Heidi's shoulder, "Thank you, I also wanted him to stay, but we need him with us now." I didn't expect a smile, or words of understanding from her, she was right after all, moving Charlie was crazy. She did shuffle us all out of his room and closed the door behind us.

  *****

  Henry McBride realized leaving the mall he was in his worst contingency as he watched the alternating unmarked FBI cars, changing positions behind him on his drive home. The one last job was a disaster, but they didn't have enough to arrest him and letting the FBI believe he was oblivious to their presence would be key to his escape. The receiver in his backseat was tossed
out of the SUV window along Interstate 5 under the cover of nightfall.

  Finding his home quiet on the second pass, he hit the garage door opener and pulled in. Henry knew they were parking down the block and to maintain the illusion as the garage door came down, he switched on lights inside the house before they walked through the rear door of his house and crossed his backyard into the alley. Two blocks away in a self-storage complex, the roll-up door freed a six-year-old, black Toyota Celica, a go bag in its trunk and documentation for Henry McBride and Brittney Scott to become, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Langford.

  Thomas Langford was created five years prior by Henry and was very wealthy through deposits from McBride's successful side business over the last four years. Confused on what had actually gone wrong this time, he conceded to Brittney's nagging commentary, that letting Charlie Watson walk was his huge mistake.

  "Henry, I had a different image of my wedding day," Brittney said as they drove out of the storage complex.

  "I'm Tom and you're Becky, short for Rebecca. The sooner you grasp that, the smoother this will be." Henry never took his eyes off the road en route to Los Angeles International Airport.

  "I still think we should drop a dime and have them all pay for our loss."

  "Your passion was attractive, initially, Becky. This spiteful creature you've become, well, not so much. Let it go!"

  "But, my darling husband, Thomas, our yacht has become a motorboat."

  "Be thankful our honeymoon suite is not a barred cell in LA."

  "So tell me, darling, is it Mrs. Langford's hot, young body you can't wait to jump on again or a liability you wouldn't leave behind?"

  It wasn't a new question in his mind, he'd hoped there would be love between them, just great sex was losing its value, new and exciting faded and maybe it was all about containing a liability now.

  "A little pissy aren't we, Becky? I guess what we are depends on you."

  "We just walked away from five mil. Yeah I'm a little pissy!"

  "We won't be eating baked beans out of a can under a lean-to on the beach. Let's get out of LA and work on the rest." He sensed her fuming, but appreciated her silence through the airport to the United Airlines gate. Their first class departure an hour from boarding, the go bag beside him a carry-on and she left him sitting there with the pretense of going for a magazine.

  She tossed the packaging from the phone she had just purchased around the corner from the airport news store and took the phone to a remote area. She punched in the digits for Don Richards' cell phone and although disappointed it went to voice mail, was not detoured from her objective.

  "Hello Mr. Richards, you managed to really let us down. However, maybe not tomorrow or even within a month or two, maybe even a year from now, I have every intention of fulfilling my promise to you. Relax, Mr. Richards, your life is not in danger, no looking over your shoulder, but watch the mail. Sandy's premier movie will be a blockbuster, Mr. Richards, crossing every dark and wicked genre to animal husbandry. Gotta' run now, Daddy Richards." She walked casually into the women's restroom, cracked the phone in half against the edge of the washbasin counter and dropped the two halves into the trash.

  She sat beside him and smiled, "Hen … Tom, I'm sorry for being a bitch and feel much better now." She opened her 'Hollywood Film Makers' magazine and started reading.

  "Since when has the movie industry attracted your interest?"

  "New life, new interests. Rebecca's Revealing Productions, nice ring, don't you think?"

  *****

  Jenny drew in a deep breath when they pulled into the driveway of Watson Manor and said, "It's never looked more inviting, felt more like home before to me." The porch lights were all on to welcome them, and as Jenny had just disconnected a call to Julia reporting their position, below those porch lights were their family, both by birth and choice. Walker didn't park in the lot, but drove past the main porch steps to the foot of the ramp on the end. Emily was holding Maddy's hand until Jenny jumped out of the front seat to hold them both. "I've never been happier to see any one more than my girls!"

  "You certainly had us worried, Jenny. Maddy asked us every five minutes where mommy and daddy were," Emily said, then ran to the far side of the rear passenger door that Walker had just opened. "Dad, are you really OK?"

  "Yes, Em, just riding in comfort back here." Emily moved back a step so Detective Edwards could move in to help Charlie out of the car. "Maybe out through the back, Chief."

  "Much better idea, sorry." Walker closed the side door and moved around to the back and swung the full width rear door open. Edwards and Walker pulled the air mattress back and each taking an arm, moved Charlie from a prone to vertical position.

  "Can we carry him in?" Jenny asked ready to hand Maddy off to help.

  "I need to walk, Jenny." His face showed he regretted that decision.

  He paused to give Maddy a kiss. "Daddy will be just fine in a few days."

  Don came rushing over from behind. "What can I do to help?"

  "Don, that gal by the door in blue jeans and a white blouse is Julia. She'll get your family settled in a unit. Get cleaned up, we have dinner being prepared."

  "I meant with getting Charlie inside."

  "I knew that, Don. You may be showered and changed by the time we get him inside, but Walker and Edwards have him, thanks."

  Linda and Sandy were beside him as they moved up the stairs to the porch. "I am so pleased your family is ok, Don," Special Agent Maria Sanchez said from a far corner of the porch. He directed his wife and daughter over toward her. "Maria, I mean, FBI Special Agent Sanchez, this is my wife, Linda, and daughter, Sandy."

  "You were right the first time, Don, just Maria and my partner, Debbie Gordon is just Debbie. We are both happy to be here and pleased to meet you both." She extended a hand to them.

  "Dad told us you were a big help to him, thank you."

  "We kinda' held each other up during that scary time, but Sandy, your message to your dad was the real blessing." Maria took Linda's hand and continued, "Linda, you've got one of the good ones here in Don. We can chat more later; go on inside and get settled."

  "Thanks, Maria. I'm planning on keeping him."

  Julia couldn't hold back tears as she watched her husband and Chief Walker assist Charlie up the ramp. "Excuse me, are you Julia?" Don asked.

  She turned and looked at them. "Yes, I need a minute, please go to the desk inside." Then Julia went over as Charlie reached the top of the ramp and kissed his cheek. "Don't you ever scare us like that again, Charlie Watson!"

  "Julia Edwards, it's wonderful to see you too. You missed a side." She kissed his turned cheek and wiped her eyes.

  "Emily is upstairs in her new room. Special Agents Gordon and Sanchez are in unit 101 and we'll put the Richards in the double, 102 as Eden is gone, as you know, two long days ago!"

  "Efficient as always, Julia. Think it would be ok for me to go inside now?"

  She jumped aside. "Sorry, I'll go see to our guests now that I've made a fool of myself."

  "That's not even possible, Julia," Jenny told her and gave her a hug. "We love you too."

  Julia dashed inside and found the Richards standing at the reception desk but staring at the huge Christmas tree.

  "Sorry, I'm Julia, as you know, let's get you settled."

  "That is the most beautiful Christmas tree I've ever seen," Sandy said. "Don't you agree Mom?"

  "Without a doubt, this whole place is magnificent."

  "Thank you, we are all pleased to have you here. We have a nice double unit behind me, 102." She handed them three keys. "I don't have many details, but understand you are involved in this case." Julia caught Sandy's blank stare.

  "Julia, Charlie was shot rescuing me. They all risked themselves for me."

  "Jenny didn't say. How did I miss that? You're ok? I can't imagine what you've been through, Sandy!"

  "I'm a lot better off than Charlie is. I just wanted you to know what they did for me."

&n
bsp; "What they did for all of us, Julia," Don said. "I get the feeling we are part of a larger grateful group."

  "You have no idea, and I'm that group's president, Mr. Richards.

  "I'm not surprised. Can I ask a favor?" He held up his phone. "I just realized its dead. I have a charger in the car, but do you have something that will work?"

  Julia took the phone and set it on a charging station behind the desk. "Same as mine, Mr. Richards. It should have a half charge by the end of dinner. You can come for it then. I'll look in our backroom to see if a charger was left behind that will work in your room tonight."

  "That's wonderful, thank you so much, Julia. Please, we're just Don, Linda and Sandy."

  "Enjoy your room and if you need anything at all let me know. Dinner is in thirty minutes. And Sandy, don't think for a moment Charlie would hesitate doing again what he did for you. They both risked their lives saving my son and me."

  Chapter 28

  We missed the ball dropping in Times Square on the TV last night and headed upstairs as soon as Charlie finished his pureed chicken noodle soup, served in a large mug for dinner. Lisa had roast beef and a broiled chicken with all the fixings for the rest of us, all of which didn't add savor to his mug of soup.

  "Happy New Year, my wounded hero," I offered as the morning sun filled our bedroom. "How are you feeling, Charlie?"

  "Happy New Year, Jenny. Scale of one-to-ten, five working on six. Sounds like Emily and Maddy are up already."

  "You should stay in bed, I'll make us breakfast this morning."

  "Let's go down stairs, say hello at least, if it's too much, I'll come back up."

  "Nurse Heidi made me promise to keep you down!" I moved over and kissed him lightly.

  "Keep that up and it will be six moving quickly to eight."

  "Only an eight," I said laughing. I did get the smile I was after, but felt helpless to remove all the pain. "I'll get your pain pills and then we'll get you dressed. Stay here." I got out of bed and headed toward the kitchen. "Good morning girls. You're an amazing daughter, Emily! You have Maddy dressed and ready to go."