by Ronald Craig
"I think this being the third time we needed it, trying to stay out of sight in your huge truck, we should just buy that blend-in Honda."
"I was going to once again remind you that we're inn keepers, but I drove us here."
"I really miss them already, Charlie."
"We'll give them a week, no word and we buy Timmy a pair of socks and just say they left them behind and we were in the neighborhood anyway."
Jenny laughed, "I needed that, thanks."
"I was concerned when Edwards didn't even say hello the other day, you'd be heartbroken."
Holding a pouty face she said, "He never asked me to call him Stan."
"You'd think after all we've be through, we'd all be on a first name basis."
They watched as several cars and trucks went in and out of Crown Storage for almost two hours. "There it is, Charlie, a UPS truck!" Jenny said.
"This is probably a really dumb idea," Charlie said starting the truck. He waited a couple of minutes then pulled out to follow. They stayed back about a half a mile on the open frontage road. In the town of French Camp, the UPS truck took the Interstate 5 onramp south. Charlie closed the distance to a quarter mile allowing several cars to get between them. They followed through the transition to Interstate 205 in Tracy which soon became 580 west. Ahead the UPS truck exited on North Livermore Avenue for a mile then veered left on Junction Avenue. Charlie found it easy to stay back three cars without fear of losing sight of them. Junction Avenue was two traffic lanes with room on both sides for parking at the curb. The UPS truck pulled to the curb across from a large elementary and middle school. Charlie made a quick left turn into a parking lot beside the school and turned around staying back far enough to watch.
Within ten minutes four school buses passed in front of them on Junction Avenue with blinkers on to enter the school on the other side. "Looks like they are hunting," Charlie said.
"I hate these monsters, Charlie. Should we call 911 for the police?"
"What can we tell them at this point? A suspicious UPS truck is parked across from a school?"
"I guess you're right. Chief Walker would be here if we were in Marina."
"Chief Walker would wonder if we'd lost our sanity, kind of the way I'm feeling," Charlie said.
"We're here now, let's just see what they're up to."
Traffic was getting heavier as an array of cars was pulling in to pick up children getting out of school. Two busses pulled out, one turned right and drove past them and the other left away from them and the UPS truck remained at the curb. The brake lights came on the UPS truck as the third school bus turned left out of the loading area and it fell in behind the bus. "Here we go," Charlie said taking a position four cars behind. The bus turned left on the first street heading for a residential area behind the school. The UPS truck stayed back a car length and stopped when the bus lights were flashing during its frequent stops. They wove through the neighborhood behind the bus for three stops. The bus turned right at a corner and Charlie held back keeping it in sight. The UPS truck pulled to the curb and waited. Jenny saw a young girl walking on the sidewalk toward the UPS truck away from the bus stop. A man dressed in the olive green UPS uniform stepped out of the side door of the truck with a cardboard box headed for the porch adjacent to his position at the curb. The brake lights on the UPS truck came on as the man in uniform appeared poised on the porch ready to dash back to the truck.
"There are two of them, Charlie. Someone else is behind the wheel!"
"I saw the lights too, get your camera ready." They watched as the young girl continued walking towards them, only half a house way from the return path of the man in the UPS uniform to the waiting truck. Jenny took the photo just as the young girl and uniformed man met on the sidewalk. Her face was covered with a towel in the man's hand and Charlie rounded the corner at full throttle. The man looked up in surprise, dropped the young girl and then disappeared into the UPS truck leaving in a hurry. Jenny kept taking pictures while holding on as Charlie brought his truck to a stop beside where the young girl was. "Can't follow them, she needs us," he said.
Jenny jumped out of the truck as the young girl was coming to. "Are you OK?" Jenny asked. More alert now fear crossed the young girl's face. "Let's get you home," Jenny added helping her up. They walked three doors down and the young girl darted for the door. Jenny waited on the porch for Charlie.
"Yes Chief, local Stockton police would get there quicker if these guys called it in," Charlie said into his phone standing in front of Jenny on the sidewalk. He listened a moment and said, "We'll wait for Livermore PD here. Hopefully the Highway Patrol can get them returning to Stockton."
"The young girl and her mother came through the front door. "What's going on here!" the woman demanded.
"The police are en route now," Charlie said. "Can we speak to you…alone?"
"Sandy it's alright, go inside. I'll be there in a minute," the woman said. When the door closed behind her she turned to them and asked, "Who are you two?"
"I'm Jenny and this is my husband Charlie. We just happened to see an attempted abduction of your daughter, Sandy."
"Abducted! Right here on our street!"
"They are long gone now and I'm thinking will not come back here," Charlie said.
"Thank you. You're telling me…" she started to say and had to sit down on the porch steps. "That they almost took…"
"We will wait out here for the police, I think Sandy needs your hug right now," Jenny said as she steadied the woman to her feet and watched her enter the house.
"I called 911, then Chief Walker," he said sitting down beside her.
"Thank God He brought us here, Charlie."
"There doesn't seem to be any doubt He's driving."
Chapter 27
Nelson Crown was pacing in his home office with the phone glued to his ear.
"Sir as your corporate and personal attorney, we have set up insulation between you and all of your Crown Treasure Vaults through leases," Lew said.
"What triggered the raid in Stockton?"
"We had three trucks out today, the one in Livermore called in with a narrow escape. Thirty minutes later Stockton PD was all over the place. We have not heard from the Livermore run since."
"What exactly was reported, Lew?"
"Only that they dropped the package and left when a pickup truck pulled up fast."
"A pickup truck? Did they see the driver?"
"No sir, but they saw a woman taking pictures."
"Those damn Watsons again, shit! Shut it all down, dump inventory on the street if we aren’t already too late. I'm on my way out the door. To hell with your insulation at this point, a thread will put me away. Earn your fat paycheck and get it done. One more thing, Lew, I want to read in a few days from a very safe distance about the untimely deaths of those Watsons!"
"Hold on sir, there's something going on here…"
"Lew! What the hell is going on?" Crown asked as the line went dead.
He hit another speed dial button on his phone. "It's all coming apart! I'll need witness elimination throughout the Vault organization and get it right this time with those damn Watsons!"
*****
Charlie and Jenny spent two hours in the Livermore Police Department relaying their involvement and reason for being there today and waiting for Special Agent Baker from the San Jose FBI field office to arrive.
"Mr. and Mrs. Watson, I'm Special Agent Baker, the agent assigned to the Nelson Crown investigation," Baker said when he finally arrived.
"Just one agent assigned?" Charlie asked.
"This is not the only investigation the FBI is working on, Mr. Watson."
"Well you're here now, I guess. What's going on in Stockton?" Charlie asked.
"Yes, I'm here and personally ordered four agents to investigate that facility and they are currently en route now."
"So the Stockton Police found something there?" Jenny asked.
"That's my understanding, but I don't
have all the details yet. Like I said my agents are en route. I have some questions. How is it you were here today?"
"Our involvement started with the video…" Jenny started to say and was cut off.
"I've seen the video, I am in charge of this case," Baker said indignantly.
"Listen, Special Agent Baker! My wife and I have been personally involved in this from that video on. We were there when three children…"
"Hey, calm down Mr. Watson."
"No, you walk in here a day late, finally taking this seriously, with an attitude like we're in your way. May I remind you, Special Agent Baker, that a frightened young girl is at home with her terrified mother because we weren't a day late!" Charlie told him, fuming.
"We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot. We are on the same side here, Mr. Watson and I admit that today's events elevated this investigation."
"Can you share some of that elevation?" Jenny asked.
"With the initial report from Stockton PD, I have mobilized a task force of twenty agents to other Crown locations."
"What was the initial report from Stockton?" Jenny asked.
"There were children there and arrests were made," he said. After a moment's silence he added," Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Watson."
"We are just hoping the end is in sight," Jenny said.
"I assure you, we, the FBI will see this through."
"To answer your question, Charlie and I saw the Crown Vault in Salinas and knew there was a Crown Storage in Stockton. Returning home from Sacramento we thought we'd take a look," Jenny told him.
"We'd like to get home. If you need anything that’s not in the report here, give us a call. I don't know if they can pull prints from it, but the police here have the box he placed on the porch," Charlie said.
"OK, I'll be in contact with you. Thanks for waiting here for me, I'll review the report."
Halfway home while driving through San Jose Jenny received a call from Detective Edwards. "Wow. Have you two set off a chain of events! The Chief wants you to stop by on your way home," he said.
"Hopefully for some real information," Jenny said.
"It's crazy here and we're basically on the sidelines. Well, we do have an update on our trip to Marina Professional."
"We'll be there in roughly ninety minutes," Jenny said disconnecting the call.
"Looks like Crown is coming down Charlie."
"Finally. I'm still annoyed at that cocky ass, Baker."
"I think he was embarrassed for letting this slide. I'm so proud of you for throwing it back at him."
"What I wanted to throw was more physical when he cut you off. I don't usually flash like that."
"I know, you surprised me too, but I'm still so proud."
"Hey, a classy dame like youz, deserves respect. I ain't gonna let no Fed trample youz down, sugar."
"My hero," she said and leaned over to kiss him.
Passing through the city of Gilroy on Highway 101, they stopped for some dinner figuring it was going to be a long, however very informative, stop at the Marina Police Department that evening.
"They're here," Jacque announced as she saw them pull into the parking lot at the Marina Police Department. Charlie and Jenny walked into a standing ovation when they passed through the front doors.
"Eleven children recovered and six arrests in Stockton," Detective Edwards said impatiently. "You two will need a bigger wall now."
"I was all set to read you the riot act for taking that stupid risk," Chief Walker said as a huge smile replaced his stern expression and then he added," The Watson guide to lighting a fire under the FBI."
"Eleven children! That’s so amazing," Jenny said overwhelmed with the great news.
"That’s just the beginning. The FBI is raiding everything in the Crown Enterprises portfolio and is en route to his home to bring him in," Walker said.
"It's finally over," Charlie said pulling Jenny into his arms.
"I'm glad you thought to call me Charlie," Walker said. "I was able to alert Stockton PD, get the Highway Patrol looking for the UPS truck and then I talked to Special Agent Baker. That jerk had the nerve to rag on me for calling him last."
"We met him in Livermore. I think the chip on his shoulder was gone when we left," Jenny said.
"I knew if anyone could get things moving it would be you, Chief. Did the Highway Patrol have any luck finding the UPS truck?"
"They were apprehended just south of Stockton. They had five empty decoy boxes, a mattress and bottle of chloroform in the truck," Edwards said. "They don't know much about the organization, but received a thousand dollars for each child brought in."
"Their shopping days are over," Jacque said, surprising them all. When she realized all eyes were on her she added, "I'm part of this team too you know."
Jenny went over and gave her a hug. "And we are all pleased that you are, Jacque."
"Jacque, why don't you tell the Watsons our local news?" Walker asked.
"Right away Chief, "she said mimicking Edwards typical response. "We transported Allen Lewis Richards, Esquire, from Marina Professional to county today. Known as Lew to us."
"His loyalty fortunately shifts to the hand that feeds him which now happens to be the State of California," Walker said.
Jacque went to catch the ringing phone at her desk. "Chief, it's Detective Miller from San Jose, line 1."
"Thanks Jacque, I'll take it in my office."
"The Chief has pulled in all his favors to be kept in the loop," Edwards told them.
"Is that Detective Miller from the Eberhart case?" Jenny asked.
"One and the same, like I said, pulled all the stops."
"So you didn't mind that we brought Julia over to meet you?" Jenny asked Edwards.
"Our date last night was so special. I've never felt so at ease, like we've been friends for years and were just catching up," he said smiling. "I was very surprised, being forced out and living on the streets that she wasn't, I don't know, bitter and hateful, I guess."
"She is a remarkable young lady," Charlie said. "Timmy, of course, stole our hearts the moment we met him."
"I admit, I was hoping you, Stan," she emphasized his name, smiling. "might add a tether to bring her back soon."
"We are on the same team again," Edwards said. "I plan to stay in touch. I'll send a note with the photos and such."
"In all of the excitement, the agents sent to bring Crown in couldn't locate him at his residence. His housekeeper told them he was at the dealership. So they drove back to his dealership before putting out an APB for him. His flight to Beijing China left San Francisco International thirty minutes ago," Walker told them.
"No extradition from there I imagine," Charlie asked.
"Hong Kong, yes but not main land China," Walker said. "The head of that snake might have gotten away but the body is being shut down, eleven in Stockton and counting. But Nelson Crown is not smiling in victory at this moment. He has his life, yes, but ran away from probably a hundred million dollars in assets soon to be seized by the government. He knows the government is after him, but Charlie and Jenny what scares me is he also knows who lit the fuse when this blew up on him. I have a call in for Special Agent Baker to place you in protective custody."
"It doesn't sound like this is over for us at all," Charlie said.
"I'm so sorry and could be wrong, but I don't have the assets to keep you safe here."
"We never saw him, couldn't testify that he was even involved, so we aren't a threat as witnesses," Jenny said.
"You toppled his empire, Jenny. Karen Meyers reminds us he is not a forgiving man," Walker said.
When Jenny's mind flashed on the crime scene photo of the headless body of Karen Meyers, she moved into Charlie's arms shaking and unable to speak.
Chapter 28
Chief Walker sent Charlie and Jenny to Watson Manor with two police officers, one stationed outside and the other inside with them until they heard back from Special Agent Baker of the FBI concerni
ng protective custody.
"Charlie, maybe we should listen, he tried to kill us once for just looking around. Now it's a massive loss driving him."
"What, Jenny? Change our names, walk away from our dream while hiding in some lousy place in fear?"
"We could sell here; build a new Watson Manor where it is safer, for us and a family."
"Not a Watson Manor if we have to become the Smiths. I'm tired of being the hunted Jenny, and we'll be looking over our shoulder as long as that man is alive."
"So, what are you saying? We hunt him down and kill him?" Jenny asked.
"I don't know. What did the Chief say, Hong Kong has extradition? So we drag him there, besides with Crown, it seems more like self defense to me."
"Track him down in China? My God Charlie, there are a billion people there."
"We can learn everything there is to know about him, maybe find he has some contacts there. He'll relax, he knows the US can't touch him. Why don't we take you to stay with Nathan and Avery for a while and I'll fly out of Little Rock to look for him."
"Damn it Charlie, we've been here before. Where you go, I go. That’s never been nor will it ever be an option!"
"Jenny, please be reasonable this time."
"OK, let me put it this way. If I had run for safety in the woods when Detective Eberhart shot Margret and then put the gun to your head, where would we be?"
Charlie was quiet for a while realizing he didn't have an answer that would support his position. "If you weren't there, we wouldn't be having this conversation…because she would have killed me."
"If that didn't convince you that we are a team, you and I together Charlie, then we really are in trouble. I'm not saying your idea is a great one, or even a good one, but if we stand any chance at all of finding him, we can't wait too long."
"I certainly don't want to wait until he succeeds in removing one of us first. Do you think we can get the information we need from Baker? He can't keep us from being tourists overseas."
"He should feel some responsibility for letting Crown get away," Jenny said.
"I'll call our partner, James Wentworth in the morning and tell him we need it to appear as if we've sold out to him and went into hiding. I'll have Pop change the sign to "Wentworth Manor" in the event Crown does have someone coming for us. Then we call Baker, telling him we are going to China one way or the other but would appreciate the help of information."