by Ronald Craig
Chapter 14
It was almost seven that evening when Jenny wandered down to the first floor and found Charlie placing the final tiles on the floor of the main kitchen. The tile saw was still running so he didn't hear her approach.
"Wow, that looks wonderful," she said from behind him, video camera running in her hand.
"Sh…," he said jumping up. "You love that stealth shooting don't you?"
"The element of surprise was not intended, just a bonus," she said laughing.
"I wish you wouldn't sneak up on me though."
"With that loud saw running, I could have followed a marching band down the stairs and you wouldn't have heard me coming."
He reset the last tile that was knocked out of place when he jumped then went over to turn off the saw. The sudden quiet was startling. "I see what you mean," he said. "I feel badly. I've been so focused on getting our fourth floor ready to move in, I didn't know Hank was not here anymore. Do you know what's going on there? Pop said family issues."
Jenny turned the camera off. "No. This is the first I've heard as well. I hope it's not their kids. I haven't talked to Judy since, let me think, when we went to her steakhouse."
"Should we head over there tonight? See if we can help them?" he asked.
"I thought we were good friends. It's really strange he didn't talk to us before he left."
"They know we're here if they need us, I guess. I don't want to barge in on them if they need some space."
"I'll call Judy in the morning. Did Bob replace him or are you stepping up, Sparky?"
"Very funny. I met the new guy pop hired, Art. He may know what he's doing but he missed Personality 101 in school. Joe and Larry, our drywall guys said he must have grabbed one too many hot 220 volt lines," he said then laughed. "But they had plenty to say about their new side kick, Stan, the extreme opposite. He's a chatter box, wants to be your best friend and always has a question. I had to agree with them, I stopped to say hi to Stan this morning. It took fifteen minutes to get away."
"Thanks for the heads up. I'll make a point of keeping clear of him. Shall I start dinner or do you want to go out?"
"I'm done here. How do you feel about pizza tonight?"
"I'll order it. You should be out of the shower by the time it's delivered."
"Only if I can't talk you into joining me."
"Did you happen to notice my hair is still wet from a shower?"
"And your point is?"
"Take a shower, Romeo. Let's take a blanket to the beach after dinner."
"Works for me."
*****
Jenny woke to Shadow whimpering on her side of the bed. Shadow's bed was along the wall just outside the master bedroom door. It took Charlie two and a half weeks and several pounds of bacon to get to the point where they could leave the bedroom door open and Shadow would stay on his side of that door. It was his only rule that the master bedroom was off limits as it was common for the three of them to share the couch for a movie. So Jenny was instantly alert when her eyes opened.
"What is it boy?" she asked softly, glancing at the night table clock and found it was dark. The reading lamp beside her also wouldn't turn on. She turned back to face Charlie and shook him. "Charlie, wake up. We've lost power." Shadow continued to whimper, but at the mention of Charlie's name retreated to his side of the bedroom door.
"I'll check the breaker," he said, getting out of bed and heading to the closet. He grabbed his jeans and a shirt then took socks and shoes back to the bed to put them on. Shadow was still excited and he said, "So Shadow, you're afraid of the dark now?"
"He's acting strange, maybe something else is going on?" Jenny said, en route to the closet.
Charlie grabbed a flash light from under the kitchen sink and headed to their front door. As soon as he opened it, Shadow rushed past him down the stairs. He heard Shadow barking and growling on the second level and Charlie started to run toward him. At the end of the third floor landing, Charlie smelled smoke. He turned back to get the fire extinguisher from the wall cabinet and found the door open and the extinguisher missing. He continued down the stairs to the second level and found flames just beyond the foot of the stairs along the wall. There was no sign of Shadow and his barking continued from the floor below. The extinguisher was missing on the second floor as well and he raced to the ground floor where he found one. He smashed the glass and ran back to the second level to attack the fire. It had grown quickly in the matter of seconds it took him to return and the flames were headed up the wooden stairs.
"Oh my God!" Jenny screamed from the top of the stairs.
"Use your cell phone, call 911," Charlie hollered up to her without losing sight of the flames in front of him. The flames were running up the banister, fueled by the fresh stain and varnish. He knew if it reached the floor of the third level it would spread too quickly to contain. He dashed into one of the second story units and soaked himself in the shower then with the fire extinguisher in hand leaped through the flames on the lower steps. The smoke was heavy and breathing was difficult but he and Jenny were no longer separated by the flames already half way up the banister. He was able to reach them and worked his way down the stairs fighting the fire. He gasped in frustration as the extinguisher in his hands went dry.
"Here, Charlie!" Jenny shouted from above him. She had the fire extinguisher from the fourth floor and handed it to him.
"Thank God, Jenny!" he said taking it and continued to fight the fire. "Get off the stairs. I don't know how much damage the fire has caused on these bottom steps."
"The fire department is on their way," she said moving back up the stairs.
"Is our door closed? To keep the smoke out."
Jenny ran up the stairs to close their door and returned to find Charlie choking at the top of the stairs. The flames were gone but the smoke was so dense she couldn't see him but heard him coughing. She dragged him through one of the unit doors and closed it quickly behind them. They stumbled together through a sliding glass door onto a balcony gasping for air. Shadow's growl and bark could be heard fifty yards away just inside the tree line then a gun fired and the only sound was the fast approaching sirens.
"Are you OK?" she asked.
"I…will be," he said slowly taking deeper breaths.
"Shadow, we need to find him."
"When the smoke clears, Jenny."
The sirens died in front of Watson Manor and they heard the pounding of footsteps on the stairs followed by the call, "Marina Fire Department. Is anyone in here?"
Jenny ran to the unit door and shouted, "Up here, third floor!"
A moment later there was a knock on the door, "Is anyone injured, needing immediate medical assistance?"
"No," Jenny answered through the closed door.
"Is there anyone else in the building?"
"No, it's just Charlie and me."
"Stay where you are then and keep the door closed. The fire is out and we are ventilating the smoke. It will take a few minutes and I will come back for you.
"OK, is there a black dog down stairs?"
"No ma'am. The fire and smoke would have scared it off. I'll be back soon." She went back to sit with Charlie as they heard the large fan start up a few units away from them and smoke created a dark cloud beyond the balcony. They stood by the door when the fan was pushing the cloud away with clear air.
Charlie opened the door and took Jenny's hand. They could feel the draft from behind them walking through the door as the fan continued running. The smoke had cleared but the smell of burnt wood was overpowering. Firemen were working hard to ensure there were no smoldering areas and the Captain was headed up the stairs for them. "One at a time down the stairs. Let's get you two checked out," he said.
The EMT's met them at the main entrance and walked with them back to their truck, "We need you two to sit here for a while and wear these oxygen masks."
Charlie sat down immediately and accepted the mask without comment as his breathing was
still labored.
"You take good care of him," Jenny said. "I need to find our dog."
"Jenny, give these guys ten minutes," Chief Walker told her approaching from behind them. "Or they might get a bad report card. I'll look for Shadow. Do you have any idea where he went?"
Jenny pointed at the tree line where they last heard him barking. "We heard him over there. I think he chased someone there and then…"
Charlie removed his mask, "We heard a gunshot, Chief."
"Then you'll definitely stay here. I'll be right back," Walker said, then turned to the EMT's. "You may have to tie her down, guys."
"We'll wait here," Charlie assured him, taking Jenny's hand and then putting his mask back on. Chief Walker pulled a flashlight from his belt and headed toward the tree line.
Chapter 15
Charlie and Jenny sat there with their eyes glued to the tree line. It had been fifteen minutes since they saw Chief Walker enter the woods. Jenny was giving her statement to Detective Edwards when his radio went off. "Edwards?"
"Yes Chief."
"I have two down. I need the senior EMT to wait there, I'm heading back. You and the other EMT to my location, now!"
"On my way," Edwards said then turning to the EMTs, "You heard him. Who's with me?"
The younger man grabbed his case and ran with Detective Edwards toward the tree line. Jenny and Charlie both stood up and saw them meet Walker just outside of the woods for a moment than him running towards them with Shadow in his arms.
"Oh no!" Jenny gasped, tears running down her face.
"Go, I'll be right behind you," Charlie said as Jenny took off towards them.
Charlie grabbed the gurney and met the Chief and Jenny halfway back to the Rescue Truck. Walker laid Shadow down on the gurney. Shadow was limp with labored breathing. His rear leg was wrapped tightly in a blood stained white tee shirt. Jenny looked up from Shadow on the gurney to the Chief's single button holding his shirt over a bare chest. "Chief…how can I thank you?"
"It's all I had," Walker said then turned to the EMT, "Get him patched up."
"You kind of have your priorities mixed up here," the EMT said. "Human life first."
"The saver of lives always precedes the taker in my book."
"But…"
Chief Walker cut him off, "Do it! This life just saved two." The EMT quickly got to work on Shadow. He started an IV en Shadows front leg and then cleaned and bandaged the wound. Walker was on his radio talking to Jacque from his station.
"The bullet went through. That’s all I can do for him. It’s the loss of blood that concerns me," the EMT said.
"Jenny you grab the IV. Charlie if you are OK to hold him in the back seat, Doc Baker is standing by at the Marina Pet Clinic."
"I'm fine, Chief. Thank you," Charlie said. Jenny was still too upset to answer but took the IV bag off the stand and followed them to Walker's Police SUV.
Shadow lay in Charlie's lap with his head on Jenny's leg in route to the pet clinic. Shadow's eyes had remained closed but his breathing seemed less labored. They were met at the door by Dr. Baker and an assistant that took Shadow directly into the back room.
Jenny turned as the door closed and hugged the Chief. "We owe you so much for all you've done. Thank you," she said worn out emotionally.
"Maybe a new tee shirt," he said with a half smile. "I need to get back. Let me know when Shadow is in the clear and I'll come back for you."
"Thank you, Chief. You said two down over the radio."
"Late twenties to mid thirties, Caucasian maybe 5-10. I used his shirt to wrap his arm up, probably the one he was holding the gun in. Shadow convinced him to drop it, unfortunately after he got a shot off. His good arm and ankle are sharing my cuffs."
"We got too close to them," Charlie said.
"Looks that way. I don't give a damn what the FBI has to say about it, this is my top priority," Walker said and then left the clinic. They sat down in the waiting room surrounded by posters advertising products seemingly responsible for producing the happy and healthy pets displayed.
"He has to make it," Jenny said softly.
"He's young and healthy, he'll pull through."
"Shadow saved our lives, Charlie," she said, taking his hand.
"I know that. I have a steak with his name on it when we take him home."
"We may need to move his bed into our room as he heals."
"Jenny, after this, he can share my pillow if he wants too."
Jenny showed him a hopeful smile. "If it's love that pulls him through, I can't imagine having more for him."
"There is that, but my money is on that stubborn streak he got from you."
They sat in silence. He put his arm around her shoulders and she slid in close to him. The door opened an hour later and the doctor's smile shattered the worry surrounding them. "He is sedated now and we'll watch him here for a day or two. We were lucky, the bullet missed bones and main arteries so I expect a full recovery."
"Thank you doctor! Can we see him?" Jenny said jumping to her feet.
"Of course, for a moment. But as I said, he is sedated and won't know you're here."
"Oh he'll know," Charlie said smiling. "Jenny can't wait to tell him about his new pillow in our bed."
*****
Chief Walker took them back to pick up Charlie's truck at 4:30 that morning and as the second floor of Watson Manor was taped off as a crime scene they stayed in town that night. The fine line between life and death they experienced kept them from sleeping more than a few hours. They had breakfast in town and drove home to find plenty of activity, none related to the construction of their bed and breakfast hotel.
"Thank God you two are alright," Bob, their foreman, greeted them as they got out of the truck. "What the hell happened here?"
"Mornin' Pop. We had a visitor this morning delivering a message," Charlie said.
"They tried to kill us Bob!" Jenny reported.
"They? Do you know who they are?"
"Yes, the key will be to prove it," Charlie said.
"The kids on the video?"
"The Crown group," Charlie told him.
"I had to let the crew go today, Marina PD wouldn't let us in. How bad is the fire damage?"
"The stairway to the third level. If Shadow hadn't woken us…" Charlie started to say.
"Chief Walker is inside with the arson investigator now. He told me about Shadow. As soon as we get an all clear, I'll get the insurance company out here."
"Thanks Bob," Jenny said. "I didn't think about that."
They walked over to the main entrance draped with crime scene tape and a uniformed Marina patrolman standing guard greeted them, "I radioed the Chief when you drove up. He'll be down in a few minutes. I am so sorry for what happened here."
"Thank you," Jenny said as they sat on the steps to wait. They didn't have to wait long when they heard Walker call for them. "I was hoping you two would have gotten some sleep. We can talk inside." The officer raised the crime tape and they entered the ground floor. "This is Richard Samuels, our arson investigator. Richard these are the Watsons, Charlie and Jenny."
"Hello," Richard said shaking both their hands. "I wish our meeting was under different circumstances but let me get right to the point here. This was a professional job gone wrong, for them anyway. I figure there were two of them. One Chief Walker is holding but the other fled when your dog interrupted them." Richard led them over to two fire extinguishers along the wall. "These were removed from the second and third floors and the propellant drained off. The intent was to put them back in place but without the propellant they would be useless to you. They avoided the fourth floor, I think because they knew there was a dog on the property. Another thing that indicates previous knowledge was their choice of an accelerant used. They re-coated the banister with varnish to act as a fuse to set the third floor ablaze. The trigger was staged to look like one of the three dead rats we found had chewed through an extension cord beside the open varnish can."
"But the power was off?" Jenny said.
"Exactly. Once the stage was set and the dead fire extinguishers were returned to their locations, they would simply turn the main breaker back on and walk away."
"Then how did the fire start if the power was off?" Charlie asked.
"A simple match or lighter when they heard your dog coming down the stairs. An effort to stop the dog and cover their tracks, is my thought."
"John Davis, who we have in custody, was wearing gloves so fingerprints in here are out. But the fresh varnish on those gloves, I'm sure, will match the brand used here," Walker said.
"Has he said anything? Who hired him?" Charlie asked.
"Edwards has been by his side all night in the ER then back at the station. Not a word, no ID. His finger prints gave us his name."
"Richard, why do you believe there were two of them?" Jenny asked.
"One, the lack of a vehicle. It appears the first one out ran to the vehicle and your dog chased the other one, Davis into the woods. Unfortunately your gravel driveway won't give us any tire impressions."
"When can we start the clean up?" Charlie asked him.
"We're almost wrapped up here. We pulled some prints from the fire extinguishers and cabinets and have already printed your construction crew for elimination this morning. Give us another hour."
"We still need to get your statements," Walker said to Charlie. "Why don't you follow me back to the station? We can see what Edwards has as well."
"We'll meet you there, "Jenny said. "I need to check on Shadow first."
"I understand. Listen, there was an attempt on your lives here today and it's not to be taken lightly."
"We know, Chief. And lightly is the last way we see this. Jenny and I have no intention of going after these people. It's in your hands," Charlie said, as he and Walker both looked at Jenny.
"What? I'm so beyond scared here. I don't know when I'll ever sleep again," Jenny said moving into Charlie's arms.
