Watson Manor Unfolding: Second Novel in the Watson Mystery Series (Watson Manor Mystery Series Book 2)

by Ronald Craig

  "They really are monsters. So when these girls don't return home why aren't these parents raising hell?"

  "It seems, according to Richards that the families are sent small amounts of money tagged as wages because the girls have accepted positions in factories, learning a trade and attending better schools."

  "You've emailed all this to us?"

  "There are a lot of things we sent you, including what correspondence and emails we found from both Judy's computer and what was on Richard's. Special Agent Baker indicated there was no computer at Crown's residence."

  "Do you believe him?"

  "Charlie, this guy has done a complete turnaround! You and Jenny have given him national recognition in this case. He also knows if you wanted to go public with your side, his glory could go up in smoke. He has learned it's better to play nice with us as your home base."

  "I hope soon our home base will be Watson Manor. Thank you, Edwards. I think we have some tools to work with here."

  "Keep us posted."

  Charlie put the phone down and went back to bed. He didn't really expect to sleep but it was nicer to lie beside her rather than stay in the chair as the wheels turned in his head.

  *****

  Jenny logged into her email account at Steven Chen's office and was printing everything Detective Edwards had sent them. Steven and Charlie studied them as Jenny pulled each finished page off the printer.

  "The spreadsheet and monthly emails to David Lu correspond in units sold and the division of the sales amount being wired to him. Everything is in units, so if we didn't know what units meant from another source it could be anything," Steven said.

  "We need to somehow get the message to David that the actual sales amounts were adjusted down to appear as a fifty-fifty split, but were actually, say a sixty-forty or seventy-thirty," Charlie suggested.

  "We can have an email from Judy to Crown, dated a month ago maybe, asking his approval as sales continue to increase, to move from the current sixty-forty to a sixty five-thirty five split," Jenny offered.

  "That could work," Steven said. "We have all the email addresses, but the key here is that this information or copy of the email has to reach David Lu from a source he trusts."

  "They have to be following the news on this. What are the sales numbers just this year?" Charlie asked.

  "It lists five hundred and sixty here which has to be five hundred and sixty thousand," Jenny told him.

  "So that's the number that was split with David Lu this year, based on the spreadsheet and emails. What if the FBI reported to the news that among other findings, that this year alone the seized sales records of Asian girls out of the Santa Rosa Crown Storage facility alone exceeded eight hundred and thirty thousand," Charlie said.

  "Maybe an expanded version of this spread sheet, listing actual sales, is printed in the paper, with a comment suggesting that, based on these and other documents, these young Asian girls had been smuggled out of China at a cost of thirty five percent of sales here," Jenny added.

  "I think we have our trusted source. If David Lu sees in the newspaper a printed expanded version of what he has been receiving over the years with that column labeled 'Actual Sales' at the inflated number, he'll go ballistic," Steven informed them.

  "If we can get it in the news, how can we be sure David Lu will see it," Jenny asked.

  "To say the least, David Lu is very concerned about this implicating his involvement. He has many eyes on anything reported. He will be informed," Steven said. "He may already be thinking about eliminating Crown and Judy as links."

  "We need to move fast then, eliminating links sounds like fish food when what we need is a public message," Charlie said.

  Chapter 32

  The altered spreadsheet was emailed back to Detective Edwards along with the plan to create bad blood between Nelson Crown and David Lu. It was six thirty pm in California and they wouldn't know if their plan would or could be implemented until they could reach them the following day.

  "I don't feel good about this, Charlie. I came here wanting Crown to stand trial back home," Jenny told him.

  "We have to use the tools we have. With Crown out of business, one snake turning on another can work to eliminate the threat on our lives," Charlie said. "That's my primary goal. My God, Jenny, have you forgotten who we're talking about? The fire at Watson Manor, a hundred children sold for profit!"

  "No, of course not, but are we doing this the right way?"

  "Forgive me, the right way? I'd break his neck if I had the chance!"

  "They're on the move," Steven broke in. "Jimmy will take you to set up a tag team on them." The car was already running when they slid into the back seat and it pulled away from the curb the moment the rear door was closed.

  "Go away Beijing," Jimmy said between conversing with the other driver over the radio.

  "Jimmy, who is moving?" Jenny asked.

  "Four in car, have luggage Crown and Judy. Driver and David Lu also go."

  "Only one car? No body guards?" Charlie asked.

  "One, same black car we follow before, ten kilometers in front of us," Jimmy said, passing traffic on the highway.

  "In the other car with us, is it just the driver?" Charlie inquired.

  "Other car two man, take turn watch house." The view from the back seat leaving the city behind became farm land. Large and small green rectangles offering different textures appeared as a patchwork carpet as far as they could see. The car radio came to life and Jimmy was conversing with the lead car in Chinese. "Exit highway, maybe go Langfang." After 20 minutes from their departing Beijing, Jimmy became the lead car with the black Mercedes half a mile ahead. The city of Langfang could be seen about two miles ahead when the Mercedes slowed and turned right off the main road. Jimmy pulled to the side of the road and reported their position on the car radio. They watched as the Mercedes moved slowly on a gravel road leaving a small cloud of dust approaching a large barn.

  "This seems very remote," Charlie commented when the car pulled to a stop beside the barn a quarter of a mile away from them.

  "I can't imagine Crown will be happy here," Jenny said. They watched the driver pull the luggage from the car trunk as the other three entered the barn, out of their sight. The driver followed them into the barn and moments later got back into the driver's seat.

  "There must be a house here, on the other side of the barn, that we can't see," Charlie suggested.

  "Why would they go through the barn and not drive around then?" she asked. The answer came five minutes later when the black Mercedes was headed back towards them and a small single engine plane lifted off the ground in the opposite direction.

  "You head down," Jimmy said then reported the activity on the car radio. When the Mercedes passed them heading back towards Beijing they got out of the car and watched the plane make a slow turn maintaining a low altitude flight.

  "Damn it, we've lost them now!" Charlie said, frustrated. Jimmy was back in the car on the radio when they slid into the back seat.

  "Other car say only driver return," Jimmy reported then returned his attention to the radio. Jenny and Charlie sat silently as the conversation continued over the radio in the front seat. Jimmy started the car and made a u-turn on the highway and was heading fast back toward Beijing.

  "Should we check out the barn first?" Jenny asked.

  "Other car check, we go Beijing. Mr. Chen say he think they go Dalian."

  "Can we drive to Dalian?" Charlie asked.

  "Almost one thousand kilometers, take eleven, twelve hour. We fly Beijing to Dalian. Mr. Chen say go hotel, get luggage, ticket at airport."

  "Are you coming with us, Jimmy?" Jenny asked.

  "I go, have bag in trunk always."

  *****

  Their China Eastern Airlines flight touched down in Dalian less a few hours after they watched the single engine plane leave Langfang. Jimmy rented a car and they drove out of the commercial airport.

  "Are we going to David Lu's
factory here?" Charlie asked.

  "Mr. Chen give list. Factory and three property here."

  "Is one of them out of the city? A place to land his plane?" Jenny suggested.

  "Like I say, Beijing maybe have number two investigator," he said laughing.

  "We find the plane then check out the other places," Charlie said. They traveled north out of Dalian about twenty miles and spotted the plane this time in a barn that was open to the road.

  "Steven called that right," she said excited they had not lost the trail.

  "Mr. Chen say one house big, he think main residence here, other maybe guest house."

  "If Crown is staying in China awhile it would make sense he and Judy would be in the guest house," he said. "Is that our first stop, Jimmy?"

  "We look activity there." Jimmy referred to the local map provided with the rental car as they drove back through downtown Dalian. It was just getting dark outside as evening approached and they slowly drove past the smaller house, thought to be the guest house. The house looked to be the size of a single story three bedroom home, but with the Asian flare at the corners of the roof. The grounds were very well maintained with a garden on one side of the house complete with a curved wooden path and a small bridge spanning a pond. There was a light blue Toyota four door sedan parked in the driveway and lights on in the house. Jimmy turned the corner, drove three doors down and parked. He reached into a briefcase on the passenger seat and pulled something out.

  "Shall we take a look and see if Crown is here?" Charlie asked.

  "Charlie, not like Beijing. Here you no blend in. Mr. Chen look for help but now we are only eyes. I put this on car, so we see move," Jimmy said showing them the tracking device. He got out of the car and walked casually back down the street. Charlie and Jenny lost sight of him as he rounded the corner.

  "I'm guessing David has staff and drivers here. That car may belong to the help," Charlie said.

  "Or the guest house driver and car," Jenny said. "We don't know if or when Plan B will break in the news. Do we have any ideas for our initial Plan A, extradition?"

  "The only weapon I brought with me was my contempt for Crown. Duct tape and zip ties if given the chance to use them. I'm still hopeful David Lu will help us with our problem."

  "We're closer now to South Korea. Just the ocean between us," Jenny said.

  "The Yellow sea I think and the coast of North Korea, not a friendly American tourist spot. A fishing boat or cargo ship could work if I get a chance to use the zip ties and if Steven has some connections here."

  "Maybe we only need to get them half way if South Korea has something like our Coast Guard." Jenny said.

  "We're getting ahead of ourselves; the only thing in our trunk currently is luggage. We need to talk to Special Agent Baker and see what support we can get from South Korea for extradition as a backup to Plan B."

  Jenny pulled out her phone and found no signal to make a call. "No signal here maybe closer to downtown."

  Jimmy opened the driver's door and got in quickly. "I see at table eating Crown, Judy and maybe driver. Only see one housekeeper."

  "Do the drivers usually live in the house?" Charlie asked.

  "Sometime live home. Sometime call when need."

  "If the driver leaves at night it'll be easier to grab Crown and Judy."

  "Not fortress just simple house. Could wait when sleeping."

  "Now we need to work on our backup exit plan if needed. Can you call Steven? We'll need a fishing boat or small ship going to South Korea," Charlie said.

  Jimmy looked at his phone. "No call here. We see if driver leave and call in town," Jimmy said and repositioned the car for a better view of the driveway. They only needed to wait forty minutes when the Toyota backed out of the driveway. Jimmy had the briefcase open and monitor turned on. "Working," was all he said as they fell in behind the car.

  "It looks like two people in the front seat," Jenny said as they got closer to the car at the corner.

  "Common here, husband wife team. We make sure go home not store," Jimmy told them. In the four blocks they followed the Toyota the neighborhoods transitioned quickly from those having domestic help to the residences of domestic help. The Toyota pulled into a gravel driveway beside two other similar cars. Jimmy drove slowly past the house then headed to the address they had for the larger home.

  A large two story home sat back from the street and was surrounded by a block wall. An identical black Mercedes sedan to the one they followed in Beijing, sat in the circle drive behind a rolling iron gate.

  "No can put on car now," Jimmy said as they passed the gate.

  "No doubt there is security here," Charlie said.

  "Jimmy, I am getting a phone signal here if you get a chance to stop close by," Jenny said.

  "More bar ahead." Jimmy drove a short distance further and parked in a restaurant parking lot. "We call then eat."

  Jenny pulled out her phone and pressed the modified speed dialing button she put in her phone to reach Chief Walker's personal cell phone.

  "Walker."

  "I'm sorry, Chief, I know it's late there. I was hoping to leave you a message."

  "Jenny, what's happening there?"

  "We have tracked Crown to the City of Dalian and he is staying in David Lu's guest house. We sent Edwards an email with the idea of getting evidence in the news that Crown was cheating David Lu. The spreadsheet Edwards sent us showed a fifty-fifty split on profit and we modified it to show an actual sixty five-thirty five split."

  "I will look it over when I get in the office. Getting Lu to turn on Crown could work. We'll have to sell the idea to Baker."

  "That was our hope. I haven't given up on our original plan to extradite him and again we need your help."

  "I am not familiar with Dalian. Is that inland of Beijing?"

  "Actually it's on the coast and we will check tomorrow if we can hire a fishing boat to get us closer to South Korea."

  "I'm not certain, but I think the extradition process involves the US State Department and time to set up. The South Koreans should be able to hold him during that process but I'm not sure and will need Baker's feel for that. We have several US Military Installations in South Korea; we might be able to get some support there."

  "Military help, how do we do that?"

  "Jenny, I am the black sheep in a very military family. I put in fifteen years and chose instead exactly what I'm doing now. I'll make some calls and let you know."

  "That’s wonderful Chief! Charlie is hoping to turn David Lu against Crown, but if we can't get Baker to run with the plan, we need to get an exit plan with a boat. If it comes to that, Charlie thinks we can take them to the boat."

  "Do you still have help there?"

  "Yes, a driver and Steven Chen is still looking for more hands here."

  "Use this number. Call day or night, Jenny. We'll hit the ground running in the morning and I'll let you know what we have to work with."

  "Thank you so much, Chief. Its Tuesday evening here; the earliest we could move if we get a boat lined up tomorrow is early Thursday morning."

  "I'd feel much better if you sat back and let David Lu handle Crown," Walker said.

  "Crown has already moved three times, we know where he is now and don't want to lose him when we are so close."

  "OK. Nothing stupid, promise me Jenny."

  "I promise. We want Crown, but we're not martyrs, Chief." Jenny put her phone back in her purse and relayed the conversation.

  "Mr. Chen still looking help Dalian. No direct contact here. Mr. Chen say better other plan. Let David Lu kill Crown," Jimmy said.

  "We'll know if that’s even an option in the morning," Charlie said. "Let's eat and find a place to stay tonight, big day tomorrow."

  Chapter 33

  Jenny's phone woke her at six a.m. and she sat up pulling it from the night stand. "Hello."

  "Jenny, its Walker. I just got off the phone with Special Agent Baker and I couldn't convince him to release
your story to the press."

  "I guess it was too much to hope for. Can he help with taking Crown to South Korea?"

  "I think he wanted to help. He said releasing a false report could end his career with possible incarceration. He did say that he would do all he could to open the doors into South Korea."

  "That's something, Chief. So it's up to us. This whole idea of chasing Crown, hating the idea he could simply slip away after what he's done. We've been blinded by that anger and hatred and the idea he had someone after us…" Jenny said fighting a sudden wave of fear pulling at her.

  "Get on a plane and come home. Protective custody alive is a better choice!"

  She took a deep breath and replied, "A logical choice, Chief, but not a better one. Knowing we could have done something and chose not to is not who we are."

  "I know that, but I had to try. I'll keep pushing on my contacts and stay in touch."

  "We owe you a lot, thank you," she said and pressed end-call on her phone.

  "Didn't sound like good news," Charlie said, sitting up.

  "The ball is back in our court, Charlie."

  "Any chance I could send you home?"

  "Don't even go there. Yeah, I'm scared to death with all of the possible outcomes here. Crown on trial is my focus."

  "Our focus, but taking his last breath works for me also."

  They were showered and dressed working on plans when Jimmy knocked on their door an hour later. They had a quiet breakfast and went to the car.

  "Jimmy, we need to find a boat. They can't print the story to get David Lu stirred up."