Road Test

by David Wickenhauser

  “I represent a client who has an interest in the ride-along you have planned with the truck driver, Hugh Mann.”

  “What’s the name of your client?”

  “You know I can’t tell you that. But nice try,”

  “And I can’t tell you anything about any story I am working on. But nice try.” She was about to hang up.

  “OK. Let’s cut the crap. I know you’ve been ordered to get a ride-along, but you’ve also hit a dead end with the trucker.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “I’m an investigator. I find out things.”

  “Well, maybe you can investigate and find out you can go fuck yourself.”

  “My client is prepared to pay, shall we say, a significant stipend to the reporter who can snag a ride with this trucker.”

  “My reporting is not for sale. And even if it was, you couldn’t afford me, and the trucker has made it very clear he is not going to have me on his truck. Period.”

  “What if I told you my client can make it happen.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Get you on the truck.”

  “OK. I’m interested. Keep talking.”

  Hugh awoke first again. This time he had full use of all his extremities, as Jenny had rolled away sometime during the night and was sleeping on her side touching, but not all draped over, Hugh.

  He got out of bed as quietly as he could, and was first in the bathroom.

  Coming out, he saw Jenny was awake, and sitting up in bed against the headboard looking through a “Things to do in Phoenix” brochure.

  “Hey, Hugh?”

  “Yes, dear.”

  “It says here a stable is nearby with rental horses. That there are trails all over South Mountain. Would you be interested?”

  “Absolutely. I think it would be great. Let’s have breakfast, and then check it out.”

  They got dressed and went down to one of the other resort restaurants. The Grill, they had noticed, served full-course breakfasts.

  “You forgot to tell me when the truck will be ready,” Jenny said, after the waitress had poured their coffees and had taken their order.

  “It’s kind of an unknown right now.” It depends on how much damage, and whether parts are in stock. My guy Jake said it could be a week.”

  “Wow, living like this for a week. I could get used to this.”

  “Yeah, it’s pretty nice.”

  After breakfast, they inquired at the lobby desk about the riding stable. The clerk said the resort had an arrangement with the stable, with discounts for resort guests, and rides to the stable and back in the resort’s courtesy van.

  “Doesn’t get better than that,” Hugh said.

  Checking in at the stable, they were told guided rides were available, required actually, for new riders.

  Hugh and Jenny looked at each other and laughed.

  Seeing the clerk’s perplexed look, Hugh told him, “My name is Hugh Mann. I grew up on a horse ranch. The Mann Ranch, H-M Connected brand, in the Idaho panhandle. The H is for Hugh. You could look it up on the Internet. And Jenny has been riding her whole life. We’ll take the non-guided package please. And please no sleepy horses you reserve for greenhorns.”

  “I’m sorry sir. I didn’t realize. Of course we can get you set up as you wish.”

  Dirt roads, with trails breaking off from them, lay all over South Mountain in a spider web pattern. Hugh and Jenny had a large choice of little side canyons they could explore as they worked their way up toward the summit. Breaking through at the top they could see the view of Phoenix, and it was stunning.

  “I bet this is damn hot here in the summer,” Hugh said when they had stopped to rest the horses. Late fall in Phoenix was balmy, as they had come to appreciate since they were spending additional time there.

  “It’s not exactly Idaho,” Hugh said, as he looked out over the mostly treeless landscape. “But it’s beautiful in its own way.”

  They had passed giant saguaro cacti, many looking like they would top forty feet. Barrel cacti and ocotillos dotted the desert landscape. Palo verde trees grew just tall enough to provide shade for resting humans and horses. Bushes included creosote, purple lupin and yellow-flowered brittlebush.

  As far as Hugh was concerned it felt good to be sitting a saddle again, an unexpected pleasure after recent events.

  “I like my horse,” Jenny said. “She’s alert, and seems to appreciate an experienced rider.”

  “Same here. They did good by us. You ready to ride down and call it done?”

  “Sure. I could stand to eat.”

  They turned in their horses, and called for the courtesy van. Lunch would probably be at the resort’s grill again. They had liked the looks of the burgers on the menu when they were there for breakfast.

  Tired from the ride, and full from their late lunch Hugh and Jenny collapsed on their bed and relaxed into each others arms for naps.

  “Joe, I’ve got a job for you,” the attorney was telling Joe over the phone.

  “What’s up?”

  “Didn’t you say you know somebody with a trucking company? Somebody who works in a dispatch center?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Would that happen to be with WestAm, by any chance?”

  “Actually, yes. She’s the girlfriend of one of the guys who’s done work for us on our jobs.”

  “Good. I need you to get with him. I need to know when this Hugh Mann guy is going to be back in his truck and on the road again. Then I need to know where he is going to make his first stop. Maybe a truck stop to get fuel. And I need it as far ahead of time as I can get it.”

  “OK, boss. Are we talking some extra pay here?”

  “Let me put it this way, Joe. If you don’t do this job, and get it done right, then we’ll be talking about no pay for anybody. So what do you think the answer is?”

  “Got it. I’ll get it done.”

  “Good. Let me know as soon as you’ve got something. This is critical.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Life at the resort was pleasant and relaxing for Hugh and Jenny as one day passed into another while they waited for Hugh’s truck to be repaired. They spent their time following the same pattern they had established the first couple of days.

  The day would begin with breakfast, sometimes in one of the resort’s several restaurants, other times with a room-service breakfast if they hadn’t felt like changing out of their pajamas.

  They would find something to do in the Phoenix area, seeking out interesting places to visit. For example, Phoenix featured an excellent zoo. That would stretch their activity to late afternoon, which would lead to naps and movie-watching. The day would end with either a restaurant dinner or a room-service meal, a movie and a snuggle on the couch.

  Hugh would call the Freightliner dealer every day for an update on the progress of repairing his truck. He would also call his driver manager at dispatch daily to keep her updated.

  Hugh had learned the car crash victims had been identified, and an attorney representing the surviving husband of the deceased wife had already filed a settlement claim against WestAm Trucking. No number was officially revealed to WestAm employees, but word on the company grapevine was it had been in the fifty-million-dollar range.

  Hugh was told the grapevine also carried the news the legal department had a denial letter addressed to the attorney already in the mail.

  Finally, on the morning of the sixth day Hugh got a phone call from Jake at the Freightliner dealership telling him his truck would be ready to drive away at noon on the following day. Seven days, right on the button.

  That phone call set Hugh into motion to make a number of phone calls of his own.

  One call, which had to be done when Jenny was swimming, was to make a reservation to get Jenny a flight out of Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport tomorrow morning for Spokane. Hugh realized he would have to confront Jenny about her leaving him, but he hadn’t wanted her to learn of it from his phone
call.

  That done, he called the ranch to let his mom know about Jenny’s flight, and the expected time of her arrival in Spokane.

  Another call was to dispatch to ask for a load out of Phoenix he could pick up any time shortly after noon. He wasn’t particular where the delivery would be. He wanted to get out of town and back on the road as quickly as possible.

  Dispatch called back shortly afterward saying that because of the sudden notice she didn’t have anything for him to pick up in Phoenix that afternoon, but if he wouldn’t mind dead-heading to Las Vegas she had something there he could grab. A load to Portland, Oregon.

  He told her that would be fine. He could pick up the load late afternoon, stay at the same truck stop north of Las Vegas where he had parked with Jenny on his way to Phoenix, and then get an early start the next morning.

  Dispatch said she’d get the pre-load ordered.

  The phone call from Jake letting Hugh know his truck would be ready that had set Hugh into motion making phone calls, also caused wheels to begin turning for several others who had been waiting for Hugh to get on the road again.

  It started when Joe’s guy, whose girlfriend worked at WestAm’s Phoenix dispatch center, called Joe and told him his girl had seen Hugh’s truck number pop up on the large load board screen set against one wall of the room. She had called her boyfriend and had given him the Las Vegas load pickup time and place, along with the note Hugh would be parking that evening at the truck stop north of the city.

  Joe’s phone call to the attorney relaying the dispatch center information then prompted Fishburn to make a call of his own. This one was to Frank at Rico Investigations, giving him Hugh’s Las Vegas places and times, and telling him the rest of the plan was now a “go.”

  In the several days Fishburn had been waiting for Hugh to get his truck repaired he had worked up a complicated scheme with Frank involving several players; all with the end result he hoped would get Charlie on the truck with Hugh. He needed her to start feeding the attorney damaging evidence about the truck driver.

  It was time now to move fast.

  Things had moved blazingly fast as far as Charlie was concerned. She was at a Phoenix hotel, and had gotten a phone call from Frank telling her tomorrow was D-day, and for her to be ready to leave.

  Two evenings earlier, she had arrived at her condo in Boise after work. She had unlocked the door, had thrown her keys into the bowl on the entryway side table, had tossed her bag onto a living room chair, and had been about to make herself a drink at her mini bar.

  As she was fixing her drink she sensed movement, and turned to see two men who had come up quietly behind her.

  Startled, but maintaining composure, she offered them a drink.

  “You don’t seem surprised,” the boss-looking one of the pair said, declining the drink.

  “Frank said you guys would be in touch. This is about what I expected. This isn’t my first rodeo.”

  “Good, then let’s get to it.”

  The speaker laid out the plan; the success of which depended on them catching up with Hugh’s truck as soon as possible after he left Phoenix. That would involve her being in the city, ready to jump at a moment’s notice.

  “Can you do that? Get a flight to Phoenix right away?”

  “No problem.”

  “And you understand this is not just a joy ride for you? You have a job to do, and Frank’s client has a lot at stake for you to come through for him.”

  “I already told Frank I’d do it.”

  “Another thing you need to know. Frank says his client won’t be happy if you fail to deliver him the goods.”

  “What the hell does that mean?”

  “That means, don’t fail. Think whatever you want about what that means. But it would probably be worse than you imagine.”

  “OK. Get started then,” he added. “Let Frank know when you arrive in Phoenix. He’ll have somebody pick you up at the airport.”

  “OK,” she said again. “Now let yourselves out.” She didn’t give a thought about how they had entered her condo without a key. They were a type. She guessed a front door lock would not be a hindrance.

  After they left, Charlie noticed a plain, nine-by-eleven manila envelope on her entryway side table. It looked like it held a brick.

  She walked over and picked up the envelope, and felt it had some heft to it. Like a brick.

  It was a brick. A brick about five inches thick of hundred-dollar bills. Charlie presumed it would add up to a hundred thousand dollars. First half of her promised pay, the second half to be given to her on successful completion of her task.

  She had told Frank during their first phone call her reporting wasn’t for sale. But, what the hey. There’s a limit to scruples. Everybody had a price, and Frank had hit her price point perfectly. It turned out they could afford her after all.

  She didn’t give a thought to the consequences of failure because she had every intention of making it work.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Hugh had treated Jenny and himself to another trail ride that day on South Mountain. It would be his last time on a horse for a long time, and he wanted to savor the experience. He knew Jenny would be back at the ranch by tomorrow afternoon, and able to ride every day. However, she didn’t yet know that.

  Because of knowing he had to break the bad news to Jenny, Hugh had been subdued during the ride and dinner afterward.

  Later, when snuggling on the couch, Jenny said, “Hugh, what’s wrong? You’ve been awfully quiet today.”

  Hugh got right to it. “I heard from Jake at Freightliner this morning. My truck will be ready around noon tomorrow.”

  “But that’s good news! Why the grumpy face?”

  “Jenny, this time, and I really mean it, you can’t come with me when I leave here.”

  “Wait a minute! Back up, buster!” Jenny said. She withdrew herself from Hugh’s arms, and sat up to look at him straight on.

  There she was, the short-tempered Jenny Hugh remembered.

  “We’ve been through this already. What’s going on with you?”

  “The problem, Jenny, is the decision has been taken out of my hands. Because of the accident, and probably a lawsuit, I am under a microscope right now. The company has told me for the time being it would be inadvisable for me to have a passenger. Actually they were a bit more direct than that.”

  Hugh explained to Jenny how this decision had come about.

  During his first conversations with Gordon, the safety officer, Hugh had told him his fiancé had been riding with him, and she had been with him when the accident had occurred.

  Gordon had said that although Hugh was a contracted owner-operator and had some leeway as far as what he did with his truck, he was covered by WestAm’s insurance provider, and they didn’t want the added complication and liability of Hugh having a passenger right now.

  He had said the insurance company insisted Hugh send his fiancé home for the time being, and WestAm had agreed. Gordon said it wasn’t a direct order from Hugh’s carrier because Hugh wasn’t an employee, but the trucking company could choose to cancel Hugh’s contract.

  Jenny was instantly mollified and sank back into Hugh’s arms. Much to Hugh’s relief.

  “I’m so sorry, Hugh. But I do understand.”

  “Thank you, honey. I’ve been agonizing over this. I didn’t want to tell you earlier because I didn’t want to spoil the wonderful time we’ve had here.”

  “This is our last night together for who knows how long,” Jenny said. She held him even tighter. “Would you want to … you know?”

  “Yes, I want to, more than you can know. But we can’t. I know you understand.”

  Jenny sighed. “I do, Hugh.”

  The mood in their rooms in the villa the next morning was somber and subdued. Hugh and Jenny had gone through the rooms, packing to go their separate ways. There had been little talk. All had already been said.

  Jenny had to be first out the door, as
she had a 10 a.m. flight out of Sky Harbor. Hugh had arranged for the resort’s courtesy airport shuttle to pick Jenny up at eight.

  “Honey, I’m going to miss you. I’ll let you know as soon as all this is over, and you can rejoin me.”

  They were standing outside the resort hotel’s front entrance waiting for the courtesy van to swing through. She had only a carryon, because most of her things would remain with Hugh in his truck.

  “I know. It’s such a disappointment. Us being apart.”

  The van arrived and, like all courtesy van drivers everywhere, once he had put Jenny’s bag into the cargo hold in back, he was impatient to leave, which didn’t encourage or allow for a long goodbye.

  A brief kiss and a hug, and Jenny was gone.

  At the same time, three Rico Investigations operatives were with Charlie in her hotel room finalizing the plan for today’s “accidental” meet up with Hugh.

  “Our WestAm insider says the trucker has a pickup this afternoon in North Las Vegas,” the leader said. “We’ll have Kent waiting for him to show up. We know the trucker will be parking after that at the truck stop near there.”

  Kent waved a gesture and nodded.

  “Hello again,” Charlie said. She recognized the speaker and Kent as the two who had first approached her in her condo.

  All three men were fit, looking to Charlie like former military, or cops. Large guys. Close-cropped hair, tight muscles, clothes designed for action.

  “We’ll have Kent on the phone. He’ll follow the trucker out of the manufacturing plant, and keep us informed as to his ETA at the truck stop,” the leader, William, continued.

  “After the trucker exits the freeway, he’ll make a right turn, and then another right turn. That second right turn puts him about a quarter mile from the truck stop entrance. Jason and I, and you, Charlie, will be waiting in a van on a wide spot on the dirt shoulder about halfway to the entrance.”