Road Test by David Wickenhauser (most read book in the world .txt) 📕

She came out of the bathroom. “I love it,” she said to Hugh.

Hugh laughed, “So I hear.”

He had to admit it did beat having to tromp over to a truck stop restroom, or having to use the jug.

He took his turn in the bathroom, then joined Jenny in their bed.

“I can’t get over what a huge surprise it was when I saw this new truck,” Jenny said.

Wanting to observe tradition, Hugh had told her to close her eyes, and he had intended to carry her over the threshold into the new sleeper. But he hadn’t accounted for how narrow the side door entrance would be, and it hadn’t exactly worked out the way he had planned.

“Sorry the whole threshold thing didn’t work out,” Hugh said.

Jenny laughed. “Don’t worry about it, Mr. Mann. I’m just real happy to be Mrs. Mann, and I love this new truck.”

“I’m still getting used to you being Mrs. Mann,” Hugh said.

“You got used to it real quick last night.”

“Speaking of that, how are you feeling … about everything?” Hugh asked.

“How do you mean?”

“I was just wondering if you are OK after last night. Is it too soon?”

Jenny kissed Hugh passionately, “Let’s find out.”

Epilogue

Their nearly two-week-long honeymoon trip had wrapped up with the last stop being Grand Canyon National Park.

Knowing they would be on the road soon hauling freight full time, Hugh and Jenny had decided to spend a couple of nights out of the truck, so they were staying in a lodge on the canyon’s South Rim.

They had returned to their room after breakfast at the lodge’s restaurant with that morning’s Arizona Democrat newspaper in hand.

“This is exciting,” Jenny said. A top-of-the-fold headline had caught their eye in the stack of newspapers at the cash register.

Underneath the headline that read, “Scottsdale attorney, others, face trial on murder charges,” were mug shot photos of Fishburn, Frank, William, and Joe.

Also named in the story with lesser charges as accomplices were the WestAm dispatcher and her boyfriend.

On the jump page, where the story continued from the front page, were photos of Hugh and Jenny, as well as the mother and her sister who were killed in the crash.

“Look here,” Jenny said, as she pointed to the story byline. “By Charlie Shields, reporter.”

“How about that,” Hugh said. “She got the job.”

The story went into great detail about the events leading up to the attorney’s and the others’ arrests. Then it told how all had pleaded not guilty during their arraignment, and that bail had been denied for Fishburn, Frank and William on the basis of them being a flight risk. High bail amounts were set for the others.

“I guess we’ll be spending some time in court in Phoenix as this thing works its way to trial,” Hugh said. “I guess they couldn’t have done the easier thing and just pled guilty.”

“Yeah, this will be going on for years,” Jenny said.

Of course, the newspaper had been covering the story since the men were first arrested three weeks earlier, but Charlie’s article was the first full-blown, large-scale investigative piece about all of the events that had gone down.

One interesting and unique part of the article was the sidebar written by Charlie with full disclosure of the part she had played in the events laid out in the main article.

Her article, because of the inside knowledge her involvement had given her, revealed aspects of the events other media couldn’t have known.

Within minutes of them finishing the article, Hugh’s phone rang.

“Oh, no. Here we go again.” Hugh showed Jenny his phone screen.

“Los Angeles Times. How did they get your phone number?”

“I don’t know. But I’m just about ready to walk to the rim and throw this phone into the Grand Canyon,” Hugh said, only half joking.

“Do you think we’re ever going to be able to just do our job hauling freight without trouble following us everywhere we go?” Jenny asked.

“I guess all we can do is get on the road, and find out.”