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
