Hugh said, “I have no doubt.”
He called the Sandpoint DMV and got her an appointment for her written CDL test at 10 a.m.
Hugh saw James’ truck come through the gate into the terminal.
Hugh waited for James to park, and then he and Jenny walked over to greet them.
Charlie gave Jenny a hug. “I’m so glad you are OK, and it’s all over,” she said.
“Let’s go eat and talk. I know of a diner that’s within walking distance,” Hugh suggested.
At their booth, after the waitress had taken their orders, Charlie spoke excitedly about her job prospect at the much-bigger Arizona Democrat daily newspaper. She was confident of getting the job, especially since she was bringing a huge story with her.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Hugh asked her.
“No. What?”
“Frank and William are probably spilling their guts right now. And they are for sure implicating you in their plot to force me to make false testimony. To say nothing of your own fake kidnapping, and their real kidnapping of Jenny.”
Charlie protested, “I had nothing to do with Jenny’s kidnapping.”
“Accomplice after the fact,” Hugh reminded her. “You, of all people, should know how it works.”
“Hugh’s right,” James said. “I’m betting a warrant is out for your arrest right now.”
“Can I make a suggestion?” Hugh asked.
“Yes. Please. Anything,” Charlie replied. She was looking worried.
“You need to be pro-active with this. Get right on top of it. Visit the police, tell them everything you know. Offer to testify against the others.”
“Do you think it will work?”
“No guarantees, but we all can testify you were doing it against your will, that they had threatened you. Right?” With that last part, he looked at James and Jenny. They both nodded.
“What about the money they paid you?” Hugh asked.
“I never deposited the big chunk of cash they gave me. It’s well-hidden,” Charlie said.
“No doubt you’ll end up giving it up when it comes out in testimony,” Hugh said.
Then Hugh added, somewhat joking, “One thing for sure is you need to get it settled with the police before you walk into your job interview.”
That lightened the mood around the table.
Chapter Forty-Three
They left early the next morning after picking up the loaded trailer. They said goodbye to James and Charlie, and wished Charlie luck. She had picked up a new phone, so they exchanged numbers and asked her to keep in touch.
On the highway out of Phoenix, Hugh told Jenny they would retrace their drive they had made down from Spokane going in the opposite direction this time; parking for the night at Ely, Nevada, and Boise, Idaho.
Then it would be on to Spokane where they would drop their trailer, spend the night, and drive to Sandpoint in the morning for Jenny to take the CDL written test for her conditional learner’s permit.
Jenny was diligent in her commitment to study. Occasionally, she would ask Hugh a question about hours of service regulations, rules of the road, or truck or trailer equipment. It helped to give her a real-world feel for the words on paper.
Hugh spent time explaining things he was doing while driving. Jenny had been observing from the first time she had joined Hugh on the truck as a hitchhiker, but this time she asked directed, in-depth questions.
At their first stop for the night, in Ely, Hugh had her unhook the glad hands and the electrical pig tail. He had her crank down the landing gear, and unlatch and swing open the large double doors at the back of the trailer.
Hugh explained that physically doing these things weren’t part of either the written or driving skills tests, but he had two reasons for having her do them.
One reason was by physically handling these pieces of standard truck equipment she got a hands-on experience that would help her relate to questions about them on the test.
The other reason was that both he and Jenny had to be certain she was physically capable of doing the job of a truck driver. No surprise, she easily passed all the strength and agility tests Hugh had put her through.
During times when they were parked and Jenny was studying, Hugh would get away and make phone calls finalizing preparations for the two projects he had been working on.
The next two days passed the same as the first, and they pulled into the company yard in Spokane on the afternoon of the third day.
Hugh dropped the trailer. Or, rather, he had Jenny crank the landing gear for him so he could slide the truck out from underneath.
He had already arranged to have a pup trailer left at the yard for him. So, he had Jenny raise the landing gear all the way for him after he had backed in and locked the kingpin with the locking jaws.
“What’s this for?” Jenny asked.
“Big rig trucks are designed to pull a load, and they behave differently when being driven bobtail. This is for you to learn to drive with after you get your CLP. It will be easier than learning without the trailer.”
“Wow! This is getting real isn’t it? We’re doing this.”
“Yup. Believe me. It will be the most fun you’ve ever had.” Hugh couldn’t help but share with his bride-to-be and future co-driver his enthusiasm for driving.
That evening, Hugh fired questions at Jenny from the Idaho CDL driver’s handbook. She had opted to take the permit exams for a couple of the endorsements at the same time: hazardous materials, and tanks.
Hugh had explained it was unlikely she’d ever drive a tanker, but it looked good to have the endorsement. The hazmat endorsement, while infrequently needed, could come in handy someday, and hazmat
