R-E-S-P-E-C-T

By Richard Rose.

John, after getting out of the Army was an LTL (Less than Truck Load) driver, meaning that he drove during the day, short haul trips. He was home every evening about the same time and life with his wife had settled into a rhythm where they were getting by but not getting ahead.  Strangely, in the Army, John was a Transportation Logistics Specialist, the fancy Army way of saying truck driver, so he had experience on and licenses for all types of wheeled vehicles.  It was early May when things went sideways.  John’s second run of the day was cancelled, and he was home about four hours early.  He was excited about having the extra time, but when he pulled up to his house a different car was in the driveway.  He quietly made his way through the garage and into the house, where he suspiciously listened to the sounds.  He recognized his wife’s voice and that of a co-worker of hers Justin Clark.  John moved towards the bedroom door and with it slightly ajar, he slid in his phone and took a video.  Having his worst fears confirmed, John left the house and drove back to work. Arriving at work, he asked his boss for a couple of days off and then he would take some of the coast-to-coast full truck shipments for the rest of the month. His boss was pleased to have John jump on these difficult runs and said OK. John then had a talk with his dad and told him everything, saying that he just needed to get away for a while. Over the next two days John took his dad’s advice, setting up a new bank account and moving half of the money and his direct deposit into it, canceling the joint credit cards, and seeing a divorce lawyer who was his father’s old school friend.  John told his wife that he had to make a few longer truck runs, and she smiled telling him it was OK because they paid so much more.

Sitting in the driver’s lounge eating lunch at the truck stop outside of Tulsa, he knew that about that time the process server would be serving his wife with the divorce papers based upon adultery, with the video as evidence.  He had turned off his phone and had left instructions that all communications should be through his attorney.  John’s life was unravelling, and it seemed that maybe it could be seen on his face.  As he sat there a young woman in her late 20’s sat down across from him and asked what the problem was. 

“Nothing” said John.

She then asked if he was going west and if so, could she get a ride.

“Sure,” he said. 

“Wow, you don’t talk much” she replied, and with that they went to the truck. 

As John drove, Janice, as she introduced herself, talked about anything and everything.  This was probably the best therapy for John, and he let the miles grind past. When night came, John offered Janice the sleeper portion of the truck and he slept in the seat. When Janice asked why he didn’t try to make a move, John just responded, “That would be disrespectful.”  Janice gave him a strange look and went to sleep.  Such was the drive across the country. 

About in Albuquerque on I-40, she finally asked why he was so quiet. John finally opened up about his wife, the divorce, and how shattered the betrayal had made him. He told her that he took the cross-country run just to have time to clear his head. With that Janice asked him more probing questions about the man his wife had the affair with, and what his plan was after the divorce.  John answered and added he had no real plan other than to keep driving.  Arriving in Long Beach, he unloaded and thanked Janice for the company.  When he reloaded for the return trip, he noticed that Janice had bought some snacks and was sitting in the passenger seat. 

“What are you doing here?” John asked.

She replied, “We had such a good time driving out here, and honestly I don’t have to be anywhere.” 

With a slight smile, John said, “Welcome aboard.”

Their route took them up to Denver on I-15 and then on I-70 eventually back to John’s home in St. Louis after he dropped off the load in Indianapolis.  Their trip continued like before with Janice in the sleeper and John in the seat.  While not comfortable, it seemed fair enough because John really enjoyed Janice’s company.  She kept his mind occupied, while talking about nothing of substance.  About Lawrence, Kansas, he finally realized that other than her name, he knew nothing about her life except her age, 28, where she was from, Chicago, and that she didn’t have any family.  She was a true free spirit and John thought less and less about the divorce and his wife’s betrayal. 

Coming into St. Louis, Janice asked that he drop her off because she wanted to go back to Chicago.  When Janice stepped out, she gave John a kiss and said that he was a great guy and thanked him for the adventure across the country.  John was sad to see her go, after losing his ability to trust, he felt like the last two weeks with Janice had restored him. He hoped that he would run into her again, something she reciprocated.

As he pulled in the terminal and was having the truck unloaded with the items he picked up in Indianapolis, his boss asked that he step in the office. There were two men in dark suits in the office and they asked for John’s driver logbook.  John was told to sit. Eventually they started asking him about his trip and the stops he made. He went through the entire itinerary and each overnight, showing them on his log. Everything was legal and he couldn’t figure out what they wanted.  They then asked him if he was alone. Saying no, he said that he had picked up passenger who rode along with him the entire trip from Tulsa back to St. Louis, dropping her at the St. Louis West Travel Center in Foristell. They showed him a picture and asked if this was her. 

“Yes,” John said, “Janice had been with him the whole time.

The one of two federal agents, as they identified themselves, said, “Frankly, we’re surprised to find you alive.”

John sat incredulous as they described Janice as a multi-state murderer who preyed on long haul truck drivers. The M.O. was she would lure the driver into the sleeper and then kill him in the middle of the night.  John said that he always let her have the sleeper and slept in the seat.  He remembered saying that it was “respectful.”  John went through the finalization of the divorce, Missouri state laws and adultery did not favor his wife, and it was over quickly.  Without a reason to have a home, John sold the house and put his stuff in storage at his dad’s and after splitting the proceeds with his ex, he went back on the road.  It seemed that the life of the long-haul trucker was his best option. He made a couple more west coast runs and then coming back to St. Louis, he was once again met by the two federal agents.  They asked if he had seen Janice. 

“No.” John said. “Did she kill another trucker?”

“Not this time” one replied, “This time it was a guy named Justin Clark, who lived right there in St. Louis.”  John could prove that he had been outside Denver when Clark had been killed, and so they couldn’t charge him.  John chuckled to himself as he left.

About a week later, John was at the truck stop in Tulsa, having his lunch when a woman sat down across from him.  It was Janice. 

She said, “Heading west?” 

John said, “Yes.” 

She responded, “Can I get a ride?”

John smiled and said, “Sure.”  As they pulled out, John told her about the federal agents and asked about the death of Justin Clark. 

Janice, just said, “He didn’t respect you.”

“What about me?” John asked.

Janice responded, “I feel like you are a man I can respect.”

As they pulled over in a rest stop outside Lubbock, Texas, Janice said “Why don’t you spend the night in the sleeper with me?  I promise to never let anything happen to you.”