now one of his best friends. It was best to assume the worst until he knew better.
“I don’t know, but I intend to find out,” he said.
“Why don’t you go and make reservations?” Karin suggested. “I’ll finish with Janna and start packing again.”
Jake nodded. In the long run it wouldn’t matter if Karin went or not, since the upcoming trip wouldn’t be necessary and wouldn’t happen after he altered things. But Karin and Cheryl were close, and she’d feel better for now if Karin was there to support her.
They flew out of Oakland International Airport across the Bay rather than San Francisco Airport. Allegrant Air had a flight from there that went directly into Idaho Falls. Jake rented a Ford Explorer with four-wheel drive and studded snow tires, and they drove out of town to the suburb where Zack and Cheryl lived. They had been here twice in the past, so Jake was familiar with the route, important today because the deep snow made it difficult to sort out the route. After dropping Karin and Janna and getting maps and details from Cheryl, Jake set out alone towards the scene of the accident. Cheryl wanted him to go to the hospital to check on Zack, but he explained it was more important he learned where and how the accident had taken place. It would be dark in a couple of hours, and that would mean he’d have to wait until the next day if he didn’t get moving right away. He was haunted by the desperation in Cheryl’s eyes, and found comfort in the fact this would all go away soon.
Fortunately the snow had let up since morning, and while the road was rough with compacted snow, it wasn’t deep which might prevent him from getting where he needed to go. An hour and a half after he’d left the house, he found the broken side rail where Zack had gone over the side. He drove past a hundred yards before he found a place he could pull over and be off the road, although with no cars in sight he probably could have parked on the highway.
The snow crunched as he walked back to the broken railing. A few flakes were starting to fall again. He’d probably end up driving home in the snow. When he reached the spot, he stopped and looked down into the ravine beyond the broken railing. Two of the six inch square posts had been ripped from the earth, and the foot high metal band that was normally attached to serve as the barrier had been twisted and torn loose from the higher end. The roadway was inclined downward at this point, the crest fifty yards farther up the road back toward Idaho Falls.
Jake looked down the ravine. Snow had partially covered the damage done as the pickup crashed and rolled down the incline. A couple of smaller trees were broken and lying on their side in the snow. Far below, near the bottom of the hill, Zack’s broken pickup still remained. It was on one side, the bottom with the four wheels facing toward him. He couldn’t see much from this angle, but he could sense the violence of the descent.
Jake walked along the roadway looking for anything that might provide insight into what had happened, but all sign had long ago been wiped away. Several inches of snow had supposedly fallen since this morning when it had happened, and multiple cars had been here after Zack was discovered and people had gone down to retrieve him. The snow had obliterated anything useful.
Jake considered going down and having a look, but he wasn’t an expert in these things, and he doubted the broken truck would tell him anything useful. He had a more direct means of seeing what had happened. Instead, Jake scouted the far side of the road for a spot that would be useful and concealed from which he could watch the point where Zack had gone over. He found a relatively flat spot a few dozen feet up the hill and twenty-five yards farther along the road. He was in for a cold wait, and would have to bring the proper clothes, but he’d be able to see exactly what had transpired from there. He headed back toward where he had parked, walking past and continuing up the road on foot until he found a more concealed spot where he could leave the car where it would be out of