The Summer Job - 21. Reporters

Stacy Scott got in her news van and opened her laptop. She did a Google search: Phillip Wright, maritime, attorney, fatal, accident, and March. She wasn’t sure where Phillip was from, so she ran the search as is.

She clicked the first link from the Virginian-Pilot of Newport-News, Virginia: Three Killed in Four Car Accident with a Semi on 264 Near McArthur Center. Phillip’s story was instantly verified. Gwen Wright, Angelica and Javier Perez were all listed as dead at the scene.

She followed links and found obituaries for all three. When she read Javier’s she nearly gasped when she read: “Javier is survived by his Father, the Reverend Juan Perez, senior, older brother Juan and his brother in spirit Phillip Wright.”

It was all true.

Stacy Scott was not a vulture journalist or muckraker. This story was special and had to be done just so. Maybe it wasn’t Pulitzer material but with all the bad news they reported, something this touching was a rare treat.

She picked up her cell phone and punched the preset for her editor. This story was absolutely amazing. After getting her editors approval to move forward, she searched her contacts for her younger brother’s number.

Kelly answered, “Hi Sis. What can I do for you?”

“Do you know Phillip Wright?”

Kelly paused for a beat and replied somewhat nervously, “Yeah, everybody knows Phillip. He’s about the coolest guy ever. He even invited Casey and me to visit him at his house.”

Stacy asked, “What was that? You were holding something back.”

“My sister and her ESP. OK, Phillip caught me and Casey smoking a joint. He didn’t yell, he didn’t call the law or get us in trouble. He just talked to us. All he asked was for us to keep it away from the little kids. No attitude or drama. He didn’t make a federal case out of it. When it was over, it was over, and we parted as friends. He even invited Casey and me to come over this weekend.”

She chuckled and said, “Take him up on it Kelly. I’m writing a story about Phillip taking the Jefferson boy to the hospital and, I’ve learned a lot about him. You and Casey could use a friend like him.”

“I agree Sis. Phillip is good people. Even Casey likes him and he hates everybody.”

Stacy asked her brother, “Could you tell me some kids that are close to Phillip I could talk to?”

Kelly said, “Everybody knows he is good friends with Randy Carlson and Mikie Hendrix. There’s another kid named Seth Garner. They should get you started.”

“Thanks little bro; try to stay out of trouble.”

Kelly laughed and said, “I always try. I just don’t manage to as well as I’d like to.”

She hung up her phone and had a quick meeting with her colleagues Matt Stevens of Fox and Daniel Sokolsky of ABC in the big parking lot in front of the Y.

She started out, “I’ve confirmed the accident. It happened March 16 in Newport News. My little brother gave me some leads on kids we can talk to here.”

Sokolsky said, “I have our local affiliate running down the Newport end.”

Stevens said, “The father is a fascinating guy too: Phillip Wright was a Lieutenant Commander with the Navy’s Judge Advocate General. He is considered a top expert in Maritime Law. He retired from the Navy seven years ago and is an associate with: Cook, Kellum and Oliver. He’s working on something called the International Commercial Standard Maritime Agreement that is attempting to standardize regulations for commercial shipping. This is a huge deal between the big maritime countries...”

Stacy cut him off and said, “OK. Suffice it to say Phillip Wright senior is an interesting guy.”

Stevens persisted, “You might say that if you are given to understatement. Wright spends most of his time overseas. Phillip is an emancipated minor so he can live alone.”

Sokolsky said, “He’s very successful at it. Their home is on Ash Circle, and it’s immaculate. I’ve seen him cutting the grass when I visit my Mom on weekends. No one would ever suspect a sixteen-year-old is in charge.”

Stacy said, “And we’re sure not going to tell them he’s home alone. Cute Christmas movies aside, that could put a minor, emancipated or not, at risk. Clear?”

Both of the network reporters nodded their agreement.

Matt Stevens of Fox asked, “If we’re going to have this in by six, we’ve got to hustle. Are you guys OK with collaboration? This story is too good to miss.”

Sokolsky and Scott nodded their agreement. They had a short strategy session prioritizing the different parts of the collaboration and were off and running.