Run into Trouble

gave me the dark glasses.”
    Melody said, “With all this clandestine behavior, didn’t you feel that something was seriously wrong?”
    Grace shrugged her shoulders. “Fred said to think of it as a game, just as the race itself is a game. He said it wouldn’t hurt anyone.”
    “And you believed him?”
    “I’m paid to believe him. He’s my boss.”
    “So to recap. You went to Fred’s room; he gave you the jacket, glasses, and envelope. You—”
    “He didn’t give me the envelope.”
    Melody waited for Grace to speak.
    “I got it from a man in the parking lot. He was sitting in a car.”
    “Was it the same man both times?”
    “I’m not sure. The car was parked in the dark, away from the lights. I couldn’t see his face.”
    “It wasn’t Peaches?”
    “No. I would have recognized him.”
    “What about the car?”
    “I think it was the same car. A Ford or something like that.”
    “Color?”
    “In the dark all cars are black.” Grace looked from one of them to the other. “Are you going to tell Fred what I told you? I don’t want to lose my job.”
    “Did you touch the envelope with your bare hands?” Drake asked.
    “Fred gave me a pair of gloves, too.”
    Melody broke in. “You must have known the gloves were to keep you from getting fingerprints on the envelope.”
    “I…yes, I guess so.”
    “So that makes you an accessory.”
    Grace looked scared again. “What are you going to do?”
    She was naïve, and she wanted to keep her job. She had good reason to not like Fred. It was also evident that Fred wasn’t the end of the line in this operation, so getting him out of the way wouldn’t necessarily kill it. Drake had an idea. “Would you like a chance to redeem yourself and keep your job at the same time?”
    She nodded.
    “It involves keeping an eye on Fred and everything else that goes on. If you see or hear anything suspicious, let Melody or me know. By the way, do you, Fred, or Peaches have a portable typewriter?”
    Grace shook her head.
    “Do you know the other people who are helping with the race, the plainclothesmen, so to speak?” Melody asked. “Watching for violations, that sort of thing?”
    “No. I know there are several of them. Fred deals with them directly. I suspect he feels I’d tell the runners who they are. I-I’m sorry I delivered the notes. What do they say?”
    “It’s better that you don’t know,” Drake said. “Not knowing will help keep you out of trouble.” And reduce the chances of her speaking out of turn.
    Drake and Melody spent the next half hour briefing Grace on the kinds of things she should be looking for and how she could do it without Fred catching on. Melody softened her tone, and Drake put on his instructor hat.
    When they were wrapping up, Melody changed the subject. “After what I’ve done to you tonight, you may not want to room with me anymore.”
    “No, I do. I feel safer with you. With both of you. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I get the feeling that you’ll protect me.”
    Drake smiled. “We’ll try. We’re not sure what’s going on either. I guess we’re all in this together.”
     
    CHAPTER 14
    Today’s run is almost entirely on the beach. Run on the bike path or walking path where available. You will have views of surfers, volleyball players, chainsaw jugglers, piers, marinas, power stations, airplanes, and dolphins if you’re lucky. Starting on Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach, take Avenue I to the Esplanade. Head north and take the first available ramp down to the sand. Follow the bike/walking path to the Redondo Beach pier. Go through the parking structure and alongside the dock to Harbor Drive. Follow it past King Harbor and return to the beach at Herondo. Follow the walking path through Hermosa and Manhattan Beaches, and continue on the bike path through El Segundo Beach and Dockweiler Beach, which goes under the takeoff path from Los Angeles Airport. At the north end of Playa del Rey follow the bike path across the first channel. Turn right and then left on the path to Fiji Way. Follow Fiji Way, turn left on Admiralty Way, right on Via Marina, and left on Washington Boulevard back to the beach. Follow the beach paths through the kooky area of Venice Beach. Continue through Ocean Park, and you’re in Santa Monica. Go through Will Rogers State Beach and Pacific Palisades to Topanga State Beach at the end of Topanga Canyon Boulevard. If this part of the beach is impassable due to high