Run into Trouble

things he didn’t want to know about with Tom.
    With a great effort Drake controlled his voice when he spoke. “I take it you’re supporting Casey for the Senate.”
    “Damn right. He’s the best man for the job. He’s got voter appeal, too. Family man with a wife and kids. Never had any scandals. Sure, maybe he fools around a little now and then, but what the hell. Just proves he’s a man’s man.”
    A divorced family man with a second wife. And the other thing his father had said. “Fools around? Who does he fool around with?”
    “When I was in Malibu, I mentioned to him what a nice piece of ass that girl—what’s her name?—Grace, I think, would be. He smiles a cat-ate-the-canary smile and says yeah, I’m right. Turns out he’s been bonking her in San Jose. Then he makes a face and says she started getting uppity and asking for things—promotions and stuff like that. So he sent her on the road with Running California. Say, didn’t I hear on the news that she got killed by some mugger? Damn shame. What a waste.”
    Drake couldn’t remember any other questions that he wanted to ask his father. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t speak. He hung up the phone without saying another word.
    ***
    Melody was surprised that Jerry wasn’t with Tom when she met him in the lobby of the motel. Always before when they had gone out for drinks, both of them had accompanied her. She asked Tom about it. He told her that Jerry’s hip was bothering him, and he was going to follow Drake’s lead and take a cold bath.
    It wasn’t a big deal to Melody; Tom was easy to talk to, and they got along well. He was good looking, although his long red hair and slim build made him look a lot different than Drake. They went to an upscale bar where Tom had a couple of beers, and Melody matched them with diet drinks.
    They chatted about the race. Tom joked that he and Jerry always had to keep Drake and her in sight so they wouldn’t gain too much on them in the overall standings. Only it wasn’t a joke. He talked about the cushy job he had in Redding with a car dealership, sort of a sponsorship that allowed him to keep running.
    When Melody asked him how he felt about Casey’s proposal to create a buffer zone along the coast, he shrugged. They didn’t talk about the submarine or Casey’s run for the Senate. If Tom was a barometer, none of the runners had an interest in politics.
    They left the bar early. Melody paid for her drinks. She always made a point of paying her own way. They had borrowed the Giganticorp van because that was the vehicle that was available. When they got into the van, Tom suggested that they sit in one of the back seats and chat for a bit.
    Melody knew that chatting wasn’t what he had in mind. In a backseat they could sit right next to each other. But she felt itchy and went along with it. He put his arm around her and started kissing her. She went along with that, too. She hadn’t done anything like that for some time, and he was a good kisser.
    When he slid his hand inside her shirt, she went along with that because she was horny. It wasn’t until he tried to unfasten her bra that she put a stop to it.
    Tom looked upset. “What’s the matter?”
    “Sorry. I can’t do this. I have to get back.”
    It was tawdry, too much like teenagers shagging in the backseat of an old car.
    Tom argued; Melody refused. It occurred to her that she had the opportunity to do something to him that would knock him out of the race. Maybe break a bone in his foot. Justified mayhem. The idea sounded so funny to her that she burst out laughing.
    Tom quickly slid away from her and looked hurt. “What’s going on?”
    “Nothing.” Melody controlled her laughter. “Just a thought I had. It’s not you. Here, give me the key, and I’ll drive us back.”

    CHAPTER 31
    Today’s run goes from the Monterey County/Santa Cruz County line to Bonny Doon Road and Route 1. It’s a longer run than usual, but everyone is in such good shape that it shouldn’t be a problem. The challenge is to find the best route through Santa Cruz using a combination of San Andreas Road, Soquel Drive, and Mission Street to Route 1, or perhaps some combination of the Cliff Drives (East, West, Opal) that go closer to the beach. Hint: At some points it may even be advantageous to run on the railroad track (watch out for trains) to cross creeks and shorten distances.
    ***
    Today it was Phil and Brian who were dogging the footsteps of Drake and