Run into Trouble

CHAPTER 27

Today’s run goes from Gorda to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, all on Route 1. The most challenging part of the run is the hill that rises to about 800 feet at Lucia, although the whole route is rolling with repeated gains and losses of 200 feet. Pace yourselves, take it easy on the downhills and carry plenty of liquids. There are a couple of drinking fountains along the route you can use to fill your water bottles. It’s Monday, and traffic should be lighter than it was yesterday.

In spite of the fact that they were now in fourth place and had a shot at third, Drake was unhappy as they climbed the big hill. Not about the race, itself, but the events surrounding the race. Two people connected with the race were dead, including the beautiful Grace. Houses had been destroyed, the submarine that apparently had done the damage found, with evidence pointing to the USSR.

Panic had ensued, fed by the media. Some were accusing the president of doing nothing in the face of imminent danger to the U.S., and a drive to impeach him was taking shape. The president, although upset with Casey for talking about the Russian connection, maintained that the administration didn’t have enough evidence to take any action. Russian officials denied any part in the incidents and were accusing the U.S. of heating up the cold war.

Casey was feeding the flames with his rhetoric, apparently for his political advantage. His proposal for a buffer zone along the coast was finding favor among certain groups of people, and the authors of a couple of newspaper op-ed pieces opposing it had been attacked as elitist and unpatriotic.

Drake and Melody were supposed to be collecting information on Casey, but that was hard to do when they were in the wilds of the Big Sur and Casey was off campaigning God knew where. Fred wasn’t going to help them. Drake was feeling the frustration of watching negative events unfold in an escalating fashion without having any control over what happened.

Melody sensed his mood and tried to cheer him up. “We’ve proven to be the best team in the hills, of which we have plenty today. By the end of the day we may be in third place.”

“What if we win the race and lose the war?”

“We’re not at war yet. Don’t count your battleships before they’re launched. Enjoy the rugged but spectacular scenery we’re running through. Live for the moment. Eat, drink, and make merry…”

“Maybe you’re right. About this Merry. Who’s she?”

Melody hit him.

Drake laughed. “Well, you’ve got Charles as a new conquest. We can add him to the growing list, which includes Tom, who’s always inviting you for drinks and card games. And Peaches. Speaking of Peaches, since we don’t have access to Casey at the moment, maybe it’s time for you to have another talk with Peaches. He may know more than he’s telling.”

“All right, I’ll do it. After all, I have to make sure that my conquests remained conquered. All this talking is slowing us down. Let’s shut up and see if we can beat everybody up the hill.”

Melody decided to dress up for her dinner with Peaches. She had invited him when she and Drake finished the run ahead of the pack and found Peaches waiting for them with the bus. He had been eating dinners alone or with Fred, but not with the runners. Melody indicated that it would be just the two of them. Peaches raised his eyebrows but accepted with no questions.

She was tired of wearing running clothes and sweat suits. She hadn’t worn a skirt since the “Pageant of the Masters” way back in Laguna Beach. Even when going out for drinks with Tom and Jerry and a few other runners, she had dressed very casually. In addition, in spite of all the men around, she had been celibate. Other than engaging in a little kneesy with Tom in a bar, she hadn’t done anything that would distress a nun.

She put on a miniskirt and a top with a V-neck cut down to here. Backless, it wasn’t built to accommodate a bra, so she took the Grace approach and went without. She had no idea what effect this would have on Peaches, the stoic, but figured what the hell, I’m going to do it anyway.

Peaches drove them in the company car to a restaurant some distance from the motel. Both motels and restaurants were so sparse in this area that it was a wonder he knew where it was, but he did. He was the perfect gentleman, even holding her chair for her when she sat down.

Melody took off the sweater she had worn against the fog and chill that had rolled in late that afternoon and draped it over the back of her chair. Since she had chosen to wear this outfit, she wasn’t going to hide it or what was beneath it. Since Peaches was wearing a suit, it was appropriate for her to be dressed up.

When the waitress came for drink orders, Peaches ordered iced tea-Melody obviously wasn’t going to get him drunk-and she ordered a glass of wine. She pondered how to start a conversation.

She decided on an open-ended question. “What do you think about everything that’s been going on?”

Peaches smiled a little and paused. “Casey really wants to be a senator.”

That wasn’t new or startling information, but Melody sensed there was more behind it.

“Has he been planning to run for a long time?”

“I think that’s why Running California got started. He wanted to do something that would bring attention to himself. Fred told me they picked some of the runners very carefully. Tom because he won the Boston Marathon. Drake…”

“Because…?”

“Because of his father.”

“Admiral Drake?”

“Admiral Drake is a good friend of Senator Leffingwell, the other senator from California. He’s been in Congress for a long time. A word from him could help Casey’s chances, according to Fred. Or even if he doesn’t say anything negative about him it would be positive.”

“Hmmm.” Peaches knew more about politics than the runners, at least as far as Casey was concerned. Casey was playing all the angles. “When Drake got into that accident before the race started, it must have really upset Casey.”

Peaches took a swig of iced tea and seemed to study the ice cubes in the glass. Melody sensed that he wanted to say something; she decided to wait him out. Finally, he put the glass down.

“On the day the race was scheduled to start, most of the runners had arrived at the border park. I remember that you were there. Drake was one of the few who were missing. Fred usually doesn’t do anything physical that he doesn’t have to, but he was pacing up and down like he was anxious about something. I didn’t notice it so much then because I had just started working with him, but looking back I can see that it was abnormal behavior for him.”

Melody tried to think back to that first day, but she couldn’t remember anything that had happened before she had received word about Drake’s accident. Again she waited for Peaches to continue.

“He kept looking down the road that came into the park. I figured he was just watching for the other runners. He was the one who spotted the fire.”

Now Melody remembered. Although she had been some distance from Fred, introducing herself to the other runners, she had heard him yell. She turned and saw the flames shooting up, and her first thought was a fear that Drake had been in an accident. Uncanny, because she didn’t claim to have psychic powers. But after not seeing him for six years, she didn’t want anything to spoil their reunion.

Peaches continued, “Fred yelled for me to get the car. He had me drive as fast as I could. He kept swearing under his breath, like he knew what had happened. When we got to the taxi, the fire was so hot we couldn’t get close to it. He said, ‘Are they inside? Can you see if anybody’s inside?’ That’s when Drake yelled from the field. He looked very relieved when he heard Drake’s voice.”

Peaches stopped again and took another drink of his tea. Melody was confused.

“So what do you make of this?”

“I think Fred knew the accident was going to happen.”

“You mean he planned it?”

“He may have set it up, but it would have been Casey’s idea. Fred wouldn’t have done it by himself.”

“But why? Especially if he wanted Drake in the race?”

Peaches shook his head. “I don’t know. I’ve been over it and over it in my head, and I can’t figure it out.”