Mystery Town USA
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The day of the race was sunny and hot, which was perfect for racing. I’d gone to bed early so I could be up at five in the morning to make sure I had everything ready for the race. When I got up, I went outside and stretched a bit.
Then I grabbed my bike and rode over to the park where the race would take place. The road that led into the park was packed with spectators, and the parking lot was full of cars. I parked near the entrance to the park and walked back to the starting line.
I took off my helmet and looked around. A bunch of people was sitting on blankets or sitting in lawn chairs. There were some people who’d brought food with them, but most of the spectators didn’t seem to have much in the way of supplies. I walked down the line of bikes and checked everyone out.
There were thirty-one racers. All of us wore matching jerseys: a red and black checkered pattern with the Mystery Town USA logo on the front. It was supposed to look like a sheriff’s badge. A few of the racers had bought their own helmets, but most of us had borrowed them from the police station.
I’d taken mine home and washed it before wearing it again. I’d also changed my shirt since I’d been in my gym clothes when I’d ridden over here.
The race director was a woman named Bethany. She’d been one of the first people I’d met after moving to Mystery Town, and she’d been incredibly nice. I’d gone to the police station the day before to pick up my bike and some of the other gear we’d need for the race. The officers at the station had all been very friendly.
“Hey, Joe,” Bethany said as I approached her. “You ready?”
“I am now.”
Bethany nodded and smiled. “Okay, then. I’m going to get the race started. Let me know if you need anything.”
I nodded and followed her down the line of racers. She took a clipboard out of her backpack and began writing things down. When she reached the end of the line, she flipped open the top of the clipboard and handed it to me. “Here, Joe. You’re the last racer. Check your name off and then pass this on to the next racer.”
“Gotcha.”
She smiled and headed back toward the starting line. I went through the clipboard and then passed it on to the next racer. We each checked our names off, and then the next racer wrote his or her name down. Then we’d pass it on to the next racer. There were no more than twenty-five racers, so it wasn’t a big deal.
I took off my helmet and handed it to the next racer. I grabbed a water bottle from a cooler and drank some of it. My stomach was empty, and I was already hungry. I’d eaten breakfast a little after midnight, but I hadn’t had anything since. I knew I should’ve gotten something to eat before the race, but I’d been too nervous.
A few minutes later, the race director walked over to me. “Joe, I need you to do something for me.”
“What’s that?”
“I need you to keep an eye out for any racers who are having trouble. I can’t be everywhere at once.”
“Sure thing.”
She smiled. “Thanks.”
The race director returned to the starting line, and the race began. It was pretty much what I’d expected. A bunch of people would take off like they were riding in the Tour de France, only to get passed by a guy who rode ten miles an hour slower. After the first lap, the racers got used to the course and started riding faster. I kept my eyes peeled for anyone who might need help, but I didn’t see any problems.
As the race progressed, I realized there was one thing I’d forgotten. I’d never ridden a bike on this kind of terrain, and I hadn’t had time to practice. I’d just hoped it wouldn’t matter.
The second lap was going well when I saw something ahead of me. There was a woman with a helmet on lying on the ground. I pulled up and looked around. I couldn’t see anyone else close enough to have caused the fall.
“Hey, you okay?” I asked as I approached her.
The woman sat up and pushed her helmet off. She rubbed her head. “I’m fine,” she said. “I just lost my balance for a second.”
I nodded. “You sure?”
She smiled. “I’m good. Thanks for asking.”
“No problem.”
She put her helmet back on and continued racing. I watched her ride away. As soon as she was out of sight, I rode over to the side of the road.
There were three riders ahead of me, and I hadn’t seen any of them since the woman with the helmet had fallen. The crash hadn’t been a big deal, but I wasn’t sure how it would affect the race. It could be loopholed into an excuse if someone needed to pull out.
I pulled up next to the first racer. “Hey, I’m sorry about that. You know, the crash. But I didn’t cause it.”
He turned and looked at me. His face was red, and he was breathing hard. “Yeah?”
“No. I promise. I’m not trying to do anything funny.”
“Okay. Whatever you say.” He shrugged and turned back toward the finish line.
The other two racers rode past us. I followed them and then circled back. When I reached the crash site, the woman was still lying on the ground.
“Hey, you okay?” I asked.
She looked up at me. “Yes. I’m fine. Just a little dizzy.”
“Let me help you up.”
She nodded and got to her feet. Then she shook her head and tried to straighten herself out. “Sorry. My balance is a little off.”
I smiled and motioned toward the finish line. “You ready?”
“Sure. What happened? I thought I saw you ride away.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t want to mess up your race. So I came back here. I swear I didn’t cause the crash.”
She waved her hand dismissively. “It’s okay. I’ll be fine.”
I turned around and rode toward the finish line. I kept my eyes peeled for anyone who might need help, but I didn’t see any problems. As I neared the finish line, I realized I’d made it.
The racers had already crossed when I passed the finish line, but they were still gathered around. The race director walked over to me. “Congratulations. You’re our first winner.”
“Thanks.”
“Joe, I have to say this, but I don’t think you should continue racing. You could get hurt.”
“No, I’m okay. I promise.”
“But—”
“Just give me a few minutes. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.” She watched me as I rode toward the racers. “But I really think you should stop.”
“I will.”
The racers were all still there when I returned. I checked on the woman with the helmet again, and she seemed fine.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked.
“Yes. I’m fine. Thanks.”
“That’s good. So, do we get our money?”
She nodded. “You won. Thirty-five dollars.”
“Nice.”
The racers all cheered. I took the money from the race director and counted it into my pocket.
“Well,” I said, “that’s the end of that. But I’m going to be around tomorrow if you want to race again.”
They all nodded. Then I headed for the parking lot.
***
After the race, I went back to the car and retrieved my phone. I needed to call someone. It was time to check in with the cops.
I dialed the number from memory. The phone rang three times before it was answered. “Pike County Sheriff’s Office.”
“Detective Parker?”
“Yes. This is Detective Parker.”
“Is this about the woman who crashed?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry to bother you. I just wanted to let you know that I’m not going to press charges.”
“What? Why?”
“Because she wasn’t trying to do anything funny. She lost her balance, and she fell.”
“Really? What about the bike?”
“It’s just a little dented. Nothing big. But I don’t think the race will be disqualified or anything.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah. I’ll take care of it myself.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
I hung up the phone and sighed. Then I called my ride. We drove back to town, and I parked next to the bar.
When I walked inside, the bartender greeted me. “Hey, Joe. How are you doing tonight?”
“Fine. You?”
“Busy as usual.”
“Have any good stories to tell me?”
He looked at me. “No, I don’t think so. Unless you want to hear about the time that guy tried to pick up the waitress and he ended up falling off his chair.”
I laughed. “You should write that down. That’s a classic.”
“I will. Now, what can I get you?”
“Coke.”
“Coming right up.” He turned away from me and started filling my cup.
I got to the booth and pulled out a seat. As soon as I sat down, I noticed that there were two guys sitting across from me. They were both in their mid-twenties and had their arms crossed over the table. I looked at them and then turned back to the bartender. “What are these guys drinking?”
“The usual. What is it, one of the racers?”
“Yeah. Two of them.”
“Oh. Okay. They’re waiting for the rest of the group. I’ll call them when they arrive.”
I nodded and turned back to the guys.
“Hi,” I said. “I’m Joe.”
They both gave me a nod.
“Did you want something?” I asked.
“Yeah, we need to talk to you.”
“About what?”
“That woman who crashed. We want to know how she did it.”
“Why?”
“We want to see if we can do the same thing.”
“Oh, you mean you want to crash a race? I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
“Yes, but we want to know how to do it. And we want to know if you can help us.”
“How exactly does a person crash a bike?”
“She fell off the back. It was pretty funny. She fell so hard, her helmet flew off.”
“But how?”
“I don’t know. I thought maybe she’d lost control of the bike. But that didn’t seem to be the case.”
“So, what are you asking me for?”
“To show us how to do it. That’s all.”
“I don’t think so. I’ve got work to do, and I don’t have time to teach people how to crash. I’m sorry.”
“Come on, man. It’s just a few minutes of your time. We’re not asking you to do anything illegal.”
“It’s against the rules of the race. I can’t let you do it.”
“You could at least tell us how she did it.”
“I’m telling you, I’m busy. I don’t have time to go through every detail.”
“What if we pay you?”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“No, seriously. What do you want to pay me?”
“Uh … well …”
“Well, what?”
“Let’s see. You want to pay me ten dollars an hour. Okay, fine. I’ll show you how to crash a bike. But you have to take care of all the damage that happens when you do it.”
“Okay. We can do that. How long will this take?”
“I guess about ten minutes. Maybe more, depending on how much damage you do.”
“Ten minutes. I can do that.”
“Okay. Let me get my phone.”
As soon as I took it out, I saw the text from Chaz. I pulled it out and read it. It said, “Who were those guys?”
I put my phone back in my pocket and sighed. Then I turned to the two guys. “I’m sorry, but I need to take a call.”
“Can we come over there and talk to you?”
“No, I’m sorry. I’m not going to be able to do this tonight. I have to go.”
“But—”
“No. Sorry. I’ll see you around.”
I stood up and walked to the door. As soon as I opened it, I heard one of them say, “You’re crazy. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
I shook my head and went outside.
Chaz was standing there with his arms crossed over his chest.
“What happened?” he asked.
“They wanted to know how to crash a bike.”
“You didn’t tell them?”
“No. They had a friend who was injured in a crash. I told him I couldn’t help him. That’s all.”
“Are they still here?”
“Yeah.”
“Damn it. Why did you have to do that?”
“Because I’m not going to teach people how to crash. I’ve got enough trouble with the racers, without teaching them how to wreck their bikes.”
“They were just asking. They weren’t trying to do anything illegal.”
“So, you’re saying it’s okay for someone to crash a bike? Because I don’t think that’s the case. The racers are already pushing the rules, and now you’re telling me they want to push them even further.”
“That’s not what I said at all.”
“I can’t believe you’d let someone get hurt because of your ego. You should be ashamed of yourself.”
“You don’t understand. I’m not doing it for my ego. I’m doing it to keep everyone safe.”
“But you could have told them how to crash a bike. I bet you wouldn’t have cared if they did it.”
“No, I would have cared. I’m just not going to let people do it.”
“Bullshit. You’re being a coward. You don’t want to admit you made a mistake. You should have told them.”
“It’s not a mistake. It’s the rules.”
“The rules are stupid.”
“They’re not stupid. They’re the rules.”
“Then, why don’t you change them?”
“I’m not a rule-maker. I’m just the guy who makes sure people follow them.”
“That’s bullshit. You can change them. All you have to do is go to the racers and ask them to make changes.”
“They won’t do it.”
“Why not?”
“Because they’re selfish assholes.”
Chaz nodded. “Well, I guess I see your point.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it. Don’t bother with them anymore.”
“Okay. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
I waved and walked down the street to my apartment.
The End