The following day Jake drove Bob Rogers to a meeting at the Tomlinson residence. He wanted to explain his Fourth of July idea to the candidate and his aides, and Tomlinson wanted to map out their plans for the campaign against Senator Leeds.

“Tim agreed to it?” Rogers’s voice was high with delighted surprise.

“Reluctantly,” Jake replied, keeping his eyes on his driving. “But he agreed.”

Rogers chuckled. “Glynis can get him to agree to anything.”

Jake felt a flare of resentment in his gut. But he said nothing. I don’t have the right to say a word, he told himself. What Glynis and Tim do together is none of my business. Still, he thought that Younger was taking unfair advantage of her, catching her on the rebound after Sinclair’s death. But she doesn’t seem to mind it, Jake had to admit to himself. She seems to like Tim. And he certainly seems to want to please her.

He parked the Mustang on the edge of the Tomlinson mansion’s curving driveway. It was a warm and bright June afternoon, although thunderheads were building up in the west. We’ll have showers before sunset, Jake thought, just like the forecast said.

The butler led them into the library, where Tomlinson was sitting beside Amy on the leather couch, looking tired, somber. His father stood by the window, eyeing the buildup of dark clouds. No drinks in sight, Jake noticed. But then the butler came back pushing a serving cart that rattled with bottles and glassware.

The elder Tomlinson nodded, and the butler silently withdrew. Amy went to the cart. “I’ll be mother,” she said, cheerfully. “Scotch for you, Franklin?”

Tomlinson pulled himself up from the couch and went to the cart, where Amy splashed scotch over a tumbler filled with ice cubes. Jake and Rogers both accepted frosted bottles of beer from the cooler beneath the cart’s tabletop. Tomlinson’s father took bourbon and Amy poured herself a glass of white wine.

As they all stood around the serving cart, Amy lifted her glass and toasted, “Here’s to a successful debate.”

Surprised, Jake blurted, “Leeds has agreed to a debate?”

“Three of them,” said Amy, looking satisfied.

Rogers said, “I thought an incumbent didn’t like to debate a challenger; gives the challenger too much recognition, makes him look important.”

“Franklin already has plenty of recognition,” Amy explained. “Leeds knows that Franklin is as well known now as he himself is.”

“Leeds is no dummy,” Tomlinson Senior said sternly. “Frankie didn’t do that well in his first debate against Dant. Leeds is probably planning to ambush us, just the way Dant did.”

“He thinks he can outscore me in a face-to-face,” Tomlinson said, holding his drink in both hands as he walked slowly back to the couch.