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"Why the obsession with the idea of finding a physical book, Jason? You know it's a myth."

"Do I really need to give an answer to you of all people?"

"Humor me."

Jason rubbed his hands together as he stood and strode over to Taylor, stopping inches from Taylor's face. "You know that in the right hands this book could do great things for the world, old friend. Things never before conceived by the mind of man."

"Your hands."

"Yes, mine." Jason circled Taylor like a boxer. "I would bring healing to so many and prevent so much future pain."

"You would bring sorrow. Knowing the future isn't for us to obtain. With our finite view, we would use the knowledge the book contains to twist things into a tapestry of knots that could never be untangled."

"Freudian slip?" Jason pursed his lips. "'The book contains?'"

"It was a figure of speech to point out your—"

"I think not." Jason put his hands behind his back and tilted his head back, his eyes staying focused on Taylor. "Come now, old chum. Talk to me."

"Even if there was a book, you'd set yourself up as the gatekeeper, the only one who would know its location."

"It's a role someone has to fill. To keep away the crazies. But I would share what I learned with all."

"Leave it alone." Taylor raised his ax to his shoulder. "There's nothing to tell."

"Have you told Cameron Vaux what you know?"

Taylor's only response was a deep breath.

"I believe you've known exactly where the book is ever since we were kids and could lead me to it right now if you wanted to. I believe you found the book years ago and used it over and over again as we grew up. To be the football star, the basketball star. Class President, mayor of Three Peaks. The editor in chief of The Post where you could manipulate the lives around you and make yourself the most golden boy in the history of this town. You had the Midas glove on when you touched anything. Because you always knew what was coming next and you changed it to fit your dreams.

"And I believe the book—and you—were intimately involved in a certain mysterious death thirty-three years ago that no one talks about anymore. When I find this book, I will systematically bury you, golden-boy."

Stone said nothing, but the pallor of his face told Jason he'd hit a nerve.

Taylor smacked the ax handle into his palm. Then again. And again. And again. "Time for you to leave, Jason."

Jason glanced at the ax before riveting his eyes on Taylor. "Are you threatening me?"

"Without question."

As Jason strode away, the sound of splitting wood seemed to grow faster and louder. Yes, he'd definitely hit a mother-lode nerve. He would track Taylor twenty-five hours a day. Along with Cameron, and Ann just to be thorough.

Cameron flopped back on his bed at the Best Western early Tuesday afternoon. Two hours until he saw Susan. Enough time for a nap. He could use it with how poorly he'd been sleeping. He stared at the small water stain on the wall next to the bed that resembled the undulating curves of the Columbia River, closed his eyes, and imagined himself floating down a river with nothing on his mind. Peace like a river, Jessie used to sing a song about that.

Just a few minutes rest couldn't hurt.

The vibration of his cell phone in his pocket snapped him back from the edge of sleep. He blinked, sat up, and looked at caller ID. Brandon.

He should take it. This was his partner's third call. The first one he'd forgotten about till he looked at his phone's recent-calls list. The second one he hadn't listened to yet.

"Hey, Brandon."

"Why haven't you called me back?"

"Sorry, I've been busy down here."

"Don't sweat it. I've got great news, bud."

"Yeah?"

"More than great. We've been invited to submit to Thrill Junkie's Grand Canyon wild-water adventure. And they're doing a celebrity version. We get to bid on the job, so they're asking us to put together a killer demo reel on why we should get to film the Stars on the River Reality Trip. Celebs on the river