Book of Days_ A Novel - James L. Rubart [78]
"Are you finished?" Tricia pulled her keys out of her pocket.
"What does Taylor know about the book?"
She opened the back door of the Jeep, tossed her gear inside, and slammed it shut. "You might fool your followers, Judah, but not me. I see who you are. And it isn't about truth."
She got in, fired up the Jeep, and mashed the gas pedal to the floor, kicking up a curtain of dust that blocked Jason from sight in her rearview mirror.
If only making him disappear for good was that easy.
Ann had just finished forty-five minutes on a treadmill at the Three Peaks Women's Gym—which did wonders in erasing the fear of yesterday's climb—when a voice behind her said, "Excuse me, you're Ann Banister, aren't you?"
Ann turned to see a woman probably in her late fifties, with wavy shoulder-length brown hair and a face that looked familiar.
"I am, and you are?"
"Tricia Stone, Taylor's wife."
The wife of the mysterious Taylor Stone. Interesting. "Good to meet you."
"I feel the same way. I've been hoping to bump into you ever since you arrived."
"Really?"
"Yes, and—I don't mean to pry—but speaking of bumps, that's a doozy you have on your forehead there."
"It looks much worse than it feels. I battled a cliff yesterday. The cliff won." Ann touched her forehead. "It's a little tender but that's all."
"That's good to hear." Tricia handed her a small card with an address on it. "I'm sure a home-cooked meal would do wonders for your recovery."
"You're inviting me over for dinner?"
Tricia nodded.
Ann smiled as she wiped the sweat off her forehead with a hand towel. This could be providential. It might be a chance to discover a few of the mysteries Taylor knew about the Book of Days and find out about his reaction to her at Jason's gathering. "This might sound rude, Tricia, and I hope it doesn't come across that way, but why do you want to invite me into your home?"
She smiled. "Good for you. Don't worry; I appreciate people who are straightforward, so I'll be the same." She took Ann's arm and led her away from the row of treadmills out of range of the three other women doing an early morning workout on the machines.
"When you got up on stage during Jason's little shindig the other day, Taylor's face turned the color of freshly fallen snow. He wouldn't talk about it, but I know something about you crumbled his Oreos."
"I heard about that."
Tricia's eyes widened.
"Cameron Vaux told me."
"Ah." Tricia nodded. "When I asked Taylor why seeing you made him go all goofy, he clammed up like a Mafia boss on the witness stand." She grabbed a heartbeat monitor off a stand next to a row of elliptical trainers and strapped it to her wrist.
Ann smiled. "I see. So your plan is to ambush him when I step through that door where he's trapped and has to give some kind of explanation about me?"
"Oh no, I would never do that. Of course not." Tricia patted her on the shoulder. "I plan on giving him a full ten minutes of warning before you arrive."
Ann shook her head and smiled again.
"Can you make it tonight, say around six thirty?"
"I'll be there."
"Wonderful. I'm so looking forward to it."
Ann would be there, along with a certain picture from her mom's childhood. Something told her the Stones needed to be asked about that photo.
As Ann left the gym, her eyes locked on to a man with a baseball hat sitting directly across the street on a dark brown bench. She glanced away, then back to the man. He was watching her.
She reached into her purse to grab her keys, and when she looked up again, his gaze was still fixed on her. She glanced up and down the street for cars, then jogged across Main Street directly toward him.
"Hello. My name is Ann. What's yours?"
The man looked Native American. He smiled, and his dark brown eyes danced. "I hope I didn't frighten you just now."
"You didn't, but why were you staring at me?"
"It is important I see you. Meet you."
"Why?"
"To see."
"See what?"
"I'm sorry. I'm not able to