Chapters (110)
- Cover
- ALSO BY J. TODD SCOTT
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- PROLOGUE
- I
- II
- PART ONE
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- PART TWO
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- PART THREE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- PART FOUR
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
- SEVENTY-FIVE
- SEVENTY-SIX
- SEVENTY-SEVEN
- SEVENTY-EIGHT
- SEVENTY-NINE
- EIGHTY
- EIGHTY-ONE
- EIGHTY-TWO
- EIGHTY-THREE
- EIGHTY-FOUR
- EPILOGUE
- I
- II
- III
- IV
- V
- VI
- VII
- AUTHOR’S NOTE
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- Excerpt from LOST RIVER
- LITTLE PARIS
- DILLON
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- What’s next onyour reading list?
Eddy looked skyward, as Johnnie had only moments before. “Nah, not so much. Nothing I can think of specifically.”
“But you can get us close, right? Take us up this Ranch Road 19 and near to the place.”
Confusion passed through Eddy’s eyes like the clouds above them. He didn’t know what Johnnie was driving at, and Johnnie wasn’t sure either, but he had the beginning of an idea, something taking shape. If Eddy Rabbit had been betting they’d stop now because of the sheriff’s involvement, or the issue with the cars, it was a gamble he’d lost.
“Sure, I can do that,” Eddy admitted, unhappy.
“Good enough then, let’s go.”
But Johnnie didn’t holster his gun. He didn’t plan on doing that for a while, not until this was over. Really over.
The others started getting into the Suburban, as Johnnie tossed the keys to his Charger over to Eddy. “You drive this time. Lead the way. I’ll ride shotgun, and if you so much as go two miles over the speed limit, I’ll shoot you in the fucking head.”
Eddy bounced the keys in his hand, letting them catch sunlight. “I got it.”
They both walked toward the car.
“Your new friend Deputy Ford didn’t happen to mention where he was going after he left your place this morning?”
Eddy shook his head. “No, not a thing.” Then he added, “Maybe hunting.”
“Hunting, right,” Johnnie said, and spit his matchstick onto the ground.
He’d bet his last few dollars they hadn’t seen the last of Danny Ford today.
But it was okay. Today they were the good guys.
SIXTY-THREE
Danny was having trouble breathing.
It had started slowly at first, a tightening in his chest that had grown fiercer over time, as he lay stretched out on his sleeping bag in the camper bed of the Bronco. It was like a great hand wrapped around him, around his heart, slowly squeezing him to death.
Just like in Eddy Rabbit’s trailer, then in Amé’s apartment—a hot, crushing darkness descending on him. His goddamn dream. The camper bed was infernal, and although the sun was finally sinking behind the mountains, he was slicked with sweat that was turning his skin to salt.
His bad eye had started to fray, too, like his nerves. A bad lightbulb, winking on and off.
He had to hold it together a little while longer. He just didn’t know how much longer he had left.
—