By morning, Luke had made a decision. He would not return to Belle Rive yet. Not until he understood the second ledger.
He, Patterson, and Clara stayed at a small farmhouse outside town that belonged to an old friend of Patterson's.
The ledger lay open on the kitchen table. Every page raised more questions.
Finally, Patterson spoke. "Who could have the book?"
Clara looked at him. "Someone your father trusted."
"Who?"
She shook her head. "I don't know."
Luke looked at her. "You keep saying that."
"Because it's true."
"But you always know enough to frighten me."
Clara smiled sadly. "That's because the truth is frightening."
Luke closed the ledger. "Let's start with what we know."
He made a list.
Jacob McCall.
William Garrison.
Elias McCrory.
Evelyn Mercer.
Sam McCall.
Clara Whitfield.
Then Patterson.
Seven names.
Luke stopped. There was one more.
The stranger, Thomas Mercer.
Luke looked at the list.
"Why would Thomas have the book?" Patterson frowned.
"Maybe he doesn't."
"Then why has he been leading me to it?"
Clara looked up. "Maybe because your father gave it to him."
Luke stared. "My father?"
"Sam trusted him."
"But why?"
Clara reached across the table.
"Because Thomas was Evelyn's son."
Luke nodded. "Which means Sam protected him."
"Yes."
"And now he's protecting his mother."
"Exactly."
Luke looked toward the window. "But if Thomas has the book, why send me after it?"
Clara's expression changed. "Because he doesn't know what is in it."
Patterson stood. "Then we need to find him."
They found Thomas at the river. He was standing alone beside an abandoned fishing boat.
Luke approached slowly. "You knew."
Thomas turned. "I knew you would come."
"You have the second ledge?."
Thomas looked at Clara.
Then at Patterson.
"Not anymore."
Luke stopped. "What happened?"
Thomas reached into his coat. He pulled out a torn leather cover. Empty. The pages were gone.
"Someone took it."
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"When?"
"Last night."
Luke looked toward the river. "Who knew you had it?"
Thomas shook his head. "Only three people."
Luke felt a chill. "Who?"
Thomas looked directly at him.
"Me." "Your mother." "And your father."
Luke froze.
"My father is dead."
Thomas nodded. "Exactly."
He handed Luke the leather cover.
"There was a note inside."
"What did it say?"
Thomas swallowed. "Tell Luke the book was never meant to be found."
Luke stared at him. "Who wrote it?"
Thomas looked toward the water. "Sam."
Silence.
Luke opened the cover.
Tucked inside was a final fragment of paper. His father's handwriting.
The first ledger tells what happened.
The second tells who knew.
Then one last sentence:
The third tells why.
Luke slowly looked up.
Patterson whispered: "Third?"
Thomas shook his head. "I didn't know there was a third."
Clara closed her eyes. "There wasn't."
Luke frowned. "Then what did Sam mean?"
Clara opened her eyes.
Her face had gone pale. "The third isn't a ledger."
"What is it?"
She looked toward the river. "The river itself."
And before anyone could ask what that meant, a gunshot cracked through the morning.
Thomas fell.
Luke lunged toward him.
Patterson drew his weapon.
Another shot struck the old boat.
Clara screamed.
Luke looked toward the tree line.
A figure disappeared into the woods.
Thomas was alive. Barely.
Luke knelt beside him. "Stay with me."
Thomas gripped his arm. His lips moved.
Luke leaned closer.
"He has the book."
"Who?"
Thomas's eyes opened. "The man who killed your father."
Luke went still. "That's impossible."
Thomas shook his head. "No."
He coughed. "He didn't die."
Luke stared. "Who?"
Thomas looked toward the river. And whispered a name.
One Luke had never heard before.
"Mercer." Then he passed out.
Luke looked at Patterson. Patterson looked at Clara.
Nobody spoke. Because all three understood what Thomas had just said.
The man who had been following Luke wasn't the only Mercer still alive.
There was another.
And that man knew exactly where the missing book had gone.
The river moved behind them. Quiet. Patient. Waiting.
And for the first time, Luke wondered whether the secret hidden beneath the river was not something his father had buried...but something he had been trying desperately to keep from coming back.