The Road Not Taken

In their escape from New York, Martin and Jake pass through Martin's old stomping grounds of the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Although he has no intention of stopping in his old home town of McMinnville, Martin is forced to stop and stay because of car problems in part initiated by Jake. Old memories die hard as a story that he wrote at the beginning of his reporting career twenty years ago created some hard feelings amongst the townsfolk, many who do not welcome him back. One person who does welcome him is Henry Williams, the editor of the local newspaper and Martin's mentor who sees Martin's time at the newspaper as its glory years. Someone who provides a more reserved welcome is Martin's old girlfriend, Beth Cooper née Young, who now works for Henry. Shortly after Martin's arrival, Henry goes missing with evidence pointing to someone trying to kill him. Martin is pretty sure that it has to do with whatever the latest story on which Henry is working. As Martin reads through Henry's notes, he finds a story that isn't all it appears on the surface of those notes. Martin and Jake's stay in McMinnville also intersects with a story of a teen-aged boy trying to help his family by proving he's a man. It also coincides with the cell phone that Martin retrieved at JFK Airport month's earlier that belonged to Brit Simon Plimpton arriving in the area, and which makes another electronic trip back to its original owner and his distraught wife, Nell.