Richard and Skink arrive at the Choctawhatchee River. Skink finds the car that picked Malley up from the airport—someone has abandoned it in the river. Skink believes Malley and “Online Talbo” ditched the car for a boat. Pretending to be a grandfather and grandson on a rafting trip, Skink and Richard convince an older couple to sell them their canoe.

After Skink replaces his fake eye with an older, cleaner model, he and Richard sail down the river. As they sail, Richard wonders why Malley hasn’t fled Online Talbo. He soon realizes that the forest cover on the river’s banks is too thick. Malley shows Richard the tree where he once spotted an ivory-bill woodpecker, though Richard doesn’t believe him.

When Richard and Skink encounter a small fishing boat on the river, Skink strikes up a casual conversation with its captain. Skink again lies. He says that he and Richard are looking to meet up with a young couple on the river. The boat captain suggests it might be the couple she passed in a houseboat. Richard sees that he and Skink will have to rescue Malley on their own. Skink decides to make camp for the night.