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Summary

PART III: When Lost

Tracy, July 1975—Judyta: August 1975: Day One 

Tracy: July 1975 

Tracy begins to feel like she is falling in love with Barbara, her first real friend, and notices that Barbara enjoys their friendship. She is intrigued by Barbara’s close relationship with T.J. Hewitt, an authority figure who is usually distant with other campers. Barbara reassures Tracy that T.J. is harmless, and shares that T.J. is like family to her and comes to visit her in Albany when her parents are away. 

Thinking about Bear, Tracy grows curious about Barbara’s past. One afternoon, Tracy finds Lowell reading a newspaper featuring Jacob Sluiter, the notorious murderer. She has heard rumors connecting Sluiter to Bear’s disappearance and tries to read the article despite not having her glasses. Noticing her interest, Lowell offers her the newspaper, reassuring her that Sluiter is still far away, unless he hitchhiked. Lowell then invites her to sing with him sometime, and she is giddy with excitement.  

That night, Tracy reads the article and learns about Sluiter’s crimes in the Adirondacks during the 1960s. Sluiter was accused of eleven murders at campgrounds and remote cabins, and he evaded capture using his survival skills until he was caught in 1964. Though evidence against him was overwhelming, he never confessed, leading to speculation about more victims. 

Examining a map in the article, Tracy notices that Sluiter’s last known arrest was 20-30 miles from her location. She traces a path from Camp Emerson to a nearby murder site and realizes it forms a triangle, with Camp Emerson at its tip. This raises unsettling questions about Sluiter’s possible presence in the area. 

Tracy: July 1975  

After an agonizing week of waiting, Tracy meets Lowell at Balsam’s porch. Watching Lowell sing with deep intensity, Tracy feels both amused and captivated, and while teaching him to harmonize, she unexpectedly misses her mother. Though she had been angry with her after the divorce, she now feels grateful for the musical lessons she once took for granted.  

Giddy, Tracy rushes back to tell Barbara, who immediately says that Lowell clearly likes her. Tracy asks what to do next, and Barbara suggests he might invite her to the dance—or try to do more. She compares kissing someone you truly like to hearing the best song ever and living inside it. That night, Tracy writes everything she knows about sex in her journal. The next morning, the survival trip begins. 

Tracy: August 1975 

Tracy has been asked where Barbara could be and whether she heard her leave, and she answers no to both questions. Instead of following the group to the Commissary, she sneaks away, determined to check the observer’s cabin at the peak of Hunt Mountain, where Barbara meets her boyfriend every night. She believes she can make the round trip in an hour and a half. If Barbara isn’t there, Tracy will confess everything she knows to the authorities, though she dreads betraying Barbara’s trust. 

As she moves through the woods, Tracy notices the land rising and expects to see Hunt Mountain’s peak soon. However, she quickly realizes she has lost her bearings, and she regrets not bringing a watch, compass, or water. After ten minutes, she can no longer see the mountain’s peak or the sun. Scared and realizing her mistake, she sits down and starts yelling, obeying the third rule of Camp Emerson. 

Judyta: August 1975: Day One  

Judyta Luptack, also known as Judy, was among the first class of female state troopers in Albany at 21. Five years later, now 26, she has consistently exceeded performance benchmarks and was recently promoted to the New York State Bureau of Criminal Investigation, becoming the first female investigator in the state. She now rides with senior investigator Denny Hayes, who has taken it upon himself to mentor her. They are responding to a case at the Van Laar Preserve, as their car was the closest to Shattuck. Hayes tells Judy that the family name is familiar because they lost their son, Bear, about fourteen years ago. He explains that the person responsible was caught but is now dead. Judy pretends to be familiar with the case, though she was only a child when it happened. Hayes then tells her another child has now gone missing from the same place. 

Judy’s post is in Ray Brook, but she still lives with her parents in Schenectady, and they don’t want her to get her own place before she gets married. To avoid upsetting her parents by moving out, she tolerates her long commute and sets her alarm for 4 AM. 

As Hayes and Judy reach the long driveway to the Preserve, she observes the old farm buildings on the left, noting that they no longer appear in use. What Hayes doesn’t know is that Judy has experience around wealthy people. As a teenager, she worked at the Iroquois Golf Club, where her father was the head janitor, and she still occasionally covers shifts, including an annual Christmas party that her whole family works. 

A few state troopers are already on-site conducting an initial search in the woods. Hayes asks Judy for her theory on what happened, but she isn’t sure. He assumes the missing girl is a runaway, likely hitchhiking, and hopes they find her before she’s found by someone who might hurt her. 

Judy steps out of the car and takes in her surroundings, hearing the distant sounds of children at the camp. Hayes briefs her on the case: the missing girl is the Van Laars' daughter, and troopers have no theories or leads. Adding to the situation, another camper, Tracy Jewell, Barbara’s bunkmate with no known connection to the family, also disappeared just hours ago. Tracy was last seen walking to the Commissary, and her parents have been alerted and are driving to the camp. All campers have been gathered in the great hall while families are called for pickup, though the Van Laars oppose sending them home to avoid panic. 

Judy expects to shadow Hayes, but to her surprise, he assigns her to handle the Van Laars while he interviews Barbara’s friends and counselors. At Self Reliance, Judy finds a dozen wealthy people lounging in their pajamas, unhurried and seemingly unphased by the situation. Taking notes, she prepares to begin her interviews.  

Jacob: August 1975: Day One  

Jacob walks inside the tree line, and recognizing the stream, he feels compelled to follow it to its source. Questioning the “why” of things, he rejects the concepts of God and coincidence, saying he only has faith in himself. 

After walking for hours, his shoes are covered in mud, and he continues to follow the stream. He waits for a break in traffic before darting across the road, and finds the stream continuing on the other side. There, he sees a row of small cabins lined up in two neat rows, lining the stream, indicating the Camp Emerson cabins. Jacob realizes he has been here before.  

Judyta: August 1975: Day One 

A reluctant Peter Van Laar II, his wife Helen, and Judy move to the kitchen for questioning. Peter introduces himself as Barbara’s grandfather and provides his birthdate, then does the same for Helen. When Judy asks them to describe their day, Peter II condescendingly comments on how young she looks, assuming she hasn’t been in the job for long. He insists he is certain Barbara has run away and claiming she has threatened to do so almost daily for the past two years.  

When Judy brings up Bear’s disappearance, Peter II becomes enraged, warning her never to mention his grandson’s name again. After Peter’s angry exit, Judy is reminded of an incident years ago at a Christmas party at the golf club. She had reported Mrs. Hanover for stealing from guests’ coat pockets, only for Mrs. Hanover to become furious and deny everything. Judy thinks that wealthy people always seem to get angry when they’re about to be held accountable. 

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