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Summary

PART VI: Survival (continued)

Judyta, August 1975: Day Three

After receiving Christopher’s observations, Hayes instructs Judy to speak with T.J. Hewitt immediately instead of Peter II. Judy makes her way to the Staff Quarters, where T.J. appears restless and clearly worried about Barbara. 

Judy begins questioning her, asking how long she has known Barbara and whether she had a role in bringing her to camp. T.J. explains that she has known Barbara since birth and was her babysitter, as they are fourteen years apart. Both Barbara and her parents had wanted her to attend Camp Emerson. T.J. reveals that her father was the Preserve’s groundskeeper, which is why she has always lived there. She recalls how Barbara and her brother were close and how their parents treated them differently. Alice adored Bear, while Peter III saw him as something to mold: a possession rather than a child. 

Judy takes notes as T.J. speaks, but when she mentions that her notes may become evidence, causing T.J. to tense up. She explains that Barbara’s relationship with her parents was almost nonexistent. Despite their wealth, they suspiciously sent her off to boarding school with only two outfits and no winter coat. T.J. explains how she often stepped in, bringing Barbara extra food, books, and records. She visited her in Albany and cared for her in ways her parents never did. 

When Judy questions why Barbara goes to T.J. at night, T.J. grows defensive, accusing Judy of implying something inappropriate between them. She clarifies that she loves Barbara, but not in the way Judy suggests—Barbara is like a child or a younger sister to T.J. Getting annoyed, T.J. puts on her boots and prepares to leave. 

Judy presses further and states that eyewitnesses saw Barbara sneaking to the cabin in the middle of the night. T.J., aware of how she is perceived as an outcast in town, understands what Judy is insinuating. She warns that once people develop a theory, even if they are wrong,  they will use it against her. Before storming off,  T.J. tells Judy that John Paul McLellan Jr. is to blame. She cannot explain how she knows it, but she is certain. 

Jacob, August 1975: Day Three 

Jacob continues hiding in the woods; he sleeps during the day and moves at night. Due to the rain, he decides to take shelter in an abandoned house. He rummages through the kitchen and makes a meal of oats before searching the closets, where he finds a shotgun and bullets.  

Hours later, he hears a creak in the house, and he raises the shotgun to the door. The sensation reminds him of hunting as a child. He fires, but the shot does not hit anyone, and he soon realizes that this could be a trap. Before he has time to react, a voice tells him not to move, and he sees a gun is aimed at him through the window. 

Judyta, August 1975: Day Three 

Judy heads to the lakeside of the house to jot down notes from her interview with T.J. Sitting nearby is Mrs. Van Laar Sr., Barbara’s grandmother. Judy immediately recognizes her as the wife of the man who had been dismissive toward her.  

Mrs. Van Laar makes polite small talk with Judy before casually sharing an unexpected name—Vic Hewitt, the camp’s first director and T.J.’s father. Judy is surprised, having assumed he was dead. Mrs. Van Laar corrects her, revealing that Vic Hewitt is still alive, residing in the Director’s Cabin, where his daughter cares for him. Judy mentions that the cabin is now the police’s Command Post, so he cannot be residing there. With a knowing smile, Mrs. Van Laar cheekily tells her to go investigate.  

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