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Summary

PART VII: Self-Reliance (continued)

Louise, August 1975: Day Four –Judyta, August 1975: Day Five  

Louise, August 1975: Day Four 

Louise returns to her childhood home and confronts all the memories she has tried to leave behind. In her old bedroom, she finds photographs, certificates, and report cards, all achievements she had displayed because no one else cared enough to. One by one, she takes them down, trying to shed a version of herself she no longer wants to acknowledge. 

Outside, she overhears Jesse speaking to a visitor, Lee Towson. His last encounter with Louise had ended in a violent fight between him and John Paul, and now, Lee has come to say goodbye before leaving for Colorado. During their conversation, Lee reveals that John Paul has been cheating on Louise, as he saw him with Annabel at the main house, confirming Louise’s suspicions. She reminds Lee that Annabel is only seventeen and that John Paul is much older. Lee tells her he thought she should know in case any charges fall on her. He then admits that he likes her and invites her to come with him to Colorado.  

Louise refuses, not only because she doesn’t want to go, but also because she is still out on bail. Instead, she warns Lee that the police know he is heading to Colorado and that she is aware of his statutory rape charges. Lee explains that when he was nineteen, he dated a sixteen-year-old girl whose wealthy father accused him of assault, despite the girl standing by his side. He innocently tells Louise the charge is false, but Louise isn’t sure if she believes him. She realizes how often she has misjudged people, trusting the wrong ones and ignoring her instincts. Lee tells her he is done working for rich people and that as soon as he heard what happened to Barbara, he left, fearing his record would make him a target.  

The chapter continues with Louise reflecting on how often she has given in to men’s desires, choosing the path of least resistance rather than standing up for herself. The truth is clear to her now: John Paul is the statutory rapist, not Lee. In a moment of defiance, she and Lee share an intimate moment in front of her house, but this time, it is on her terms. As Lee prepares to leave, Louise feels a sense of finality. She will not follow Lee, and she will not chase after John Paul. For the first time, she is making a choice for herself.   

 Alice,  August 1975: Day Four 

Alice is sent back to Albany alone, after her parents arrange her transport. Each day feels difficult, and she takes pills for relief, having chilling memories of the Dunwitty Institute. Delphine, her only visitor there, had apologized and revealed her past intimacy with Peter. Alice wonders if Delphine introduced her to Peter so that she could stay close to him. 

Now in Albany, Alice feels that the house is empty and abandoned in the summer. The pills blur her sense of reality, and she senses Bear in a space between life and death, recalling the word “nonsecular” to describe it. As the sun sets, she stands in the nursery and whispers to Bear, hoping he will answer.  

Judyta, August 1975: Day Four  

Judy has seen dead bodies before, but never skeletal remains. As the medical examiner directs the forest rangers, they carefully lift an intact skeleton that has been buried for over a decade. The examiner notes that the soil’s low acidity has preserved the bones and identifies the remains belonging to a child between seven and eleven years old, likely male. All evidence suggests it is Bear.  

At the Command Post, Hayes prepares to listen to a recorded phone call between Sluiter and Judy, in which Sluiter directs them to what is believed to be Bear’s body. When Hayes questions why she believed Sluiter, Judy responds that it was instinct; he had no reason to help, but he did for some reason.  

Judyta, August 1975: Day Five  

At a morning briefing, LaRochelle confirms that the dental records match and the skeleton belongs to Bear Van Laar. Judy summarizes Sluiter’s account from the interview: He claims the Van Laar Preserve was once his family’s land, found by Dutch ancestors who were successful in logging before political pressure forced them to sell the land.  

Sluiter describes hiding in the forest caverns in 1961 while evading the authorities. One day, he heard footsteps and saw a man carrying a lifeless child. The man cried, laid the boy down, and dug a grave as Sluiter watched from above. When questioned, Sluiter’s description of the man is vague, describing him as tall and middle-aged. He claims that he didn’t reveal what he saw because no one would have believed his story. 

As the investigation continues, Judy presents a photograph linking T.J. Hewitt and her father, Vic, to the Van Laar family. Hayes orders an arrest warrant, suspecting Vic might have killed Bear. Meanwhile, Judy and Anna, the conservator, examine a mural in Barbara’s room, where hidden letters spell out BVL + JPM. This links Barbara Van Laar to John Paul McLellan, and Hayes says it is strong evidence. 

Suspicions arise among investigators that Bear’s family never wanted him found. Judy questions Goldman about this, and he admits the family seemed reluctant in their search efforts. They discuss Carl Stoddard, the man presumed guilty for Bear’s disappearance who died from a heart attack in police custody, but Judy suspects that he was a convenient scapegoat and the Van Laars pinned the blame on him. Hayes acknowledges this but points out that if the Van Laars knowingly let it happen, they were likely hiding something bigger. 

Goldman recalls that the search for Bear was directed by Vic Hewitt, making him look even more guilty.  As Hayes prepares to reopen the case, LaRochelle delivers the news of Bear’s identification to Peter III, who reacts stoically. Hayes assigns Judy to focus on Vic Hewitt as believes he is the key to understanding what really happened. 

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