Local Woman Missing

About two months earlier, Meredith, who works as a doula, is bathing Leo and texting a client who is going into labor. Suddenly, Meredith receives a series of aggressive texts from an unknown number, including, “I hope you rot in hell, Meredith” (68). Shaken, Meredith pretends nothing is wrong. Josh takes over washing Leo so that she can leave to help her client.

Eleven years later, 15-year-old Leo addresses Carly, whom he believes to be his sister, Delilah. Leo doesn’t remember Delilah from before she went missing. He feels that his father was always more interested in looking for Delilah than he was in taking care of Leo.

After calling the police, Josh returns home; an hour later, Kate sees two officers visit him. She recalls the public outcry following Shelby’s recent disappearance and wonders if Shelby’s husband, Jason Tebow, who is the prime suspect, could be innocent.

At 3:30 a.m., Meredith leaves the hospital following her client’s birth. Still worried about the threatening text messages, Meredith is scared by someone in the parking lot, until recognizing who the person is. Picking up food at McDonald’s on her way home, Meredith receives a message from the unknown number: “Get home safe” (83).

One day, Josh picks Leo up from school and takes him to the police station. Detective Carmen Rowlings, an officer assigned to the Dickey case, introduces them to Carly, who is presented as Delilah. Leo resents Rowlings for being too friendly, even flirtatious, with Josh. She bends the rules to allow Josh to take Carly home before the DNA test is complete. Arriving home, Josh and Leo are annoyed to see a crowd of reporters.

Meredith wakes after only two hours of sleep. She decides not to tell Josh about the worrying text messages, fearing that he will suggest that she give up her work as a doula and focus on yoga instruction, as he has before. After Josh leaves for work, Meredith snuggles in bed with Delilah and Leo, who looks up to his sister.

The day after Meredith’s disappearance, Kate wakes to find Bea already working in her music studio. Kate met Bea six years earlier when Bea performed in a bar where Kate was working as a waitress. They fell in love, and after Kate completed veterinary school, moved in together. Bea comes back inside to shower before contractors arrive to renovate the house, which was built in 1904. Bea mentions that Josh is organizing a search party.

After Josh and Leo take Carly home with them, Leo feels a mixture of annoyance at and pity for Carly. She demonstrates odd behavior, such as sitting on the floor and calling everyone “sir” or “ma’am.” Leo notices she has bald spots on her head; after checking online, he realizes she pulls her hair out due to stress. He also notices that she speaks “like a redneck” (99), unlike him and his father.

About a dozen people meet in Josh’s yard to search for Meredith. The woman who employs Meredith as a yoga instructor reveals that Meredith called in sick not only yesterday but also two weeks prior. A midwife who worked with Meredith adds that Meredith recently cut back her hours.

Taking charge, Bea assigns the volunteers to specific activities. Kate and Bea question the neighbors; one remembers seeing Meredith leave in her car the previous morning. Cassandra mentions that she saw two people in Josh and Meredith’s yard during the middle of the night about two weeks ago and thought they were drunk college students at the time.

Arriving at the Tebows’ home a few blocks away, Kate and Bea question Jason, who recognizes Meredith as Shelby’s doula. He describes Shelby's experience giving birth six weeks earlier as a “nightmare” and adds that Shelby and her obstetrician, Dr. Feingold, did not get along.

A text in the search party’s group chat says that a body was found.

While leading her yoga class, Meredith tries to calm herself down. Afterwards, she meets Shelby as a potential new client, and the two get along well. Shelby hints that her husband, who is not present, may not be able to provide the emotional support she needs during her pregnancy. Meredith explains that she became a doula after wishing she had someone to represent her when she gave birth.

Two days later, they meet again. At Jason's insistence, Shelby tries to negotiate a lower price. When Meredith refuses, Shelby signs the contract anyway.

The search party gathers at Josh’s house, except for Josh, who goes to the forested area near a river where a woman’s body was found that morning. Retrieving snacks from her home, Kate finds the presence of the construction workers “unnerving” (133). She and Bea ask a midwife who worked with Meredith about Dr. Feingold; the midwife explains that Feingold is an unpleasant man and that the birth of Shelby’s child went poorly, leaving the baby with brain damage. Shelby planned to sue Feingold for medical malpractice, and Meredith was scheduled to testify that week.

Hours later, Josh returns and reports that the body was Shelby, not Meredith. As police officers question Josh, Kate and Bea agree to pick up Leo from Charlotte’s house.

Carly has no memory of Josh, Leo, or their home. Josh tucks her into bed but is alarmed to discover that she is gone at 2 a.m. To Leo’s annoyance, Josh calls Rowlings. Searching the house, Leo finds Carly sleeping in the basement, the only place she feels comfortable.