The God of the Woods

The day of the Survival Trip arrives. It is unannounced in advance; instead, campers have been instructed that it will begin when they hear an alarm sound in the early morning. When this happens, they rush to meet their group, and each of them is given provisions. TJ reminds them that a counselor will follow them, but the counselor is only allowed to help in emergencies. TJ will be the emergency counselor for Tracy and Barbara’s group.

They set off, and when TJ decides on a spot for them to camp, she retreats into the background. Barbara takes charge and gives the others instructions. Tracy is impressed by Barbara’s commanding demeanor and practical knowledge.

That night, after the younger campers have gone to bed, Barbara, Tracy, Lowell, and Walter—a friend of Lowell’s—stay up drinking liquor that Walter has smuggled in. They play “Truth or Dare,” and Tracy loves the feeling of being included and experiencing intimate friendships. The game ends when Barbara dares Lowell to kiss her. When he does, Tracy can tell he is interested in Barbara. The girls go to bed and the boys stay up for a while longer to tend the fire. Barbara can tell that Tracy is upset by the kiss, and the two talk. Barbara confesses to not wanting to be at home during the preparations for the 100-year party, then reveals that her mother still believes Bear to be alive. Barbara is certain that if Bear had not disappeared, she would never have been born and the family would have been better off. Realizing that it is nearly midnight, Barbara leaves the tent, telling Tracy that she must meet her boyfriend as planned.

The next morning, they set squirrel poles, but the bait is stolen. At lunchtime, Barbara rations out small portions of canned beans and trail mix. As dinnertime approaches, Barbara heads off to check the traps and emerges with three squirrels dangling from a pole, one still wriggling. She instructs Tracy to kill the squirrel with a rock, and when Tracy does, she receives shouts of praise from TJ in the distance.

Barbara cleans the squirrels on her lap but cuts her leg badly when the knife tip breaks and lodges beneath her skin. She removes the tip, then immediately regrets this as blood rushes out. She staunches the bleeding and insists she is fine despite the others’ pleas that they call out for TJ.

The bit of meat improves the mood, but Barabara looks pale and woozy. When Lowell runs off to find TJ, Barbara is too weak to run after him. TJ takes Barbara into her tent and sutures the wound. Barbara returns looking better but tells Tracy that she does not think she is strong enough for the walk to meet her boyfriend that night. She tells Tracy that this situation is “probably not alright” (312).

Alice wakes, groggy from the pills, and tries to recall what has transpired. Then she remembers that Barbara is missing. From her bedroom window, she watches as more parents arrive to pick up their campers. She hears footsteps behind her and knows that her husband and his father are sending her away again.

As the guests for the annual Blackfly Goodbye party begin to arrive, both Bear and Peter are excited. Alice notes that Peter is more relaxed than he usually is. The house and other quarters quickly fill with the 37 guests they have invited.

One afternoon, Alice stays behind while the others hike, planning to nap. She is surprised to find Peter in her bed; the two have not shared a bed in years. For the first time, Alice feels as though Peter loves her. This newfound closeness continues throughout the week. On the final day, Peter surprises the group by asking everyone to stay one extra day. There are cheers, but Alice’s sister, Delphine, worries that the cook is not prepared for this. She questions the cook in front of the group, which outrages both Peter and his father. The next day, Alice goes in search of Bear but cannot find him. She decides to search in Peter’s bedroom.

Judy backs out of the outbuilding and races away to alert Hayes and LaRochelle. They secure six armed officers to search the building at Judy’s insistence, despite believing it unnecessary. In the building’s loft, they discover only a family of squirrels.

In the command center, Hayes gathers the investigators and officers to share any new information. There is little, except for campers reporting seeing an elderly woman in the woods and believing her to be the “Scary Mary” of camp lore. Judy states that Jeannie Clute believes that her father, Carl—who died of a heart attack—is innocent in the matter of Bear’s disappearance. Clute felt that LaRochelle was content to blame Carl. Other officers speak up and assert that they never agreed with LaRochelle. When LaRochelle enters it becomes clear to Judy that no one plans to tell him what Clute has said.

LaRochelle announces that several beer bottles have been collected from the observation cabin where Babara told Tracy that she met her boyfriend. Fingerprints on the bottles belong to John Paul, who, unbeknownst to anyone, has been staying in the area all summer. He continues to blame the bloody clothing on Louise. The blood on the clothing is being analyzed for a blood type.

Judy drives home, but without realizing it, she pulls over on the road and falls asleep. When she wakes up, she drives to a nearby motel and rents a room. She phones her mother and tells her that she needs to move out because she can't do her job while living there.

Judy is awakened at 6:00 am with a knock. The man at the door identifies himself as Bob Alcott, the owner of the motel. His wife, who checked Judy in, explained that Judy identified herself as a detective working on a nearby case. Bob has something he needs to tell Judy about Bear.

Louise prepares to be transferred to another jail—in Albany. Suddenly, an officer appears and tells her that her bail has been posted.

At her father’s house, Tracy tries to recall details that might point to Barbara’s whereabouts. She recalled one day when, during the 100-year party, Barbara convinced Tracy to follow her as she snuck into Self-Reliance while the guests were outside at cocktail hour. In the kitchen, Barbara ate large quantities of food, offering some to Tracy and then leaving the rest out on the counter. When they heard someone coming, Barbara pushed Tracy into a broom closet, then hid herself elsewhere. Tracy heard voices in the room.

When Barbara let Tracy out, Barbara angrily clutched a paper bag and told Tracy that her bedroom wall, where she had been constructing a mural, had been painted over. They returned to Balsam. Later, when Tracy asked Barbara what the paper bag contained, Barbara denied having a bag.

Louise is not told who posts her bail, though she hopes that it is her mother. A condition of the bail is that she remain at one address and observe a 6 pm curfew. Because Louise has nowhere else to go, Detective Hayes drives her to her mother’s house. Louise is relieved to find her mother dressed. Before leaving, Hayes pulls Louise aside and asks how well she knows Lee Towson. Hayes explains that Towson was previously incarcerated for statutory rape.

The camp dance arrives and the campers dress and prepare. Tracy has fun dancing until a slow song comes on. She wanders off the dance floor and has a brief conversation with Lee from the kitchen staff. Tracy has seen him with Louise. Tracy then heads outside and sees Annabel heading toward Self-Reliance. Walter joins Tracy and mentions Lowell. Tracy knows that Lowell is only interested in Barbara, but she is relieved when Walter says that Barbara refused to dance with Lowell.

Louise observes the campers at the dance from a distance. She makes a point to locate each girl from Balsam but cannot find Annabel. She suspects that Annabel has snuck off into the woods with a boy.

Judy relays to Hayes what Alcott has told her: that no one in the town believed that Carl Stoddard was responsible for Bear’s disappearance. Instead, some believe that Jacob Sluiter was the culprit, while others are suspicious of Peter Van Laar Senior. Judy asks permission to interview Peter Senior, and Hayes grants it.

The parents of Christopher—the youngest camper—inform Judy that Chris has something to reveal. After some time, Chris says that during the Survival Trip, he saw Barbara go into TJ Hewitt’s tent each night. After Judy finishes interviewing Christopher, his mother pulls her aside and says that TJ should not be allowed to be around young girls.

Hayes plans to speak with Peter Sr. and asks Judy to interview TJ. TJ echoes what others have said about Alice’s adoration of Bear and emphasizes that both Bear and Barbara were always good children. TJ insists that the Van Laars neglected Barbara, so TJ took it upon herself to care for the girl as though she were TJ’s younger sister. TJ understands that Judy means to question whether the two had a sexual relationship; TJ denies this. TJ’s suspicion lies with John Paul Junior, but she says she cannot explain why she feels this way.

Jacob finds an empty house, which he plans to sleep in for the night. In a bedroom, he finds two shotguns and ammunition. As he is rummaging, a voice instructs him not to move. Jacob looks up to discover the police.

Judy is eager to write down everything TJ has told her. She sits near the lake, next to the elder Mrs. Van Laar. Judy tries to make small talk, but Mrs. Van Laar moves to leave. Judy takes a risk by asking her if she has any information that might help Judy’s investigation; Mrs. Van Laar suggests that Judy speak with Victor Hewitt.

Alice opens Bear’s bedroom door to find Peter and Delphine asleep on Bear’s bed. Shocked, she realizes that his disdain for Delphine has been a ruse. Watching them sleep, Alice debates whether she can live with the affair. She decides that she can, as long as she has Bear.

Alice continues to search for Bear and finds him with his grandfather. Alice asks Bear to come with her on a boat ride, but Peter Sr. says that the two are readying for a hike. Later, Alice decides to take the boat out by herself. As she prepares to set out, someone enters the boathouse behind her.

Alice awakens in a strange room that is someone’s bathroom. She needs water and needs to use the bathroom. She tries to leave the room, but the door is locked. She decides to try to fall asleep again. Peter Sr. enters the room.

Judy rushes to find Hayes and tells him what the elder Mrs. Van Laar has told her, but Hayes has left. She decides to search Victor Hewitt’s room alone, where she finds the photo taken at the end of the Blackfly Goodbye in 1961—the day Bear disappeared. Hewitt’s dentures are also present, which strikes Judy as strange. She returns to the motel and finds her father is waiting for her there. He demands that Judy return home with him, but she refuses.

As Judy finishes dressing, the local news announces that Jacob Sluiter has been taken into custody. At the command center, Hayes briefs everyone on Sluiter, noting that it is indeed possible that the man is involved in Barbara’s disappearance. After the briefing, Judy tells Hayes of her conversation with Mrs. Van Laar and her discovery of Victor Hewitt’s dentures. Hayes instructs Judy to locate Hewitt.

Judy searches for TJ but cannot find her. She feels it is suspicious that both TJ and her father are missing. Hayes informs her that Sluiter is refusing to speak and insisting that he will speak only to a woman. Judy agrees to conduct the interrogation.

Determined not to let Sluiter intimidate or belittle her, she evades his demeaning questions. When Sluiter repeatedly asks Judy about her virginity, she decides to engage Sluiter in a game of “Truth or Dare.” The game gets Sluiter talking, and he admits that he was in the vicinity of Camp Emerson on the day Barbara disappeared. Just then, the group of investigators who have been listening burst in and pull Judy out of the interview. She is certain that she could have gotten more information out of Sluiter.

Jesse has not been home since Louise returned. Her mother claims not to know where he is. When he returns, Louise is enraged, but Jesse insists he told their mother that he was staying at a friend’s house. Their mother admits he likely told her that. That night, after her mom and Jesse have fallen asleep, Louise answers a knock at the door. It appears to be a woman with gray hair.

Hayes tells Judy that LaRochelle made them interrupt the interview and remove her from it; Hayes believes that LaRochelle wants to be able to brag about obtaining the final information from Sluiter himself, but Sluiter revealed nothing more.

Judy returns to Self-Reliance to meet the paint conserver, who believes that the mural should be easy to restore, but her work will take days to complete. Judy is called away for a phone call and learns that Sluiter has demanded to speak to her. He insists that he knows nothing of Barbara’s whereabouts but wants to show Judy where Bear is.

Louise identifies the woman at the door as Maryanne Stoddard, the wife of the late Carl Stoddard. She gives Louise some documents—they are Louise’s bond terms; Maryanne has used the equity in her home to secure Louise’s release, certain that the Van Laars are framing Louise. When Maryanne explains that she has spent nearly all her life since Carl’s death searching the woods for evidence of Bear, Maryanne realizes that Maryanne is “Scary Mary”—the source of the camp lore about a ghost woman who roams the woods.

Judy finds herself in a boat crossing Lake Joan with Sluiter and several armed officers and guards. When they reach the shore on the opposite side, they search for the marker that Sluiter insists now marks Bear’s grave. The marker points them to a cavern.

Lee Towson appears at Louise’s door. He explains that he is planning to leave town but first wants Louise to know that John Paul has been in a relationship with Annabel. She realizes that John Paul is the person Annabel’s parents intend her to marry. Lee invites Louise to flee to Colorado with him, but she refuses. When she confronts him about the statutory rape charge, he insists that the relationship with the 16-year-old girl (when Lee was 19) was consensual. The wealthy father of the girl disapproved of Lee. He insists to Louise that he is done working for the wealthy.

Alice’s parents accompany her back to the Albany house. She recalls Delphine confessing to the affair with Peter and apologizing. Alice takes three pills and tries to summon Bear.

Judy watches and listens as medical examiners study the skeletal remains that the detectives have removed from the cavern. The examiners suspect the skeleton to be that of a male child. Judy recalls what Sluiter has told her: that although he knows where the remains of Bear are located, he did not kill Bear.

Hayes calls on Judy to debrief the rest of the officers and detectives. The remains have been positively identified as Bear’s. She explains that Sluiter’s family once owned the land on which the Van Laar’s preserve now stands. Having always felt an ancestral pull to it, Sluiter hid out in its caverns when he was unable to find shelter in empty houses. While there, he witnessed an unidentified man hiding Bear’s body. Judy retrieves the photo from the 1961 Blackfly Goodbye from Vic Hewitt’s room and asks that Sluiter be shown the photo. She suspects Vic Hewitt of killing Bear and hiding the boy’s body. Meanwhile, the conserver has restored Barbara’s mural, which contains the initials “BVL + JPM” (424). This suggests Barbara was romantically involved with John Paul McLellan.

Judy tries to locate TJ and her father, but none of the staff knows where they are. That evening, TJ appears, carrying a paper bag. When Judy asks, TJ explains that her father is staying with family. Judy tells TJ that she does not believe TJ is being truthful with her.

Judy cannot sleep that night. The blood on the uniform found in John Paul’s trunk is the same type as Barbara’s, but there is no other evidence to prove it is hers. When Judy decides to get a snack from the lobby vending machine, she finds Bob Alcott and asks him what he knows about the Van Laar preserve. Alcott explains that the Van Laars acquired the land and describes the tension and division between the Van Laars and the Hewitts. Peter II (Bear’s great-grandfather) willed the camp to the Hewitts, which angered the Van Laars. Alcott also mentions that Peter II disliked Vic Hewitt’s brother, Charlie, who died of natural causes but once lived in an apartment above the slaughterhouse.

Judy immediately drives to the Van Laar property and enters the slaughterhouse. She calls out for Victor Hewitt, who answers, asking if she is Barbara. When Judy is face to face with him, Hewitt assures Judy that he did not kill Bear. TJ appears, and both she and her father are taken into custody.

The Blackfly Goodbye party is underway when Victor spots a capsized rowboat in the lake. He cannot locate the person who was rowing the boat and fears it may have been TJ. He runs to the Van Laar home and is met by the elder Peter, who forces Victor to follow him to the boathouse. Victor hears a woman screaming.

Peter Senior reveals to Victor that when he went to meet Bear at the trailhead, Bear was absent. Victor quickly realizes that Bear likely followed his mother, who has gone boating. (Peter Senior only suggested the hike with Bear to keep him away from Alice, who was intoxicated when she went out on the lake.)

Peter Senior discovers the boy’s drowned body and pulls Bear from the lake, then places Alice out of sight to prevent her from knowing that Bear is dead. Victor, knowing that his livelihood and his daughter’s future depend on the Van Laars, tells Peter that he will help him hide Bear’s body.

The younger Peter is informed of Bear’s death and consents to the secret disposal of the boy’s body. The men place the body in a rowboat and travel across Lake Joan.

That night, when TJ emerges from the woods, Victor realizes that she has seen what they have done with Bear’s body. He tells her that she must trust that his actions are for the best.

Alice is placed in the room over the slaughterhouse, hidden from the guests because she is hysterical. Victor gives her four pills, and she finally sleeps. She wakes several times during the night, asking Victor where Bear is and what happened while she was boating. Victor repeatedly tells her that the events of the day—the capsizing of the boat during a storm and Bear’s subsequent drowning—are merely a dream.

Alice sees images of the boat filling with water from the rain and the boat sinking, with Bear in it.

Judy prepares to ask TJ to sign a statement attesting that Victor’s story of Bear’s death is true. Judy suspects that Victor decided to tell the truth at last because he feared the Van Laars would frame Louise for Barbara’s disappearance.

LaRochelle prepares to issue a statement that Bear’s remains have been recovered. He will then charge the two Peters and John Paul McLellan Senior with covering up the death. Judy focuses her attention on Barbara, who is still missing. Evidence points to John Paul Jr., but Judy is still not convinced that he is the responsible party.

Louise takes Jesse to dinner at a local pub. As they eat, Jesse tries to convince Louise that he can take care of himself and that she should focus on herself for once. He argues that Louise should go back to college. As they finish the meal, a woman approaches Louise, saying she knows her from Camp Emerson.

Tracy’s mother arrives at Tracy’s father’s house to pick her up. Tracy knows that she will see her father very rarely in the future. She believes Barbara is still alive somehow.

Judy, now renting her own house, arrives at her parents’ home one Saturday. Proudly, they show her a newspaper that details the charges being brought against the Van Laars. Barbara’s case remains stalled. Annabelle has confessed to being with John Paul on the night of Barbara’s disappearance, but without the discovery of Barbara’s body, he cannot be charged with a crime. Louise, however, has agreed to press charges of assault against him.

Judy recalls speaking with Louise the previous month at the local pub. At that time, she explained to Louise what young Christopher revealed about Barbara visiting TJ’s tent nightly during the Survival Trip. Louise believed that TJ would not harm Barbara and noted that TJ had been saving money and hoped to one day move to a small cabin that her family owns on a remote island. Louise noted that TJ had a map of the island on display. Judy realized that Barbara might be hiding there by choice, desiring to be away from her parents.

Now, Judy wants to prove her theory correct and plans to travel to the island.

On the night of the dance, Barbara waits for TJ. When TJ arrives, she explains that she planted a bloody camp uniform and drugs in John Paul’s trunk. TJ has been preparing Barbara to live off the land in a cabin on the island until she is 18. She explains that if Barbara changes her mind, she can emerge at any time. Barbara thinks about how TJ always snuck her food against her mother’s wishes and was once nearly caught in Barbara’s room at school. Barbara had to lie and say that TJ was a boy.

Now, when Barbara arrives, she opens the paper bag, which contains items from home, including a photo of Bear.

As Judy travels to the island, she realizes that the bloody uniform was procured when Barbara cut herself during the Survival Trip. Judy must swim to the island for the last leg of the journey. When she reaches the shore, Barbara is there to greet her and confirms that she wishes to be left alone.