All Good People Here

Margot Davies is back in her hometown of Wakarusa to look after her uncle Luke, her father figure growing up who has dementia and has lost his wife, Rebecca. Luke is unwilling to accept or acknowledge his diagnosis, even as his symptoms worsen. As Margot reaches the door she sees Luke, looking older than his 50 years and wearing his signature bandana (a childhood gift from Margot).

Luke greets Margot with “Rebecca?” (6), indicating to Margot that her uncle’s condition is worse than she thought. She tells Luke that she is Margot and says, “[U]sually you call me kid” (7). Recognition washes over Luke’s face, and he ushers her inside, apologizing for “forgetting things in [his] old age” (7). Margot thinks about how she had to lie to Luke to get him to let her move in, citing her desire for a “change of pace and wanting to be closer to him” rather than concerns for his health (9). Growing up in a home marked by discord, Margot spent much of her childhood at Luke and Rebecca’s house. She still feels that Luke is the person who understands her best and thinks he is “the one person in a town of fakes who’d always speak the truth” (10). Luke asks after her job as a reporter at a newspaper in Indianapolis, and Margot hides the fact that her work has been suffering because of her worry over Luke’s condition.

The next morning, Margot goes to the pharmacy to refill a prescription for Luke and finds the pharmacist engrossed in the news. He apologizes and says that the terrible news of that morning is distracting him. Later that evening, Margot gets takeout from the restaurant in town. When the bartender brings over Margot’s order, she recognizes Margot. The bartender, Linda, gestures to the television, asking if Margot is in town to cover the story. On TV, a news anchor relays the events of five-year-old Natalie Clark’s kidnapping from a local playground. Everything clicks into place for Margot as Linda tells her that this story means that January Jacobs’s murderer is back.

Krissy summons the police to the Jacobses’ home after a frantic search for January yields no results. Billy suggests Krissy move aside so that the officer can enter their home, and Krissy feels a rise of anger toward her husband for his people-pleasing ways and calm demeanor.

Inside, the officer confirms that the family “can’t find January” (19). Krissy corrects him, stating that someone broke into their house and took her. The officer calls his supervisor for backup when he sees the message written on the kitchen wall. He suggests that they do another search of the house.

When they reach the basement, Billy points to the broken window where they believe someone broke into the house. The officer surveys the basement and looks at the shattered window leading outside. Soon their home is swarmed by police. Detectives Max Townsend and Rhonda Lacks introduce themselves, assuring the Jacobses that they will do everything they can to find January. They ask for a description of January and state that they will need to inspect January’s room for any missing items. Townsend motions for another officer to take Jace for the day so that Billy and Krissy can work with the detectives. Krissy states that she wants to keep Jace with her, but the detectives insist.

In January’s room, Krissy’s eyes take in her daughter’s many belongings, including years’ worth of dance medals and photos. The two detectives take a closer look at January’s dance photos and stop at one of January wearing a revealing sailor’s costume and a full face of make-up, looking far more grown up than her six years of age. Krissy feels that already the detectives are blaming her for January’s disappearance.

Margot recalls the media circus surrounding January’s murder in 1994. The case remains cold 25 years later. She also remembers how she and January were friends growing up, living across the street from one another. Margot did not learn about the true circumstances of January’s death until later, at which point she began conjuring scary images of a man standing between their houses, deciding whether to kill January or Margot.

Margot begins researching the Natalie Clark case at the breakfast table the next morning. Adrienne, Margot’s editor, calls to ask whether she has heard about the case and instructs her to have a story draft ready for review by the next day. She tells Margot that there is a press conference that evening that she should attend. Adrienne tells Margot that she needs to “nail this one” or else her job is on the line (32). Margot says that she plans to explore the possibility of a connection between Natalie Clark’s and January Jacobs’s cases. Adrienne tells her to be careful to not repeat “another Polly Limon” (33), referencing a missing girl case from a few years prior. Margot became convinced the case had connections to January’s case, even though the police never found a link.

Margot asks Luke what he remembers about January’s case. He says that he did not know the family well; he only knew Krissy in high school because she was popular, and Billy was from the wealthiest family in town. Margot asks Luke if he thinks Billy would consent to an interview with her, knowing that speaking with Krissy is no longer an option after her death by suicide 10 years ago. Her death fueled rumors of her guilt, especially after the note she left for Jace at the scene: “I’m sorry for everything. I’m going to make it right” (36-37). Jace disappeared from town at age 17 to live a life away from the scrutiny of Wakarusa.

Luke insists that he will be fine left alone for the afternoon while Margot conducts her research, but she still feels guilty. She tells Luke that she is going to town to see if anyone will talk to her about the January Jacobs case, and Luke laughs, saying that because of the bias against the Jacobs family, “[P]eople will talk, sure, but you won’t be able to believe a word they say” (38).

The detectives split up Billy and Krissy to conduct their interviews. Townsend then asks Krissy to describe January’s personality. Through tears, she tells Townsend that January is a natural performer with a talent for dance. Krissy says, “She’s like I used to be. I was a dancer too” (42), which the detective raises his eyebrows at, both of them knowing that this is a strange thing to say about her missing child. Trying to redirect, Krissy says that January and Jace, twins, are close, although her voice betrays the falseness of the statement.

Townsend then asks whether they have any known enemies in town. Krissy assumes it must have been “some psycho who wrote it, right? Some sociopath?” (43) and that perhaps whoever took January wants a ransom because of Billy’s family money. Townsend asks if Krissy has any other theories. Krissy suggests that perhaps some predator could have been stalking January at her dance competitions.

The interview ends and the detectives take the Jacobses to the station. Krissy finds herself in a room with Detective Townsend again, who records their interview. He asks Krissy to tell him about her and Billy, specifically about how they met.

Krissy recalls the summer of 1987. Krissy and her friends are partying on the school’s football field when Billy arrives. This surprises Krissy, as she has never seen Billy out at a party. She introduces him to the rest of the group, and her friend Dave immediately begins calling Billy “Jacobs” as a nickname. Dave then announces that they are going to deface the football field by drawing male genitalia with weed killer.

Billy is uncomfortable with this, but Dave convinces him. As he begins drawing, they hear police approaching. Dave grabs the weed killer from Billy, not letting him take the blame. Billy and Krissy make a run for it and find themselves hiding in a nearby cornfield. They discuss their post-graduation plans: Billy will stay to run the family farm, while Krissy dreams of working to save enough money to go to New York and make it as a Rockette, eager to escape her life of poverty in Wakarusa. Krissy leans over and kisses Billy. In hindsight, Krissy views this single kiss as the event that began the rest of her life, wishing that she “would have run fast in the opposite direction” instead (52).

Back in the present, Krissy asks if she can take a break from questioning. She sees a set of double doors leading outside and pushes through them. Somewhere nearby, she can hear Detectives Townsend and Lacks discussing her. Townsend shares that he does not trust Krissy and suggests that she is hiding something.

Margot arrives late to the police’s press conference. Earlier, as she got ready to leave, she discovered Luke missing. The narrative jumps to Margot calling Luke’s phone multiple times with no response. Finally, she gets in her car to drive around town to look for him. After not finding him at any of the usual places, she begins to panic until a phone call from Officer Pete Finch comes through on her phone. Officer Finch tells her that he has her uncle down at the station and that Luke seems “sort of out of it” (56).

Margot arrives at the station and greets Officer Finch, realizing that she went to elementary school with him. Pete takes her to a back room where Uncle Luke rests his forehead against the wall. Margot approaches Luke, who does not react. As she reaches out to place a hand on his shoulder, he wheels around and slaps her in the face. Luke realizes who Margot is and tells her that he has not done anything wrong to wind up in the police station. Luke asks to use the bathroom and Pete points him in the right direction, asking Margot if she is okay once they are alone. Pete says he understands her situation, as he had to take care of his grandfather who also had dementia. He explains that he found Luke at the cemetery where Rebecca is buried, and that Luke had kept repeating, “She’s gone. She’s gone” (60). At home, Margot prepares leftover pizza for Luke and, feeling guilty, tells him that she must leave for a little while to attend the press conference.

At the press conference, Detective Lacks speaks about Natalie’s disappearance, which police believe to be a kidnapping. Lacks calls on Margot during open questions. Margot asks whether police are looking into any connection between Natalie Clark and January Jacobs, but Lacks says that the cases are different enough that the police do not believe there is a link. Margot gets the feeling that Lacks is hiding something.