Long Time Gone

Eric and Marvin struggle to get a call through to Sloan. The note from Sandy said that Ellis Margolis is Guy Menendez, and Eric is worried that Sloan is in danger. They send Sloan a text telling her to leave Margolis Manor, and Eric calls the police in Bend, Oregon. He explains the situation to Chief Mortenson, who says he will go to Margolis Manor to check on Sloan.

As Ellis tries to dismantle the darkroom’s lock, he tells Sloan and Nora that Margolis Manor is not safe. Nora wants to believe him, but she takes Sloan out the back of the darkroom into the wine caves. They push through the darkness until they find a tasting room. Nora screams. Reid and Tilly are on the floor, each with a gunshot wound to the head. Someone asks for help in the darkness.

Ellis recalls the day he killed Preston. Even though he killed Preston to save Tilly, she never forgave him for killing his brother. The secret brought them closer together, since they needed to keep each other’s secrets. Though Ellis claims to have killed Preston to save Tilly, he knew he needed to kill Annabelle and Preston as soon as Annabelle revealed their knowledge of the embezzlement.

After cleaning Annabelle’s blood, Ellis buried Preston and Annabelle in the vineyard, though he no longer remembers where. He took Charlotte across the country, found Margot, and arranged the adoption with Dolly and Todd. Ellis considered a variety of options when Sloan surfaced as Charlotte, and he silenced Margot before she could spread the truth. Now, Ellis thinks he has the perfect opportunity to blame someone else. Ellis finds the photos Nora and Sloan developed, and he pursues Nora through the wine caves.

Sloan and Nora find Lester handcuffed to a wine rack. Lester says Ellis is planning to kill everyone and blame it on Lester. Sloan uses a sledgehammer to free Lester, and they exit the cave as they hear Ellis calling for Nora.

Nora, Sloan, and Lester run across the vineyard, hearing Ellis calling to Nora behind them. They hear a gunshot, and Sloan sees Nora collapse with a gunshot wound in her leg. Lester continues running into the vines. Sloan recalls her medical training and assesses the wound, making a tourniquet out of Nora’s blouse. Sloan lifts Nora and helps her as they move toward the guest house, where Sloan left her phone.

Sloan carries Nora across a field leading to the guest house, and another gunshot rings out. Sloan collapses, and Nora insists that Sloan escape, saying Ellis will not kill his wife. Sloan is not convinced, and she drags Nora behind a nearby tractor. Sloan peers out to find Ellis, but another gunshot forces her back behind cover.

Ellis plans to trap the women somewhere he can kill them. He wants the day to be over and plans to tell the police that Lester killed everyone to cover up his involvement in Preston, Annabelle, and Charlotte’s disappearance. Ellis started embezzling funds to pay for his substance addiction and, later, his gambling addiction.

Ellis approaches the tractor and hears Nora moaning. She tells him not to kill her and asks him to say he did not kill his parents. Ellis demands to know who took the photos Sloan and Nora developed. Sloan jumps up and tackles Ellis. His gun falls to the ground.

Sloan throws Ellis to the ground and pushes her finger deep into his left eye socket. She goes for the gun, but Ellis grabs her leg and stands up. Sloan kicks him in the groin and grabs the gun, but Ellis is already standing again and approaching her. Sloan aims the gun. She feels a vibration at her back and sees the tractor appear. It plants a fencepost through Ellis’s body, killing him and rooting him in place. Sloan turns to see Lester operating the tractor.

After two weeks, the FBI locate a suspicious area in the ground of Margolis Manor. John brings Sloan to the excavation, where cadaver dogs have confirmed the presence of human remains. When the remains are revealed, the FBI’s forensic anthropologist examines them and confirms that they are human. John and Sloan believe they have found Preston and Annabelle, 30 years after their disappearance.

Sloan agrees to do an exclusive interview with Avery Mason of American Events on Livia’s recommendation. After Sloan refused to speak to Ryder, Unsolved covered only Margot Gray’s involvement in Charlotte’s disappearance.

One of the biggest remaining mysteries in the case is who took the photos on Annabelle’s camera that show her death. Sloan intends to address this point with Avery, and a portrait of Sloan and her parents hangs in the background during the interview.

A year later, Sloan prepares to give her presentation at the OCME, completing her first year of her fellowship. Todd and Dolly sit with Eric in the back, and Sloan sees Nora, still using one crutch, enter and sit. Sloan’s presentation is about how forensic genealogy helped her solve her birth parents’ disappearance.

After the presentation, Todd suggests that Sloan switch her focus to forensic dentistry. Eric praises Sloan’s presentation and thanks her for helping him solve his father’s murder. He asks to take her out to dinner, and they make plans to meet later. Sloan looks for Nora, but she has already left.

Sloan drives home, excited to start her next year of the fellowship. At her apartment, she finds two packages by her door. John is also there, and he offers her a job with the FBI. It is Sloan’s dream, but she asks if she can think about his offer. John agrees and leaves.

Sloan brings the packages inside. The smaller package is Annabelle’s camera with a fresh roll of film, and the larger package is a framed copy of the picture Annabelle took of a Cooper’s hawk. Attached to the picture is a note from Nora, saying Sloan will soar to great places.