The narrative shifts to a flashback set in 1993, when 22-year-old Tracy competes against her 18-year-old sister, Sarah Crosswhite, in the Washington State Single Action Shooting Championship. Known as “Crossdraw” and “The Kid” respectively, both sisters are champion competitive shooters. During the competition, Sarah deliberately misses her targets, allowing Tracy to win the championship. In the parking lot afterward, Tracy confronts her sister about throwing the competition.

Tracy’s boyfriend, Ben, arrives to take her to dinner, and Tracy becomes concerned about an impending storm. She suggests that Sarah accompany them, but Ben and Sarah both oppose the idea. Reluctantly, Tracy agrees to let Sarah drive the truck home on her own, but she insists that Sarah take the highway rather than the dangerous county road. Before they part, Tracy gives Sarah her black Stetson hat, and, as they say goodbye, she secretly presses the championship belt buckle into Sarah’s hand along with the truck keys. As Tracy drives away with Ben, she experiences a sense of foreboding.

The narrative returns to the present day, shifting perspective to Sheriff Roy Calloway, who has served as Cedar Grove’s sheriff for 34 years. Calloway returns from a shortened fly-fishing trip to meet with Deputy Finlay Armstrong and County Prosecutor Vance Clark in the sheriff’s office conference room. Armstrong reports that two hunters, Todd Yarrow and Billy Richmond, were walking through the old Cascadia property when their dog discovered a potential human bone. Armstrong presents Calloway with the related photographs on his phone.

Amstrong continues, noting that forensic anthropologist Kelly Rosa examined the bone and said that it could be a female femur. Rosa noted the presence of adipocere, a waxy substance that forms on decomposing bodies, indicating that the remains have been buried for a significant period. When Armstrong asks whether the remains could belong to the girl who disappeared in the 1990s, Calloway acknowledges the possibility.

Tracy drives toward Cedar Grove, observing the town’s deteriorated state as she approaches. The narrative includes a childhood flashback where 11-year-old Tracy attends a movie with Sarah and their friends Sunnie Witherspoon and Dan O’Leary. During the outing, Sarah hides and jumps out to scare Sunnie, who spills her popcorn as a result. Tracy forces Sarah to clean up the mess by threatening to reveal to their parents that Sarah has been secretly saving the money her mother gave her for popcorn and ice cream instead of spending it. Theater owner Mr. Hutchins comments on Sarah’s spirited nature during this incident.

Returning to the present, Tracy completes her journey and arrives at the Cedar Grove Sheriff’s Office.

Tracy enters the briefing at the sheriff’s office, where Calloway reluctantly allows her to stay as an observer. Deputy Armstrong points out the grave’s location on a map, and the forensic team, which includes anthropologist Kelly Rosa and crime scene members Bert Stanley and Anna Coles, discuss the situation. Rosa expresses surprise that such a shallow grave remained undisturbed by animals over the years, which prompts Tracy to provide crucial historical context.

Tracy explains that the area was flooded shortly after Sarah’s disappearance when a hydroelectric dam went online; the land only recently became accessible again after the dam’s removal. She emphasizes that volunteer search teams thoroughly searched that exact area twice before the flood occurred and found nothing. Based on this timeline, Tracy concludes that the body must have been buried after the searches were completed but just before the flood covered the area. This revelation significantly narrows the window of when the burial could have occurred and suggests that whoever buried the body had knowledge of both the search efforts and the impending flood.

The narrative flashes back to August 22, 1993. Tracy wakes up next to Ben in her rental apartment, reflecting on his marriage proposal from the previous night, which Sarah had secretly helped him arrange. Tracy feels guilty about having scolded her sister the day before during their confrontation after the shooting competition. The phone rings, interrupting her thoughts; it is her father, James Crosswhite, calling from her parents’ anniversary trip in Hawaii.

James tells her that Sheriff Calloway found Tracy’s truck abandoned on a county road. When Tracy confirms that Sarah is not with her, James reveals that no one is answering the phone or the door at the family home. The realization that Sarah is missing sends Tracy into a panic, and she immediately tells her father that she will drive home to search for her.

In the present, Deputy Armstrong leads Tracy, Sheriff Calloway, and the forensic team along a trail to the grave site on the Cascadia property. Calloway strictly instructs Tracy to remain behind the police-tape perimeter while the excavation proceeds. Rosa and her team begin the methodical process of excavating the shallow grave, working carefully to preserve any evidence that might be present.

After several hours of work, Rosa unearths a small object from the grave. She places the item in an evidence bag and hands it to a team member, who catalogues it and passes it to Sheriff Calloway. Calloway then walks over to Tracy and hands her the evidence bag. Inside it, Tracy sees the 1993 championship belt buckle that she pressed into Sarah’s hand 20 years earlier during their final goodbye.

The narrative returns to August 22, 1993. After confirming that Sarah is not at home, Tracy and Ben drive to the country road where Sheriff Calloway discovered Tracy’s abandoned truck. Upon examining the vehicle, Calloway discovers that the truck has run out of gas, which Tracy insists is impossible since she had just filled the tank before the shooting competition. She inspects the truck’s camper shell and confirms that their shooting gear is still present inside.

However, Tracy realizes that two important items are missing: the black Stetson hat that she gave Sarah and the championship belt buckle. Ben wonders why Sarah would take the belt buckle and not her valuable guns. Tracy suggests that Sarah chose to take the belt buckle with her so that she could return it to her that morning and that she must have voluntarily walked away from the truck.

In the present day, upon seeing the belt buckle, Tracy feels a surge of anger and vindication, as she is now certain that Sarah was murdered. She refuses Sheriff Calloway’s order to leave the scene and instead watches as Sarah’s remains are carefully exhumed and placed in a body bag. After leaving the grave site, Tracy drives past her former family home, now in a state of disrepair, and stops outside.

The narrative shifts to a childhood flashback where a young Sarah startles Tracy, leading to a squabble over Tracy’s diary. Their mother, Abby Crosswhite, intervenes to restore peace between the sisters. Later that evening, a frightened Sarah asks to sleep with Tracy, and the sisters reconcile. Before falling asleep, they recite their nightly ritual together: “I am not afraid of the dark” (44).

The narrative shifts to Sheriff Calloway’s perspective as he sits in his office during the evening, reflecting on his long career in law enforcement. County Prosecutor Vance Clark visits him, expressing concern about the reopening of Sarah’s case and the potential consequences of new evidence. Specifically, Clark worries about what might happen if the investigation uncovers information that challenges the conclusions they reached in 1993.

Calloway attempts to reassure Clark by insisting that he will convince Tracy to let the matter rest, though Clark remains doubtful about this approach. Calloway reveals that he sent Deputy Armstrong to attend the autopsy instead of going himself, suggesting his desire to maintain distance from the proceedings. When Clark continues to express his concerns, Calloway dismisses them with the statement, “What’s done is done” (47). However, Clark warns him that “[t]hings have already changed” (47).

The morning after the exhumation, Tracy arrives late to work at the police department. She discovers that her partner, Kins, has handled an affidavit related to her current case, initially causing her annoyance before she thanks him for covering her responsibilities. Lieutenant Andrew Laub calls Tracy into his office to discuss her situation, expressing concern about her emotional state and the impact of recent events.

Laub strongly suggests that Tracy take time off from work to deal with the discovery of her sister’s remains and the emotional turmoil it has caused. However, Tracy refuses, explaining that work serves as a necessary distraction from her grief and trauma. She tells Laub that she will get through this difficult period “one bad day at a time” (51).

In a flashback to August 23, 1993, James and Abby have returned from their Hawaii anniversary trip, and James has taken charge of the search efforts for Sarah. According to Tracy, “No one has seen her” (54). James notices the engagement ring on Tracy’s hand but says nothing, focusing his frustration on finding more information about his missing daughter. With Calloway present, they speculate as to why she has gone missing and discuss the truck, which has been impounded with an empty gas tank. Tracy refutes the possibility again that Sarah ran out of gas. They decide that they need to search the mountain woods and consider bringing in a team of dogs to help find her.

In a moment of clarity, James considers the one person in town who might actually harm Sarah, a recently paroled rapist named Edmund House. Calloway considers the possibility, saying, “I’m on it” (54).

Tracy meets with Kelly Rosa at a coffee shop near the King County Coroner’s Office to discuss the autopsy findings. Rosa confirms that the remains are Sarah’s, identified through dental records. She reveals that Sheriff Calloway had warned her not to speak with Tracy, but Rosa chose to share her findings anyway because they contradict the original investigation.

Rosa reports several key discoveries: Rigor mortis occurred before burial, suggesting that Sarah was killed elsewhere and moved; the probable cause of death was a skull fracture; and traces of a garbage bag and synthetic carpet fibers were found with the remains. Among the personal effects recovered were jade earrings and a silver necklace, which Tracy identifies as belonging to Sarah. Tracy asks Rosa to send the remains directly to a funeral home rather than through official channels.

In a flashback to August 24, 1993, Sheriff Calloway returns to the Crosswhite family home with an update on the investigation. He reports that House’s uncle Parker claimed that he found his nephew sleeping when he returned home from the night shift. However, Calloway reports that House has scratches on his face and hands, which House claimed came from some wood that splintered while he was working in the shed where Parker makes furniture. Calloway shows James a picture of House’s scratches, and they mutually agree that they look like they were caused by fingernails.

Calloway explains that Judge Sullivan has denied their request for a search warrant, ruling that they lack sufficient evidence to justify searching House’s property. James becomes furious at this news, arguing that House’s criminal record as a rapist should constitute probable cause. Calloway adds that he was able to search the House property with consent from Parker but discovered nothing incriminating.

James doesn’t believe that the scratches and the fact that House lacks an alibi are a coincidence, and he insists that the culprit must be someone local rather than a transient or drifter. He then directs Tracy to take a map to her mother at the volunteer command center, where Abby is helping coordinate the ongoing search efforts for Sarah.

Tracy returns to Cedar Grove for Sarah’s funeral. The chapter then flashes back to when Tracy is a teenager. At Kaufman’s Mercantile store, Sarah uses her own money to buy a new tire tube for their friend Dan O’Leary. Store owner Mr. Kaufman later reveals to Tracy that Sarah had also been secretly using her savings to buy books for his sick son, Peter Kaufman, during his hospital stays.

In the present day, Tracy visits the funeral home, where director Darren Thorenson informs her that all funeral costs have been covered. Thorenson explains that the entire town feels connected to Sarah’s tragedy, saying, “We all lost Sarah that day” (72). He describes how her disappearance fundamentally changed Cedar Grove, transforming it from a small town into a place marked by fear and loss.

A large crowd gathers at Cedar Grove Cemetery for Sarah’s funeral, including Tracy’s colleagues from the Seattle Police Department. Her childhood friend Dan O’Leary, now an attorney living in Cedar Grove, sits beside Tracy during the service. Minister Peter Lyon conducts the funeral service, providing comfort to the assembled mourners. As the culmination of the ceremony, Tracy puts a gold box containing Sarah’s ashes in the grave while whispering their childhood prayer, “I am not afraid of the dark” (75).

Following the service, Peter Kaufman, now a cancer survivor, approaches Tracy with tears in his eyes to thank her for Sarah’s kindness during his illness years earlier. Dan gives Tracy his business card before they part. Moved by the overwhelming community support and her reconnection with Dan, Tracy makes the decision to stay in Cedar Grove for another night instead of immediately returning to Seattle.