The Summer Guests

Jo interviews Elizabeth, who initially denies all knowledge of MKUltra and Vivian’s death. Even when she admits that Dr. Greene drugged Vivian, she insists she had nothing to do with the body in the lake or the attempted murder of Zoe. 

Detective Alfond stops the interrogation to tell Jo that new lab analysis proves that the dental filling in the body from the lake dates to the mid-1980s or later, meaning the death would not be connected to MKUltra. The lab has created a reconstruction of what the woman would have looked like, and when Jo shows Elizabeth the image, Elizabeth pauses in a way that catches “Jo’s attention.” She thinks Elizabeth knows who the woman is. Ethan picks Elizabeth up, and they drive away from the police station.

Maggie and Declan follow Ethan and Elizabeth, who are driving to the hospital instead of returning home. As they drive, Jo calls Maggie and lets her know that the skeleton in the lake died sometime after the mid-1980s. Ethan drops Elizabeth off at the hospital, and Elizabeth goes into Zoe’s room. Ben monitors her on his security cameras. Maggie expects Elizabeth to try to hurt Zoe, but instead, she simply sits at her bedside.

Susan is at home alone with Kit. She wants to return to the hospital to see Zoe, but she does not have a ride. Eventually, Colin and Brooke return. Colin asks Susan to help carry in groceries, and Susan notices that there is a small gold stud in their car’s trunk. She grabs it. She suspects it is Zoe’s earring, but she wonders if Brooke has something similar; it may be hers. As she thinks, she hears Colin’s car pulling out of the driveway. Thinking Brooke has left as well, Susan searches Brooke’s jewelry box for an earring similar to the one she found in the trunk. Brooke comes in and catches Susan going through her things.

The Martini Club watches on the security cameras as Colin joins Elizabeth in Zoe’s hospital room. Elizabeth tells Colin that she knows the skeleton in the pond is Anna; she recognized the facial reconstruction the lab did. Colin insists that his father, George, drove Anna to the airport. However, Colin also admits to having had an affair with Anna and reveals that Anna had gotten pregnant. Elizabeth accuses Colin of being “just like [his] father” and using murder to cover it up (289). Nevertheless, Colin insists that he did not murder Anna. Elizabeth suggests that perhaps George killed Anna to protect the family. Colin retorts that he had no reason to hurt Zoe. Then, he realizes that Brooke was there when George took Anna away, supposedly to catch a flight. Hearing this, Maggie calls Jo.

Susan tells Brooke she was going through the jewelry box to see if the gold stud she found in the trunk belonged to Brooke. She shows Brooke the gold earring, and Brooke admits it is not hers. Susan assumes that Colin put Zoe in the trunk and threw her over the ravine. Brooke responds with apparent shock, but as Susan heads downstairs to get her cell phone and call the police, Brooke pushes her down the stairs. Susan blacks out.

When she comes to, Kit and Brooke are dragging Susan to the pond. Though Kit begs his mother not to “make [him] do this again” (294), they put Susan into the pond, and Brooke holds Susan’s head underwater. Susan attempts to fight back, but she begins to drown.

Jo enters Moonview cottage and sees blood on the floor. Ethan arrives, panicked. He hears something down at the pond and rushes there. Jo follows. Ethan drags Susan onto the shore, and Jo administers CPR, eventually reviving Susan.

Jo goes to Brooke, who is huddled at the edge of the water, “rocking back and forth” (302). Reuben is standing over Brooke and tells Jo that he saw Brooke trying to drown Susan from across the pond. He intervened to stop Brooke. Brooke keeps saying, “[I]t’s all her fault” (302), referring to Anna. The ambulance and police backup arrive. Jo arrests Brooke.

Reuben’s sister, Abigail, has cancer and will likely die. Reuben takes her to the hospital for her chemotherapy, and while there, he sees Jo. Jo tells Reuben that Susan and Zoe are both still at the hospital but expected to make full recoveries. Jo also thanks Reuben for saving Susan’s life. As they talk, Ethan approaches. He, too, thanks Reuben for saving Susan’s life. Jo encourages Reuben to end the feud with the Conovers.

The Martini Club assembles at Maggie’s house. They are somewhat embarrassed that they became so fixated on the MKUltra angle that they missed that the skeleton in the lake and Zoe’s attempted murder were actually the result of a “small” domestic affair. They reflect that George Conover helped Brooke cover up Anna’s murder.

When Jo arrives for dinner, she comforts the group by reminding them that “this case has been one big machine with multiple moving parts” (316), which are all connected. She tells them she has been officially appointed police chief. They celebrate Jo’s official appointment and solving the case.

Susan and Zoe stand at the edge of Maiden Pond. Zoe needs to use a walker, but she is healing well. Ethan calls them: The car is packed and they are ready to go. As they pull away, Susan and Ethan agree that they never want to see the place again.

Reuben notices that the “summer people” have left. He feels the weather turning colder. Paddling in his kayak to the Moonview dock, He tosses a bouquet of flowers for Anna into the pond. He imagines he can see her ghost standing there, and he waves at her before paddling back home.