Tourist Season

Nolan Rhodes arrives in Cape Carnage, where he plans to spend the next six weeks. He checks in at Capeside Inn and chats with the clerk, Irene, explaining that he is from Tennessee and works in search and rescue.

In his room alone, he flips through his scrapbook, which documents his memories with his late brother, Billy Rhodes. and all the people Nolan has killed to avenge him. Billy died in a hit-and-run accident that nearly killed Nolan, too. He has already murdered the passengers of the other car: Marc Beaumont, Trevor Fisher, and Dylan Jacobs. He’s come to Carnage to hunt down and kill the driver: Harper Starling.

Harper stops at the Shipwrecked Bean for a coffee. She runs into an attractive man who notices the wad of wrapped flesh in her bag and asks her what he should order. Harper pretends it’s a sandwich and tries to extricate herself from the conversation, but the man is attractive and charming. He explains he’s a tourist and asks for a tour of Carnage.

Harper agrees, silently chastising herself for doing so. She leads him through downtown, pointing out some local attractions. A call from Arthur interrupts them. Arthur is searching for his black bag—a “bag of drugs and weapons” from his killing days (32)—which worries Harper. She and the man walk back to the cafe, introducing themselves before they part ways. Harper is intrigued by Nolan but reminds herself that she can’t blow her cover after four successful years of hiding. She’s a killer and needs to be careful.

Nolan returns to his room at the inn, overwhelmed by his interaction with Harper. He’s annoyed by how attractive and charming she is and reminds himself he’s come to kill her. He heads to reception and asks Irene what she knows about Harper. Irene reveals where Harper lives and what she does for work.

A man named Sam Porter walks into the hotel lobby. He’s in town shooting a documentary. Nolan overhears him complaining about his need for a drone operator; his guy, Vinny, hasn’t shown up. Nolan volunteers himself, explaining he has experience with search and rescue.

Nolan and Sam walk around town discussing Sam’s project. Sam believes Carnage has dark secrets: For years, tourists have gone missing without explanation. Sam suspects the famous serial killer La Plume is connected to these disappearances, and he is here to uncover the truth. Nolan listens while operating the drone. Then he sees Harper interacting with an athletic man in town.

That evening, Nolan creeps onto the Lancaster property. He overhears what he thinks is Harper having sex with the man he saw in town. He is horrified when he discovers the man is masturbating outside of Harper’s cottage while watching her use her vibrator on the couch through the window. Disgusted and furious, Nolan attacks and restrains him, demanding his name. Jake Hornell struggles before Nolan kills him.

Nolan deals with the body overnight. In the morning, he hides outside Harper’s cottage to see her reaction to Jake’s head on her step. Harper emerges and sees the head, but she barely reacts. She calls Arthur and asks if he’s responsible.

Nolan is shocked by her calm demeanor. He’d hoped to scare her into confessing that she killed Billy. He is even more horrified when Harper starts feeding Jake’s head into a wood chipper. He bursts out of hiding, and they get into an argument about Jake. Harper is surprised that Nolan killed him to protect her.

Harper’s neighbor, Maya, shows up. Harper pretends Jake’s head is fake and that she’s preparing for the town’s upcoming Carnage festival. After Maya leaves, Nolan threatens Harper, promising to hunt her down no matter what.

Later that day, Harper breaks into Nolan’s room at the inn while he’s out on a run. She doesn’t know “what it is he wants” (62), but she vows to figure it out. She cracks his safe and finds a murder scrapbook inside. She calls Arthur to inform him that Nolan is as dangerous as La Plume; Arthur warns her to protect herself. She takes Nolan’s weapons and book and flees, slashing his tire on the way out.

Harper has made friends with a crow, Morpheus, that visits her cottage, and when she returns, she finds that he left a silver bracelet charm engraved with . Then she studies Nolan’s scrapbook more thoroughly. She deduces that he was badly injured in the car accident that killed his brother, Billy, and he is looking for the driver. Harper already killed the real Harper Starling and stole her identity because their resemblance was uncanny.

Nolan goes for a run and imagines himself killing Harper. He returns to the inn and immediately knows she was there. He is furious to discover his bag and book missing and his tire slashed. He runs to Lancaster Manor, where he encounters Sam, who is outside with a camera.

Sam explains more about his documentary. He started the popular investigative website Sleuthseekers, and he believes Arthur is La Plume. His daughter, Poppy Lancaster, was allegedly killed at La Plume’s hand years earlier, but no one ever discovered the truth. Sam thinks Arthur is the real villain. Because he owns Carnage, he would have wanted to protect his reputation. Nolan is skeptical and worried, but he feigns disinterest and runs on.