Plot Summary (Get It All Back)

One-Sentence Summary

Emerging from the pandemic lock-down, a private investigator is hired by his ex-girlfriend to recreate her father's life story.

One-Paragraph Summary

Emerging from the pandemic lock-down, a private investigator is hired by an ex-girlfriend to investigate and rewrite her father's life story. While stumbling through his own attempts at life and making progress in the mill town of Sadie, Louisiana, the detective falls deeper into a fifteen year old mystery that no one knew was a mystery.

One-Page Summary

Exposition

Emerging from the pandemic lock-down, private investigator Cash is hired by his ex-girlfriend, Greer, to recreate her father's life story. Greer walked away from her abusive father, Gerry, when she was 18 and now wants closure on that part of her life. She asks Cash to investigate and then reimagine her father's life, knowing that the truth will be disappointing, at best. After being attacked by Joey, the ex-boyfriend of his friend Rae, Cash takes the job out of a sense of a failure, having never truly "protected" Greer from her father's abuse. As a result of the attack, Cash meets Hélène, a local cop, who becomes intrigued by him.

Rising Action

Cash's initial research in the milltown of Sadie, Louisiana, is interrupted by two cops who beat him up and tell him to get out of town. Persisting from home, Cash finds a lead through the local newspaper; however, after making some progress, Cash is implicated in the disappearance of Joey. Case's alibi is that he was in Sadie hacking into the computer system of the local hospital to find information about Gerry. Cash watched from his phone as Joey broke into his house. Hélène drives Cash home from the police station where she prevents Rae from lashing out at Cash. She returns later to tell Cash that one of her colleagues is going to plant evidence to convict him and stays the night.

Climax

As he unwinds the mystery of Gerry/Verge, Cash falls deeper into a fifteen year old mystery that no one knew was a mystery, a series of fires during the worst storms to hit the town that led to the death of an unidentified woman at the office of the local newspaper. He eventually tracks down Gerry to a small house out in the country, where the old man is able to capture him and tell his version of the story. Gerry, sick with COVID, abandoned by Fred and Charly, is overpowered after Sandy, stowed away in Cash's truck, calls Hélène for help. After delivering the almost unconscious Verge to the hospital, they are told to quarantine.

Fall Action

During two weeks in quarantine with Hélène, Cash hacks the local news website Hal runs and alters the stories about the post-Katrina fires to include information that implicates Hal, Charly, and Fred, but not Gerry. He also spreads various Social Media posts that link back to the stories, making sure that any search on one of their names results in those stories. Meanwhile, Hélène figures out that Randy, who installed cameras at Cash's house, was the person who scared off Joey, leading to Joey's accidental death in the bayou. Cash says he wants to leave that a mystery, so as not to get Randy into trouble. Hélène convinces him to let the mystery in Sadie remain as well, arguing that there is no end to the maze he could go down if he keeps following it.

Denouement

In a video call with Greer, Cash explains the fictional narrative he has created for Gerry. Watching Sandy and her friends skateboard, he wonders if our need to forget is as important as our need to remember.

Plot Synopsis

Act I

Emerging from the pandemic lock-down, private investigator Cash is hired by his ex-girlfriend, Greer, to investigate and then recreate her father's life story. Greer escaped from her abusive father, Gerry, when she was 18 and she now wants some closure on that part of her life. Having built a successful career as an internet influencer and life advisor, Greer, now known as Gwen, says she wants to demonstrate to her followers that any loss can be overcome, while also ensuring what is revealed is not too off-brand. She asks Cash to investigate her father's life since he disappeared after declaring bankruptcy in 2000 and then to re-imagine his life, knowing that the truth will be disappointing, at best. Cash, who had been thinking of getting out of the PI business before the pandemic happened, is dubious about the assignment, as it takes his ethically blurry skills as a profile scrubber to an extreme degree.

While pondering the job, Cash has two visitors, his first since going into lock-down in March. The first visitor is Sandy, the 15-year-old daughter of his friend and neighbor Rae. Cash and Rae had two brief flings in February and March, but Cash used the lockdown as a way to prevent the relationship going any further. Sandy delivers a bag of homemade masks for Cash's business, Epic Investigations, and some homemade blueberry preserves. She also tells Cash that her mother kicked Joey out a few days earlier, after Cash had sent her evidence that Joey had been watching under-aged porn while living at her house, but that he's still lurking around the neighborhood.

While reading Greer's narrative of what happened to her after she ran from her father, Cash's second visitor, Joey, attacks Cash. Cash successfully fights off Joey, possibly breaking his jaw in the process, and then calls the cops. Discussing the attack with Deputy Hélène Mank, Cash decides to take the job for Greer out of a sense of a failure, having never truly "protected" her from her father's abuse while they were dating. During this encounter, Hélène and Cash flirt a bit. She reveals that despite his beliefs, the local police are aware of his work as an investigator, but that they mostly just make fun of him. She also reveals a certain sympathy for his situation.

Having convinced himself to take the job, Cash goes to the local feed-and-seed to buy a new screen door to replace the one Joey broke. There he talks with Randy, the owner, who talks about his struggling business. Randy thinks the response to COVID is overblown and blames the governor's rules for his failing business. Cash likes Randy but finds his way of thinking impossible to understand. Feeling that he will have some new income, Cash asks Randy to order and install security cameras in his house and talks in vague terms about his new job.

That night, Rae visits Cash on his porch, the first time seeing each other since their fling in April. Rae challenges Cash on his getting close to her and then pulling away. Before their conversation can turn into a full-blown argument, they hear the sound of breaking glass from the direction of Rae's house. There they find that Sandy's bedroom window has been broken. Sandy tells them she saw someone outside.

Act II

In the milltown of Sadie, Louisiana, Cash meets Wilson the librarian who helps him look through the old newspapers, although Cash will eventually learn that most of Wilson's helpfulness was his attempt to spy on and mislead him. Cash's initial research, reading microfiche of the local newspaper from before Hurricane Gustav and the website after Gustav, is interrupted by two cops who beat him up and tell him to get out of town. Returning to his research, Cash first learns about the series of fires coinciding with hurricanes that damaged the town (Bertha, 2002; Hannah, 2002; Isidore, 2002; Cindy, 2005; Katrina, 2005; Gustav, 2008). Persisting, Cash finds a lead through the want ads, learning about someone named Verge who used to do odd jobs for the local hardware store.

While following up leads over the phone, Cash tries to get rid of the ants that have invaded his car. When Sandy and Amalia stop by, she tells him about the fight with Rae and the custody challenge her father is making. While Amalia clearly has a small crush on Cash, Sandy feels a familial and utilitarian connection with him. Sandy offers hints, as she did regarding Joey, to get Cash involved without directly asking him. Cash promises to look into things for Sandy.

Having found a possible the connection between Gerry and Verge, Cash returns to Sadie to speak with Crazy Charly, who let Verge live in a trailer in his backyard. Charly provides little information except that he and Verge did some work together and that he let Verge live in the trailer for a couple of years, but makes clear that he and Verge had some kind of falling out. Charly calls Cash's bluff about Verge being dead and chases Cash off. But having found Cash's left-behind mask, Charly's wife texts him later that day with information about Verge's medical problems and gradual physical degeneration.

During his Sunday visit with Verge, Wilson finds the man more confused and agitated than usual. Verge talks about not feeling safe and asks Wilson to get him a gun to protect himself.

After being refused access to the hospital records, Cash meets Hal Gremillion, owner of the Sadie Daily Mail. Hal provides some more information about Gerry, describing him as a hustler and a predator, and suggests that he left town after 2013. Cash asks Hal about the fires he read about, but Hal downplays the story. Cash suggests he will give up with the hospital lead, but actually plans to return that night to try to hack the system.

That night, Cash lingers inside the hospital. When Hal learns that Cash is there, he makes Charly slash Cash's tire to keep him in town while Hal drives to New Orleans and breaks into Cash's office. Meanwhile, Cash hacks into the hospital system. While confirming that Verge and Gerry are one and the same, and confirming the surgeries described by Charly's wife, Cash watches from his phone as Joey breaks into his house. When Cash tries to rush home, he finds the tire of his truck slashed and spends the night in the hospital parking lot.

Frustrated at not finding anything related to the Sadie investigation in Cash's office, Hal tries to pry him for information in person. In the morning, Hal drives Cash around Sadie and helps him replace the tire on his truck. They discuss the failing town and the technological changes that have taken over their lives. Hal again finds himself without any sense of what Cash knows.

Act III

Cash begins to make the connection between the events surrounding his stumbles and Social Media, especially with Greer posting updates about his progress. Realizing that Sandy might somehow be tied into this network, he tracks her down and warns her to be careful. Sandy misinterprets Cash's concerns for her safety, especially after he tells her she can find him anytime she needs help. She reveals that thanks to all the Social Media posts, she feels like she knows all about his mission.

Returning home, he finds Hélène waiting for him. She tells him that Joey's family has reported him as missing and have named Cash as someone who has made threats against Joey. Meanwhile, Joey is living out of Cash's New Orleans office, stalking the others online, and living off of beer and beef jerky. Hélène stays the night after learning about the story he is developing as he investigates the mystery, as well as his past with Greer and with Rose.

The next day, Cash returns to Sadie to get more information from Wilson the librarian. After another fight with Rae, Sandy breaks into Cash's house. In addition to smoking his pot, she reviews all the material he has gathered about Gerry and Greer. In Sadie, after tracking Wilson down at his house, Cash gets aggressive, tasing him and forcing him to talk. While looking for information that will lead him to Verge, Cash is attacked by Wilson with a shotgun. After knocking the man out, Cash finds some old newspaper clippings about the fires from the New Orleans newspaper, which provide him with a better understanding of the loss of the local paper and the unidentified body. While looking for clues, he gets a text from Rae saying that Sandy is missing and has turned off her phone. Case calls Hélène for help, and before returning home, puts his phone inside Fred's car as a way to track his movements.

Hélène finds Sandy hiding in Cash's house and talks with her about the fight. When Cash arrives, he talks to Sandy about how he left Sleepy Hollow and stayed on the move for many years. After taking her home, he speaks with Rae about his involvement with Hélène and Rae suggests that he may have had something to do with Joey's disappearance. Later on, Sandy gets into another fight with Rae after acknowledging that she set up Joey. After locking herself in her room, Sandy, not wanting to listen to Rae bang on the door, sneaks out through her window and hides in the bed of Cash's truck. That night, Cash is able to trace Wilson's movements and identifies places where he suspects he will find Verge, one of which sits on property owned by Hal.

The next day he returns to Sadie without realizing that Sandy is hiding in the bed of his truck. Sandy realizes her mistake as he drives over the Causeway as she often feels like she is about to be thrown from the truck. She tries calling him several times but only gets his voicemail. Hal, concerned by Cash's attack on Wilson, is at the shack with Gerry when he gets a call from his nephew about Cash's truck heading in that direction. When Cash arrives, Hal is able to overpower him and tie him up. Fred arrives not long after, and the two argue, revealing a few bits of information to Cash in the process. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Hal has been letting Verge wander around town, in the hopes that he would contract coronavirus and finally die. After Cash parked the truck and disappeared into the pine forest, Sandy called Hélène. At first, Sandy listened to Hélène and stayed hidden with the truck, but eventually followed the path he took and, hiding behind a tree, sees Cash running toward the truck with his hands tied behind his back before he is tackled and dragged back to the cabin. After pulling Cash back into the shed, Hal spends much of the time bragging about what he built in Sadie while also revealing that runs the hospital and was blocking Cash's research. Before anything else is revealed, Sandy throws a large rock through the window and then sets off some firecrackers. Wilson is scared off by the apparent gunshots outside. After finding Sandy with her fireworks, Hélène busts into the shack and overpowers Hal only after he has knocked out Cash. Once Hélène gets to the cabin, she and Sandy decide the best thing to do is put Cash and the old man in the back of the truck, drop Gerry off at the hospital, and then drive the truck back to Sadie. While Hélène is busy outside, Sandy snoops around the cabin and finds Gerry's laptop. She stows it in the truck without telling Hélène. Sandy offers to stay in the back of the truck after the doctor tells them that Gerry likely has COVID. When Hal comes to, everyone is gone. After delivering the almost unconscious Verge to the hospital in New Orleans, they are told to quarantine.

Act IV

Given Cash's condition, Hélène decides to stay with Cash during their quarantine. Their isolation mimics a honeymoon, at least for the first few days. During the days, Cash and Randy work on fixing up the old pier in Cash's yard to give Hélène a place to put in with her kayak. Eventually, Cash breaks into Gerry's computer and finds the photos from the fires and the video confession. When Cash shares the discovery with Hélène, she wants to turn over the computer to the police along with her resignation. Cash argues that her sacrifice would be pointless and describes a plan he has to get back at Hal.

When Cash makes it clear that he plans on manipulating Hal into taking action against him, Hélène begins to realize how different they are in their moral beliefs. This rift becomes worse when Cash acts on his threats. Cash hacks the newspaper website Hal runs and alters the stories about the 2005 and 2008 fires to include information that implicates Hal, Charly, and Fred, but not Verge. He also manipulates Social Media and search engines to make sure that any search on one of their names results in those stories.

Back home, Sandy must quarantine at Rae's house. During the confinement, they come to a truce from the fighting. Rae will let Sandy work a part-time job as long as it is an outdoor job and as long as she keeps her grades up. Sandy will save half of each paycheck. Cash gives Rae evidence about large cash deposits in Michael's bank account, giving her the leverage to end his custody dispute.

After Gerry died, Hal considered the matter closed. A week later, though, he finds out about the altered stories on the Daily Mail website. Early on the morning of the Fourth of July, he torches Cash's office in New Orleans, hoping to destroy any evidence linking him to the original fires. He does not know that Joey is passed out in the closet.

Cash then gets a call from the landlord of his New Orleans office telling him that someone broke in and set fire to his office. When they learn that Joey has died in the fire set by Hal, Hélène blames Cash and ends their relationship. Cash contacts Charly's wife and tells her that Hal is trying to cover the trail and that he is probably coming for Charly next. The next day, Hélène gets word that Hal and Wilson have been arrested.

Act V

In a video call with Greer, Cash explains the fictional narrative he has developed about Gerry. The next morning, Hélène moves out at the end of their quarantine..

After her two-week quarantine, Sandy goes out skateboarding with Amalia and some friends. They have all watched as Cash and Randy built the long dock across his yard and into the bayou. In order to show off, Sandy takes them all to Cash's house and asks if they can play on the dock. Eventually, Sandy takes a dare to jump into the bayou and executes and impressive skateboarding move to do so. Cash watches Sandy and her friends playing on his dock and wonders what they will remember of the pandemic.