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 his ex-girlfriend to recreate her father's life story. While making progress in the milltown of Sadie, Louisiana, the detective is framed for the murder of a rival. As he unwinds the mystery of his ex-girlfriend's father, he falls deeper into a fifteen year old mystery that no one knew was a mystery. With the secrets revealed, the detective must confront the mistakes he's made while solving the mysteries. His success lies with his ability to create his own mysteries.

One-Page Summary

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.

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, Case finds a lead through the local newspaper; however, after making some good progress, Cash is implicated in the death 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 and as he was ultimately chased away by a mysterious figure. Hélène drives Cash home from the police station where she prevents Rae from attacking Cash. She returns later to tell Cash that one of her colleagues is going to plant evidence to convict him and stays the night.

As he unwinds the mystery of Gerry/Verge, Caseh falls deeper into a fifteen year old mystery that no one knew was a mystery, a series of fires during the biggest hurricanes 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.

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.

In a video call with Greer, Cash explains the fictional narrative and reveals that he knows she was manipulating things all along. He wonders if our need to forget is as important as our need to remember.

Plot Synopsis

Act One

Emerging from the pandemic lock-down, private investigator Case is hired by his ex-girlfriend, Greer, to recreate her father's life story. Greer escaped from her abusive father, Nick, 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 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 Case to investigate her father's life since he disappeared after declaring bankruptcy in 2000 and then to reimagine his life, knowing that the truth will be disappointing, at best. Case is dubious about the assignment, as it takes his ethically blurry skills as a profile scrubber to an extreme degree.

While pondering the job, Case 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. Case and Rae had a brief fling in February, but Case used the lock-down as a way to prevent the relationship going any further. Sandy delivers a bag of homemade masks for Case's business, Epic Investigations, and some homemade blueberry preserves.

The second visitor is Joey, the ex-boyfriend of Rae, who attacks Case because Case gave Rae proof that Joey watches kiddie porn. Discussing the attack with Deputy Hélène Mank, Case 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 Case 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.

Having mostly convinced himself to take the job, Case 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. Case likes Randy but finds his way of thinking impossible to understand. Feeling that he will have some new cashflow, Case asks Randy to order and install security cameras in his house and talks in vague terms about his new job.

Act Two

In the milltown of Sadie, Louisiana, Case meets Fred the librarian who helps him look through the old newspapers, although Case will eventually learn that most of Fred's helpfulness was his attempt to spy on and mislead him. Case'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. During his research, Case first learns about the series of fires coinciding with hurricanes that damaged the town (Isidore, 2002; Bertha, 2002; Hannah, 2002; Cindy, 2005; Katrina, 2005; Gustav, 2008).

Persisting, Case finds a lead through the want ads, learning about someone named Verge who used to do odd jobs for the newspaper owner, Hal. Speaking with Hal helps solidify the connection between Nick and Verge and leads Case to speak with Crazy Charlie, who let Verge live in a trailer in his backyard. Charlie 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. Having found Case's left-behind mask, Charlie's wife texts him with information about Charlie's medical problems and gradual degeneration.

However, after making more progress through a series of connections, Case is implicated in the death of Joey. His alibi is that he was in Sadie hacking into the computer system of the local hospital to find information about Nick/Verge. While confirming that Verge and Nick are one and the same, and confirming the surgeries described by Charlie's wife, Case watches from his phone as Joey breaks into his house but is eventually chased away by a mysterious figure. When Case tries to rush home, he finds the tire of his truck slashed and spends the night in his truck.

The next day, after replacing the tire and driving home, Case is brought in for questioning by the police about Joey's death. Case refuses to tell them where he was, lest they find out about his hack, but says he has video showing Joey breaking into his house. Hélène drives Case home where she prevents Rae from attacking Case before collecting the video files.

Act Three

Case 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. 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 Case one of her colleagues is planning on planting evidence to implicate Case in Joey's death. Case shares with her the timeline and notes he has on Verge, and she points out the overlap with Fred. Hélène spends the night after Case reveals details about his relationship with Leslie.

The next day, Case returns to Sadie to get more information from Fred the librarian. Tracking him down at his house, Case gets aggressive, tasing Fred forcing him to talk. Fred tells the story of Verge visiting the library everyday to read the Chicago papers and his breakdown when learning about his mother's death. While looking for information that will lead him to Verge, Case is attacked by Fred with a shotgun (410 over/under with birdshot). After knocking out Fred, Case 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.

Back at home, Case finds Hélène and Sandy on his front porch. That night, Case is able to trace Fred's movements and identify three 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. At the cinder block shack, he is caught off-guard by Verge, who ties him up before Charlie and Fred arrive. Charlie and Fred try to keep Verge from talking, but he insists on telling his side of the story. Verge first talks about Greer's disappearance and how he was behind the rumors that Case had killed her. In particular, he scared off Leslie, who Case has always seen as his true lost love. Before he can talk about the fires, though, Sandy distracts Verge and scares off Fred and Charlie with firecrackers after calling Hélène for help. Nick, sick with COVID, abandoned by Fred and Charlie, is overpowered by Hélène. After delivering the almost unconscious Verge to the hospital, they are told to quarantine.

Act Four

Case asks Hélène to stay with him for their quarantine. She reveals that she grabbed Verge's laptop before leaving his shack. On the laptop, Case finds photographs that prove that the fire at the newspaper office was deliberately set and that the woman was already dead before the fire. Case hacks the newspaper website Hal runs and alters the stories about the 2005 and 2008 fires to include information that implicates Hal, Charlie, and Fred, but not Nick. He also manipulates social media and search engines to make sure that any search on one of their names results in those stories.

When Randy and Jules bring food for a "yard visit", Hélène figures out that Randy, who installed the cameras, was the person who scared off Joey, leading to Joey's accidental death in the bayou. After hearing Hélène's theory, Case says he wants to leave that a mystery, so as not to get Randy into trouble.

Case then gets a call from the landlord of his New Orleans office space telling him that someone broke in, trashed the office, and tried to set it on fire. Case tells Hélène that he had nothing important at the office. Case contacts Charlie's wife and tells her that Hal is trying to cover the trail and that he is probably coming for Charlie next. The next day, Hélène gets word that Hal has been arrested.

Act Five

In a video call with Greer, Case explains the fictional narrative he has developed about Nick and reveals that he knows she was manipulating things all along. The next morning, Hélène prepares to leave, their quarantine over, and Case asks her to move in. Afterward, sitting on his porch, he sees Sandy and some friends skateboarding and wonders what they will remember of the world before COVID. He wonders if our need to forget is as important as our need to remember.