Chapter Two: Heuristics Traps Galore
Contains spoilersOverview
Mia dissects how her selective perception and anchoring bias led her to assume her father returned, delaying action for hours. When Mom and John arrive, a delivery timestamp reveals the footsteps Mia heard weren’t Dad’s. They postpone calling police to protect Eugene and search on their own, but find nothing. As police arrive, Mia notices possible blood on Eugene and hurriedly cleans him and his clothes.
Summary
Mia explains how selective perception and anchoring made her equate footsteps at 11:50 a.m. with her father’s return. Anchored to that belief, she texted Mom at 1:34 p.m. that Dad and Eugene were home, sent Dad household requests, and ignored his nonresponse while blocking her ex, Vic.
When Mom and John arrived around 3:30, Mom found Eugene still muddy and jumping, and John could not find Dad. Mia checked Dad’s phone location: last ping at 11:12 a.m. near the waterfall trail. Pressed for details, Mia realized she hadn’t actually seen or heard Dad. A delivery notice showed a package placed at 11:47 a.m., matching the footsteps Mia misattributed.
They debated explanations—lost phone, Dad searching for Eugene—and deferred calling police to avoid upsetting Eugene and to preserve any chance of communicating with him. At 4:04 p.m., they began their own search: John biked the trails, Mom canvassed roads and neighborhoods, and Mia stayed with Eugene, calling eleven hospitals with no results while monitoring locations.
At 6:03 p.m., Mom reported no sign of Dad and decided they should call the police. As Mia waited, she noticed red crescents under Eugene’s right-hand nails and a dark red blot on his shirt. When the doorbell rang and police stood outside, Mia hurriedly gathered Eugene’s dirty clothes into the washer and put Eugene in the shower to scrub under his nails.
Who Appears
- Mia Parkson
Narrator; misattributes footsteps to Dad, delays search, coordinates calls, then hides potential evidence by washing Eugene’s clothes.
- Mom
Returns early, questions Mia’s assumptions, prioritizes Eugene’s comfort, leads search, then decides to call the police.
- John
Mia’s twin; urges calling police, searches the park by bike, increasingly worried about Dad.
- Eugene
Non-speaking brother; returns home alone, distressed and muddy; later seen with red under fingernails and stained shirt.
- Adam Parson (Dad)
Missing after hike; last phone ping at waterfall trail; caretaker figure whose absence drives the search.
- Police officers
Arrive as the family decides to involve authorities; their presence triggers Mia’s cleanup.
- Vic
Mia’s ex; floods her phone with messages, adding stress as events escalate.
- Delivery person
Leaves a package at 11:47 a.m., the footsteps Mia mistakenly assumed were Dad’s.