Seven years ago, Kate Hartfield's little sister disappeared.
An ordinary summer day of fun at the lake turned into a nightmare when young Emily Hartfield suddenly could not be found. When badly battered body parts were discovered three days later, the investigation concluded that they were Emily's and the case was closed as an accidental drowning.
Now Kate has returned to her hometown in the Catskills for the first time since her sister's death, for a work retreat. While at her boss's lake house, she briefly spies a familiar face.
It's Emily.
She's all grown up, but Kate knows her sister's face better than anyone. The sighting reignites the doubts Kate has always had, and forces her to revisit all the mysterious circumstances that surrounded that day. As she desperately tries to track down the girl she saw at the lake house, Kate discovers shocking secrets from the past, confronts her own guilt from that day, and becomes obsessed with uncovering the answer to one question.
What really happened to Emily?
Seven years ago, Kate Hartfield's little sister disappeared.
An ordinary summer day of fun at the lake turned into a nightmare when young Emily Hartfield suddenly could not be found. When badly battered body parts were discovered three days later, the investigation concluded that they were Emily's and the case was closed as an accidental drowning.
Now Kate has returned to her hometown in the Catskills for the first time since her sister's death, for a work retreat. While at her boss's lake house, she briefly spies a familiar face.
It's Emily.
She's all grown up, but Kate knows her sister's face better than anyone. The sighting reignites the doubts Kate has always had, and forces her to revisit all the mysterious circumstances that surrounded that day. As she desperately tries to track down the girl she saw at the lake house, Kate discovers shocking secrets from the past, confronts her own guilt from that day, and becomes obsessed with uncovering the answer to one question.
What really happened to Emily?
Kate Hartfield ran down the winding earthy trail, woodchips crunching under her sandals, low hung tree branches whipping her arms. The sweet-smoky smell from a nearby bonfire wafted through the sticky late August air, mingling with the evening crispness that was starting to set in. It was Kate’s favorite time of year and, in her opinion, there was no better place to enjoy it than in the fresh open air of the Catskills Mountains. She laughed as her boyfriend, Lucas Wilder, grabbed her hand and pulled her to a stop, spinning her around to face him.
“Two more minutes,” Lucas grinned.
“We’ve been gone for a half hour already!” Kate said, cupping her hands around Lucas’s face, “If my mother knew I left Emily alone for that long, I’d be dead.”
“Good thing she’s not here,” Lucas said, giving Kate a quick kiss before taking her hand in his. “You’re right, it’s starting to get dark. Let’s get those kids home.”
A sudden breeze brushed by and Kate snuggled closer to Lucas as they walked down the trail to the lake clearing. The sky was darkening rapidly, but there were still many people swimming in the lake, soaking up the last few days of summer before school started. Kate waved to a couple of girls from her class as they ran past her, shivering in their bikinis.
“I can’t believe Senior year is almost here,” Kate murmured as she dropped down onto the towel she had left on the grass. She hugged her knees to her chest and looked at the lake, scanning it for her little sister. A few moments later she frowned and stood up, and took a few steps closer to the lake.
“What’s wrong?” Lucas asked, stepping up behind her.
“I don’t see Emily,” Kate said, “Or any of her friends, for that matter.”
“I’m sure they’re fine. They probably all got out already,” Lucas said.
Kate began to nod when she suddenly caught sight of Lucas’s younger sister running towards them. A feeling of dread started up in her stomach, slowly making its way up to her throat. She looked at the lake again, willing her sister to suddenly appear, cheerful and smiling.
“Ashley, what’s wrong?” Lucas asked as his sister appeared out of breath, her eyes wide and face red. Kate kept her eyes fixed on the lake.
“It’s Emily,” she heard Ashley gasp. “We can’t find her.”
Kate inhaled sharply, her mind tuning out for a few seconds as Lucas started grilling his sister with questions. She pictured Emily in her bright yellow swimsuit, doing handstands in the shallow end of the lake. The teasing wink she had given Kate when Kate had told her that she and Lucas were going for a quick walk in the woods. Kate shook her head and snapped her eyes back to Ashley, her mind suddenly alert and racing.
“It’s only been about ten minutes, but…”
“Ten minutes? She’s been gone ten minutes and you didn’t tell anyone?” Kate cried.
“We were playing Marco Polo!” Ashley said, tears now streaming down her face, “Everyone was hiding!”
Lucas gave Ashley’s shoulders a quick squeeze and looked at Kate reassuringly. “We’ll find her.”
Kate followed Lucas down to the lake and stared into its depth as Lucas gave Ashley and her friends instructions on where to look. The water looked all wrong. She had swum in this lake almost every day every summer for as long as she could remember. It had
always been sparkling blue, inviting and refreshing. Even the nights when she and Lucas would sneak out for a moonlit swim, the lake was shiny and beautiful. A secret haven where they would laugh and talk about their futures, the water wrapping around them like a comforting cocoon.
But today the water just looked murky and dark. Waves tore the surface apart, rippling fast and angrily. The lake had transformed into an eerie bottomless pit. By now nearly everyone had gotten out and had either gone home, or were looking for Emily.
In what felt like seconds, and yet a whole eternity all at the same time, Lucas reappeared by her side. Kate watched the water droplets fall from his dark brown hair and trickle down his chest.
“It’s getting dark so I told someone to call the police,” Lucas said, his voice hollow, “I think you should call your dad too.”
Kate looked at him and saw everything she felt mirrored in his eyes.
“I didn’t help look,” Kate said flatly.
“That’s okay, baby, there’s a lot of people looking,” Lucas said, pulling her into a tight hug.
“But no one’s found her,” Kate said. She watched as a boy she recognized from last year’s biology class wade into the lake with a flashlight.
“Not yet,” Lucas said, holding her tighter, “But we will.”
*****
“It just doesn’t make sense!” Kate slammed her head against the passenger seat headrest, “Why would a thirteen-year old randomly buy a bus ticket to go to Westchester? We don’t know anyone in Westchester!”
“You said your grandmother lives there,” Lucas said, his eyes fixed on the road in front of him.
“Yeah, but Emily doesn’t know her. I don’t even know her. I haven’t seen or heard from her since I was really little. According to my mother, she’s not a very good person,” Kate said. She looked at Lucas and frowned. “Why are you acting weird?”
“I just…” Lucas sighed, “I feel like you’re getting your hopes up and I’m worried.”
“Getting my hopes up?” Kate scowled, “How is thinking she ran away or got herself into some kind of trouble, getting my hopes up?”
“Because it’s better than the alternative,” Lucas said, giving Kate a quick glance. Kate stared out the window, willing herself not to cry. She pictured the way Emily would stick her chin out defiantly, always strong-willed and confidant.
“You know what? You’re right. I think I will tell the cops to check out my grandmother. Maybe Emily thought she could find her and stay with her?”
“Why would she run away though? She always seemed happy. And if she was having any problems, wouldn’t she have come to you? Or Ashley?” Lucas said.
“I don’t know, Luke!” Kate said angrily, “But something feels off. How do you explain the bus ticket?”
“I don’t know,” Lucas shrugged, “But the fact that you found it in her drawer means she didn’t use it. She didn’t go.”
“But she’s definitely hiding something, don’t you think?” Kate pressed. Lucas sighed and gave her a sad smile.
“Yeah, maybe,” he said.
Kate felt her lips start to quiver and pressed her hand to her face. This was the longest she had ever gone without talking to her sister. Since the day Emily was born, Kate had seen her every single day.
“It’s been three days and they haven’t found anything. I’m allowed to have a little hope, Luke,” she said. Lucas took her hand away from her face and kissed her palm.
“You’re right. I’m sorry, Katie. I’ll help in any way I can,” he said gently.
They held hands in silence the rest of the way until Lucas pulled his car in front of Kate’s house. They stared wordlessly at the police car parked in the driveway, its lights flashing red and blue.
“It could mean…” Kate trailed off as her mouth went dry. Her head was surprisingly blank, quiet. All the theories that had been swirling wildly around her mind the last three days tampered down at last.
“It could be anything,” Lucas said, trying to maintain a calm voice, “Let’s go inside.”
Kate looked at him and nodded slowly.
“I love you,” Lucas said, giving her a small smile and running his finger down her cheek.
“I love you too, Luke.”
Kate opened the door and clumsily stepped out of the car. She waited for Lucas to come around and take her hand. They walked together up the driveway, stopping short at the sight of Officer Brooks walking out of the house.
“Is there an update, Officer?” Kate asked, her confident voice surprising her. She felt like she had aged ten years. Officer Brooks looked at her kindly, but her eyes sent a chill right down Kate’s spine.
“Come inside, Kate,” Officer Brooks said. Kate closed her eyes and tried to block out the sound of her mother’s screams coming from inside the house. She felt Lucas’s hand push gently against her back as her body wavered. Officer Brooks sighed deeply.
“We found a body. We think it’s Emily.”
Kate Hartfield believes her sister Emily disappeared seven years ago. When authorities found the remains of a body in the local lake, they decided that Emily died in an unfortunate swimming accident. Kate’s parents and most of the local community have accepted Emily’s death. Just when it seems that Kate is moving on with her life, she believes that she sees her sister at a neighboring house on the lake. All Kate’s prior doubts resurface. She reunites with her estranged boyfriend, and they embark on a search for answers regarding Emily’s death.
Now I Found You is primarily a drama/mystery, but it also includes romantic elements. The plot progresses as Kate investigates the circumstances surrounding her sister’s disappearance. She interviews family and friends who saw Emily in the last few days. Kate also has flashbacks and tries to make sense of them in the context of what people have told her. In her effort to resolve the mystery, Kate enlists the help of her former boyfriend Luke. Over the course of the novel, we learn about their prior relationship and how they grew apart. It is apparent that there is still some attraction, but they are also divided by the events surrounding Emily’s disappearance and Kate’s belief that Emily is still alive.
Overall, the story is well told and most elements tie together to provide a satisfactory resolution. There is a realistic sense that the mystery does not unravel easily with each piece of evidence. However, there were a couple of story elements that were difficult for me to accept as written. First, the boyfriend Luke seems too willing to welcome Kate back into his life without hesitation and accepts her obsessive behavior with very little criticism. Second, when Kate sees a young woman who she believes is her missing sister, she hastily leaves a work-related weekend retreat. There is no indication that Kate told her employer or colleagues why she suddenly leaves the retreat, where she goes, and why she is missing from her job for days afterwards. These are not serious issues with the book, but they are small disjointed elements that other readers will notice.
I believe people who like an intriguing story with interesting characters will enjoy this novel. The story moves along at an excellent pace and readers will find that the mystery unfolds at a satisfying pace. The characters are interesting, especially Kate’s parents.