I Will Find You

Rachel tells David that she went to a police technician who age-progressed an old photograph of Matthew: The resulting image looks like the boy in the Six Flags photograph. Rachel admits she hasn’t shown the photograph to her older sister, David’s ex-wife Cheryl, because she is remarried and pregnant, and it might be too traumatic. The news that Cheryl is pregnant is a blow to David. Rachel points out that the photograph might be enough to exhume Matthew’s body for a DNA test and get David a new trial. He rejects the idea, explaining that if the press reports the story, the kidnapper will be warned and disappear with Matthew. After Rachel leaves, he asks to see the prison warden.

Warden Philip Mackenzie is David’s godfather, the closest friend to David’s father Lenny. When David was convicted, Philip pulled strings to get him in his prison. David explains the new development and asks Philip to get him out. Philip is dubious, as he thinks David is delusional; he wants David to get psychological help to deal with whatever caused him to kill his son in a fugue state. David reminds Philip that he owes a debt to Lenny. When David is taken back to his cell, Philip schedules a flight to Boston to visit Lenny, who has terminal cancer.

In his cell, David recalls the night of Matthew’s murder: He had fallen asleep on the couch and awakened to the smell of blood. He tries to imagine how the battered body in Matthew’s room could have belonged to anyone but his son. The next morning in the prison cafeteria, David is approached by cannibal serial killer Ross Sumner, who grew up in a wealthy family. He goads David until David responds with a wisecrack. Ross attacks, but David wins the fight. The guards finally drag David back to his cell and Ross to the infirmary.

Philip visits David’s father Lenny in their old neighborhood, which evokes nostalgic memories of family and growing up with Lenny. He remembers the Burroughs family as boisterous and passionate until David’s mother died. Philip was once in love with Lenny’s sister Sophie, who raised David. In the present, Lenny is unresponsive, but Philip tells him about David’s belief that Matthew is alive and his request to escape. He wrestles with risking his job and pension, as well as David’s mental health. Lenny doesn’t respond, but as Philip leaves, Sophie tells him to look closer, and he sees a tear running down Lenny’s face. Sophie tells Philip that he is letting fear prevent him from doing the right thing.

The next morning, Rachel visits the prison again. David tells her that they need to find out who was killed in Matthew’s place. She agrees to look into missing child databases. David’s next step is to find Hilde, the neighbor who lied about him on the stand.

Ted “Curly” Weston is a security guard at the prison. He is repulsed by the prisoners, seeing them as evil; he regards himself as “pure.” Curly is in the infirmary with Ross Sumner. Ross offers him $100,000 to kill David, in addition to his payment of $500 per month to report David’s activities. He threatens to expose the bribery, so Curly finally gives in.

David is lying awake that night when Curly gets him from his cell. He tells David that they are going to the infirmary because the doctor has to check his injuries. Instead, Curly takes him to an executive area and tries to stab him. David evades and screams for help. He runs, trying to get back to the main area of the prison, but the gates are all locked. As Curly approaches, another guard arrives and knocks David unconscious.

Cheryl is rebuilding her life after the loss of her son Matthew. She is remarried to Ronald Dreason and expecting a baby, but still resents Rachel for visiting David. She dreads whatever Rachel wants to tell her when they meet.

David wakes in the infirmary. The guards take him to Administrative wing where Curly has been reporting to Philip. When Curly leaves, David gives Philip his version of events. Philip has already figured out that someone wants David dead. He takes David to his office where they meet his son Adam, David’s best friend. Adam hugs him without any reservation.

Philip and Adam have made a plan to get David out of prison. David changes clothes with Adam, takes his gun, and locks him in a closet. Philip leaves with David as if David is holding him at gunpoint.

Curly regrets making himself vulnerable by taking bribes for relatively harmless favors, then looking the other way during Ross and David’s fight. He looks out the window and sees Philip leaving the yard. He realizes something is wrong and raises the alarm.

Adam is still locked in the office closet, contemplating his relationship with David. He considers David’s belief that Matthew is alive to be a delusion. He knows David would never kill his son while in his right mind, but he has always had a temper. Adam hears the office door open and two guards talking about where David is. He breaks out of the closet and calls Philip to warn him that David’s escape is about to be discovered.

Philip and David are already in Philip’s car. They reach the outer gate just as the prison alarm sounds; the gate begins to close. Philip forces the car through, pretending David is threatening him. They drive away.

Rachel is looking unsuccessfully for missing children around the time of Matthew’s death. She is also looking for Hilde, who moved and changed her name to Harriet Winchester. She reflects on the investigation that ended her career: Rachel was investigating sexual misconduct at her alma mater. She pressured a witness to testify, and they later died by suicide. She was fired and feels remorse. Rachel hears the prison alarm, and a minute later, receives a phone call from David asking for help.

Philip and David are fleeing the police. Philip receives a phone call from Detective Wayne Semsey and tells him to call off the pursuit vehicles. Philip and David know they will be tracked by helicopter within five minutes. Philip admits to David that he now believes David did not kill Matthew, and that he may still be alive. Philip turns into a parking garage, and David gets out of the car. He calls Semsey, pretending to still be holding Philip hostage. Philip finds a tunnel and drives through, stopping halfway as if letting David out.

Special Agents Max Bernstein and Sarah Jablonski are at the prison. Max questions Adam and Philip, the latter of whom was picked up outside the tunnel. He believes Philip and Adam helped David get away, and he knows about Rachel’s visit to David. He quickly realizes David must have been left at the parking garage.

The narrative switches to a fundraising luncheon raising money for a children’s art program at the Payne Museum of Art in Rhode Island. The wealthy Gertrude “Pixie” Payne is watching her grandson Hayden give a speech. She reflects on hypocrisy and false appearances: For example, Hayden’s granduncle Bennett Payne built an orphanage for boys in 1938 to give himself access to children to abuse. Bennett justified his abuse by “balancing” it with good deeds. Furthermore, Pixie’s father had been violent, and her husband unfaithful. Her son died before he could show moral faults, but she sometimes wonders if he would have eventually. She raised her orphaned grandson Hayden, and recognizes she did a poor job. Pixie receives a message that David has escaped prison. She summons Hayden, her security chief Stephano, and “Theo,” an eight-year old boy with a port-wine birthmark on his cheek.