Neeland double-crossed Marco and now his daughter and the money are missing. The plan was simple: Anne’s parents pay the ransom, Cora comes home, and Marco and Bruce split the ransom money. During one of his checks on Cora the night of the kidnapping, Marco put Cora in her car seat and carried her out to Neeland’s car in the Conti’s backyard garage. Neeland suggested a staged kidnapping to get the money from Anne’s parents. Desperate over his company’s floundering finances, Marco turned to Bruce Neeland, a man he met in a bar, when his father-in-law turned down his request for a half million-dollar loan. Marco is uncertain over what exactly happened at the cabin. Anne is devastated by her husband’s failure.
When he regains consciousness, the money is gone. There, he is ambushed from behind and knocked out. The next morning, Marco heads to the rendezvous point, a remote cabin north of town, with a suitcase full of non-sequential hundred-dollar bills. Richard insists they abide by the kidnappers’ instructions not to contact the police. Anne is surprised when her stepfather shows no concern over the exorbitant sum of money. The kidnappers send the onesie in which Cora was sleeping and demand a $5 million-dollar ransom. Anne’s parents have never liked Marco, particularly her stepfather, Richard Dries.Īfter two excruciating days, the kidnappers contact Anne and Marco via a package in the mail. Anne assumes that the kidnappers will contact them for money because her mother’s family is wealthy. Rasbach suspects Marco planned to rid his life of the encumbrance of a family. Rasbach uncovers the financial records of Marco’s struggling company, and Cynthia tells Rasbach that she and Marco kissed on the deck during the birthday party. Anne takes medication for postpartum depression and struggles to adjust to motherhood. She has a history of violent episodes during which she blacks out, the result of watching her father die from a massive heart attack at the age of four.
The police, led by Detective Rasbach, initially suspect Anne. When the party ends around 1am, Anne and Marco discover their front door unlocked and the crib empty. With a baby monitor in tow, the couple plan to check on the baby every half hour. When their babysitter cancels at the last minute, Anne and Marco decide to put Cora to bed and head next door for a few hours. Needing a reprieve, Anne and Marco agree to help the couple next door, Cynthia and Graham Stillwell, celebrate Graham’s 40th birthday. Anne struggles with postpartum depression and Marco’s software development company appears destined for bankruptcy. This study guide references the Penguin 2016 paperback edition of the novel.Īnne and Marco Conti raise their six-month-old daughter, Cora, in their swanky upstate New York home.
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