hunch—and this is only a hunch—that the key to unlocking what happened to Zoe Spanos lies in the events of that fall semester of sophomore year—the fall leading up to her disappearance. What was Zoe doing when she wasn’t visiting Caden at Yale? Were they really just busy, or did Zoe meet new people that fall? Who were they, and how much did Caden know? Did the police even bother to ask?
I doubt they did, and here’s why. According to their own accounts, Caden Talbot and his mother were not in Herron Mills on the night of December thirty-first last year.
The Talbots regularly spend Christmas week in the city with close family friends on the Upper West Side. Aster did not wish to be recorded for this episode, but she did confirm that the Talbots were among the first people Mr. Spanos called on the morning of January first, when Zoe had not come home. According to Aster, the Talbots had initially planned to return from the city in time for Zoe and Caden to spend New Year’s Eve together. Zoe had been excited about their plans, which included attending Jacob Trainer’s house party together. But at the last minute, the Talbots’ trip home was delayed to the following day. Mrs. Talbot did not feel up to traveling that afternoon.
So when Mr. Spanos called on the morning of January first, the Talbots were allegedly still in the city. Caden told Mr. Spanos that he had last heard from Zoe around two o’clock that afternoon, when the two had exchanged text messages about the change in plans. Caden and Mrs. Talbot returned to Windermere the afternoon of January first and spoke with police on the afternoon of the second. The final text message exchange between Caden and Zoe was entered into evidence, and is on record with the Herron Mills PD.
It’s here where I believe local police first dropped the ball in this case. Because Caden and Meredith Talbot were allegedly not in Herron Mills the night that Zoe vanished, they were not further interviewed by police. Were their alibis investigated? Confirmed? This remains unclear.
Here’s what I do know: Meredith was able to account for Caden’s whereabouts up until 10:30 on the night Zoe disappeared; then she went to bed. He was next seen at 6:30 a.m., when Doreen Winn-Carey, the family friend with whom they were staying, passed by the couch where he was sleeping on her way to the bathroom. Not only were their alibis restricted to this closed triangle of Doreen, Meredith, and Caden, but the eight hours between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. remain unaccounted for. I guess their story was good enough for the Herron Mills PD, though.
To reiterate, I am not suggesting that Caden—or his mother—perpetrated violence against Zoe or were even directly involved in her disappearance. But I do not believe we can so easily rule them out. And at the very least, I believe that Caden knows information—about that fall, about that night, about Zoe’s life—that could lead us to find her.
Caden, if you’re listening, I’d love to talk to you, on or off the record. Please get in touch.
[CODA TO MISSING ZOE INSTRUMENTAL THEME]
9 THEN
June
Herron Mills, NY
I AM NOT at my best during dinner—but fortunately, neither is anyone else. We’re half finished by the time Tom arrives to the table, dressed down and looking a bit flustered. He gives Emilia a kiss, murmuring something about a rough Friday at the office and getting stuck late in a meeting. She’s clearly pissed. I take a big gulp of water and keep my mouth shut. He’s been back since at least five, but it’s none of my business what he’s been up to.
My mind is somewhere else entirely: with Caden and Zoe. As we eat, I stumble over every question Tom asks about my first week at Clovelly Cottage. Mary’s garlic roasted chicken sticks in my throat. My lips are thick and sluggish; they struggle to form the words that would prove I’m all right, perfectly normal, fine just fine. Fortunately, Paisley comes to my rescue, happy to recount our various excursions around town in elaborate, lively detail. She mercifully leaves out the bit about me leaving the oven on and then abandoning her to Mary’s watch for much longer than a few minutes this evening.
The air around me buzzes with the truth. Caden is Zoe’s. Caden loves Zoe. And now Zoe is gone, leaving Caden to his lonely summer in Herron Mills. Laying