Disappearance at Clifton Hill 2019

Abby Tuppence Middleton grew up near Niagara Falls, haunted by a memory from when she was seven: while out with her family, she wandered off and witnessed a young, abused boy hidden in the woods. A couple later abducted him by throwing him into the trunk of their car; the boy’s name, Alex Moulin Colin Mcleod, remains tied to a case that Abby never spoke about. The event leaves her traumatized and silent, and as an adult her life is punctuated by a struggle with compulsive lying. When Abby’s mother dies, she inherits The Rainbow, a defunct motel, along with her sister Laure Hannah Gross. Laure sees an opportunity to sell the motel to a powerful local family, but Abby refuses to let go of the past and the mystery of the abduction.

Abby begins to dig into the mystery of the boy in the woods and the rumored “one-eyed” boy, discovering that his name is Alex Moulin, the son of the magician duo known as the Magnificent Moulins who had moved to America after his disappearance. Abby crosses paths with Walter Bell David Cronenberg, a fervent conspiracy theorist and podcaster who argues that Alex did not die because no body was ever found, and who suspects the Lake family—long associated with past disappearances—are involved. In order to keep digging, Abby engineers access to Charlie Lake Eric Johnson ’s office by presenting sale papers she has, in effect, altered with disappearing ink. Inside, she spots a photograph of the Moulins and Beverly Mole Elizabeth Saunders, who worked with them as an animal trainer; Charlie’s threats force Abby to retreat, heightening the danger around her inquiry.

Determined, Abby reaches out to Beverly Mole and lures her with casino access and complimentary lodging at The Rainbow. Beverly arrives with her husband Gerry Maxwell McCabe-Lokos. Abby continues her investigation, and in a bold move uses her sister’s passport to travel to the United States to attend the Magnificent Moulins’ magic show. After the performance, a tense encounter unfolds among the three, and when Abby returns to Canada, authorities uncover her stolen passport and arrest her.

Undeterred, Abby breaks into Beverly’s house and discovers Gerry chained up. He confesses that he and Beverly kidnapped Alex to use the boy as leverage against the Moulins. The arrest of Beverly follows, and Gerry is freed; the case yields crucial incriminating evidence. The confession triggers a media frenzy, and Charlie Lake is soon arrested as the investigation intensifies. The Moulins publicly claim innocence and threaten lawsuits, trying to steer the narrative in their favor while denying any involvement with Alex’s fate.

Life in town gradually returns to normal. Abby takes a job at a more up-market motel, but the ending lingers on a strange encounter: a man with an eye patch—the One-Eyed Man Aaron Poole—checks in for a room, seemingly not much older than Abby. He hints that perhaps they’ve met before and, glancing at a newspaper bearing Charlie Lake’s photo, asserts that Lake is not lying and that he actually saved the boy’s life. Abby watches as the man walks toward his room, leaving a lingering sense of mystery and possibility.