Turtles All the Way Down

Aza walks to class, reading about the human microbiota on her phone. Aza’s mother, who is a teacher at the high school, calls out to her. Her mother questions her about her mood and confirms that she has been taking her medication. Aza has, though she is supposed to take it daily and does not. Aza questions the bell schedule at school, musing that it is strange that their schedule is decided by someone they do not know and that everyone must live by it. Her mother comments that schools do resemble prisons in that way.

After school, Daisy is waiting in Aza’s car, which is named Harold. Aza dearly loves Harold, which had been her late father’s car. As they drive to Aza’s house, they hear a news report about Russell Pickett and the reward for information. Daisy reiterates that Aza knows Pickett’s son. Aza replies that she “knew” him. For two summers she and Davis Pickett attended “Sad Camp,” their name for a camp for children who had lost their parents. She seldom saw him after that, because they live on opposite sides of the White River. Aza thinks Davis probably would not remember her.

Daisy focuses on the $100,000 reward and finds a news story on her phone, wondering why there is no security footage of the Pickett estate. Aza remembers that that Davis had had a motion-capture camera by his house. Daisy insists this is a lead, so she calls in sick to work and asks if Aza still has her canoe.

In Aza’s room, Daisy chatters about uniforms, how they are designed to make people into objects with no personality. She is wearing her Chuck E. Cheese uniform. Aza and Daisy haul the canoe out of the garage, then head to the river. Aza is hesitant about getting in the canoe, saying that the river is full of sewage, but she follows Daisy, who is excited at the thought of becoming rich. Rowing on the river makes Aza feel like a little child again and she remembers how she and Daisy used to play along the riverbank. Daisy would throw spiders at Aza and Aza would pretend to be scared. Aza realizes that emotions felt like play then and now she is stuck inside her fear.

Daisy talks about how Indianapolis exists because of the river. Her father calls and asks her to watch her little sister Elena in the evening because her mother has to work overtime. Aza looks up through the bare branches of the trees, thinking of the photos on her father’s phone. Aza carries her father’s phone in Harold’s trunk and she often takes it out to look at his photos. The girls paddle to a small island, where Aza had had her 11th birthday party. Aza remembers how Davis had been upset when he lost his Iron Man action figure, until her mother found it.

The girls walk to the fence on the border of the Pickett estate and climb over. Daisy sees the motion-capture camera and Aza connects her phone to it to downloads its pictures. Daisy notices a golf cart coming towards them and becomes nervous. Aza remains calm, waiting for a picture of a man to finish downloading. Aza sees that the man in the golf cart has spotted her and she runs back to the canoe. Daisy smashes the canoe with a rock, to give them an excuse for being on the property. The man, named Lyle, is the head of security for the estate. Daisy tells him that their canoe sprung a leak and that they are friends with Davis. Lyle offers to help them get home.

Lyle drives the girls in his golf cart. Aza sees that in the years since she has been to the estate, it has grown even more lavish. Daisy tries to question Lyle about the night Pickett disappeared and how many staff work there. Lyle replies that staff are not allowed on the property at night; if the girls are not actually friends with Davis, he will have them arrested for trespassing.

They find Davis by the pool. He recognizes Aza immediately and greets her in a neutral voice. Daisy introduces herself as “Holmesy’s best friend.” Davis assures Lyle that he knows the girls and asks him to get them some Dr. Pepper. Aza is surprised that Davis remembers her favorite soda. Aza feels awkward and unsure of what to say, and Davis is not good at chitchat. Aza encourages him to say what he is thinking: He wishes that she was not here for the reward. Many of his old friends have suddenly gotten in touch with him and he knows it is because of the reward, though he does not know where his father is.

Daisy claims that they came over because Aza heard the news report and had a crush on Davis when they were kids. Aza is indignant. Daisy leaves the others alone, and Aza and Davis acknowledge that they both have changed. Aza is sorry about Davis’s dad. Davis believes that his father is a terrible person who left because he is a coward; if anyone knows where Pickett is, they will not tell the police because Davis’s father can pay more than the $100,000 reward. Davis then realizes this is an obnoxious comment. Daisy returns with Malik Moore, the estate’s zoologist and caretaker of Pickett’s tuatara, a lizard-like creature. Malik shows the girls the tropical dome and laboratory made just for the tuatara.

Davis offers to take the girls home. They stop by the house and Aza sees Noah Pickett, Davis’s younger brother, and Rosa, the family house manager. In Davis’s bedroom, Aza picks up an Iron Man action figure. Davis cautions her to be careful, as it is the only object that he loves. Davis drives the girls home, commenting that Lyle and Rosa and the other staff all watch and whisper about him endlessly. Daisy thinks it might be because they think he knows where his dad is. Davis does not want to know; he believes the best thing his dad could do is stay away, because he never took care of Davis and Noah anyway. At her house, Aza types her number into Davis’s phone and they say goodbye.

Aza drives Daisy home and Daisy gushes about Aza’s “crush” on Davis. Aza does not want to date anyone because her obsessions and compulsions make a relationship too difficult. Daisy reports that Malik told her that if Pickett dies, the tuatara will inherit his billions. Pickett had previously announced that he felt that the reptile held the secret to longevity. Daisy plans to research Pickett’s will and get a copy of the police report of his disappearance.

Back at home, Aza watches TV with her mother, but is preoccupied with thoughts of her finger possibly being infected with bacteria. The thoughts spiral and Aza goes to the bathroom to clean her finger. She sees a bit of moisture on the Band-Aid and worries it could be pus, so she digs her thumbnail into her wound, covers it in hand sanitizer, washes her hands, opens the wound further, squeezes out the blood, then reapplies the Band-Aid. Aza returns to the couch, momentarily relieved, but soon she starts to worry that she must drain the wound again.