This post contains spoilers from Long Bright River episode 2 from this point forward.
Long Bright River episode 2, titled "Let Me In," opens where episode 1 left off, with Mickey at Truman's house. After putting Thomas to bed, she apologizes for what role she may have played in his injury. He tells her it's the wrong apology since she never visited him after the incident — until now. That's a long time to ghost your partner.
A flashback to July 2014 shows a happier time between Mickey and Kacey. While Simon's away, they celebrate Kacey's one year chip for sobriety and later talk about their mother. Kacey doesn't remember their mom, which comes as a surprise to Mickey. Their bond as sisters is apparent, which makes their present-day disconnect even sadder.
The next morning at Truman's, she finally explains the situation with Kacey to him, that she's been missing for six weeks. She also opens up about the strange circumstances with the murdered women and Kacey getting into the red pickup truck with a john, the same truck she saw outside her home. Truman's going to watch Thomas while she investigates near the airport, and he offers to poke around, too.
Detective Danjarat (Joe Daru) addresses the precinct about the case and lethal doses of insulin in the victims' systems. Following the tense meeting (because Ahearn is a jerk), Mickey speaks with Danjarat privately about the red pickup truck. They both have a working hypothesis that the killer could be diabetic.
Mickey and Truman repair their friendship
Mickey responds to a call about an assault, but when she arrives at the home, the woman with a cut above her eye denies calling. The woman recognizes Mickey from high school and doesn't mince words when refusing her help. Apparently, Mickey has a reputation for thinking she's better than everyone.
While Mickey reels from that encounter, Mrs. Mahon drops by as Truman and Thomas install a security system. She's convinced Mickey's in some sort of trouble and worries about Thomas. After overhearing the conversation, Thomas makes a phone call, but it's not revealed to whom. (Maybe his dad?)
Mickey stops by G-Pop's bar for a drink and to ask him about Kacey. He's nonchalant about Kacey being missing since she has supposedly done a disappearing act multiple times in the past. When she returns home, she's greeted by the piercing sound of the security system and Mrs. Mahon. In spite of their initially icy reunion, Mickey and Truman are back on good terms.
Thanks to the new security cameras outside, Mickey gets a notification that there's motion on the front door camera. She thinks the red pickup truck has returned and quickly turns off the lights. When she sneaks a peek through the blinds, she's relieved that it's a black pickup truck that's simply making a food delivery.
Mickey listens to classical music, which introduces a flashback to November 2014. She's playing her English horn when Kacey comes to the door. There's a stark difference from the previous flashback to July. Kacey relapsed on her sobriety, and Mickey's disappointed. She allows Kacey to stay for one more night and tells her she has to leave. "You're gonna end up like her" cuts like a knife.
A mystery man holds Mickey at gunpoint
In the morning, Kacey says her goodbyes to Mickey with an apology. Mickey isn't receptive and doesn't even look her sister in the eye. Back in present day, Mickey speaks with Thomas' teacher, and it seems she's four months late on making a tuition payment to his private school. But there's better news for Mickey at work. Danjarat looked into the red truck, which they confirmed fled a trap house weeks earlier, and an eyewitness for one of the victims.
Mickey takes her English horn to a pawn shop, hoping to receive $8,500, which makes the owner laugh. It's an instrument with some history to it as she explains, but he can't verify its worth. Still, he offers her $2,000 and she accepts. It's better than nothing, but it doesn't quite cut it at Thomas' school. As they leave the school, Mickey listens to a message from Simon. That's who Thomas called and he's not happy to have gotten a call from his son.
She reassures Thomas that they aren't in trouble and he doesn't need to worry, which isn't the truth, but she can't put that on a child. Another flahsback reveals that before leaving, Kacey stole their mother's necklace from Mickey's jewelry box. It was the only thing of their mother's Mickey had and she's devastated it was stolen.
Mickey finally has time to investigate down by the airport. She makes progress at the diner, as the owner recognizes one of the girls and says she was at the diner about a week ago with a man named Jimmy Scanlon. He remembers that they were fighting. Jimmy works at the shop next door, but he hasn't been seen in days.
To her surprise, Mickey runs into Lafferty on her way out of the auto shop. Apparently, he told Ahearn about the napkin Mickey found and was instructed to check it out. Ahearn reprimands Mickey for being unreachable during work hours. Later, Truman informs Mickey about Kacey's Facebook page and a man named Dock McClatchie tagged in her photos.
She recognizes the building in the background of one of Kacey's photos. It's the building from her memory, when she and Paula saved Kacey from an overdose. Mickey reveals that she reported Kacey for the theft of their mother's necklace and had her arrested. Kacey begged for forgiveness outside her window in the rain, but their relationship was never the same. Mickey drops Thomas off at G-Pop's before returning to the building in Kacey's photo. She finds Kacey's red sneakers on the floor before an unseen man holds her at gunpoint.
Watch Long Bright River only on Peacock.