An abandoned theme park, Freedomtown, is the site of a massive search and discovery, both for characters within the novel and relating to the crime.

Detective Lorenzo Council meets with her, and through her tears gets the story that her four-year-old son Cody was in the backseat of the car.

Local reporter Jesse Haus follows up on this relatively minor news story, and is one of the first to learn about the kidnapping.

In a last chance to elicit information from Brenda, Lorenzo takes her to the abandoned Freedomtown theme park and opens up to her, hoping that she will do the same in turn.

Understanding that the Friends of Kent have a hidden agenda, Jesse sticks close to Brenda and Elaine during the search.

Then, while sitting next to the railroad and only half thinking about it, she jams her hands into the ground (causing her injuries) and makes her way to the hospital on foot.

The next day, local leaders plan a march to demonstrate against the unfair treatment they received during the carjacking-kidnapping story.

Freedomland hit bestseller lists from coast to coast, including those of the Boston Globe, USA Today and Los Angeles Times; garnered universally rave reviews; and was selected as the Grand Prize Winner of the Imus American Book Award and as a New York Times Notable Book.