Road to Salina

Jonas stops at a desolate roadside service station where Mara, the owner, recognizes him as her missing son Rocky. Overwhelmed yet hungry, he agrees to Mara's offer of room and board. He decides to go along with the identification, beginning the impersonation.

At Mara's home, Jonas embraces the role, mimicking Rocky's mannerisms and slowly accepting Mara's belief that he is her son. The deception becomes a routine, and Jonas grows comfortable in the new life. He tries to ignore lingering doubts about the truth.

Warren arrives and behaves as if Jonas is Rocky, reinforcing the illusion for Mara. The household settles into a fragile normality as the charade continues. Jonas gains confidence in his counterfeit identity.

Billie, Rocky's sister, comes home and appears to recognize Jonas as Rocky. She forms a bond with him and the two quickly develop a romantic connection. The line between truth and performance blurs as they spend days together and even skinny-dip by the ocean.

A dinner party gathers Mara, Billie, Warren, and Jonas, celebrating Rocky's return. The atmosphere is warm and trusting, reinforcing the illusion for Mara and the others. Jonas feels momentarily secure in his role.

Jonas notices Billie's deepening affair with him as Rocky and realizes the harmony may be a fragile facade. Mara and Warren worry that the truth could surface and shatter the family tableau. He begins to press for reasons behind Rocky's disappearance.

Following Warren's hint about Rocky's girlfriend Linda, Jonas travels to Salina to locate her. At Linda's restaurant, she fails to recognize him as Rocky, the first clear sign something is off. He uses a distraction at the bar to draw attention and gauge Linda's response.

Back at Billie’s room, Jonas steals old photographs that show he does not resemble the real Rocky. The discovery deepens his suspicions and forces him to confront the deception. He confronts Billie with the truth, seeking answers about Rocky's life.

Billie admits she lied to safeguard Mara and that she loved Rocky and wanted him back. The confession destabilizes Jonas and changes the relationships within the household. The truth remains tangled and dangerous.

Linda explains she was going to elope with Rocky the day he disappeared, adding another layer to Rocky's life. The revelation expands the mystery behind Rocky's disappearance. Jonas's resolve to uncover the truth hardens.

Charlie, an old friend of Jonas, visits and unsettles the fragile façade by interacting with Mara, Billie, and Jonas. The encounter heightens the risk that the truth will emerge. Mara grows wary of how far the deception has gone.

Jonas learns that Billie killed Rocky to stop their incestuous relationship when he tried to leave. In a heated argument, he shoves Billie against a wall and accidentally kills her. He flees into the rain, while Mara confirms she knew Jonas wasn't Rocky all along and urges him to surrender; he goes to Salina to tell the sheriff what happened. The narrative unfolds as a flashback.