The sheriff and deputy review a new lab report confirming a perfect match between fibers from Kya’s hat and fibers found on Chase Andrews’s jacket at the time of his death. They summarize their evidence: a shrimper and colleague saw Kya boating toward the fire tower before Chase fell, Patti Love said Kya made Chase’s shell necklace and it vanished the night he died, and the fiber match ties Kya physically to Chase. They note motive as a woman wronged and believe her alibi can be refuted.

Deputy Joe questions whether being jilted is strong enough motive, and they debate how to bring Kya in. The sheriff rejects using hounds on a female suspect, insisting on due process and proposing a trap instead. They weigh options, acknowledging Kya’s record of outwitting authorities in the marsh.

On December 15, Rodney Horn arrives at the station. He recounts something he and his fishing partner, Denny Smith, observed at Cypress Cove on August 30. After hearing Rodney’s story, Ed and Joe agree they now have motive.

With the lab match, witness statements, and Rodney’s account, the sheriff concludes they have enough to bring Kya in for questioning and likely to charge her, shifting the investigation toward an imminent arrest.