Kit calls Detective Vick and argues that Mary Milton was pushed, not suicidal. Kit points to the missing suitcase from Mary’s room, the bare patch in the closet, and Kit’s belief that Mary had packed Lenora Hope’s typed account of the Hope family murders so she could take the truth to the police or otherwise go public. Kit also tells Vick that Lenora can type, that Jessie has photographic proof Mary and Lenora worked together in secret, and that someone at Hope’s End may have killed Mary to keep Lenora’s story hidden.

Detective Vick remains skeptical and systematically challenges Kit’s theory. He says Mary died around low tide, which explains why her body landed on the exposed beach and was later buried by sand, and he argues that a missing suitcase could have been removed from Mary’s room after her death. When Kit mentions finding a bent metal hook from the suitcase handle on the terrace, Vick briefly becomes interested, but dismisses Kit again when Kit admits the piece is gone. Vick then reframes Kit’s theory as an attempt to ease Kit’s guilt over Kit’s mother’s death.

Vick says the coroner’s preliminary findings support suicide: Mary’s injuries match a fall, there were no defensive wounds, and police found no evidence of a struggle or suitcase. He also reveals that Mary had a water-damaged suicide note in her pocket reading, “I’m sorry. I’m not the person you thought I was.” In desperation, Kit shifts to Lenora’s ongoing confession, claiming Lenora may not have killed her family and suggesting Ricardo Mayhew may have done it. Kit urges Vick to review the old police report, then hangs up convinced Mary was murdered and terrified that sharing Lenora’s story could make Kit the next target.

After the call, Kit realizes the likely killer is someone inside Hope’s End: Mrs. Baker, Archie, Carter, or Jessie. Before Kit can call Vick back, Carter appears in the kitchen, drunk but calm, and admits he overheard most of the conversation. Carter says Mary had been trying to help him and that he thinks her death may be his fault, but insists he did not kill her. Because Carter says he also believes Mary did not jump and has something important to show, Kit cautiously follows him to his cottage.

In the cottage, Carter confesses that he lied about why he came to Hope’s End. He explains that a former worker named Anthony “Tony” pushed him to take the job after Tony found old stored belongings in rooms above the garage. From an envelope, Carter produces a photograph dated September 1929 showing a young Lenora in her bedroom with a visibly rounded stomach. The revelation is confirmed by Lenora’s typed narrative, in which Lenora tells Mary that she had become pregnant by Ricky Mayhew, hid it for months, dreamed of escaping Hope’s End with Ricky and their child, and believed they could build a future together despite class differences and family pressure. But Ricky’s pride, anger about money, and unease about their circumstances hint that the secret pregnancy will lead to disaster.