Mrs. Fioria Carissimi hears about the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store scandal through church gossip led by Vivana Agnello, who claims the Jewish storekeepers hid the deaf Black boy for money and then turned him in. Fioria discounts the story as self-serving and unreliable, especially after witnessing how careless gossip cost Vivana useful connections and information within the church women’s circle.

Less than a week after Dodo is sent back to Pennhurst, Fioria visits her Sicilian friend Pia in Pia’s kitchen. While discussing the incident, Pia insists Chona did nothing wrong by hiding the boy and then, at the mention of Doc Roberts, explodes with anger and reveals she would sooner commit herself than let Doc Roberts put his hands on her again, calling him “a nasty worm.” Pia begs Fioria to keep quiet, fearing that if Pia’s husband, Matteo, retaliates, Matteo will go to prison and Pia will be left alone.

Fioria goes home shaken and worries the trouble will spread to her son Enzo (“Big Soap”), who is close to Fatty Davis and prone to helping others. Afraid Enzo will get tangled up with police or violence—especially after Enzo has only just secured a new job—Fioria decides to confront him at Fatty’s jook, where Enzo regularly drinks and plays games after work.

At the jook, Fioria publicly berates Enzo in rapid Italian, warning him to stay away from police, “nuthouse” talk, and American doctors. Fatty watches uneasily, fearing that a white woman’s presence near his operation will draw police attention and threaten his hidden moonshine and stolen goods. When Fioria turns her anger on Fatty, mocks his replacement tooth, and demands to know what happened at the store, Fatty realizes he only has fragments and tries to keep her from stirring up more trouble by questioning others like Bernice.

With Enzo translating, Fatty recounts what he knows about Dodo: Dodo’s real name is Holly Herring, and years earlier an Enlevra stove explosion damaged Dodo’s hearing (his sight returned), but the company did not make the family rich. After Dodo’s mother later died from illness, Dodo’s aunt and uncle asked Chona to hide him temporarily while they raised money to send him to family in the South. Rusty adds what he witnessed at the store: Chona was on the floor with her clothes rumpled as if someone had tried to pull them off; Doc Roberts was running out when Rusty arrived and returned minutes later with police; Dodo was present, upset, and shouted accusations about Doc as police chased him. Fioria leaves warning that God is watching what the young men do, a warning Fatty finds almost as frightening as Fioria herself.