After the news vans leave town, Lacey's returns to its normal local rhythm, and the conversation finally shifts from spectacle to grief. Over breakfast, Saint listens as people begin mourning Chief Nix, the man who kept order for decades. Charlotte then tells Saint that Marty Tooms, the man who took Patch, will be executed that night. When Charlotte asks whether the execution will hurt and says it should, Saint answers that Marty Tooms has probably not had an easy life for years, showing the uneasy gap between legal justice and personal anger.

Back at the station, Saint takes a call from Himes. He says Patch is likely heading to North Dakota because Warden Riley said Patch had a girl there. Saint reacts skeptically but uses the call to update Himes about Cooper Strike, keeping the wider investigation moving. Himes adds that Joseph Macauley brought his missing sister home and gave her life back, linking Patch's flight and Saint's search to other rescued victims.

Immediately afterward, Jasper comes to see Saint in person. He tells her that Nix left her his house and explains that Nix delivered his final will the morning before his death. Jasper gives Saint the paperwork and the keys, mentions the horses on the property, and admits that Nix seemed to have no one else. The revelation leaves Saint shocked and forces her to confront one more personal consequence of Nix's suicide.

Saint then walks home and finds forensic examiner Stevie Harris working in the yard, where bones had previously been found near the site of Saint's planned studio. Because the job was considered low priority, Stevie came alone and had only dug enough to understand what was there. Stevie tells Saint the bones are old canine remains, not human, which removes one immediate fear. Before leaving, Stevie hands Saint a grimy gold tag tangled with a few leather strands that she found beside the bones, and the chapter ends as Saint rushes inside to answer a ringing phone.