Saint drives sixty miles to the small town of Darby Falls after news of a murder. As she enters the tidy, church-centered town, the contrast between its peaceful appearance and the violence waiting inside sharpens her sense of loss and memory.

A young officer meets Saint outside the house and explains that a neighbor became concerned when Richie Montrose failed to collect his newspaper and looked through the window. Inside, Saint finds Richie Montrose dead in his lounge with a single bullet hole in his chest.

Saint reads the scene quickly. Because nothing is disturbed and there are no signs of a struggle, Saint concludes that Richie Montrose knew the killer and likely spoke with the person before being shot. To Saint, the killing looks like a deliberate execution meant to remove Richie quietly and cleanly.

On the mantel, Saint sees a framed photograph of Callie Montrose, which pulls her back to the old grief surrounding the girl. Beside Richie is a letter addressed to him. The message inside is blunt and personal: I’ll see you in hell.

Within twenty minutes, Saint locates security-camera footage from a neighbor. When Saint watches it, she sees the killer clearly and realizes the man made no effort to hide his identity or avoid being seen. The recognition leaves Saint closing her eyes in pain, suggesting the murder ties directly back to someone she knows and to the larger case she has been chasing.