Holly rejoins Kate McKay and Corrie Anderson at Sharko’s BBQ, and the three continue to Chicago. Although Kate’s public lodging is listed as the Waldorf Astoria, Holly secretly books them into the Peninsula, but the switch fails to protect them. When Kate and Corrie arrive, autograph-seekers and anti-Kate protesters are already waiting, and the protesters pelt them with fake-blood-soaked babydolls while shouting accusations. Upstairs, Kate rejects Holly’s caution, insists on holding her press event, and refuses to back down despite the obvious threat.

While Corrie heads out to handle business at the venue, Holly reviews Jerome Robinson’s research on extremist churches tied to violent protests. As Holly prepares for Kate’s press conference, Holly reflects on Bill Hodges’s investigative advice and realizes the central mystery in Izzy’s case is not merely Trig’s AA connection, but why Trig cares enough about Alan Duffrey to murder strangers. That question feels to Holly like the possible key to the entire case.

Meanwhile, Chrissy changes plans after deciding Chicago is too heavily policed and Holly is too effective to allow a clean attack there. Chrissy calls Deacon Andy Fallowes, orders him to find out where Kate’s party will stay in Buckeye City, and has him book a nearby room under a disposable business name. Chrissy resolves that the pursuit will end in Buckeye City, where police attention may be divided and Kate’s travel options will be more limited.

At the same time, Jerome receives a call from Anthony Kelly, Sista Bessie’s tour manager, who offers Jerome a short-term security job for Friday night in Buckeye City. The assignment places Jerome at the same hotel and event area Kate will be using, and Jerome recruits John Ackerly to help. Later, Kate gives a rousing Chicago speech, shrugs off a heckler, and leaves the stage electrified, confirming both her charisma and Holly’s fear that Kate’s refusal to retreat makes her an even more obvious target.

The next morning, Holly gets a text from John saying he may have seen Trig under another name, then travels with Kate and Corrie to Toledo. There, a threat from a group calling itself DOOM causes police to cancel Kate’s event for safety reasons. Furious, Kate decides to turn the cancellation into publicity, publicly accusing authorities of surrendering to intimidation and urging supporters to come to Buckeye City. Elsewhere, Trig goes to Dingley Park carrying both a gun and a syringe, intending to check whether the dead woman he hid has been discovered and remaining ready to kill again. He relives memories of his abusive father, spots a vulnerable young woman he might use as another surrogate victim, but abandons the idea when a large male companion appears.