Miller petitions Captain Shaddid to take Julie Mao’s case seriously, but she frames it as a shareholder favor and orders a minimal report, warning him off conspiracy hunting. Miller swallows the rebuke and returns to work with Havelock.

They investigate an extortion complaint at an entertainment hardware shop. Manager Asher Kamamatsu says the old protection collectors—Loca Greiga and others—stopped showing up months ago, before the Canterbury incident, and that a new collector, Mateo Judd, demands payments. Reviewing corridor footage, Miller spots Judd leaving the shop wearing an OPA armband.

Seeking clarity, Miller visits the OPA-friendly John Rock Gentlemen’s Club. A pock-marked OPA contact hears him out, denies any OPA role in the new shakedowns, cites systemic oppression of Belters by the inner planets, and pointedly tells Miller not to return. Miller leaves unsettled, sensing missing connections.

Back in his hole, Miller drinks and dozes, fixating on Julie Mao as the key that could make the scattered clues cohere. He wakes with a headache and heads to the station.

Havelock shows him the overnight board: Mateo Judd has been executed with a gel shotgun blast. The timing, following Miller’s inquiries, convinces Miller that the OPA isn’t merely replacing criminals—it’s exerting pressure against Star Helix itself.