Chapter 17

Griffin starts the day with a visit from his brother Knox, who brings cinnamon rolls and news of the busy restaurant. They reminisce about childhood and discuss Briggs Eden’s troubling decline. Griffin plans to introduce Winn to the family soon and worries about her lack of sleep while caring for her grandfather.

After barn chores, Winn arrives looking exhausted and distant. She tells Griffin she intends to bring Briggs in for questioning after finding Harmony Hardt’s purse and Lily Green’s wallet at his cabin. Griffin learns she visited Briggs alone and feels blindsided, believing she’s acting on Frank Nigel’s malice and rumors about Briggs.

The conversation escalates as Winn maintains she’s doing her job, and Griffin defends Briggs’s character, countering with examples of Frank’s behavior. Winn leaves abruptly, determined to proceed, while Griffin fears the town’s rumor mill and what Briggs might say amid cognitive lapses.

Panicked about damage to Briggs and the family, Griffin speeds to his parents’ house, unable to reach Winn. He wrestles with doubts about why Briggs had the items yet clings to the belief the deaths were suicides investigated previously. The chapter ends with Griffin telling his parents there’s serious trouble ahead.