Jane returns to Pirriwee Public to collect Ziggy feeling happy and hopeful, though not drunk despite the champagne at Blue Blues. The morning has made Jane feel unexpectedly connected to Madeline and Celeste, and the school’s seaside charm helps Jane imagine a lighter, easier future for Ziggy and herself.

As Madeline, Celeste, and Jane wait near the playground, Madeline introduces Jane to other parents and entertains them with the story of her injured ankle. Carol describes Madeline as someone who loves a fight, reinforcing Madeline’s combative reputation among the school parents.

Renata introduces herself to Jane with forceful confidence, followed by Harper and Juliette, Amabella and Jackson’s French nanny. Renata mistakenly assumes Jane is also a nanny or au pair because Jane is young, and Madeline corrects her, turning the awkward moment into a joke about Jane simply being a young mother.

The children come out of orientation, and Jane is relieved when Ziggy looks happy and signals that he is okay. Then Amabella emerges sobbing and clutching her neck, and Renata reacts angrily when it becomes clear that Amabella says someone tried to choke her.

The teacher asks for the child responsible to apologize, but no one comes forward. Because Amabella only identifies the attacker as one of the boys, the teacher lines up the boys while the parents watch; Madeline jokes about the lineup, but the atmosphere remains tense.

Amabella appears to point toward a larger boy at first, but the teacher places a hand on Ziggy’s shoulder, and Amabella confirms that Ziggy is the one she means. Ziggy immediately denies it, but Amabella insists, leaving Jane stunned as the accusation singles out her son. A later police statement notes that the murder victim suffered multiple serious fractures, briefly returning the narrative to the aftermath of trivia night.