Contents
Chapter Seven
Overview
Trey and her friends ambush Donie McGrath outside the Reddy home; Cal arrives, secures Donie, and coerces a confession that Eugene, on Tommy’s orders, paid him to harass Sheila into leaving. Cal dumps Donie at Tommy’s door as a warning. Trey overhears Tommy confirm the goal: drive the Reddys out. Cal prepares for possible official pressure and urges caution.
Summary
On Saturday, Trey visits Cal to study and begin building a nursing chair, but she is tired and distracted. That night she summons Cal to the grove behind the Reddy cottage, where Trey, Aidan, Kate, Ross, and Ciara have overpowered and tied Donie McGrath, who has been vandalizing and terrorizing the Reddys for weeks.
Cal separates Donie from the teens and interrogates him, using controlled pain and the threat of Guards to force answers. Donie admits Eugene Moynihan, acting for Tommy, paid him to harass Sheila Reddy to drive the family out, with payments renewed a couple of weeks earlier.
Cal loads Donie into his vehicle, drops the teens home discreetly, and tells them to keep quiet. He informs Trey of Donie’s confession and advises restraint. They deliver Donie bound to Tommy Moynihan’s doorstep under security lights; Cal “returns” Tommy’s asset and leaves.
Trey doubles back on foot to eavesdrop and hears Tommy scold Donie and confirm the goal: get the Reddys out. Cal and Trey conclude Tommy will escalate, possibly via child-protection or other official channels. Cal instructs Trey to keep the household spotless, stay in school, avoid trouble, and gather information subtly while he works out Tommy’s motive. Trey agrees, planning to confide only in Kate.
Who Appears
- CalResponds to Trey’s call, interrogates Donie, extracts confession, confronts Tommy by returning Donie, and strategizes next steps.
- Trey ReddyOrganizes friends to catch Donie, informs Cal, eavesdrops on Tommy confirming plans, and vows to protect her family.
- Donie McGrathHired thug harassing the Reddys; confesses Eugene paid him for Tommy to force the family out.
- KateHelps subdue Donie; shows composure and insight; the only friend Trey considers telling the full truth.
- AidanHelps capture and hold Donie; provides comic bluster and assists with loading him into the car.
- RossAssists in the ambush; jokes, nearly dropped by Donie; likely to gossip if told too much.
- CiaraHelps restrain Donie with garden wire and keeps him in line during the capture.
- Tommy MoynihanPower broker; revealed to be orchestrating harassment to evict the Reddys; scolds Donie on his doorstep.
- Eugene MoynihanActs as Tommy’s go-between; allegedly hires and pays Donie to intimidate the Reddy family.