Chapter Five

While repairing his roof, Cal sees Tommy and Eugene arrive in a Range Rover. Tommy flatters Cal and, invoking Eugene’s grief, asks Cal to informally uncover why Rachel died and quash rumors she cheated. Cal declines twice, catching Tommy’s veiled threat about taxes and recognizing he’s now inside the local power struggle.

Cal reflects that Tommy must already know official findings, then resolves to talk to Mart. That evening, Trey arrives with news: the medical examiner ruled Rachel’s death a suicide by antifreeze and her body is being released. Lena asks what Tommy wanted; Cal admits Tommy sought his help and that he refused.

The conversation turns tense. Lena urges Cal not to feed Mart information or get pulled into sides; Cal insists he only supported neighbors at the pub. Trey, uneasy with the disagreement, takes the dogs out. After, Lena and Cal cool down; Lena worries how staying in Ardnakelty might shape Trey’s future.

Lena finds Trey on the road. They discuss antifreeze poisoning and whether breakups cause suicide. Trey rejects the suicide theory, reasoning that antifreeze is slow and more consistent with being poisoned to silence her for something she knew. She decides there’s no point in investigating herself.

The next day, Lena visits the old bridge, weighing accident, suicide, or a shove. Though she still leans toward suicide, she realizes Trey believes the townland buries truths. Lena resolves to bring whatever truth about Rachel’s death into the open so Trey won’t feel compelled to live by Ardnakelty’s code of silence.