Chapter Nineteen

Lena walks her dogs through a tense townland, then stops at Noreen’s shop to mend fences. She proceeds to Mrs. Duggan, intent on the “right question” about Rachel’s last night. Mrs. Duggan, pleased to be asked, recounts Rachel arriving distraught, desperate to halt Tommy’s plan.

Mrs. Duggan says Rachel wanted actionable “muck” to threaten Tommy. Finding none that would stick, Mrs. Duggan told Rachel only a powerful death could stop him—young, innocent, well liked—and explicitly directed Rachel to where rope, bleach, antifreeze, and paper were kept. She claims Rachel botched the aftermath by leaving no clear note but insists Tommy will be stopped.

Meanwhile, Cal is woken by Bobby, who fears being branded Tommy’s man for not joining the Moynihan confrontation. Bobby asks Cal to vouch for him and, offering naïve relationship advice, suggests Cal simply wait at Lena’s step. Bobby also renounces his UFO quests, recognizing them as a way to fill long nights.

Later, Cal hears a chilling howl and finds Mart pinned beneath his overturned tractor, with Kojak guarding. Mart stays lucid, forbidding Cal from moving the tractor and insisting on an ambulance, whiskey, and warmth. He explains a deliberate pit under the tire caused the rollover—sabotage done overnight—finger-pointing at Tommy.

Mart urges Cal to use the incident strategically, predicting chaos without him and counting on Cal’s head for strategy. He leaves practical farm instructions, affirms bequests, and asks Cal to protect Bobby from Senan’s temper. After sharing whiskey and final orders, Mart loses consciousness and dies before help arrives, sharpening the conflict with Tommy.