Johnny Reddy hides in the Reddy house, jumpy and afraid, sleeping by day and pacing by night. The family's interviews with Detective Nealon went smoothly, but Johnny still flinches at every engine. Trey, restless rather than afraid, plants more disinformation by telling gullible Lauren O'Farrell about car headlights on the mountain the night Rushborough died, knowing Lauren will spread it. Johnny enlists Maeve as a spy in the village; Maeve returns gleefully reporting that the townland is tearing itself apart as Nealon questions men and neighbors turn on each other. Trey feels triumphant: Nealon is following the path she laid. Trey also begins searching the drought-bared mountainside for Brendan's grave, walking herself to exhaustion and aching from missing Cal.

Detective Nealon visits Cal on the porch with beer, ostensibly for a consultation. He reveals Rushborough was actually Terence Blake, a London criminal with no Irish ties, killed by a hammer blow and three stab wounds between midnight and 2 a.m., his body moved post-mortem. Trace evidence will match a scene or vehicle once Nealon finds probable cause. Nealon confirms Trey's story checks out, supported by another witness's headlight sighting, and Johnny's phone records contradict his alibi: Johnny passed Cal's house and stopped at Blake's Airbnb after the body was found. Nealon probes Cal about his fight with Johnny, Blake's possible interest in Trey, and tries to recruit Cal as informant. Cal refuses, citing that he must keep living here. Nealon presses that Trey's signed statement will be final, hinting he suspects she may be lying.

The next day Mart visits with a lettuce, warning Cal that Nealon's aggressive questioning—he reduced Bobby Feeney to near tears—has made the townland furious. Mart hints that goodwill toward Trey is eroding now that there's a body and a detective, and suggests the community may need to "give Nealon a hand" to be rid of him. Cal insists he's out.

Trey goes to Noreen's shop for cigarettes and finds Long John Sharkey ranting; he tries to block her entry, blaming Johnny for Nealon's hassles fracturing the community. Noreen confirms the detectives have everyone "up to ninety" and tensions are exploding among neighbors. Trey feels savage triumph at the chaos she's caused. Mrs. Cunniffe lets slip a comment about Cal and Lena being "practically in-laws," and Noreen confirms they're getting married. Trey, blindsided, pays and leaves, while old men at the grotto pointedly send regards to her father.