Roman stops at the Save-U-Moore convenience store to pick up ingredients for cheeseburger casserole, a dish he used to make for his siblings when their parents were absorbed in running the crematory. The store's elderly owner, Leslie Moore, recognizes Roman and bluntly suggests Keith killed Bonita and scattered her ashes in the river before shuffling off; his grandson dismisses the comment as Alzheimer's. Roman is shaken, realizing his mother's disappearance has become Jefferson Run's enduring legend, a ghost story locals invoke for entertainment, and his own private penance.

At home, Roman cooks while Dante sleeps. Neveah confides that she went to the police, but with no formal report from the brothers, the detectives showed little interest. She confronts Roman directly, pointing out that no one would target the crematory for money and that the slashed tires, Keith's accident, and the brutal beating cannot be coincidence. She presses him to admit Dante is involved in something dangerous.

Roman lies, sticking to a story about a robbery gone wrong over Molly Dante was carrying. Neveah sees through him, expressing her frustration that the men in her family — father and brothers alike — exclude her from serious matters even though the shop is her entire life. She pulls the casserole from the oven barehanded, revealing her fingertips have been numb for years from working the crematory ovens. Roman chooses silence rather than risk widening the rift.

Later that night, Khalil texts that he has landed and will meet Roman the next day. Khalil also confirms an email transaction with Sasha Billings, a crypto-based money launderer Roman uses as a fail-safe. Roman reflects that he keeps a hundred thousand dollars in escrow with her for emergencies, and acknowledges privately that he failed the night of the attack — until he fixes it, no one in his family is safe.