Ted goes to the marina, where the search for Greg’s body has resumed. Jill stays home and Lara visits to offer her condolences. Jill tells Lara the rehearsed story of the accident, claiming Greg behaved recklessly in the bad weather and fell overboard, adding that Ted blames himself for not insisting Greg wear a life jacket. Neither woman mentions the inheritance, but Jill knows that Lara must be wondering about it. She reflects that when news about the inheritance becomes public, she and Ted will face even more scrutiny. 

Meanwhile, at the marina, Ted watches as Ramirez and another officer board the Fortune Seeker. He considers sneaking onto the boat to search for cameras but does not want to draw attention to himself or raise suspicions. Aboard the vessel, Ramirez begins a methodical search for surveillance cameras and any other evidence of foul play.

At five o’clock, the Coast Guard officially calls off the search for Greg Westcott’s body. As Ted leaves the marina, he approaches the Fortune Seeker and speaks to Agent Ramirez, who informs him that no cameras were found on the boat. However, as Ted turns away, Ramirez mutters, “I bet that’s a relief” (86), cementing Ted’s fear that he is suspicious. 

Ted rushes home to tell Jill the good news, and they are both hugely relieved. Meanwhile, Lara tells her husband, Ben, about Greg’s estimated $45 million fortune and admits that she hopes the money won’t change Jill. At his home, Agent Ramirez reflects on the case. He is certain of the couple’s guilt but he has no evidence. He reflects that even though he will likely not be able to convict them, “he wants them to know that he thinks they’re hiding something” (89).

The following day, Ted and Jill meet with Ted’s lawyer, Marlon Fiddick. He introduces them to several other lawyers from the same firm, including Grace Gervais (Greg’s estate lawyer). The attorneys explain that because Greg’s body was not found, they must first petition the court to have him declared legally dead. They confirm the estate is worth approximately $45 million. One-third of the fortune is bequeathed to Mount Sinai Hospital, and the remaining $30 million goes to Ted. However, a stipulation in the will places half of Ted’s share ($15 million) into a trust that he cannot access until he turns 65. Though insulted by the trust, Ted is relieved by the immense windfall. The lawyers advise them that settling the estate will take about a year. 

As they leave the law firm, Ted and Jill decide that they cannot make any large-scale or visible changes to their lifestyle. Since it will take time to access the money from the estate, Ted suggests they take a mortgage on the house, since he urgently needs to pay back the loan he took out. He reassures Jill that as soon as the estate is settled, “we can pay it right back” (95).

Agent Ramirez makes an unannounced visit to the Westcott home. He directly asks Ted whether he will inherit anything and Ted confirms that he will, without revealing the amount. Before leaving, Ramirez clarifies that his department investigates crimes at sea, not accidents, unsettling the couple. After Ramirez leaves, Ted reassures Jill that even if the former is suspicious, there is no evidence linking them to any crime. 

Ramirez then visits Greg’s ex-wife, Minerva Westcott. Minerva tells him that Ted and Greg hated each other. When Ramirez questions why Greg would make Ted his heir if the two brothers hated one another, Minerva explains that it was important for the money to stay in the family, and that Greg did not want her to inherit anything once they were divorced. She reveals that Ted recently suffered severe financial losses and that Greg had refused to loan him money. This information leaves Ramirez even more convinced that foul play was involved in Greg’s death.

Nadya Sokolov, the Westcotts’ cleaning lady, arrives at their home for her weekly cleaning. Nadya, a Russian immigrant, worries about her aimless son, Peter, who is in his early twenties. She suspects that Peter may be involved in criminal activities, and he has suggested that she steal from her wealthy employers and split the profits with him. Nadya refused the suggestion. 

Nadya answers the door (neither Ted nor Jill is at home) and meets Agent Ramirez. Nadya reluctantly agrees to answer questions and Ramirez asks if she ever saw overdue bills or overheard the Westcotts discussing financial trouble. Nadya tells him she knows nothing of their private affairs. Ramirez leaves, and Nadya is left deeply uneasy, unsure whether to report the visit to Ted and Jill. After speaking with Nadya, Ramirez thinks with satisfaction about how he is exacerbating stress and guilt for the couple. He wonders if Jill might even panic and turn her husband in.

Lara and Jill meet for lunch. When Lara asks, Jill confirms they are inheriting money but frames it as a heavy burden for Ted. Lara nonetheless notices Jill’s underlying excitement about the money. After lunch, Jill reflects on her long friendship with Lara, including their youthful pact to marry wealthy men. She feels some regret about lying to Lara and concealing her true feelings about Greg’s death, but she concludes that Lara would have done the same thing to protect herself.

That evening, Lara tells Ben about the lunch and confirms that Jill and Ted will now inherit most of Greg’s fortune. Their conversation is interrupted when Agent Ramirez arrives at their home. He questions them about Greg’s character. He asks if Ted and Jill mentioned their financial difficulties or disclosed that they were Greg’s heirs. 

Lara is surprised by this information, since she did not know of any financial difficulties and did not think that Ted and Jill knew about the inheritance before the accident. Before he leaves, Ramirez states plainly that he is investigating whether Greg’s death was an accident or a murder. Ben is outraged by the implication that their friends are killers, but the accusation leaves Lara unsettled and suspicious.

Nadya reports Agent Ramirez’s visit to Jill and reveals his pointed questions about their finances. After Nadya leaves, Jill angrily vents to Ted, wondering how Ramirez learned about their financial difficulties. Ted tries to reassure her that Ramirez has no evidence and is powerless. Jill also admits that she was uncomfortable telling Lara that they will inherit the fortune. 

Meanwhile, Lara discusses Ramirez’s questions with Ben. He dismisses the idea of murder as outrageous, but Lara finds herself seriously considering if her friends could be killers. Meanwhile, Nadya recalls her conversation with Jill: she told Jill that she did not provide Ramirez with any information and Jill makes her promise to never answer any questions about them. Returning to her modest home, Nadya feels resentment toward her employers.

At his job, Ted overhears his coworkers gossiping about his inheritance. He is pondering whether he should quit when he receives an unexpected visit from John Burnley, a former colleague he has not seen in years. After offering insincere condolences, Burnley pitches Ted a dubious investment opportunity. Recalling his lawyers’ warning that people would come asking for money, Ted curtly dismisses him. After Burnley leaves, Ted searches for information about him online.

Lara goes to the art gallery where Jill works. She reveals that Agent Ramirez visited her and Ben, and she repeats his claims: that the Westcotts knew about the inheritance, were in financial trouble, and are being investigated for murder. Jill insists that she and Ted did not know about the inheritance until after the death. Maintaining this secret is a crucial part of the cover-up: there is no way to prove that Jill and Ted knew about the inheritance since Greg only mentioned it to them in private conversation. If anyone finds out that they knew about the inheritance beforehand, the death looks much more suspicious.

Despite Jill’s protests, Lara leaves convinced that her friend is hiding something. She wonders if Ted pushed Greg overboard and Jill is now covering for him, resolving to be there for her friend if she ever needs to confess.

That night, Nadya’s son, Peter, speculates about whether his mother’s employers are murderers. Nadya tells him to stop making these claims and insists that Greg’s death was an accident. Meanwhile, Ramirez’s boss reassigns him to a new case, concluding there is no point investigating Ted and Jill any further. Nonetheless, Ramirez is unable to stop thinking about the case.

Several weeks pass. Ted has quit his job, and there has been no further contact from Agent Ramirez. Their lawyers confirm the estate will likely be settled by the following summer. One day, Ted visits the Model Boat Pond in Central Park, a place he frequented with Greg as a child, and reflects that murdering his brother was “absolutely worth it” (139). His reverie is interrupted by John Burnley. At first Burnley claims that the meeting is a coincidence, but Ted accuses him of being predatory. He has discovered Burnley’s prison record for fraud, but Burnley is unfazed. Ted insists that he is not going to have any dealings with Burnley, but the latter shrugs him off. 

That evening, Lara visits Jill. Since Lara has been away for several weeks, she asks how the couple is doing. She offers to be a confidante, reassuring Jill that she is trustworthy. However, Jill does not disclose any new information.