On the flight from Blackie to Chicago, Prusik reviews her finding on the case. The body was confirmed to be Missy Hooper, and interviews revealed that her family recently moved to Blackie from Weaversville. Although the body was found in an advanced state of decomposition, Prusik makes an important discovery: a small stone figurine was found lodged in Hooper’s throat. As she holds the vial containing the figurine, Prusik recalls her days as a graduate student at the University of Chicago. The disappearance of another graduate student doing fieldwork in Papua New Guinea encouraged her to propose a thesis on cannibalism and murder among the Ga-Bong Ga-Bong clan, known for their ritualistic cannibalism. Her work revealed that the Ga-Bong clan attempted to honor victims by placing small stone figurines in their corpses. As Prusik recalls her time in Papua New Guinea, she absentmindedly strokes a long scar stretching from her ribs to her hip on her left side.

After landing in Chicago, Prusik orders her team to check Betsy Ryan’s corpse for evidence of a stone figure. Director Thorne calls and warns that agents from Washington may be coming to take over the case, despite her expertise.

Sheriff McFaron drives to the Templeton house with a book full of photos of vintage trucks to help Joey identify the truck he reported. However, Joey struggles, since the photos are of new trucks, and the one he saw was old and rusted. A sketch artist arrives and creates a preliminary sketch of the suspect based on Joey’s description. Sheriff McFaron is confident that sending out the sketch will help police find the suspect and Julie Heath.

Meanwhile, Claremont’s mother insists on accompanying him to see Dr. Walstein. In addition to his blackout at the restaurant, Claremont recently passed out while driving his father’s tractor, ruining it in the process. During the appointment, it is revealed that Claremont repeatedly urinates in his bed and lies to his parents about his whereabouts, including a recent trip to Chicago. After his mother leaves, Claremont confesses to Dr. Walstein that he feels a dark presence inside himself and worries that he cannot resist its control. Claremont privately wonders if he is committing the violence he sees in his visions.

Prusik meets with a botanist to discuss seeds found on the clothes of Missy Hooper. The botanist identifies the seeds as common farmhouse plants, confirming Prusik’s theory that the suspect is a farm laborer. When the botanist glances at the stone amulet in Prusik’s briefcase, she immediately identifies it as one of five amulets stolen from the museum earlier in the year. She reveals that the amulets and a feathered mask were stolen on the night of an exhibit opening that Prusik also attended. When she takes Prusik to the exhibit to see a similar mask, Prusik has a panic attack and feels herself transported back to Papua New Guinea. She has a traumatic memory of being attacked by a tribal member wearing a feathered mask who attempts to cut her side open. Prusik managed to escape by swimming through the turbulent Turama River. After the traumatic memory passes, Prusik refuses medical attention and attempts to return to her case, secretly worrying that the trauma of the attack might never leave her and wondering how it might be connected to the deaths of Indiana.

On a cloudy day, Jasper is called to a painting job at an old farmhouse. As he waits for the landowner to arrive, he listens to a report about the disappearance of Julie Heath. When the owner arrives, he notices that Jasper’s wrist is bandaged, and suggests that his wife, a nurse, take a look at it. Jasper declines and begins painting the barn. He also declines the man’s offer of sweet tea. Jasper beings painting methodically, losing himself in the work. After several hours, he hears the voices of two young people nearby and starts to follow them. He’s interrupted by the owner, who offers him more work. Jasper declines and feels a dull ache in his body as he longs to follow the voices. He listens to another report on the disappearance of Julie Heath and notes that no new evidence has been found.

Days later, a hunter in the Patrick State Forest discovers a decomposing body revealed to be Julie Heath.

Sheriff McFaron receives an early call asking him to contact Bob Heath, the father of Julie. He feels heartbroken by Bob and his wife’s reaction to the confirmation of their daughter’s murder. He remains deeply disturbed by the memories of Julie’s corpse, which he helps the coroner remove from the crime scene. He alerts his office of Prusik’s upcoming visit but declines to pick her up from the airport.

At the Chicago airport, Prusik runs into Director Thorne, who reveals that he has been speaking to Howard directly about the details of the case. Thorne apologizes for not following the chain of command and acknowledges that he has made her work harder. After arriving in Crosshaven, Prusik takes a cab ride to the coroner’s office, which is in Doc Henegar’s home. Prusik and Henegar discover another stone amulet in Julie Heath’s corpse and trace evidence of urine proteins on her body. They also note that Heath was dead when the cut on her side was made. Prusik hypothesizes that the suspect may have accidentally urinated on the body after being caught in the act of killing.

Restless and agitated, Claremont drives to a farm store near his parents’ home. In the parking lot, he spots a young woman and feels magnetically drawn to her. When she accepts his offer to help her load up her truck, Claremont begins to fantasize about a relationship with her. As he watches her, he begins to feel as if he is watching her through a mask. He attacks her in a fugue state and only comes to when a witness points a gun at him. The witness detains him as police arrive.

In Crosshaven, Prusik and Henegar travel to the crime scene, where they meet Sheriff McFaron. The sheriff and Prusik are immediately attracted to each other, but both repress their feelings. Prusik finds and collects more blood at the scene, and fibers she believes came from Julie’s skirt.

In Parker, Indiana, a young girl named Sarah is walking home from soccer practice when she sees a man in an old truck run over a curb. The man is visibly distressed, crying and moaning. Remembering the disappearance of Julie Heath, Sarah runs as fast as she can back to her home.