The women discuss the suspicious meeting, noting that the sheriff either saw nothing wrong with his behavior or felt untouchable. June urgently signals that Estella wants them to follow her and Fenton, who are leaving the bar together by golf cart. The three women pursue them to the thermal pools, which are closed for the night. June uses her employee access to get them inside, where they hide in the bathhouse.

They overhear Estella and Fenton skinny-dipping in the pools. Estella offers intimacy for information, asking about Neil’s death. Fenton claims that Neil sent a group text about facing his mistakes and had a mental-health crisis. He dismisses Neil’s aunt and uncle as concerned only with burial costs. When Estella asks if Fenton would pay someone to push a partner in front of a train, he becomes angry and breaks a glass. A physical struggle ensues, and Fenton tries to force himself on Estella. June flips on the lights and announces that the area is closed, causing Fenton to flee. The women find the angry marks that Fenton left on Estella’s neck, but she refuses to involve Sheriff Hendricks, preferring to use the incident as leverage for more information. They divide investigative tasks: Nora will pursue the banking connection, Hester will question the sheriff, and June will observe his wife at the pools.

Upon returning to the bar to retrieve her forgotten purse, Nora is accidentally knocked down by a young boy and badly twists her ankle. An elderly bellhop summons paramedic Jedediah “Jed” Craig.

Expecting an older man, Nora is startled to find that Jed is young and strikingly handsome. As he gently examines her ankle, his touch triggers brief memories of her accident, but his careful attention keeps her grounded. He determines that the ankle likely isn’t broken and helps her into June’s Bronco, whispering that she was the best part of his day.

The following day, Nora hobbles to work with a carved walking stick. A handsome customer buys a book but then returns to complain about its ambiguous ending. During their discussion, Nora realizes that the man is Collin Stone, a Pine Ridge Properties partner. She improvises, claiming that she’s interested in applying for a Meadows home loan. Collin says that Neil was a go-getter and suggests that villains are more complex than heroes. Nora observes that Collin seems to be concealing his true feelings about Neil’s death.

At the bank, Dawson Hendricks is solicitous about her injury. During the loan-application process, Nora quotes Virginia Woolf to explain the importance of her bookstore. Dawson promises to “work some magic” to approve her loan despite her poor qualifications (104). While signing forms, Nora notices that his pen bears the name Annette Goldsmith—initials that she connects to the napkin Estella had seen at Fenton’s table, suggesting Annette’s involvement in the conspiracy.

Estella drives Nora to the Pink Lady Grill, where the four women gather for dinner. Estella proposes that the “Buford” on Fenton’s napkin refers to Sheriff Hendricks, drawing on the Buford T. Justice character from Smokey and the Bandit. The others agree that this implicates both Hendricks brothers in the conspiracy.

June takes her turn to share her story. While working at an assisted-living facility in New York, she secretly organized an unauthorized trip to a traveling carnival for the residents. During the outing, a resident had a fatal heart attack. His family sued June and the facility for wrongful death. June lost the lawsuit, her job, and her savings. Her son, Tyson, unable to attend college as a result, became estranged from her and refused all contact. The women comfort June. Estella and Hester tell Nora that they see her, not her scars, which deeply moves her.

Nora recounts her bank meeting, concluding that Dawson was recruiting her with loan approval as the reward. Later, while alone at Miracle Books, Collin appears at the door. He mentions that her loan was approved and implies that he influenced the decision, suggesting that she fits the profile of a person they want in the community. After he leaves, Nora feels like the visit was a veiled warning.

That night, Nora dreams of a burning train. Early the next morning, June calls from outside Estella’s house, where police vehicles are present—Estella has been arrested for the murder of Fenton.