On Wednesday morning, Leanne, Andy, and Grace arrive at the Stowe property for the search. They are met by friends, including Julie and her brother, Isaac, who plans to film the event for social media. Simon approaches the Frasers and explains that Nina would not have gone hiking on Saturday, as she was tired and had twisted her ankle. His eyes grow damp only when speaking to Grace. The search groups disperse but find nothing.

Later, Julie privately tells Leanne that a friend’s retired cadaver dog, Trudy, alerted at an area of disturbed ground on a deer track. When the searchers return at dusk, Leanne sees forensics technicians at the house. She overhears an expert telling Matthew that one of the floors inside was scrubbed with a detergent containing sodium percarbonate, a chemical that prevents luminol tests from detecting blood. The Jordans, who have arranged a catered barbecue for the volunteers, are making sure everyone gets food. Seeing Simon there, Leanne is overwhelmed with rage, runs toward him, and punches him in the face.

Matthew pulls Leanne off Simon and drives her to the police station, where he charges her with assault. Thinking of the cadaver dog’s alert, Leanne tells Matthew that “Julie Bradley told [her] everything” and insists that Simon killed Nina (213). Matthew misunderstands and accidentally reveals that Julie saw bruises on Nina’s arms that she believes were caused by Simon—information Leanne and Andy didn’t know.

Back at the station, Sarah Jane reports two credible but unconfirmed sightings of Nina in Boston on the previous Saturday night. She also informs Matthew that the station has received malicious calls falsely accusing Andy of being a pedophile.

During the search at Stowe, Rory had told Matthew that the cameras had been installed but were not yet commissioned due to a pending router. Matthew relays this to Sarah Jane back at the station. Lacking enough concrete evidence to get a warrant for the Jordans’ home, Matthew calls a contact in the K-9 unit to request an official search of the area where the retired cadaver dog had alerted. Andy and Grace arrive at the police station to take Leanne home.

On the drive home, Grace is angry with Leanne for attacking Simon, whom she believes is innocent. Once home, Leanne immediately leaves again, telling her family she will be back shortly. She goes to the bar where Julie works to speak with her privately. Julie reveals that a few weeks ago, Nina came to the bar and “when it got late, she asked [Julie] about [her mother’s abusive ex-boyfriend]. She wanted to know what kind of thing had set him off” (231). Julie tells Leanne she also noticed fingerprint-shaped bruises on Nina’s wrist during that same encounter. When Julie asked her about them, Nina had denied Simon was abusive and claimed the bruises were from a climbing accident. Shaken by the confirmation that Simon was abusing her daughter, Leanne gets to her car, vomits in the parking lot, and weeps.

Andy reflects on the search, recalling how the sight of the Jordans’ catered barbecue setup enraged him, and how his confrontation with Rory distracted him at the exact moment that Leanne punched Simon. When Leanne returns from the bar, she tells Andy everything: The cadaver dog’s alert, the floor cleaner that hides blood evidence, and Julie’s story about Simon bruising Nina. Leanne then shows Andy a malicious video Grace received. The video uses clips from the press conference to make Leanne appear suspicious, and the comments are filled with vicious attacks and conspiracy theories, including false accusations that Andy is a pedophile. Leanne reveals that some of Grace’s friends have sent messages asking if she feels safe at home with her father. Despite her conviction that Simon killed Nina, Leanne tells Andy they have to hold on to hope.

Back at their Waitsfield home, Rory confronts Simon and reveals that he found Nina’s body in the woods. Simon confesses to killing Nina but insists it was an accident. He claims that during an argument Nina followed him from room to room, kept pulling at him, and grabbing his arm. When he pushed her off, she stumbled and hit her head on the stone hearth. He says he panicked and buried her, certain no one would believe it was an accident. Rory tells Simon that he moved the body to a location where it will never be found. He makes a pact with his son: They will never speak of the incident again, not even to Jamie, and Simon must stick to his story. Rory rationalizes his cover-up by telling himself that it was a terrible accident and that his son is not a murderer, but he remains haunted by the memory of the severe bruise on the side of Nina’s face.