The four cadets sit down to a lovely home-cooked meal with Gamache, Reine-Marie, and Ruth. Gamache explains that this is all part of the mystery. Since Three Pines clearly exists, why is it not represented on any maps? He explains about the strange map having been found in the bistro walls. To avoid having them drive on isolated roads late at night, the cadets are invited to spend the night at Gamache’s home. Gamache wakes to a sound in the middle of the night and comes downstairs to find Amelia in his study, looking at some of his framed photos. When he sees Amelia looking at a photo of his parents, he tells her firmly to leave. Amelia reflects that, while she has heard many negative things about Gamache from Leduc and those loyal to him, “she found it hard to reconcile these rumors with the man himself” (90).

A week later, Gamache talks on the phone with Reine-Marie early one morning. He has spent the night at the academy, but she is in Three Pines. Gamache is cut off by the sound of shouting and goes to investigate. Just outside of Leduc’s room, Nathaniel has dropped the breakfast tray he was carrying into the room and started screaming, reacting to what he saw inside the room.