Content Warning: Both the source text and this guide contain extensive descriptions of racism, xenophobia, racist violence, mental health crises, addiction, suicidal ideation, suicide, murder, police corruption, and organized crime. The source text also makes use of racist slurs, which this guide obscures.

Michael is now the only one in the 10-room apartment. After Johnnie gets out of the Seals, he takes the apartment. He is welcomed back to Southie and begins spending time with Frankie’s old circle. Michael avoids Southie whenever possible, and he and Johnnie rarely see each other. 

The younger children do not enjoy Colorado. Ma pretends to, but Michael suspects that she doesn’t like it, either. Seamus and Stevie tell Michael that there is no excitement there. Ma sends the two of them on a two-week visit to Southie to see Michael. A few days into the visit, Stevie’s best friend, Tommy Viens, finds one of Johnnie’s guns. Tommy dies of a gunshot wound to the head, which is ruled as a potential suicide. Detective O’Leary takes Stevie to the station for questioning, since he was in the apartment when Tommy died. When Michael and Johnnie get to the station, O’Leary is questioning Stevie and accusing him of the murder.