Ernie rounds everyone up. Taking in Ernie’s bloody, dirty appearance, Simone makes a quip about a “[p]erilous third act” (267). Brooke tries to make an excuse for being in Fulton’s room, but Fulton tells her that Ernie already knows they’re mother and daughter. The only people Ernie doesn’t rouse are Veronica and her two companions. Inside the bar car, Hatch is interviewing Douglas and tries to stop everyone from coming in. Ernie tells him that this is a writers’ festival and that he’s about to hold a speaking event of his own, to announce his upcoming book: Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect. Ernie asks Hatch whether he has a gun and how many pairs of handcuffs he has with him. Hatch says that he has a Taser and two pairs of handcuffs. Ernie says, “[T]hat’ll have to do” (268), and tells Hatch to arrest Alan Royce.

When Royce protests that he didn’t kill anyone, Ernie clarifies that he’s accusing Royce of helping Wyatt to cover up McTavish’s crime against Fulton. He explains what happened in Edinburgh and accuses Royce (when working as a lab tech) of arranging for the DNA evidence to be compromised, in exchange for a book deal from Wyatt.