Gabriel
- Gabriel knows they'll want to speak to him about the female bones. It'll probably end up being McIllwraith, who Finnigan loves to mock.
- Unexpectedly, Gabriel can't breathe. He remembers Vernon dying, and Sarah rushes in to help him.
- He takes a couple minutes to calm down, and when he does, Sarah helps change him since he wet his nightgown in the scare.
- He asks her if someone has come by to see him; it's clear he's waiting for someone specific.
- Gabriel remembers that the first time he saw Sarah was in a photograph of her when she was young. His mom told him that Sarah didn't want to be a part of the family anymore, which confused Gabriel since she sent him the toy car and other knick-knacks. But this just made his mom more annoyed.
- Gabriel tells Sarah—in the present—that he doesn't want to see his parents, so don't bother letting them in. She assures him that she won't allow anyone to come in and he's safe with her.
- As he drifts off to sleep, Gabriel remembers being a kid. For a while, nothing happened, but then he got a present: a doorknob on his windowsill.
- It was from an outhouse that burned down from a fire that Finnigan started. Gabriel knows it's a message from Finnigan, and is worried about what he might do next.
- Meanwhile, Constable McIllwraith starts hunting the arsonist. Everyone in town is up in arms about the fires, and worried about what will burn down next.
- One day, Gabriel asks Finnigan if he's ever going to put an end to the burning. Finnigan replies that he will when no one else deserves it—he's only hurting people who are jerks, after all.
- Gabriel can hardly believe it, especially since Finnigan burned Raffe Lowe's car for no reason other than it stunk.
- He also notices that Finnigan hits people who have wronged Gabriel in some way. The store clerk who ratted him out to his mom for stealing a piece of candy, or the kid who mocked him at school—it's like Finnigan is exacting his retribution on society for Gabriel's hurt.
- Gabriel thinks about turning Finnigan in, but then knows he'd go down with his bestie. There's no way of destroying one without the other because of their pact.
- During all this soul-searching on Gabriel's part, the town starts to react to the fires. And guess what? Everyone's outraged and wants to find the culprit. Shocking, we know.
- People start listening to Gabriel's dad, Henry, since he's the town's only lawyer. Not knowing whom to blame, the finger points to Constable McIllwraith for not finding the arsonist.
- The two men—McIllwraith and Henry—begin an all-out war. Both gain support from people in the community, and both start launching verbal attacks on the other.
- To retaliate, McIllwraith seeks Gabriel's help. He wants the inside scoop on where his dad is meeting with his rebels and what they are talking about. At first, Gabriel's hesitant about double-crossing his dad, for fear of getting whipped again, but then Finnigan convinces him to trust McIllwraith and spy on his dad. The guy is the police, after all, and Gabriel's dad is just a lawyer—it's not his job to catch the bad guys.
- Finally Gabriel agrees and starts slipping the 411 to McIllwraith about his dad.
- Finnigan tells Gabriel the fires have to continue, no matter what. Gabriel's not so sure, though. Hasn't the town had enough now? Besides, he's not sure how much longer he can protect Finnigan's secret.
- "You are just as much to blame as I am," Finnigan claims, and he warns Gabriel that he better not blab. Or else.
- Then Finnigan decides it's time for Gabriel to irritate his dad. It dawns on Gabriel that everything Finnigan does reflects on Gabriel, and everything Gabriel does reflects on Finnigan because of their pact.
- One night, Gabriel's family finds their car on fire. Gabriel knows this is what Finnigan had in mind when he said Gabriel's dad needs to get angry—but surprisingly, Henry doesn't get mad. He knew something of his would be burned sooner or later.
- Everyone starts blaming everyone else for the fires. At first, people are on Henry's side in blaming the Constable for not finding the arsonist, but before long, people split up and blame each other. Chaos ensues. As it goes in such situation.
- The real shocker? Gabriel's dad buys a dog during this time.