The Witch Elm

Toby remains at Ivy House in a melancholic state, and the Hennessy family forgoes their Sunday lunch tradition. Rafferty comes to Ivy House, entering the unlocked front door and startling Toby on the back patio. He mentions Toby’s involvement with Tiernan’s fraud at the art gallery and then asks about counterfeit emails sent to Dominic from an anonymous account. Toby recalls sending Dominic the emails as a prank: Although he left out names, he pretended to be Susanna and reciprocated Dominic’s advances. He realizes he played a role in encouraging Dominic to terrorize Susanna, who ultimately murdered Dominic in self-defense. Toby finally realizes how thoughtless he was as a teenager, and that Hugo must have known Dominic’s body was in the wych elm tree; he chose to protect his family by remaining silent. However, knowing he was about to die, Hugo orchestrated a treasure hunt for Zach and Sallie, not wanting to leave the skeleton for future homeowners to deal with.

Rafferty confesses he suspected Hugo as the murderer from the start of the investigation. However, he planned to charge Toby, despite his innocence. When Toby asks why Rafferty would target him instead of Leon, Rafferty admits Toby’s physical limitations (his slurred speech, memory loss, ptosis, etc.) would make him look guilty to a jury. Rafferty believed Hugo would protect Toby by confessing, so he convinced Toby of his own impending arrest.

Toby punches Rafferty, surprising them both. Rafferty charges Toby, and the two engage in a brawl resulting in Rafferty’s death. Toby feels remorse and swallows an entire bottle of Xanax, intending to die by suicide. He thinks of Melissa and his mother as he falls asleep.

Toby wakes up in the hospital. At some point after taking the Xanax, he called Melissa to apologize, though he cannot remember making the call. Worried, Melissa called Toby’s mother, who found Toby near death at Ivy House. Toby’s parents immediately hire a lawyer upon finding Rafferty’s body in the garden. Toby’s slurred voicemail to Melissa details how Rafferty snuck up on him and illegally entered the property. Toby’s lawyer argues for self-defense and insists Toby testify during the trial, describing his physical and mental afflictions to provoke sympathy from the jury. The jury convicts Toby of manslaughter, and the judge sentences him to two years in a mental health facility.

Susanna visits Toby in the hospital. She describes her initial anger after killing Dominic, believing he transformed her into a killer. However, she has come to accept that her ability to kill another person has always been a part of her identity; this ruthlessness is as much a part of her identity as Toby’s luck and privilege. Later, Detective Martin visits Toby and asks him to identify one of his attackers in a lineup. Toby becomes distressed when he sees his attacker, remembering his stench. Martin explains that Dean Colvin, one of the artists featured in the art show for disadvantaged youth, was caught wearing Toby’s grandfather’s watch. Tiernan hired Colvin to rob and assault Toby after his termination from the art gallery; however, Colvin will avoid conviction for lack of evidence.

The Hennessy family sells Ivy House to pay for Toby’s legal bills. Toby’s physical limitations improve as he serves his time in the hospital. Upon release, his uncle Oliver recommends an entry-level position at a large PR firm. Toby still struggles with what he eventually learns is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), especially at night. However, he still considers himself lucky—though he now views his luck as his fatal flaw.