The Green Ring Conspiracy

Whit detects a weak signal from Monty's implanted chip at an industrial park near Connellsville and leaves to investigate. Before going, he asks Eugene to collect a saliva sample from Buck for comparison with the toothpick found near the carnival. Eugene promises to be discreet, but his repeated offers of lemonade, milkshakes, and even a spoon to lick leave Buck bewildered.

Connie meets privately with Professor Trask. He explains that his invitation-only campus group seeks to discover God's beauty in nature, art, and each person's hidden potential. He compares people to a masterpiece whose colors have been covered by the grime of life and promises that the group can help restore their true beauty. Connie finds his explanation interesting, though she wonders how it connects with a personal faith and notices that he treats the Bible mainly as great art. She nevertheless accepts an invitation to attend that afternoon.

During Buck's tour of Whit's End, he becomes especially interested in the locked basement workshop. Matthew arrives and challenges him to prove that the recovered Appleberry is his by entering its password. Before either boy can go downstairs, Katrina calls Buck into her office and confronts him about the false home address. Buck admits the lie but claims that he hid the truth only because he is ashamed of living in poverty. Katrina sympathizes but still insists on receiving his real address.

Eugene finally obtains Buck's discarded toothpick and calls Polehaus. Matthew realizes that the police are investigating Buck, though Eugene will not explain why. Polehaus reports that the presses from Wally's junkyard have been used with Fiber Touch 132 paper and the same green ink found on the counterfeit bills. He now believes that Skint tried to frame Wally. Wally's tracker has also located Skint's hideout off Gold Camp Road.

Buck slips outside and calls Skint. He reports that Katrina has exposed the false address and that Matthew has hidden Dirk's phone in Whit's workshop. Alarmed that their operation is coming apart, Skint orders Buck to take the Appleberry and escape to a meeting place in McAlister Park. Buck returns with another delaying story for Katrina, saying that Skint wants her to call him.

At art class, Penny tells Connie how delighted she is that Trask has personally invited Connie into their group. Penny also confirms that she likes Wooton, yet insists that her new friendship with Connie remains important. She continues pressing Connie to become her business partner and predicts that exciting things are about to happen.

Jay barges into Whit's End and accuses Buck of helping Skint frame Wally. He also reveals that Wally followed them both to the false house and to the Gold Camp Road property. Buck denies everything, announces that he is tired of being accused, and heads for the basement to seize the Appleberry. Eugene follows, knowing that Matthew and the phone are already below.

Whit traces Monty's signal to a run-down industrial building and sees Tanner arrive. Inside, she admits that she took Monty from the carnival, claiming that the kidnapping was part of an effort to convince Dirk and the Stiletto that she would betray her fellow agent for money. Monty, however, has already been moved. A man calling himself the Stiletto enters and orders Tanner taken away. When he removes his hat and sunglasses, Whit recognizes his own son, Jason.