The room was silent as he spoke, as if holding on to each and every word.
“We have a strong working theory,” he continued. “And we are confident the individual responsible will be identified and apprehended. This individual isn’t as smart as they think theyare. On behalf of the Ember Hollow Fire Department, I ask that if anyone has any information pertaining to the fires, or if you’ve seen anything suspicious on the dates in question, please contact this helpline.”
His eyes swept the room as he spoke, steady and unflinching as he read out a number for people to call. Then, he opened the room up for questions.
Immediately, I knew it was a mistake.
The woman with the mic clipped to her shirt raised her hand and started to speak before being asked. “Chief Ramsey, is this connected to the Shadow Stalker?”
Another voice layered over hers. “Do you believe the escaped suspect is targeting Ember Hollow again?”
Roman didn’t flinch.
“This press conference is about the fires,” he said calmly. “We are investigating evidence related to those incidents. Any other matters remain under federal jurisdiction and the county sheriff’s department.”
The reporters didn’t seem to like that.
“But you’re not denying a connection?” someone pressed.
“I won’t be commenting on that at this time,” Roman replied.
The room stirred. He didn’t raise his voice or seem rattled, but there was steel in it now.
“What I will say is this—these fires were meant to intimidate. They were meant to create fear. To the people of Ember Hollow, this isyourtown. Your home. As someone sworn to protect this community, I will not allow Amos Anderson, or anyone else, to take it from you.”
Pride stirred in me at his words. Roman wasn’t only the fire chief…he was a man, a citizen of this town, who refused to let it burn down around him.
“Chief Ramsey,” the woman with the microphone clipped to her called out, “do you believe Anderson is targeting your family specifically?”
The room went silent. It wasn’t a secret that Hearthstone Security had been set ablaze. The Ramseys had been at the front of this for a while now.
Roman didn’t hesitate.
“This investigation is about the safety of the entire community,” he said. “We will follow the evidence wherever it leads.”
It was a non-answer, but also a warning.
The sheriff stepped forward, signaling the end of the formal statement. The room’s volume rose, questions flying from every direction.
I exhaled slowly, not realizing I’d been holding my breath.
Somewhere in Ember Hollow, the Shadow Stalker was listening.
Theafternoonpassedina blur.
First, it was waiting for the media to clear out of city hall. They weren’t happy about not getting the answers they wanted. A few of them lingered in the hallway outside the conference room, circling like they thought persistence alone might crack someone open and give them the lead they wanted. Two reporters even approached the Ramsey brothers directly, trying to pry loose any detail that hadn’t been said at the podium.
But the brothers were surprisingly good at evading them.
After that, it was meetings.
I sat through a debrief about how the press conference had gone. Then another discussion about the upcoming charity event for the coffee shop and what security would be like. Police officers filtered in and out. Someone from the state fire marshal’s office joined via speakerphone.
Maps were spread across folding tables. Floor plans. Security layouts. Timelines.
At some point, I had no idea what time it was.
I only knew I was exhausted.
