The final incident began with a telephone call to the fire station.
A caller reported smoke coming from Lena’s shed and claimed that children were trapped behind the fence.
The dispatcher sent a crew because the report described an immediate danger.
Lena was at the grocery store when the engine arrived.
Malik saw it turn onto Alder Street and hurried from his truck.
The firefighters approached the property, announced themselves, and checked the shed from outside.
They found no smoke, fire, or trapped children.
A crew member called the dispatcher to update the report.
Ben came out of his house with Maisie behind him.
He told her to stay on the porch.
Ruth arrived a moment later and asked whether anyone was hurt.
The crew leader assured her that no emergency had been found.
Lena returned while the firefighters were preparing to leave.
She parked at the corner and approached on foot.
“Is everyone safe?” she asked.
The crew leader nodded.
He explained the report and asked whether she had noticed anything unusual at the shed.
Lena told him about the ongoing investigation without naming a suspect.
She offered to let him inspect the interior if he needed to confirm the absence of a hazard.
He checked the shed with her present and found nothing concerning.
The crew departed after advising her to report any genuine emergency immediately.
Lena watched the engine disappear around the corner.
She felt angry in a way she had not felt during the earlier incidents.
The false report had taken emergency workers away from people who might truly need them.
It had also frightened Maisie and several other children.
Dana called that evening.
She said the fire department had referred the false report for review.
The call’s origin had not yet been established.
Lena asked whether Celia had been questioned.
“We are following the information we have,” Dana replied.
“I can’t give you more than that.”
Lena understood the answer.
She did not enjoy it.
After the call, she walked into the garden and found Malik repairing a loose board on the shed door.
“The firefighters said the shed was fine,” she told him.
“It is,” he replied.
“The board was bothering me.”
Lena watched him work for a moment.
“I don’t want to live like this,” she said.
Malik set down his hammer.
“Then don’t make this the only thing in your life.”
“It’s difficult when someone keeps sending strangers to my door.
”
“I know.”
He gestured toward the rosemary plants along the fence.
“You wanted a garden.”
“I still do.”
“Then plant something tomorrow.”
Lena looked at the freshly repaired shed.
“That sounds like advice from someone who hasn’t spent eleven years investigating dangerous behavior.”
“It’s advice from someone who has spent twenty years building things people are supposed to enjoy.”
She smiled reluctantly.
“You win that argument.”
“I’m putting it on the calendar.”
