𝓓𝓸 𝓸𝓻 𝓓𝓲𝓮 ❣︎ 𝓔𝓶𝓫𝓮𝓻 𝓐𝓭𝓭𝓪𝓶𝓼

𝓢𝓔𝓡𝓘𝓔𝓢 𝓞𝓝𝓔 ❣︎ 22

Mayor Walker had been murdered last night. Apparently, according to what Ember had been told, a gloved hand had pulled the tube on his oxygen supply out.

Either way, the next day, as rain lashed down from the heavens, everyone stood, wearing black, around the grave in the graveyard in Jericho, all with black umbrellas.

Ember stood, wearing a black dress and long coat, beside Xavier. He had offered to, and was, holding an umbrella for the both of them as Ember still had her crutch.

If I Be Wrong by Wolf Larsen, a song known by Ember, was playing in the background, as the ceremony took place. A picture of the mayor stood beside the grave, and the casket, already inside, had many flowers on top of it. The mayor's two children; Lucas, the pilgrim that Ember had now fought twice, was one of them, and his sister, sat beside each other at the front of the crowd. They were both crying, and neither had an umbrella, so rain mingled with tears on their faces.

It seemed the whole of Jericho was there as Ember looked round.

I enjoy funerals.

I've been crashing them since I was old enough to read the obituary section.

I wrote my own at my mother's.

But this is different. Mayor Walker was murdered, and I know the killer is here, standing innocently among us, plotting their next move.

And watching everything I do, Ember thought, wobbling on her crutch slightly. Xavier turned to her, muttering. "You okay?"

Ember turned away, and didn't answer. Xavier could still be the monster, but she had no idea about where they stood. Especially after their hands had touched in the car last night.

I know I'm close to the truth. I have all the pieces of the jigsaw.

I just need to slot them into place.

Ember watched Tyler, looking at her and Xavier... she saw Enid, crying into Ajax's shoulder... Weems... black sunglasses on and an unreadable expression on her face... Kinbott, also indifferent... Thornhill, who was crying... Xavier, who was looking at her again... if only she could see the expression on his face...

"What if I'm wrong?

What if I've lied?

What if I've dragged you here...

To my own dark night..."

Ember sighed as the ceremony ended, and the mayor's children got up, both crying, hugging the sheriff.

Then, slowly, everyone began to move away.

"And what if I know...

What if I see...

There is a crack run right down

The front of me."

As everyone began to move, most crying, some looking remorseful, Xavier looked to Ember, and handed her back the umbrella, leaving without saying anything to her.

She just looked around at the crowd of people, all (supposedly) filled with grief at the mayor's sudden passing.

I must look past the tears and masks of grief. Until now, I may have been outmatched and outmaneuvered, but the final gambit has yet to be played.

Slowly, the whole graveyard emptied, and Ember was left standing on the soaking grass, rain falling around her, as she stood alone.

The killer will make a mistake.