Hollow Fires

As the police swarm Mirza Emporium, Safiya asks her mom how she can be so calm. Her mom responds, “They want us to live in constant fear; we are not about to let them. Our existence is not controversial, and this is our home. Full stop. We don’t have to prove anything to anyone” (242). Safiya goes inside for a cup of tea and walks in on two of the officers reviewing the video footage. The vandalizer hid their face on camera. The officers—both white—ask Safiya some questions and she tells them about the Nietzschean quotes and her confrontation with Nate. The officers assume that because Safiya didn’t tell anyone about the incident, it must not have been too problematic. One officer asks her if Nate and Richard were fighting over her romantically or if Safiya didn’t tell her parents because, “‘maybe they don’t want you hanging with boys who aren’t your culture?’” (246). Safiya is frustrated that the officers are making assumptions about her dating life rather than taking her statement seriously. When Safiya tells the officers Nate’s full name, they recognize him as the alderman’s son, and advise Safiya to move on because Nate is rich, well-connected, and probably only bothering Safiya because he has a crush on her. Rather than argue with the officer, Safiya walks out of the room.

At her dad’s urging, Safiya goes to school after talking with the police. Dakota, Richard’s former fling, intentionally bumps into Safiya in the hall, upset that Safiya is going with Richard to the Winter Ball. Dakota shows off her scarf, which she says was a gift from Richard after his winter break trip to London. Safiya is shocked that Richard had been in London at the time the threatening letter was sent to the mosque, and that he hadn’t told her. Overwhelmed, Safiya goes to the nurse’s offices and then leaves school for the day.

 As a ghost, Jawad can see people’s true nature in a way he couldn’t when he was alive. He says, “The most terrifying monsters are the ones you know. The ones who smile. The ones who say please and thank you” (253). He concludes that people hide their true intentions because they enjoy the cruelty when their “victims turn in shock to see who they really are” (253).

Usman and Asma text Safiya to check on her after she leaves school, and Usman tells Safiya that he heard Nate arguing with someone, saying, “You’re having second thoughts now cuz of her? She doesn’t scare me” (255). Safiya assumes Nate was talking about her to Joel, but then she considers that Richard was in London and may be lying to her. Richard texts Safiya a few minutes later to check on her after her run in with Dakota, and he calls Dakota a bitch. Safiya confronts him about calling Dakota a bitch, and about being in London over break, but she’s put off by his responses, thinking, “He was trying to protect me, but it felt, I dunno, dismissive?” (257). Safiya decides that to find the truth she must follow the whispers to Jackson Park.

Safiya texts Asma that she’s going to Jackson Park, then she heads to the secret spot in the park that Nate talked about on his channel.

Jawad whispers to Safiya: “I can hear you. I’m here. Help me. Please. Hurry” (261).

Safiya finds Nate’s secret spot and sees the culvert. She walks towards it, falling into rotten leaves along the way, and then sees a canvas shoe sticking out of the ground. She walks closer and sees the body.

Jawad is scared, but whispers to Safiya, “You’re here” (265). He references a time in the past where he and Safiya met each other and she was kind to him. He wonders if he’ll be able to rest now that Safiya has found his body.

Safiya takes a moment alone with Jawad before calling the police, saying a prayer for him. She finds a broken pair of green glasses that look just like Nate’s. Safiya wants to take the glasses because she’s worried the police will miss them, but ultimately, she just takes a picture of them. The police arrive and a white officer approaches Safiya with his gun raised. Safiya is terrified. The officer lowers his gun, and Safiya is brought to an ambulance to be treated for shock while the police search the scene. When the EMTs place Jawad’s body on the stretcher, Safiya sees his hand of Fatima keychain and recognizes it. It used to be hers. Safiya’s parents come to pick her up and the police find the glasses. Safiya tells them that they belong to Nate.

By April 2023, Jawad’s parents have started the Jawad Ali Foundation for Refugee Youth. In this transcript, Jawad’s parents share the voicemail that Jawad had recorded on his phone before his death. After playing the voicemail, Jawad’s mom says, “I used to tell him he was my bright, bright star. And now in our life there is only darkness. A black hole where joy once lived” (273).

The reporter breaks the discovery of Jawad’s body and includes quotes from residents of the neighborhood who wonder why the police didn’t extend their search to all of Jackson Park.

The police keep Jawad’s body in the morgue during the investigation, denying his parents the traditional three days of mourning. Jawad considers the similarities between his murder and the murder of Black teens by law enforcement.

When Safiya gets home, she’s exhausted. She texts Asma, “I think it was Nate” (282). Asma calls her immediately, and Safiya shares the picture of the glasses from the crime scene. They identify the shop in London where the glasses were made, and plan to call to investigate. Asma encourages Safiya to stay home from school the next day so she can rest.

Jawad tells the story of how he first met Safiya. Jawad is three or four years old and he and his mom are attacked on the street by a white man who yells, “‘Go home, terrorist! Ragheads!’” (285). Jawad and his mom duck into Mirza Emporium. The owners, Safiya’s parents, offer Jawad’s mom some tea and Jawad sits down with a young Safiya as she colors a picture. Safiya offers Jawad her hand of Fatima keychain, “‘It’s for protection [...] it will keep you safe’” (287). Jawad and his mom stay until the danger passes.

Safiya sends an email to the eyewear shop that made the glasses from the crime scene, pretending to be a fan of Fowl Play looking for a lookalike of Nate’s glasses. The store representative emails back, confirming that the shop did make Nate’s glasses, but that each pair is unique and custom made so they can’t just resell the same pair.

Safiya tells Asma about her email exchange with the eyewear shop, and Asma encourages her to share the information with the anonymous tip line. Safiya is discouraged by police inaction. Safiya wants to “force [the police] to move faster” by engaging people on social media (292). She and Asma work together to start a Reddit page for information about Jawad’s disappearance, coupled with the hashtag #JusticeforJawad.

An article, written by Safiya and posted anonymously, summarizes the facts of Jawad’s case, including the Islamophobia that motivated his killer. She encourages readers to use #JusticeforJawad to keep “his case front and center in the news, which is already starting to forget about him” (297).

Jawad watches his parents grieve, wishing that they could bury him. They’ve been told by the authorities that Jawad’s body must stay in the morgue while the investigation is ongoing. As Jawad’s mom cries herself to sleep that night, Jawad puts his hand on his mom’s and she seems to notice his presence. She tells him that she loves him.

A Reddit post includes all the details about Jawad’s case as well as links to news stories about Jawad’s arrest. The replies on the post include a tip about a black Chrysler that matches the description of the car that Jawad got in on the day of his murder. A user named RyngofFyre replies that they have a tip to share privately.

Richard finds Safiya at school and asks her if she’s been avoiding him. Safiya is nervous around Richard, but her nerves turn to anger as Richard starts dismissing her fears about Jawad and the murder case. Later that day, Asma calls Richard’s behavior a red flag, but Safiya doesn’t share her worry that Richard is somehow involved. User RyngofFyre privately messages the Reddit page to share that “about two weeks ago, a black sedan, a Chrysler 200, was rented at Anderson Car Rental to a guy named Fred Nietzsche” (311). Safiya decides to take the bus to the car rental place after school, even though Asma is worried about Safiya pursuing the case alone.

Jawad sits by the lake, wondering whether he will ever be at rest. He is worried about Safiya, but has noticed that the more he haunts her, the less rest she gets.

Safiya arrives at the car rental shop and asks the manager for information about the Chrysler under the guise of an investigative report she’s pretending to do for the Spectator. The manager tells Safiya that he won’t reveal client information and that he can’t be held liable for anything related to the case. Disappointed, Safiya goes to leave the shop and is approached by one of the shop employees who reveals himself as RyngofFyre. He says that two people rented the car, one with green glasses and one with a captain jacket. Safiya shows him a picture of Richard and he confirms that Richard was one of the guys who rented the car. As Safiya makes her way home, she gets a text from Richard who wants to meet at Medici to talk. Furious, Safiya agrees to meet him so that she can uncover the truth.

A report shows the police’s response to the #JusticeforJawad Reddit post; they advise anyone with information to contact the police tip line.

Safiya texts Asma to tell her that she’s meeting Richard at Medici. Safiya also leaves a voicemail for Detective Diaz, including a photo of the receipt from the car rental shop. When Safiya arrives at Medici, Richard meets her outside with a hot chocolate. They talk briefly about the paper and Jawad, but when Safiya suggests they go inside, Richard twists her arm to keep her in place. Safiya punches Richard, who calls her a “dirty raghead” (332). Safiya runs away, but Richard chases her on foot while Nate follows behind in his car. Richard tackles Safiya, who hears Jawad’s whispered warnings to run and fight. Richard pins Safiya and quotes Nietzsche, but before he can hurt her anymore, Asma crashes her car into Nate’s car, freeing Safiya.

Jawad tells Safiya that she’s going to be okay and thanks her for helping him.