In Chap­ter 6, ten­sion mounts in French Land­ing as Offi­cer Dan­ny Tche­da calls the police depart­ment from a land­line, bypass­ing stan­dard radio pro­ce­dure due to con­cerns about the Fish­er­man case. He reports find­ing a bike and a sneak­er near Max­ton Elder Care, poten­tial evi­dence linked to the recent child abduc­tions. Bob­by Dulac, tak­ing the call, grows uneasy, rec­og­niz­ing the impli­ca­tions. Dan­ny explains he han­dled the items care­ful­ly to avoid pub­lic pan­ic, but Bob­by wor­ries about pro­ce­dur­al breach­es and the auto­mat­ic call record­ing. The chap­ter high­lights the offi­cers’ dread of anoth­er Fish­er­man vic­tim and the strain on the under­staffed police force.

Dale Gilbert­son, the police chief, grap­ples with stress, secret­ly smok­ing despite his wife’s dis­ap­proval. His recent inter­view with Tan­sy Fre­neau, moth­er of miss­ing Irma, was emo­tion­al­ly drain­ing. Dale’s hope that Irma’s father might be respon­si­ble is dashed by an email con­firm­ing his ali­bi. The bul­letin board in Dale’s office, adorned with pho­tos of pre­vi­ous vic­tims, fore­shad­ows Irma’s poten­tial addi­tion. When Bob­by inter­rupts to relay Danny’s call, Dale’s resigned reac­tion under­scores his grow­ing despair over the unsolved cas­es and the community’s ris­ing fear.

Mean­while, Hen­ry Ley­den, a blind DJ, arrives at Max­ton Elder Care to per­form at the Straw­ber­ry Fest dance. Pete Wexler, resent­ful about assist­ing, car­ries Henry’s equip­ment, includ­ing vin­tage records and a white suit. Henry’s cheer­ful demeanor con­trasts with Pete’s irri­ta­tion, and their exchange reveals Henry’s sharp aware­ness despite his blind­ness. The scene shifts focus momen­tar­i­ly but main­tains an under­cur­rent of unease, as Hen­ry notices the ear­li­er police pres­ence at Max­ton, hint­ing at the loom­ing threat of the Fish­er­man.

The chap­ter weaves togeth­er the per­spec­tives of law enforce­ment and civil­ians, empha­siz­ing the per­va­sive anx­i­ety in French Land­ing. Danny’s dis­cov­ery, Dale’s exhaus­tion, and Henry’s arrival all con­tribute to a sense of impend­ing cri­sis. The nar­ra­tive bal­ances pro­ce­dur­al details with emo­tion­al depth, paint­ing a vivid pic­ture of a com­mu­ni­ty on edge. The Fisherman’s shad­ow looms large, affect­ing every char­ac­ter and action, as the town braces for poten­tial tragedy.