The case was closed. Caleb Ward had been presumed dead. Somehow, no one had connected this unknown patient with this missing man. She stared at the “Next-of-kin contact: Rachel Ward”, pulse quickening. But the old number listed beneath it didn’t connect anymore. There was an empty signal and silence.
She contacted the county sheriff’s office next, asking for any information on the missing geologist and telling them about her suspicion. The detective who took her call paused when she mentioned the name “Caleb Ward.” The case, he said, had gone cold long ago—no body, only scattered gear recovered after the storm.