The report included the same sister’s name: Rachel Ward. Some technological gap, or human oversight, had failed to connect the missing scientist with the anonymous patient rescued near the mine. The file ended there. With an old address, a phone number that no longer worked, and a note that said simply: Presumed deceased.
Setting aside her frustration, Helen spent the evening tracing every digital breadcrumb until one result stood out: R. Ward, Environmental Science Department, retired in 2021. Could it be? Helen stared at the email address for a long moment, fingers hovering over the keyboard.