One name in the Whitmore faculty records made Marcus go still: Dr Elena Vasquez, a generation-defining researcher in animal trauma behaviour, who vanished from public record four years ago. Priya’s research note read: Vasquez had one graduate student in her final year. Her name is redacted.
In the morning, Wren was already in the corridor before Marcus arrived. Three new pages filled her notepad. She had spent two hours questioning the chef about feeding schedules and container types. “The bowl,” she said when Marcus appeared. “It needs to change today. Before anything else.”