She combed through his published papers until a familiar name surfaced—Dr. Mark Yeats, listed as his former assistant. Helen drafted an email using her credentials: I’m treating a patient whose language patterns match your late colleague’s research. Any context about the Marlin Ridge project could help his rehabilitation.
The response came just after midnight. “Ward predicted an underground pressure inversion beneath Marlin Ridge,” Yeats wrote. “He argued the vents were sealing from below, trapping heat. Nobody funded mitigation. Then he vanished before publishing.” Helen stared, one question pulsing in her mind: Did he vanish, or was his work buried?