The message sat on my screen.<\/p>\n
Marissa was in the hospital.<\/p>\n
Arthur read it twice.<\/p>\n
Priya immediately opened her laptop.<\/p>\n
\u201cDates.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d Malcolm asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we can establish when she was hospitalized, we can compare that against the separation records.\u201d<\/p>\n
Samuel raised a hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to be careful. Medical information isn't something we go digging for casually.\u201d<\/p>\n
Priya nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cPublicly available timing only. No private records without authorization.\u201d<\/p>\n
That boundary mattered.<\/p>\n
Arthur looked at the anonymous number.<\/p>\n
\u201cAsk which hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n
I typed.<\/p>\n
WHICH HOSPITAL?<\/p>\n
No response.<\/p>\n
Thirty seconds.<\/p>\n
A minute.<\/p>\n
Two.<\/p>\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n
Samuel closed the evidence case.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe shouldn't stay here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause if Keene knows the locker exists, we're standing at the location he would expect someone to investigate.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was enough.<\/p>\n
We left through a different exit.<\/p>\n
Samuel took the box.<\/p>\n
Ben remained beside him.<\/p>\n
Arthur, Priya, Malcolm, and I returned to the vehicle.<\/p>\n
No one suggested going home anymore.<\/p>\n
Priya began searching public archives and old employee records.<\/p>\n
She found a former emergency contact for Marissa.<\/p>\n
A sister named Lauren Cole.<\/p>\n
The phone number was inactive.<\/p>\n
An address was several years old.<\/p>\n
Arthur searched social media.<\/p>\n
Nothing recent.<\/p>\n
Marissa's public accounts stopped abruptly around the same period she left the airline.<\/p>\n
Last post: a photo of rain against an airport window.<\/p>\n
No explanation.<\/p>\n
No goodbye.<\/p>\n
No mention of resignation.<\/p>\n
Malcolm stared at his phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind of hospital?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don't know,\u201d Priya said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAccident?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPossibly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIllness?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPossibly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething happened at work?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPossibly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Every answer increased tension.<\/p>\n
I looked at the date of Marissa's termination entry.<\/p>\n
Then at the date of her last social media activity.<\/p>\n
Two days apart.<\/p>\n
\u201cCould she have been hospitalized before they changed the record?\u201d<\/p>\n
Priya checked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur leaned toward her screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cFind payroll.\u201d<\/p>\n
She opened another database.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast paycheck issued the week of separation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBenefits?\u201d<\/p>\n
Priya searched.<\/p>\n
Then stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHer health insurance continued for three months.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter resignation?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's unusual.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cContinuation coverage?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. Active employee coverage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Malcolm leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo the system still treated her like an employee?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPart of the system did.\u201d<\/p>\n
That inconsistency mattered.<\/p>\n
HR said resigned.<\/p>\n
Benefits said active.<\/p>\n
Termination said fired.<\/p>\n
Complaint system said employee departure.<\/p>\n
Different systems told different stories.<\/p>\n
Someone had changed some records.<\/p>\n
But not all.<\/p>\n
Arthur rubbed his jaw.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho managed benefits then?\u201d<\/p>\n
Priya searched.<\/p>\n
\u201cDifferent department.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cReporting to Elaine?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo she may have altered HR separation without changing benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPossible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur looked through the window.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat would explain the mismatch.\u201d<\/p>\n
I asked, \u201cCould Marissa have noticed?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf she was hospitalized, she might not have.\u201d<\/p>\n
The anonymous number finally responded.<\/p>\n
ST. AGNES.<\/p>\n
Priya searched.<\/p>\n
There were several hospitals with that name.<\/p>\n
Arthur asked me to request a city.<\/p>\n
The answer came quickly this time.<\/p>\n
DENVER.<\/p>\n
Arthur looked surprised.<\/p>\n
\u201cDenver?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas Marissa based there?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. Chicago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would she be hospitalized in Denver?\u201d<\/p>\n
Priya searched flight assignments.<\/p>\n
Her eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe worked a Chicago-to-Denver rotation the week before her departure.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat date?\u201d<\/p>\n
Priya gave it.<\/p>\n
Two days before the first separation entry.<\/p>\n
Arthur straightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho else was on the crew?\u201d<\/p>\n
Priya opened the roster.<\/p>\n
Then went silent.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrenda?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The name sat there.<\/p>\n
Brenda Hale.<\/p>\n
Senior flight attendant.<\/p>\n
Marissa Cole.<\/p>\n
Cabin-service supervisor.<\/p>\n
Three other crew members.<\/p>\n
Arthur looked at the roster.<\/p>\n
\u201cWas there an incident?\u201d<\/p>\n
Priya searched.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo passenger incident.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCrew incident?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about medical?\u201d<\/p>\n
She tried another system.<\/p>\n
Then found an operational note.<\/p>\n
CREW MEMBER UNAVAILABLE FOR RETURN SEGMENT \u2014 MEDICAL.<\/p>\n
Arthur leaned closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cName?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn't list one.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt my stomach tighten.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it was Marissa.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLikely.\u201d<\/p>\n
Priya corrected herself.<\/p>\n
\u201cPossibly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
We were all learning to separate what fit from what was proven.<\/p>\n
The car entered a quiet corporate district where Arthur had arranged use of a private conference facility maintained by outside counsel.<\/p>\n
Samuel and Ben met us there twenty minutes later.<\/p>\n
The evidence box went into a secured room.<\/p>\n
The drives and phone were catalogued.<\/p>\n
A forensic technician was called in.<\/p>\n
While we waited, Priya continued searching.<\/p>\n
She found an expense claim.<\/p>\n
Hotel.<\/p>\n
Denver.<\/p>\n
Three extra nights charged to the airline after the rest of the crew returned to Chicago.<\/p>\n
Employee: Marissa Cole.<\/p>\n
Reason: medical hold.<\/p>\n
Arthur stared at it.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo she was definitely kept in Denver.\u201d<\/p>\n
Priya nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid anyone visit her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCompany record doesn't say.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWorkers' compensation?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo claim.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIncident report?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNone.\u201d<\/p>\n
That seemed strange.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf a crew member goes to the hospital during a trip,\u201d I said, \u201cwouldn't someone document why?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUsually,\u201d Arthur said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if she got sick naturally?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStill documented.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Priya found one more clue.<\/p>\n
A transportation voucher.<\/p>\n
Airport to St. Agnes Medical Center.<\/p>\n
Issued under the crew desk.<\/p>\n
Passenger: Marissa Cole.<\/p>\n
There it was.<\/p>\n
Not a guess.<\/p>\n
A record.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe went directly from the airport,\u201d Priya said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d Arthur asked.<\/p>\n
\u201c10:42 p.m.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat time did the flight arrive?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c9:58.\u201d<\/p>\n
Forty-four minutes.<\/p>\n
Something had happened close to landing or shortly afterward.<\/p>\n
Arthur asked for the captain's name on that flight.<\/p>\n
Priya found it.<\/p>\n
Captain Robert Hale.<\/p>\n
I noticed the surname.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo Brenda's\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur stared at the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cHusband.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room went quiet.<\/p>\n
Of course.<\/p>\n
Another relationship.<\/p>\n
Another person tied to the same chain.<\/p>\n
Priya looked troubled.<\/p>\n
\u201cRobert retired last year.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStill local?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur took out his phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm calling him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Samuel stopped him.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore you do, decide whether you want his spontaneous answer preserved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur understood.<\/p>\n
The forensic technician set up a recorded line with legal authorization for the participants on our side.<\/p>\n
Then Arthur called.<\/p>\n
Robert Hale answered on the fourth ring.<\/p>\n
His voice was groggy.<\/p>\n
\u201cArthur?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry to wake you.\u201d<\/p>\n
A pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to ask you about a flight from several years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Robert became more alert.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich flight?\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur gave the number and date.<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Then Robert said, \u201cThat's a long time ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat's this about?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMarissa Cole.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another silence.<\/p>\n
Longer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou captained that flight.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was transported to St. Agnes after landing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Robert breathed out.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone in the room exchanged looks.<\/p>\n
Arthur kept his voice even.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
Robert did not answer immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe had an episode.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMedical.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm asking what occurred on the aircraft.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe became distressed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Robert's voice hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cArthur, I don't see how this is relevant now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHumor me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere had been an argument.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBrenda.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nobody moved.<\/p>\n
Arthur asked, \u201cAbout what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't remember.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Robert exhaled.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome paperwork.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat paperwork?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCrew reports.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPassenger reports?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Marissa accuse Brenda of altering them?\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Then Robert said, \u201cI don't recall the exact words.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Marissa collapse?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she injure herself?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas there a physical confrontation?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean by distressed?\u201d<\/p>\n
Robert's voice became defensive.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was crying. Breathing fast. Said she couldn't feel her hands.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA panic attack?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn't a doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you call medical personnel?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore landing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe requested assistance at the gate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you file a crew medical report?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought operations handled it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you file a report about the argument?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause it wasn't a flight-safety event.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur looked at Priya.<\/p>\n
That answer was important.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo Marissa was upset during a dispute with Brenda over paperwork, required hospital treatment after landing, and there is no internal incident report.\u201d<\/p>\n
Robert's voice sharpened.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't say those things were connected.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said the argument occurred.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then she became distressed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLater.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much later?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMinutes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur's face hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Daniel Keene contact you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Then, \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter we landed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat operations would handle the employee issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he tell you not to document it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Robert did not answer.<\/p>\n
Arthur repeated the question.<\/p>\n
\u201cRobert.\u201d<\/p>\n
Finally: \u201cHe said additional reporting wasn't necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n
Priya closed her eyes briefly.<\/p>\n
Arthur's voice stayed calm.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you find that unusual?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the time? Not really.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel was the regional director.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Brenda is your wife.\u201d<\/p>\n
The line went silent.<\/p>\n
Arthur continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid that affect your judgment?\u201d<\/p>\n
Robert's answer came slower.<\/p>\n
\u201cI tried not to let it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat wasn't my question.\u201d<\/p>\n
Robert sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
At least he admitted it.<\/p>\n
Arthur asked the question we were all thinking.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Marissa return to work after Denver?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were married to Brenda. Surely you heard something.\u201d<\/p>\n
Robert sounded tired now.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrenda said Marissa quit.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA few days later.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you speak to Marissa?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Brenda?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI assume so.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Daniel?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur's voice softened slightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cRobert, this is important. Did Marissa accuse Brenda of anything specific that night?\u201d<\/p>\n
A long pause.<\/p>\n
Then Robert answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said Brenda was changing passenger reports.\u201d<\/p>\n
No one in the room moved.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said Daniel was covering it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur closed his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened next?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey argued.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho started it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Brenda threaten her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're sure?\u201d<\/p>\n
Another pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told Marissa that keeping copies of reports would get her fired.\u201d<\/p>\n
The line became completely silent.<\/p>\n
I looked at the evidence box in the next room.<\/p>\n
Arthur finally asked, \u201cDid Marissa say she had copies?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat exactly did she say?\u201d<\/p>\n
Robert hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said she had enough to prove it.\u201d<\/p>\n
There it was.<\/p>\n
Before the locker.<\/p>\n
Before the termination.<\/p>\n
Before the resignation code.<\/p>\n
Marissa had told Brenda she possessed evidence.<\/p>\n
Arthur thanked Robert and ended the call.<\/p>\n
Nobody spoke for several seconds.<\/p>\n
Then Priya said, \u201cThat gives us context, not proof of what happened afterward.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know,\u201d Arthur said.<\/p>\n
But his face said the context mattered.<\/p>\n
The forensic technician entered.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first flash drive is imaged.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe haven't reviewed content yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The technician plugged the forensic copy into an isolated system.<\/p>\n
Folders appeared.<\/p>\n
Dates.<\/p>\n
Flight numbers.<\/p>\n
Passenger names.<\/p>\n
Then one directory at the bottom.<\/p>\n
DENVER.<\/p>\n
The technician opened it.<\/p>\n
Inside were six audio files.<\/p>\n
Arthur stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlay the earliest.\u201d<\/p>\n
The recording began with cabin noise.<\/p>\n
Voices.<\/p>\n
A cart moving.<\/p>\n
Then Marissa.<\/p>\n
Her voice was controlled but angry.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou cannot keep changing what witnesses wrote.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another woman's voice answered.<\/p>\n
Brenda.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need to stop involving yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marissa responded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are safety records. They aren't yours to rewrite.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then a man's voice.<\/p>\n
Not Robert.<\/p>\n
Not Arthur.<\/p>\n
I recognized it immediately.<\/p>\n
Daniel Keene.<\/p>\n
The recording had apparently captured a phone call on speaker.<\/p>\n
\u201cMarissa, you're making this bigger than it needs to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her voice sharpened.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. You made it bigger when you started deleting statements.\u201d<\/p>\n
The recording ended.<\/p>\n
Nobody moved.<\/p>\n
The technician clicked the second file.<\/p>\n
This one began later.<\/p>\n
Marissa sounded breathless.<\/p>\n
Brenda was saying something too quietly to understand.<\/p>\n
Then Marissa's voice came through clearly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf anything happens to my job after tonight, Arthur Sterling gets everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur stared at the speaker.<\/p>\n
The recording stopped.<\/p>\n
Priya whispered, \u201cShe was trying to reach you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur's face had gone pale.<\/p>\n
The technician opened the third audio file.<\/p>\n
At first, only muffled movement.<\/p>\n
Then Daniel's voice again.<\/p>\n
This time colder.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should think carefully about whether this company is still the right place for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marissa answered, \u201cIs that a threat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen put it in writing.\u201d<\/p>\n
The file ended.<\/p>\n
Arthur stood completely still.<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she ever contact you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're sure?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI would remember.\u201d<\/p>\n
Priya looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe she tried.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur turned toward her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExecutive correspondence gets screened.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy whose office?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt that time?\u201d<\/p>\n
Priya hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cCorporate operations liaison.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
She searched archived staffing records.<\/p>\n
When the name appeared, Arthur's expression became grim.<\/p>\n
\u201cBenjamin Brooks.\u201d<\/p>\n
I remembered the initials.<\/p>\n
BB.<\/p>\n
The notebook.<\/p>\n
BB approved closure.<\/p>\n
BB said keep it operational.<\/p>\n
BB warned me to stop documenting.<\/p>\n
I pointed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's BB.\u201d<\/p>\n
Priya nodded slowly.<\/p>\n
Arthur stared at the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cBenjamin Brooks was chief operating officer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbove Keene,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbove you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Arthur shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. Reported to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was worse.<\/p>\n
The person who may have stopped Marissa from reaching Arthur had worked directly beneath him.<\/p>\n
And suddenly the pattern no longer looked like a regional problem.<\/p>\n
It led straight into the executive floor.<\/p>\n
The message sat on my screen. Marissa was in the hospital. Arthur read it twice. Priya immediately opened her laptop. \u201cDates.\u201d \u201cWhat?\u201d Malcolm asked. \u201cIf we can establish when she … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7414,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7424","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chapter-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7424","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7424"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7424\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7444,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7424\/revisions\/7444"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}