---- Austin answered fast: "Of course! At your service! What's up?" Clara wrote: "Can you find out who's living at 357 Aspen Lane, Unit 3, Apartment 702? If you can get the owner's name, that'd be awesome." That was her old address. Austin said: "Got it!" Clara felt wiped out. She'd barely slept, climbed all day, and this bombshell had her head spinning. She decided to crash first. Austin didn't leave her hanging - the next evening, he called. "Clara, I went to Aspen Lane today. That whole area got demolished back in 2018. I forgot at first - it was a huge deal because it set the record for Silverton's highest demolition payout." Clara's skin went cold. Looking back, everything seemed suspicious. The school staff got yearly physicals, but her dad, a teacher, was only diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer way too ---- late. He barely spent two days in ICU, had divorce papers ready, and the doctor spoke to the family once before telling them to stop treatment. Then, a year later, the house got demolished - that payout must've been massive. Creepy! Maybe Dad was still alive. Austin added, "About the current resident and hospital records, I'll have to ask around. That could take a few days." "No need," Clara said, steady. "It's not urgent." Austin replied, "Okay, if you need anything, just shout. Don't hesitate!" "Thanks! Next time you're in Greystone, dinner's on me." Clara hung up. Some things needed pros. She logged onto the web, found a top-rated private investigator in Silverton, and reached out. Clara said, "Hi! I want to check on someone's situation from 2017 till now. How long does that usually take?" ---- The agent replied fast, "Hello! It depends on how much info you provide and who the subject is. But we start work immediately once we get a case." Clara didn't hesitate. "Okay! I'm ordering now." She wired the deposit right away. "We got your deposit. We're assigning our top investigator, Brody Vale. He'll contact you soon. Feel free to reach out with questions." Clara replied, "Okay!" Half an hour later, Brody sent a friend request. "Hi! I'm Brody. Please provide as many details as possible about the person you want investigated." Clara wrote, "Owen Hartley, male, 55 years old. Last time I saw him was in 2018 at St. Benedict's General Hospital ICU. I want to know what's happened to him since then." "Before 2018, he lived at 357 Aspen Lane, Unit 3, Apartment 702. He worked at Silverton Central Elementary as the academic affairs director." ---- Brody replied, "Got it. I'll start tomorrow. Stay in touch!" Clara's heart tightened painfully. She paced the room like a trapped animal, arms hugging herself, her brain a fog. Whenever a crisis hit, she missed Mom the most. But how could Mom leave her all alone? Should she loop Sierra in? Nah, no point worrying others before knowing the facts.