An early morning check of the clinic’s communication system validated both Luke and Emma’s suspicions; a message had been sent to the local Community Safety Office minutes after their departure the previous evening. As expected, text and personal identity details had been suppressed, but the culprit had to be cleaner Gina Redden, the only staff member remaining on the premises. Prior to contacting Officer Martels, Luke called Emma to make certain their information tallied. For her part, Emma reported that she’d considered it prudent to advise Dr Patterson of the hoax. Gina might have seen Luke open the clinic door, but she couldn’t have heard his whispered instructions unless she was standing right behind him, which seemed unlikely.
Blackmail had been Emma’s initial deduction. Under norm
