Scales''s eyes sharpened.


    "Ah, who cares!" Mamie waved a hand dismissively. "Why overthink it? If the university really wants something, they''lle to us. We''ll find out then, right? No point in guessing."


    "You''re right," Roseanne agreed. "We''ll cross that bridge when wee to it. Nothing to be afraid of."


    "Exactly! We just published another paper in Nature Biotechnology! Shouldn''t we be celebrating something so awesome?"


    "We should."


    Mamie then looked at Scales, who also nodded.


    "Great! Let''s go out for a big meal tonight to celebrate! There''s a new Thai ce that just opened on Maple Road. I saw it on Instagram; the reviews are amazing. I was dying to try it even when I was back home!"


    The Mamie-brand food finder was officially online.


    Since theirb was on the outskirts, she always called any trip into the city proper "going into town."


    Scales''s mouth twitched. "Can''t we celebrate some other way?"


    "We could get steak," Mamie offered.


    "Or Italian? I''m fine with anything, really!"


    ""


    In the end, the three of them went to the Thai restaurant.


    By the time they finished, it was already eight o''clock.


    The night was dark, illuminated by the bright city lights.


    "By the way, I haven''t seen Carlson around, have you?" Mamie suddenly


    remembered looking back at theb area before they left and noticing that Carlson''s workstation waspletely clean.


    "I haven''t seen him at all since the semester started," Scales said. "Roseanne, have you?"


    Roseanne shook her head. "Me neither."


    "That''s weird..." Mamie murmured. "Third-year grad students don''t have sses anymore, and Carlson is such a workaholic. It makes no sense for him not to be in theb."


    Before the winter break, Carlson had mentioned he had data for two major models to process and nned to finish and submit his paper right after the holiday.


    "Maybe he hasn''te back to campus yet?" Roseanne suggested.


    Kingswell University was pretty lenient with graduating students; as long as theypleted the registration process online, showing up a few dayste wasn''t a big deal.


    Mamie nodded. "That''s possible. If he were back, he''d definitely be at theb."


    "I tried calling him the day before


    yesterday but he didn''t pick up,"


    ve


    Roseanne said. "Lye tried a few more times since, and now his phone''s off. ask around the department tomorrow."


    The next day, Roseanne asked some of the other third-year grad students and confirmed they had no sses.


    She also confirmed that Carlson hadn''t returned to campus yet.


    Just as she got back to theb, changed into herb coat, and was about to start working, Mamie rushed in.


    "Roseanne! I think something''s wrong!"


    Roseanne looked up, confused. "What is it?"


    "I... I just went looking for Arkle to ask about Carlson, and it turns out he hasn''te back to campus either! I thought that was odd, sot went and asked another third-year, and confirmed Carlson is also still gone! You''re the one who taught me: if something seems too coincidental, it probably isn''t a coincidence."


    Roseanne frowned. "So, to be clear, neither Arkle nor Carlson has returned to campus?!"


    "Right!"


    "If it were just Carlson, I''d saying back a few dayste is normal for him. But Arkle... that diligent coward would never dare pull a stunt like this."


    After all, the university was very strict with first-year grad students. If he were caught, the consequences would be severe-anything from a formal reprimand to expulsion.


    Arkle had fought so hard to transfer to Ms. Payne''s supervision and escape the


    nightmare of working with Edna. He cherished the opportunity.


    Plus, Ms. Payne had created a customized research n just for him...