I did not want their work lost inside a sensational headline.

At a meeting with state investigators, I asked why the paperwork had moved so quickly.

The lead reviewer laid out the timeline and identified the points where missing records should have halted the process.

He did not claim that a system was foolproof.

“Safety depends on multiple independent checks,” he said.

“When those checks are bypassed or treated as formalities, a single incorrect assumption can spread.”

Rachel listened beside me, tired but alert.