It did identify serial numbers that could be compared with the original laboratory records.
The independent engineer later confirmed that one serial number appeared in a maintenance log whose date had been disputed.
The match helped establish that an instrument had been available for testing during the relevant period.
It did not establish who operated the instrument or whether its readings were reliable.
Nora wrote those limits into the committee summary even though the careful wording made the discovery sound less dramatic.
Claire thanked her for protecting the distinction between evidence and speculation.
Nora said the distinction was not a favor to the company.
It was the foundation of any answer that the families might eventually be able to trust.
Chapter 10D: Marisol’s Brother
Marisol’s younger brother, Tomas Vega, called Nora from Milwaukee after reading about the first public meeting.
He said he remembered the old apartment building differently from his sister and wanted to correct several details before they appeared in print.
Nora asked if they could speak with both siblings present, but Tomas declined because he and Marisol had not been close for years.
He said his sister’s descriptions of their childhood made the building sound dangerous every day.
His own memory included birthdays, neighbors who shared food, and afternoons playing basketball near the back entrance.
Nora told him that a place could hold good memories and still contain maintenance problems.
Tomas agreed but insisted the public account should not erase the life his family had built there.
He sent Nora photographs from a school picnic and a copy of a birthday invitation showing the building’s former address.
One photograph showed Denise Rowe standing beside a folding table with several children.
Another included a handwritten date that did not match the year Marisol had given for a particular repair.
Nora asked whether Tomas could confirm the date rather than assuming the picture proved his sister wrong.
He searched a box of school papers and found a report card with the same year.
The clarification helped the committee arrange the timeline without requiring either sibling to deny the other’s experience.
When Nora called Marisol, she explained the correction as carefully as she could.
Marisol was embarrassed and angry that Tomas had contacted a stranger rather than speaking with her.
Nora said she could remove the family anecdote from the public account until they reached a shared understanding.
Marisol asked her not to erase the story entirely.
She wanted future readers to know their family had enjoyed life in the building even while asking for answers about its maintenance.
