He pointed to the dark, distorted shape visible in the polished stainless-steel range hood.

“But I assure you, that is not an antique latch,” Julian said.

Marcus leaned in close, squinting at the glowing tablet screen.

“Go on, Mr. Vance,” Marcus said.

“It is a shadow,” Julian explained.

He zoomed in on the brushed metal surface of the range hood.

“Our kitchen uses dual-spectrum halogen bulbs,” Julian said.

“They are designed to mimic natural daylight for food photography.”

He looked at me, giving me a quick, warning nod.

“Clara knows how difficult the lighting in this kitchen can be,” Julian said.

“On the day we took this photo, the left bulb was beginning to fail.”

He dragged his finger across the screen, highlighting the edge of the dark shape.

“The failing bulb created a double-shadow against the curved steel,” Julian said.

“It looks remarkably like a metal latch, but it is actually just the silhouette of the ventilation grate.”

Marcus took his glasses off, wiped them on his tie, and put them back on.

He stared at the tablet, then at the black-and-white printout.