The Fragile Creek Incident
The disappearance and death of Malcolm Gardner
- Main Mystery
- Declassified
- Reopened
- 2026-11-01
- 2020
- Fragile Creek
- T. Fero
- Septum County
Incident summary
In 2020, public works employee Mal Gardner discovered something near Fragile Creek. He spoke to a familiar local figure about reporting it. Then he vanished. In 2026, his body was found.
The official file on Malcolm Gardner is thin. It describes a missing employee, a search, and a long silence.
What the file does not describe: what Mal found near the creek, who he spoke to afterward, and why that conversation was the last thing anyone remembers him doing.
In 2026, Mal's body was discovered. The case is, according to the Septum County Sheriff's Office, "technically closed in a new way." T. Fero disagrees.
Evidence log
| Tag | Item | Note |
|---|---|---|
| EV-01 | Public Works work order, 2020 | Assigns Mal to the creek. The completion box is blank. |
| EV-02 | Witness recollection | Mal was seen talking with someone he clearly knew. Identity: unknown. |
| EV-03 | Discovery report, 2026 | Confirms the finding of Mal's remains. Several lines redacted by request. |
Witness statements (fictional)
"He said he was going to tell somebody. He seemed sure it would be fine."
"I can't be on this list. Take me off this list."
Findings
- KNOWN — Mal discovered a body or troubling evidence near Fragile Creek in 2020.
- KNOWN — Mal recognized the person who approached him.
- UNKNOWN — Who that person was.
- UNKNOWN — What happened to the first body.
Redacted:
Related people
"A man found something at Fragile Creek. Then he vanished. Six years later, his friend came home asking why."