Barty Butterfield works on a cruise ship. He keeps schedules running, solves small problems, and notices things most people overlook. Then someone confesses to a death-live, onstage-and the ship does what systems do best: it files the incident, edits the records, and keeps moving. Barty does not. As pressure builds, allies vanish, paperwork starts to lie, and quiet warnings arrive from people who prefer to stay unnamed. What begins as damage control becomes something colder and more deliberate-a test of who will look away when it's easier. This is not a story about heroics or justice served on cue. It's about systems that function perfectly while doing the wrong thing, and the ordinary person who refuses to stop noticing. Wry, restrained, and darkly observant, this novel blends subtle tension with quiet humor, asking a simple question: What happens when the paperwork notices you back?