What came back was a tapestry. The CrackImageComparer aligned fragments across time: a recognizable flourish in the corner of a mural visible in three different photos taken years apart; a signature stroke traced through grain and perspective. The tool found a pattern in the artist's brush habit — a leftward flick, a habit of layering turquoise beneath vermilion — details almost invisible to any human without obsessive study. The reporter's story bloomed from those threads: a narrative of disappearance, municipal indifference, and an artist's quiet rebellion.