At first, it was the kind of odor most people would dismiss without a second thought—faint, vague, and easy to blame on everyday life. Tom Fisher assumed it was something ordinary: forgotten leftovers, a spill, or stale air. He cleaned thoroughly, opened windows, and went to bed convinced the issue had been solved. But by morning, the smell returned with more intensity, lingering in a way that suggested it hadn’t been accidental or temporary after all.