Summary

“The Case of the Missing...” is set in 2036 and told in reverse chronological order, counting down the days that an unnamed authoritarian leader from an unnamed country has been missing. The text is being printed in a newspaper called The Exile Gazeta, but various words and phrases have been blacked out. On Day 58, the journalist writes that they have received a letter from the leader, stating “My people: Do not fear, it is I. Do not take down my photos, but do feel free to erect statues” (122). On Day 56, they share a series of tweets about the missing leader. On Day 54, they wonder if the leader disappeared because he wanted to retire. On Day 50, the journalist prints a picture purporting to show the leader at a Norwegian spa (which is later proven to be photoshopped). On Day...