Split by the Ladder: The Closure Defect Measured on Good and Bad Distances in SPARC

The Square's kill on SPARC had one suspect left with a motive: the distances. Every mass in that test rides on a distance. This paper splits the sample by the catalog's own distance quality (65 good / 51 poor by fractional distance error; 57 indicator / 59 Hubble-flow by method) and measures the defect on both sides under the frozen registered criteria. The level is the same on good distances and bad ones (|ΔF| ≤ 0.037 dex); no form crosses |z| ≥ 3 on either difference channel. A sub-threshold slope tilt in the artifact's direction (Δb = +0.370…+0.527, 1.5–2.2σ, all five forms) is printed at full size, with the test's resolution stated beside the verdict (3σ reach 0.71 slope units). Distance systematics: acquitted — a modest contribution bounded and named open, not excluded.