If you grazed her, you'd find cut hairs...not easily but they would be their. Similar situation happened to my buddy 2 falls ago, down hill shot of 100 yards or less on a buck. Aimed for heart...so low and the buck reared up kicked and was gone. He looked for blood due to snow and notta...when I was radioed I came & found several cut brisket hairs that indicated a miss or touch brisket. We followed the trail just to be sure for several 100 yards, but nothing except those hair right near the shot sight.

Now I have seen deer do that on near misses, grazed brisket and heart shots, so really hard to tell for sure. I would assume if you searched that area as you indicated you would have found some indication of a hit that was vital. Gut shoots will often leave several clues near the shot sight and on her exit trail. Being she bolted and no hunch I don't think the guts was even part of the picture here.

Sounds like a miss, better luck next time. Oh BTW congrats on your persistance to make sure she was OK.