Vanes...
Chapter 3 - Flight 184
Flight 184 had never crashed.
That was what made the truth more dangerous.
Two years earlier, Sterling Flight 184 had departed Atlanta for San Francisco carrying 217 passengers.
Forty-three minutes after takeoff, smoke sensors activated in the rear cargo compartment.
The crew diverted safely to Dallas.
Nobody was injured.
Sterling publicly praised the pilots.
The FAA investigation found a defective sensor module.
The aircraft returned to service.
Case closed.
At least, that was what Vanessa had been told.
Now an anonymous message was telling her the deleted complaints were connected to it.
Martin Hale stepped into first class.
"Vanessa."
She held up the phone.
"Do you know anything about Flight 184?"
Martin stopped.
Daniel's eyes closed briefly.
That told Vanessa more than words.
"You both know."
Martin looked toward the passengers.
"We need privacy."
Vanessa almost laughed.
Both executives suddenly wanted privacy after years of hiding things from her.
She turned to Captain Lawson.
"Delay departure."
Lawson nodded.
Daniel protested.
"Vanessa, you cannot hold an aircraft indefinitely."
"I own the aircraft."
"You run a public company."
"And I'm its CEO."
She turned to the passengers.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize. This flight will be delayed. Anyone wishing to rebook will receive first-class accommodation on the next available flight, plus full compensation."
Nobody moved.
Charles Whitmore folded his arms.
"I think we're staying."
Several passengers murmured agreement.
Vanessa suspected curiosity had become more powerful than punctuality.
Martin lowered his voice.
"Flight 184 isn't related to what happened here."
"Then tell me why someone says it is."
"Someone?"
Vanessa didn't reveal the number.
"Answer me."
Martin glanced at Daniel.
Again.
Too many glances.
Too many silent conversations.
Vanessa hated being the only person in her own company who didn't know what was happening.
Finally Daniel spoke.
"After Flight 184, several employees raised concerns."
"About what?"
"The sensor investigation."
Vanessa stared.
"What concerns?"
Daniel sighed.
"That the sensor wasn't defective."
Vanessa felt cold.
"What was it?"
"Electrical overheating."
"From?"
Neither answered.
Vanessa stepped closer.
"From what?"
Martin spoke quietly.
"A wiring assembly."
Sterling had changed suppliers for those assemblies three years earlier.
Vanessa remembered the decision.
The board had approved the contract.
The new supplier cut costs by nearly $38 million annually.
"Was the assembly faulty?"
Daniel said, "Possibly."
"Possibly?"
"We never established certainty."