“I would have been happy if you had simply left my cane alone.”The officers guided Eleanor forward.
The moment she disappeared through the aircraft door, the cabin exhaled. People looked at one another with the awkwardness of strangers who had just witnessed something intimate and ugly together.Serena crouched beside Maya again. “Do you feel safe continuing the flight?”
“Yes.”“Would you like another seat?”
Maya considered it, then shook her head. “No.”Serena waited.
“I chose this seat because it is where I wanted to sit.” Maya rested both hands across the cane. “I would rather not be displaced because someone else behaved badly.”Serena smiled. “Then you’re staying right here.”
Elias returned to his newspaper but did not open it. Maya tilted her head toward him.“You are not very good at pretending to read.”
A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. “Occupational hazard.”“You were watching her before she took the cane.”
“Yes.”“Why?”
Elias hesitated. “Something about her behavior seemed unusual.”“What behavior?”
“She was scanning the cabin more than she was using it. Watching reactions.”Maya frowned.
“That sounds familiar.”Elias turned toward her. “What do you mean?”
Before Maya could answer, Serena returned.“The captain wants you to know Ms. Eleanor has been removed from the flight pending investigation. Airport security is collecting witness statements.”
Maya nodded. “Thank you.”Serena continued, “There’s another complication.”