“I made a call.”“To whom?”
“You’ll know soon enough.”Her eyes narrowed. “You think you can ruin somebody’s career because you didn’t get a glass of champagne?”
Harold closed his book again. Isaiah answered before he could intervene.“No, Diane. I think careers should be judged by evidence, not by whoever has the most authority in the moment.”
She flinched slightly. Then anger returned.“You have no idea what this job is like.”
“That may be true.”Isaiah held her gaze. “Which is why nobody is deciding your future in Seat 2A.”
That answer seemed to confuse her. She had apparently expected triumph, revenge, or a threat.Instead, Isaiah returned his phone to the armrest and looked toward the window.
When Flight 2261 reached the gate, the aircraft door did not open immediately. Captain Andrew Lewis emerged from the cockpit and quietly asked passengers to remain seated for “an operational matter.”Diane looked toward Greg.
Greg did not look back.Two people boarded from the jet bridge: Laura Chen, Prestige Atlantic’s general counsel, and Omar Jenkins, director of corporate investigations.
Laura knew Isaiah well enough not to approach him first. She spoke privately to the captain, then Greg, and finally asked Diane to step into the forward galley.Diane resisted.
“Why am I being pulled off a flight because a passenger complained?”Laura answered, “You are not being pulled off. You are being asked to preserve information and provide a statement.”
“Who authorized this?”Laura looked toward Seat 2A.
Diane followed her gaze.For a moment, nobody said anything.
Isaiah stood.His charcoal shirt, inexpensive travel bag, and plain gray trousers looked exactly the same as they had two hours earlier.