Daniel exhaled.
“You're impossible.”
“My mother says worse.”
Evelyn stood beside him.
“I do.”
Daniel heard.
“Mrs. Bennett?”
“Hello, Daniel.”
“Are you okay?”
“No.”
Daniel went silent.
Evelyn smiled slightly.
“But I will be.”
Isaiah hung up.
Vale approached.
Slowly.
“Mr. Bennett.”
Isaiah looked at him.
Vale’s confidence was gone.
“Can I speak with you?”
“Not privately.”
Vale blinked.
Isaiah pointed toward the gate manager.
“Witness present.”
Vale’s face tightened.
“Of course.”
The gate manager joined them.
Vale swallowed.
“I want to apologize again.”
Isaiah said:
“Why?”
Vale stared.
“For my conduct.”
“Specific.”
Vale looked toward Evelyn.
“For throwing the boarding passes.”
“For moving Mrs. Bennett’s bag.”
“For questioning the tickets improperly.”
Isaiah waited.
Vale continued.
“For calling security unnecessarily.”
“And?”
Vale looked uncomfortable.
Evelyn said nothing.
Isaiah did not rescue him.
Finally:
“For assuming you did not belong in first class.”
Isaiah nodded.
“There.”
Vale’s eyes lowered.
“I was trying to protect the cabin.”
“From what?”
“Unauthorized passengers.”
“Were we unauthorized?”
“No.”
“What evidence suggested we were?”
Vale had no answer.
Isaiah waited.
Vale tried:
“Your reservation looked unusual.”
Isaiah knew immediately.
Lie.
“What was unusual?”
Vale hesitated.
“Upgrade code.”
“No.”
Isaiah’s voice changed.
“I personally reviewed the booking design.”
“There was no upgrade code.”
Vale froze.
Isaiah continued.
“Try again.”
Vale’s shoulders dropped.
“I saw you enter.”
“And?”
“You didn’t look like…”
He stopped.
Isaiah said:
“Finish.”
Vale looked toward the gate floor.
“Like regular premium passengers.”
Evelyn’s mouth tightened.
Isaiah remained calm.
“What does a regular premium passenger look like?”
Vale whispered:
“I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do.”
Vale looked up.
Isaiah continued.
“You knew enough to act on it.”
Vale could not answer.
Isaiah said:
“You are removed from passenger service pending investigation.”
Vale nodded.