Same ticket class.
Different food.
At 9:03, SERVICE 3 opened.
Grant Holloway appeared.
Adrian knew the name.
Assistant operations manager.
Eight years with the company.
Responsible for inventory control.
Grant pushed a cart carrying three sealed cases.
Salmon.
Imported cheese.
Bakery goods.
Each had Meridian Crown receiving labels.
He scanned them at a wall terminal.
Green confirmation.
TRANSFERRED TO SERVICE FLOOR.
Then pushed the cart through service door three.
Adrian leaned slightly.
Through the opening, another man waited on the opposite side.
Not a Meridian Crown employee.
Dark jacket embroidered with PALMETTO EVENTS.
The man transferred the premium cases onto another cart.
Grant returned empty.
Five minutes later, a Meridian employee entered carrying a box from a discount wholesale distributor.
Adrian’s attention sharpened.
He took a photograph discreetly.
One transfer proved nothing.
Maybe catering exchange.
Maybe emergency stock.
Maybe waste reduction.
The record would decide.
Then the Black nurse seated nearby opened her fruit cup.
She smelled it.
Her expression changed.
She called an attendant.
“This doesn’t smell right.”
The attendant glanced briefly.
“Would you like another?”
“I want someone to check the batch.”
“I can replace it.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
The attendant reached for her tablet.
“What’s your name?”
“Dr. Simone Hayes.”
Adrian looked over.
She was a physician.
Not nurse.
The jacket had hidden her hospital ID.
Simone said:
“If this cup was stored improperly, replacing mine doesn’t solve anything.”
The employee typed.
Adrian could see part of the screen.
Guest dissatisfied with food presentation.
He stood.
“Did you check it?”
The attendant looked startled.
“Excuse me?”
“The product.”
“Did you check what she reported?”
Vanessa appeared almost instantly.
“Mr. Cole.”
“You need to remain in your seating area.”
Adrian pointed toward the fruit.
“She reported possible spoilage.”
“We have staff handling it.”
“No one examined it.”
Simone looked at Adrian.
“Exactly.”
Vanessa turned toward her.
“We can provide a replacement.”
Simone’s face hardened.
“I don’t want another cup from the same batch until someone verifies the storage.”
Vanessa smiled tightly.
“Our food is inspected regularly.”
“That isn’t the same thing.”
Adrian said.
Vanessa looked at him.
“You seem determined to create issues.”
“I’m asking questions.”
“You’re interfering with staff.”
“Then answer one.”
“What?”
“Why did your employee categorize her complaint as presentation instead of food safety?”
Vanessa’s expression changed.
Only slightly.
But Adrian saw it.
“How would you know what was entered?”
“The screen was visible.”
“That information is internal.”
“The fruit is sitting on a table.”
“That is not internal.”
Vanessa turned away.
“Dispose of the cup.”
She ordered.
Adrian said:
“No.”
The attendant stopped.
Vanessa looked at him.
“Excuse me?”
“If there is a possible safety issue, preserve it until someone verifies the batch.”
“You do not direct my staff.”
Not my staff.
Adrian noted the phrase.
He could have corrected her.
Still he waited.
A different passenger began complaining loudly near the coffee station.
White man.