“I have twelve years.”
Curtis looked at her.
“Twelve years should have taught you to check the manifest.”
Vanessa flinched.
He regretted the sharpness slightly.
But not the point.
Dana asked Maribel to remain on board temporarily.
A replacement lead attendant was called.
The flight would not depart until crew composition, documentation, and duty requirements were properly reset.
Curtis looked toward Captain Price.
“Roland.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Were you told I was aboard?”
Roland nodded reluctantly.
“Operations advised there would be an executive passenger.”
“But I did not have your photograph.”
“I didn’t expect you to.”
Curtis said.
“Did Vanessa ask you to verify me before striking me?”
“No.”
That mattered too.
Curtis sat again.
For the first time, his cheek hurt.
Adrenaline had hidden it.
He reached for the espresso.
Cold.
He drank anyway.
Elias sat opposite him.
“Do you want law enforcement?”
Vanessa stiffened.
Curtis looked at her.
Then at Maribel.
Then toward the cockpit.
He thought for several seconds.
“I want the incident documented.”
“Security can take statements.”
“I’ll decide on any personal complaint after I understand exactly what happened.”
Elias nodded.
Vanessa looked almost relieved.
Curtis noticed.
“That is not forgiveness.”
He said.
“I understand.”
“Good.”
The replacement attendant arrived at 7:36.
The flight departure moved to 8:20.
Curtis considered canceling.
The Seattle announcement could be handled remotely if necessary.
Then his phone rang.
It was Maya Brooks, Henderson Global Aeronautics’ chief operating officer.
“I heard.”
“Of course you did.”
“Elias called me.”
Curtis looked toward the cabin.
Vanessa had already left with corporate security.
Maribel sat near the galley giving a statement to Dana.
Captain Price was inside the cockpit.
Maya asked:
“Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“Do you need a doctor?”
“No.”
“Security?”
“Handled.”
Silence.
Then:
“You sound angry.”
Curtis looked out the window.
“I am.”
“At Vanessa?”
“Partly.”
“What else?”
“The fact that Maribel was scared to check a screen.”
Maya understood immediately.
“That is bigger.”
“Yes.”
Curtis leaned back.
“She knew something was wrong.”
“She suggested checking.”
“Then one senior employee shut her down and she froze.”
“That is not only Vanessa.”
“That is us.”
Maya paused.
“You want a culture review.”
“I want to know what our cabin crews have been taught about status.”
“I want incentive structures.”
“Complaint records.”
“Service escalation.”
“VIP handling instructions.”
“Performance scoring.”
“Everything.”
Maya said:
“You’re turning one slap into an audit.”
Curtis looked at his reflection in the window.
“No.”
“I’m checking whether the slap came from somewhere.”
The aircraft departed at 8:27.
Maribel remained onboard.
Not as lead.
Dana chose not to remove her because she had not participated in the physical incident and because her cooperation mattered.
Curtis agreed.
Before takeoff, Maribel approached 1A.