Now Eleanor looked at the screen and noticed that another document had arrived.
It was a confidential briefing prepared by her legal team.
She opened it.
The first page contained a photograph of Victoria Sterling.
Eleanor paused.
She looked at the photograph, then across the aisle at the woman in the beige suit.
There was no longer any doubt.
The passenger who had demanded that Eleanor surrender her seat was the same executive whose approvals appeared throughout the questionable financial records.
Eleanor leaned back.
For several seconds, she felt nothing except disappointment.
She had expected the evidence against Victoria to concern financial decisions, conflicts of interest, and poor management.
She had not expected to encounter the woman herself before the investigation had even begun.
Eleanor could have announced her identity immediately.
She could have told Victoria that she was the chairwoman of Hayes Global Holdings, the investment group considering whether to acquire a controlling stake in Meridian.
She could have watched Victoria's expression change.
But that would have accomplished very little.
The investigation was not about winning an argument on an airplane.
It was about protecting employees, identifying wrongdoing, and making decisions based on evidence.
Eleanor closed the briefing.
Then she called David.
He answered on the second ring.
"Good morning. Are you on the plane?"
"I am."
"Everything all right?"
Eleanor glanced at Victoria.
"An unexpected complication."
"What kind?"
"I've met Victoria Sterling."
David fell silent.
"Where?"
"On the flight."
"Have you spoken to her?"
"Quite a bit."
"Oh, no."
Eleanor smiled faintly.
"That sounds ominous."
"You know what I mean. If she realizes who you are, she'll probably try to turn the entire situation into a personal negotiation."
"She doesn't know who I am."
"Good. Keep it that way until we arrive."
"I intend to."
David lowered his voice.
"There's something else. Richard Sterling called the office this morning. He wants to discuss the acquisition before the board meeting."
"Did he explain why?"
"He says he has information that could affect the transaction."
"Does he?"
"I don't know."
Eleanor considered the question.
"Arrange a meeting with him after we land. Not before."
"Understood."
"And David?"
"Yes?"
"Tell the legal team to preserve every document relating to Northbridge Strategic Solutions. I want the original contracts, payment records, approval histories, and correspondence. No summaries. No selective extracts."
"I'll handle it."
Eleanor ended the call.
Across the aisle, Victoria had stopped typing.
She was watching Eleanor.
Perhaps it was the older woman's sudden seriousness. Perhaps it was the way she had spoken about contracts and legal teams. Or perhaps Victoria had simply noticed that the woman she had dismissed was not behaving like someone intimidated by the situation.
Whatever the reason, curiosity had begun to replace some of her anger.
She leaned toward the aisle.
"Who were you speaking to?"
Eleanor did not look up.
"My colleague."
"About business?"
"Yes."
"What kind of business?"
Eleanor closed the laptop.
"The kind that requires attention."
Victoria stared at her.
"Do you always answer questions like that?"
"Only when the questions are none of the other person's concern."
Victoria looked offended again.
But this time, she did not respond immediately.
Something about Eleanor's composure unsettled her.
It was not the confidence of someone pretending to be important.
It was the confidence of someone who did not need anyone else to recognize her importance.
Victoria had met people like that before.
Usually, they were senior executives, major investors, or political figures whose decisions affected entire industries.
She dismissed the thought almost immediately.
The older woman was probably a consultant, she decided. Perhaps a retired executive with a modest portfolio and an exaggerated sense of independence.
There was no reason to worry.
Victoria returned to her phone.
She sent another message to her assistant.
Find out who is seated in 2A. I want to know everything relevant before we land.
Then she added a second message.
Also, contact the airline's management. I expect an explanation for how this situation was allowed to happen.
She pressed send.
The cabin lights dimmed slightly as the aircraft prepared for departure.
Outside the window, ground vehicles moved across the runway.
Eleanor opened her laptop again.
She had discovered Victoria's identity.
Victoria had begun trying to discover Eleanor's.
Neither woman understood how quickly those two pieces of information would collide.
CHAPTER FOUR: SEVEN HOURS ABOVE THE ATLANTIC
The airplane climbed through the clouds, leaving New York beneath a pale morning sky.
For the first hour, the cabin remained quiet.
Passengers watched films, drank coffee, or settled into their seats. The crew moved efficiently between rows, serving breakfast and checking on travelers.
Victoria pretended to concentrate on her presentation.
In reality, she kept glancing toward Eleanor.
The older woman worked steadily, reviewing documents and occasionally writing notes in a small notebook.
She did not seem interested in the passengers around her.
She did not ask the crew for special treatment.
She did not complain about the service.
And she did not appear particularly concerned about Victoria.
That indifference irritated Victoria almost as much as the original confrontation.
She had become accustomed to people reacting to her presence.
Some wanted to impress her. Others wanted something from her. A few disliked her but concealed it behind professional courtesy.
Eleanor offered none of those reactions.
She behaved as though Victoria were simply another person occupying the same airplane.
Victoria finally decided to try a different approach.
She unfastened her seat belt, stood, and approached Eleanor with a carefully arranged smile.
"Can we start over?"
Eleanor looked up.
"Of course."
Victoria seemed surprised by the immediate answer.
"I think there was a misunderstanding earlier."
"What misunderstanding?"
Victoria hesitated.
She had planned to describe the conflict as a mutual disagreement caused by stress and confusion.
But Eleanor's question forced her to be more specific.
"The seating issue," Victoria said.
"The seating issue was resolved."
"Yes, but I think we could both have handled it better."
Eleanor studied her face.
"Perhaps."
Victoria waited for an apology.
It did not come.
She shifted her weight.
"Look, I have a demanding schedule. I sometimes become impatient when things go wrong."
"That happens."
"I'm sure you understand."
"I understand that people become impatient. I don't believe that gives them permission to mistreat others."