"That's convenient."
"I agree."
"Did we receive the original logs?"
"Not all of them."
Naomi looked toward Samuel Reed.
"What do you think?"
Samuel was in his late fifties, with gray hair and the quiet manner of a man who had spent more time around aircraft than in offices.
He folded his hands.
"I wouldn't sign until I saw the original records."
"Even if the seller guarantees the condition?"
"Especially if the seller guarantees the condition."
Naomi nodded.
Her father had taught her that a guarantee was only as valuable as the person willing to honor it.
"Then we're not releasing the funds until the technical verification is complete."
Daniel looked concerned.
"The closing is scheduled for Friday."
"Then Friday will become Monday if necessary."
"Richard Voss has already made it clear that he doesn't want another delay."
Naomi gave him a calm look.
"Richard Voss isn't the one accepting responsibility for these aircraft after the acquisition."
Elizabeth Carter, the company's general counsel, entered the conversation.
"There's another issue."
Naomi turned toward her.
"What?"
"Sterling's legal department has requested that the final inspection be conducted at their primary hangar. They want the buyer's representative to attend in person."
"Fine."
Elizabeth hesitated.
"They also asked whether the principal investor would attend."
Naomi raised an eyebrow.
"They asked for me?"
"Technically, they asked for Mr. Brooks."
The room went quiet.
Daniel looked up.
"Mr. Brooks?"
Elizabeth checked her notes.
"That's how Richard Voss referred to the principal decision-maker during yesterday's conference call."
Naomi leaned back.
She was accustomed to people assuming that the person controlling a major transaction was a man.
Usually, she corrected them immediately.
This time, she did not.
"Did you tell him?"
"I told him the principal was Naomi Brooks."
"And?"
"He said he understood."
Naomi smiled faintly.
"Apparently, he didn't."
Daniel laughed.
"Would you like me to send them your photograph?"
"No."
"Your biography?"
"No."
"Then what do you want to do?"
Naomi closed the folder.
"I'll attend the inspection myself."
Elizabeth looked surprised.
"Personally?"
"Yes."
"Wouldn't it be easier to send Samuel?"
"Perhaps."
"Then why go?"
Naomi stood and walked toward the window.
Below them, the city moved through another ordinary morning. Taxis crossed the intersection, pedestrians hurried along the sidewalks, and a delivery truck blocked half a lane.
"Because I want to see how they behave when they think the person across the table has no power."
Samuel watched her.
"And if they behave professionally?"
"Then we close the deal."
"And if they don't?"
Naomi turned.
"Then we learn something important before sending them seven hundred and seventy million dollars."
Nobody objected.
The Sterling Aerospace Group headquarters stood outside Dallas, Texas.
Its primary aircraft hangar was located several miles from the corporate offices, inside a privately operated aviation complex.
Richard Voss had been chief executive officer for eleven years.
He was sixty-three, silver-haired, and famous for his ability to negotiate aggressively.
He had built his reputation by taking struggling aviation companies and combining them into larger operations.
His colleagues often described him as a natural salesman.
His critics used different words.
Richard believed appearances mattered.
He believed wealthy people should look wealthy, executives should look authoritative, and everyone else should understand where they stood.
His office featured a panoramic view of the airport, an enormous walnut desk, and photographs of himself shaking hands with governors, senators, and international investors.
He had never met Naomi Brooks.
He had spoken to her legal team several times, but the negotiations had always been conducted through representatives.
Richard had made an assumption.
The buyer was probably an older male investor with a private family office and a large financial network.
He imagined someone who wore conservative suits, drove a black luxury sedan, and preferred to discuss transactions over expensive dinners.
He had never considered the possibility that the person behind Northstar was a thirty-six-year-old Black woman.
When his assistant informed him that the buyer's representative would arrive on Thursday morning, Richard barely looked up.
"Make sure the hangar is ready."
"Yes, sir."
"And tell Martin to bring the updated aircraft specifications."
"Of course."
"Are we expecting Mr. Brooks?"
The assistant hesitated.
"The email says Ms. Naomi Brooks."
Richard frowned.
"Who?"
"Naomi Brooks. The principal buyer."
Richard waved his hand.
"Fine. Whatever. Make sure someone from the legal department is available."
The assistant left.
Richard returned to his phone.
He did not bother searching her name.
That was the first mistake.
Thursday morning arrived with clear skies and unusually warm weather.
Naomi's flight landed at the private aviation terminal shortly before nine.
She had chosen to travel without an entourage.
Her legal team had already sent the relevant documents to Sterling, and she wanted the inspection to remain focused.
She wore the emerald green coat because the hangar was cold, a black belted dress, fishnet tights, and black thigh-high boots.
Her handbag contained her identification, a secure smartphone, and several original transaction documents.
The black tablet folio held the final acquisition agreement, the technical inspection report, and a separate document that had not yet been shared with Sterling.