Victoria saw it, too. She moved faster than Karen expected. Victoria walked to row 34, reached across the empty seat, and picked up Karen's phone. "What is this?" Victoria scrolled through the notes.
Her face changed. The smugness drained away, replaced by something harder. You've been documenting everything. That's my personal property. Put it down.
Names, times, quotes. You've been writing down everything I said. Victoria's voice rose. Are you some kind of reporter? Is that what this is?
Give me my phone, Derek. Victoria held the phone up. She's been recording us, writing down everything. She's trying to set us up. Derek took three steps toward row 34.
Hand it over. No. Karen reached for the phone. Victoria pulled it away. You're not getting this back until we land and security reviews it.
You have no legal authority to confiscate a passenger's personal device. I have every authority I need on this aircraft. Derek's hand closed around Karen's wrist, not hard enough to bruise, hard enough to send a message. Natalie appeared from nowhere. "Let go of her."
Her voice was shaking, but the words were clear. Derek and Victoria both turned. Natalie, "Stand down," Victoria said. "He's touching a passenger. That's assault.
Let go of her right now." Derek released Karen's wrist. He stared at Natalie with an expression that promised consequences. Victoria dropped the phone on the seat. Pick it up and know this.
The second we land, I'm filing a report on every single one of you. Her for disruption, you for insubordination. She pointed at Natalie. Your career is over. Natalie didn't move.
Then it's over. Victoria turned and walked back through the curtain. Derek followed. The curtain swung shut behind them. Karen picked up her phone.
The screen was cracked in the corner where Victoria had gripped it, but the notes were intact. Every word, every time stamp. She looked at Natalie. You didn't have to do that. Yeah, I did.
In row three of first class, Howard Langston set his pen down on his tray table. He had been watching through the gap in the curtain since the lavatory confrontation began. His two senior executives sat on either side of him, equally still, equally silent. Howard picked up his phone and typed a text message to a number Karen couldn't see. He sent it.