The CEO didn’t make any attempt to answer George’s rhetorical question.
“Wait a minute. Didn’t you say they hardly ever flew together?”
“They flew together fourteen days prior to the crash. Same route, Seattle, Anchorage. And a few times, during the summer holidays,” Mike said in a low voice. The man sounded as if he was still struggling to rid himself of the insult.
“And the co-pilot is the only one who noticed the signs of depression?” George asked. Again, the question sounded rhetorical, and he didn’t get any response from the man across the desk. “Wait a minute. When did Captain Daniels buy the tickets for his ex-wife?”
Michael Williams quickly located the paper from the day before. Then suddenly, his face shifted. He didn’t look angry anymore; instead, he looked humble.
“The same day that they flew together. Fourteen days prior to the crash.”
“Well, there you go. Captain Daniels probably was blowing off steam for having to buy the tickets for his ex-wife, and…”
What was his name again?
“The co-pilot probably misinterpreted it as signs of depression. This could just be coincidence, Mike. Perhaps the Imam is responsible for the crash.”
“Do you believe that, George?”
Of course not.
“Let the authorities do the investigation, Mike. It’s not our job to speculate.”
George didn’t believe in coincidences. He was convinced Captain Daniels had crashed the plane on purpose. But even though his opinion of what had happened was firm, he was determined to keep it to himself. For some reason, he felt Trisha Boyle’s welfare was more important than the possibility of justice. Something about Trisha and her ability to support her handicapped son made George forget about the other aspects of the tragedy.
“I called you in this morning because I want you to help me prepare a press release, and to announce a press conference today,” Mike then said.
George was about to concur when he suddenly realized that his boss wouldn’t have called this meeting simply to ask him to release the usual nonsense to the press. Mike Williams must have something else in mind. George’s heart rate accelerated.
“And say what, Mike?”
“The truth.”
“What truth might that be?”
“That Captain Daniels showed signs of depression, and he was aware that his ex-wife would be on this particular flight.”
George shook his head. “You can’t say that, Mike.”
“I’m a Christian, George. I believe in telling the truth.”
“You’re also the CEO of this company, and you have a responsibility to its employees and shareholders. If you share that information with the media, then you might as well file for bankruptcy at the same time,” George told him, and thought he sounded like a lawyer.
Mike Williams leaned forward, and once again, George got the feeling that his boss was about to leap over his desk.
“You’re right about one thing,” Mike said and stared George in the eyes. “I’m the CEO of this company.”
George just realized why the two legal representatives had such a look of defeat when they left the office, and he imagined that he had the same look on his face right now. He decided on a different approach.
“What about his mother, Mike. This will destroy her.”
The idea of Mrs. Daniels suffering seemed to have struck a nerve. The CEO leaned back in his chair with a look of shame.
“I’m not passing any judgment on her son. I’m merely stating the facts.”
“But the media will pass judgment, for sure, and so will the public,” George said. “When I visited Mrs. Daniels, she wasn’t interested in any potential insurance claims or money. All she wanted was for us to know what a great man her son was.”
Mike diverted his eyes toward his desk.
“Besides, how do you expect the feds to react when we release potential evidence to the press the day after we provided them with a copy,” George said, and then cautiously added. “Didn’t the feds tell you not to interfere with the investigation?”
George seemed to have struck another nerve, although Mike Williams made no attempt to answer his question.
“Let’s at least wait until the plane is located, and we know more about what actually happened.”
“The ELT isn’t providing a signal, George. It could be months until the plane is finally located.”
George saw an opportunity to change the subject, and hopefully get Mike’s mind off the press conference.
“Are the victims’ families still up there?” he asked.
The CEO seemed surprised by the sudden change in the conversation.
“They had a ceremony yesterday,” Mike said hesitantly. “Janet is traveling home today, and I imagine most of the families will do the same.”
George was just about to steer the conversation further away from the press conference by asking who Janet was, but when he noticed Mike’s hostile stare, he assumed his boss had understood his attempt at changing the subject.
“Let’s wait a few days at least, and give the feds time to release the information before we do. We can coordinate on Monday, and if you still see the need to disclose the complaint against Captain Daniels, then we can call a press conference on Tuesday.”
George had no intention of helping his boss prepare for a press conference on Tuesday. In fact, he’d rather resign as public relations manager. But he hoped his boss would change his mind before Monday. Once again, George thought of Trisha Boyle and how desperate she’d sounded to keep her job.
Mike Williams nodded hesitantly, seeming to reluctantly agree. “That’ll be all, George. Thanks for coming in early. I hope it didn’t interfere with your plan to visit your sister in the hospital this morning.”
“The plan is to visit her tomorrow morning instead. I won’t be gone for more than a few hours.”
“Take your time,” Mike told him. “Also, Cayla won’t be coming in today. I’ll conduct her job as the ECC for now, and I’ll let you know if we have any new developments.”
Or I could just watch the news, George thought before saying, “Sure.”
George didn’t plan to do much work the rest of the day, except for updating the company website with the information already known to the public. He imagined he’d spend most of his time writing a letter to his sister—the letter he’d promised his mom he would read to his sister during the next day’s visit to the hospital.
“I’ll be attending tomorrow’s early morning mass,” Mike suddenly announced as George was about to leave the office.
George thought his boss sounded guilty for having skipped church last Sunday, and it made him wonder if Mike had even left his office at all for the past seven days.
“I’ll be sure to include your sister in my prayers.”
George tilted his head and forced a polite smile before he left.
33 THE BEAR
Saturday afternoon
They’d followed the creek, which eventually merged with a lake.
The sky was clear. Julie unzipped her jacket, and closed her eyes as she faced the sun. She took the elastic band from her hair, put it on her wrist, and ruffled her long hair in the small breeze from the lake. Julie was alone, as Jack had gone up the hill to get a better view of the surroundings.
“Help!” A male voice echoed across the landscape.
Julie rose to her feet and yelled, “What’s happening?”
Julie looked anxiously toward the steep hillside.
“Help!” Jack yelled from the top of the hill.
Julie looked terrified as Jack ran down the hillside in panic. His legs got tangled up and he lost his footage, and began rolling down the hill, desperately trying to get back on his feet. Julie took a few steps backward and fell to the ground.