“Your booking was made nine days
ago.”
“I know.”
“Mr. Prescott changed onto your flight yesterday afternoon at 2:14 p.m.”
Adrian nodded.
“And fourteen B?” I asked.
Daniel turned the screen toward me.
“The seat had been occupied.”
My heart began to pound.
“By who?”
“A passenger named Claire Ellison.”
Adrian stopped moving.
I looked at him.
“Claire?”
He didn’t answer immediately.
Daniel did.
“Mr. Prescott’s executive assistant.”
I stared at Adrian.
“You said Claire booked your ticket.”
“She did.”
“And she was supposed to sit beside me?”
“Apparently.”
Lily was drawing beside us.
I lowered my voice.
“Why?”
Adrian looked genuinely shaken.
“I don’t know.”
“Was she traveling to Houston?”
“Yes, but on my original flight.”
“Then why did she have a seat on mine?”
He turned to Daniel.
Daniel clicked through the reservation history.
“Seat fourteen B was booked under Ms. Ellison’s name six days ago. She cancelled it yesterday at 1:
51 p.m.”
“Twenty-three minutes before you changed flights,” I said.
“Yes.”
“And then Adrian took the same seat?”
Daniel nodded.
“Was that automatic?”
“No.”
I looked at Adrian.
“Did Claire move you?”
“I told her to get me onto the earliest Houston flight. I didn’t choose the seat.”
“Then she put you there.”
He reached for his phone.
Daniel stopped him.
“Sir.”
“What?”
“We haven’t been able to contact Claire.”
Adrian’s expression shifted.
“Since when?”
“She didn’t show for the morning briefing.”
