William let him finish. He had spent much of the night sorting passengers into categories of delay, assistance, and operational priority, yet Marcus's words reminded him that classification could become an excuse to stop seeing the person beneath the record. "We have evidence that the reason was false," William said. "We are examining why it was entered, who approved the change, and whether discrimination influenced the decision. I won't tell you we've reached conclusions we haven't reached yet."
Marcus glanced toward the company attorney. "That's the first useful answer I've heard since I entered your lounge," he said. The attorney lowered her eyes to the documents in her hands, relieved that William had not promised more than the inquiry could establish. A few steps ahead, airport staff kept travelers moving around the small gathering, and the world continued its ordinary business while a corporate crisis unfolded beside a gate.
The airline had reserved a private room in a terminal services wing, away from the crowded arrivals area. Marcus declined an offer to use a separate entrance that would conceal the meeting from reporters, explaining that he wanted privacy for legal and operational discussions but not secrecy about the underlying incident. He also asked William to confirm that displaced travelers were being assisted, and William described the hotel arrangements, alternative flights, and medical exceptions organized by the operations team. Marcus listened carefully, asking for the information to be included in any written agreement.
Outside the conference wing, several reporters had gathered after tracking the arrival of Flight 88. A journalist called Marcus's name, asking whether he intended to keep 152 aircraft on the ground until the airline apologized. He did not answer the question while walking, because a short statement would flatten an issue he had not yet examined completely. The sound of camera shutters followed him through the glass doors and faded when William led the group into the conference room.
The room overlooked a rain-streaked taxiway and contained a long table, a video screen, a row of water glasses, and a tray of pastries nobody touched. On the far wall hung a photograph of a Meridian aircraft banking above the ocean, an image selected to make visitors feel calm and confident. Marcus placed Daniel's briefcase beside his chair and looked at the people assembling around the table. Their attention was complete, intense, and professionally respectful, and he could not help thinking of Susan Miller moving past him with the coffee pot at JFK.
William introduced the legal officer, Eleanor Voss, and the communications director, Rachel Stone. Eleanor said the airline had retained an outside investigator to review the gate incident, including the lounge interaction, the manual seat change, and Brian's response. She promised preservation of records and asked whether Marcus had any personal notes or communications that would help complete the timeline. Marcus replied that he did and that Apex Grid's counsel would provide them through an appropriate legal channel, rather than through casual access to proprietary data.