"You can't search my bag."
"I'm not searching it. I'm asking you to identify items that may belong to another passenger."
She turned away too quickly. The handbag struck an armrest, and the zipper slipped apart. Two sealed dessert cups and a folded gold-edged card fell to the carpet. The sounds were small, but they seemed louder than the conversations that had been going on around them.
Lenora bent to collect the items. Merrick asked her to leave them on the floor until their ownership could be checked. With visible reluctance she stepped back. He lifted the card by its clean edge and read the printed passenger information.
"Nessa Row. Seat 3D."
Nessa came forward just far enough to read it herself. Her eyes widened. "That's mine. My aunt paid extra because the regular dessert isn't safe for me."
Lenora stared at the card. "The crew gave me those items."
"Who did?" Merrick asked.
"Bria."
"I provided a single complimentary tray," Bria said sharply. "Whatever else ended up in that bag had nothing to do with me."
Lenora turned on her. "You put both desserts beside the meal and told me to use whichever looked prettier in the photographs."
"That is not true."
"You arranged them yourself."
Sela, who had been listening from beside the galley, shifted her weight. Zire noticed she seemed to remember something but was hesitant to speak in front of the passengers. Merrick noticed too. He asked her whether she had seen anyone handling additional food before boarding, and she admitted she had seen Bria working at a cart with several loose menu cards.
"I assumed she was organizing special service," Sela said. "I didn't realize she was taking anything from passenger orders."
"Did you see her mark the meals delivered?" Merrick asked.