He turned toward her. "Ashley, sit down."
She did not. "You said I was helping you with a legitimate investment. You said my company's name was only on the papers because I was designing the resort. Why is she listed as a guarantor?"
Ryan took one step toward her, and the officers directed him to stop. He looked from one woman to the other with the expression of a man watching two doors close at once. I had spent months imagining how it would feel to learn his secrets. I had not imagined how painfully ordinary he would look when he ran out of explanations.
"I need my lawyer," he said at last.
"You can request counsel," Ramirez replied. "Let's go."
The officers escorted him toward the jet bridge. There was no shouting, no struggle, and no dramatic speech. A few passengers watched with concern, but most had no idea what had happened beyond a passenger being removed before departure. For once I was grateful that the world did not stop merely because mine had shifted beneath me.
Ashley stood in the aisle with her handbag held against her stomach. Priya asked whether she intended to remain on the flight. She looked toward the empty seat beside hers, then toward the documents in her hand, and shook her head. "I need to talk to the detective," she said. "I think he's used my company too."
Priya nodded and arranged for her to disembark with her belongings. Denise stayed by the curtain, giving Ashley room to pass without making her humiliation more public than it already was. As the younger woman approached, her eyes met mine briefly. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
It was too early for me to decide what that apology meant. She had been involved with my husband while we were married, whether or not she had known the truth. She might also have been deceived about the documents, and she had chosen to speak when remaining silent would have been easier. I was not ready to forgive her, and I did not have to be ready. "Tell them what you know," I said.
She nodded and stepped off the aircraft. Daniel followed after confirming that his luggage would be removed according to airline procedure. Within minutes, a reserve crew member arrived to take my place, looking concerned but professionally prepared. I handed over my assignment notes, pointed out the passenger assistance needs Denise and I had discussed, and made sure nothing related to the incident had left my work area unsecured.
Then I stepped through the aircraft doorway myself. For a moment I stood on the jet bridge facing the gate, where passengers moved through the terminal with rolling suitcases and half-empty coffee cups. Beyond the glass, airplanes taxied beneath the bright Texas sky. The Cancun flight would depart without me after the operational hold and required checks were completed, and my husband would not be on it. Neither would the woman he had promised a new life.