Free Fall at Angel Creek, page 10
Back in her room, she listened at the door between their rooms for any sounds from River. Hearing nothing, she gently knocked on the door. No answer. She turned the knob and poked her head into the room. It was pitch-black, the clock radio alarm was beeping, and River was moaning.
“River? Are you okay?”
No response. Dee walked into the room, opened the curtains so she could see, then went over to the bed. River was buried under the comforter in a ball.
She gently shook the lump under the covers. “River? Do you need help?”
“No, no, no. Close the curtains, close the curtains.” She sounded frantic.
Dee quickly pulled the drapes shut and turned off the clock radio. “Okay. They’re closed. What’s wrong?”
River slowly unburied herself from the covers and carefully sat up on the side of the bed, her hands covering her eyes. Her voice sounded rough. “Migraine. No lights. Please stop shouting. Give me a minute.” River rocked back and forth with her head down and her eyes covered. “Oh, crap.”
She tried to stand up but looked like she would fall over, so Dee put her arm around River’s waist to steady her.
“Please help me to the bathroom.”
River was very wobbly as Dee maneuvered her there.
“Don’t turn on the light. I can see well enough with just the night light.”
As Dee got her to the sink, River abruptly turned to the toilet and emptied the contents of her stomach.
“Oh, fuck,” River mumbled, then flushed the toilet and rinsed her mouth at the sink.
“Can I get you anything?”
“Please bring me a 7-Up from the fridge.”
Dee found the soft drink and brought it to her, then watched River sip it and swallow a pill with it. It was awful to see her in such pain. She wished she could do more to help her, especially since River had helped her so much last night.
River drank some more 7-Up, then tried to walk back to bed, but she was still unsteady.
She put her arm around River again. “Here, let me help you.”
After getting River back into bed, she spoke very softly. “What do you need?”
“I just have to sleep and hope this migraine goes away eventually. Can you go to the morning briefing and take notes for me? Also, bring me a copy of any new test results or reports they have. I’m not going to be able to do anything today, so you’re on your own. Sorry.”
“Got it. I’m leaving now to go to the briefing, but if you need anything, please text me. Are you sure you’re okay here by yourself? You really don’t look good. Do you need me to call a doctor for you?”
“No. I’ll be fine. Please just let me sleep, and thanks.” River buried herself under the covers again.
Dee hung the Do Not Disturb sign on the outside door handle, turned off the bathroom light, checked that the drapes were securely closed, and quietly left the room through their adjoining door. On the short drive over to the airport, she kept thinking about River. She felt sorry for her suffering from the effects of a nasty migraine. Being so helpless and in pain was such a contrast to the usually self-assured accident investigator. And then there was the other side of River, the side of a woman who was kind to her and who had taken care of her.
She sat in the back of the hangar listening to the briefing. Though she didn’t understand a lot of the technical airplane stuff, she dutifully wrote it all down for River. While listening to Ronald Moore conduct the briefing, she had to agree with River that he was a self-serving, pompous ass. He talked about all the tremendous progress they were making and mentioned that they had retrieved a few parts from the flight deck. He concluded the briefing with a description of their major findings so far.
“We have the fluids tests completed, with no irregularities found, and the engine analysis and tear-down is complete. The GE engine experts report that all engines were operating within normal parameters at the time the aircraft broke apart. We did find one thing we are still working on. The number-three engine from the right wing sustained a large puncture on the inboard side of the engine nacelle. We have concluded that an unknown object penetrated the outer casing and damaged the internal engine components.
“This impact significantly damaged the engine but not enough to cause it to separate from the wing. At this time, we believe it was damaged during the explosion and did not cause the airframe failure. We’re still looking for the object that impacted the engine. Additionally, we’ve received the Relax Air training records and FAA pilot records on all the flight crew members. All these reports will be available after the briefing. We’ll continue to be relentless in finding what caused this terrible accident. I will now entertain any questions from the press. Thank you for your attention.”
Dee hurried over to the Tests/Reports table to get River copies of all the reports. She really didn’t know what she could do to help with anything in the search area today, so she bundled up all the reports and decided to take them back to River at the hotel. Plus, she wanted to check on her to see if she was feeling any better. As she turned to leave, one of the ATF agents intercepted her.
“Here’s the rest of the information on the passengers, with everything we know so far. Can you go over this to see what else you can find out about the McClain family? Get back to me as soon as you can.” He shoved a thick file folder into her hand, turned, and walked off.
“Why, yes, Agent. I’d be happy to do your job for you, and I’ll be sure to get back to you in a jiffy.”
No one was around to appreciate her sarcasm, but it made her feel better to say it. Most of the Feds she’d worked with in the past thought they were hot stuff and felt entitled to order local cops around. She didn’t normally put up with their crap, but they were the reason she was allowed to participate in this investigation, so she had to comply with their “requests.”
After adding this file to her stack of reports, she drove back to the Holiday Inn and quietly entered her room. She listened at the adjoining door for any sounds from River. Hearing nothing, she opened the door to River’s room to check on her. The room was still dark, with just a tiny amount of light coming from the bottom of the drapes. She could see through the dim light that the big lump in the bed appeared to be breathing. She was glad to see River resting comfortably, especially after the misery she’d been in earlier. She turned to leave the room and let her sleep.
“Dee? Is that you?” River’s voice was weak.
“Yes. It’s me. I’m sorry to disturb you. Do you need anything?”
“What’d they say at the morning briefing?”
“I picked up the reports you asked for. Do you want them now, or do you want to read them later?”
River slowly sat up in the bed. “For now, just give me the highlights. I’ll read the reports later, when I can see.”
“According to Ronald Moore, everything is going well, and they are making progress. He talked about the engines and said he didn’t think they caused the crash. Then he said they had some reports completed.”
“That means he’s in trouble.”
“Why do you say that? He seemed fine to me.”
“Because I’ve had to work with him long enough to know when he says ‘Everything is going well and we’re making progress,’ it means the opposite, and he’s getting big pressure to identify the cause of the accident.”
“Getting pressure from who?”
“His boss at the NTSB and everyone else, because of the size of this accident. Three hundred passengers and crew were killed, and that’s a lot of blood priority.”
“What’s that mean?”
“Blood priority means that the more blood spilled in an aircraft crash, the more attention the accident gets. Ronald Moore is under a lot of pressure to produce results and find the cause, fast.”
“That makes sense, I guess. Hey, do you want any breakfast? I can go down to the buffet and get you something.”
“No. My stomach is still a little iffy. I’m just going to sleep some more. Then I’ll be better. Thanks for getting the reports.”
River crawled back under her covers, signaling it was time for Dee to leave.
* * *
River listened for the sound of the door latch, then buried herself in the bed and tried to go back to sleep. She stayed very still and tried to breathe slowly. She would survive this migraine, but just barely. She hadn’t had one this bad in a long time because she was usually better about taking care of herself. As long as she didn’t get too tired or hungry and stayed away from Parmesan cheese, she could generally prevent her migraine attacks.
She hated feeling vulnerable when she had a bad headache. She couldn’t move, couldn’t think, couldn’t defend herself, and could barely manage to take her meds. When she’d heard noises in her room, she’d been relieved Dee was back.
Dee was sweet to check on her, but she was also the reason River was incapacitated. She couldn’t be mad at Dee. It wasn’t her fault she had a traumatic reaction to her sister’s death. River didn’t regret staying with Dee all night to keep her safe, because Dee needed her. She did regret being down the entire day, but was this another reason Dee shouldn’t be working on this accident?
River didn’t want anyone to know about the weakness these migraines imposed on her, but now Dee knew her secret and had leverage over her. All because of that piece of shit in Louisiana. That was another moment burned into her brain. River remembered every detail like it had happened yesterday, even though it was over sixteen years ago.
She’d been driving her silver Corvette back to Barksdale Air Force Base after being named Top Graduate of the US Air Force Flight Safety School. Life was good, River loved her flying, and her future was limitless. She’d just been selected for promotion to major, was starting KC-10 instructor pilot school, and had met a beautiful Southern belle who called her every day she was away at school.
As she was enjoying the drive and thinking about possibilities with her new lady, a drunk driving a pickup truck ran a red light and plowed into the passenger side of her car. The impact was so hard, the car spun around three times before stopping against a tree.
River found this out later when she woke up in the base hospital with a collar around her neck. She was sore all over, had lost consciousness for thirty minutes, and wanted to go home. The doctor insisted she stay, threatening her with bed restraints if she tried to get up. Compared to a plane crash, River thought she wasn’t doing too bad, and she was ready to leave the next day.
Two days after that, she was stricken with the worst pain she’d ever known. Back at the hospital, the neurologist told her she had migraine headaches as a result of a concussion from the car accident. His parting words stabbed her in the heart.
“Oh, sorry to tell you, but you’re now permanently grounded.”
Chapter Fourteen
Dee set down her coffee and spread out the reports on the desk. The ones labeled “Engine Analysis” looked like they were written in Greek, and she set those aside for River. She skipped to the summary at the end of the Fluids Analysis report.
Hydraulic fluid, Jet-A fuel, engine oil—Normal parameters.
Presence of ice—Unknown.
Causal factors—None.
The reports from the airline and the FAA regarding the crew members looked more familiar, and the detailed passenger data was already in a database. Dee began with the FAA pilot records. Most of the reports were typical government paperwork with copies of the captain’s, first officer’s, and flight engineer’s pilot’s license, medical certificate, driver’s license, arrest record, and any FAA violations.
Dee was surprised to see copies of every physical exam the pilots had ever taken throughout their flying careers. She scanned the documents and started a timeline for each pilot. The first thing she noticed was the age of the flight engineer. She was shocked that he was seventy-five years old and still flying. Flipping through his file, she learned that he’d been flying continuously for over fifty-five years and never had any significant medical issues.
Next, she reviewed the information regarding Captain Joe Davis. He was fifty-seven years old and had been flying for more than thirty years, but she found some gaps in his records. She’d have to ask River to explain the codes on the documents. First Officer Michael Lee was only twenty-nine and had the least experience of the three. He had no medical issues and was probably a young hotshot at the relatively new airline. She decided to go over these reports with River when she felt better.
Dee quietly opened the door between their rooms to check on River, relieved to hear steady, deep breathing. She left the door open a crack in case River called out to her. Opening the folder of passenger information put her in an area she was familiar with. She scanned the pages of data, looking for irregularities to pop out, specifically searching for all information about the McClain family and anyone associated with it.
They had purchased their round-trip tickets from Portland to Chicago only three days before they departed and paid a high price for the last-minute fares. They stayed in the Chicago area three days, and then J.R. McClain had called Relax Air to change their reservation to return a day early. That’s why they ended up sitting in different parts of the plane, because the earlier flight had only a few seats left. They all got stuck with middle seats throughout the cabin for the four-hour flight home. She still didn’t know why they went to Chicago, what they did there for three days, or why they took an earlier flight home. She would need to dig deeper with this lead.
Scanning the rest of the passenger data, she stopped when she saw “16A—Naomi R. Williams.” She ran her finger across the printed letters of her name and saw the rest of Naomi’s data on the page: her address, cell-phone number, emergency contact (Bill Williams), and his phone number. I can’t believe I haven’t called him yet. Her eyes welled up, and she couldn’t fight the wave of loss as it rolled over her. She was still upset, but not as bad as the day before. That’s because River helped me last night.
Dee closed her eyes, leaned back in the desk chair, and turned her chair to face the sunlight streaming into the room through the windows. The sun was warm, and she inhaled deeply. She took her mind back to the moment she was aware of River holding her from behind. She’d felt cared for and knew River would keep her safe. She clung to that feeling to ride out the wave of grief. After a few minutes, warmth replaced melancholy, and she felt better. Focusing on a positive thought helped her get through the rough spots. She skipped over the part where she tried to put the moves on River. She could handle only so much humiliation in one day.
Dee checked on River again, happy to hear the shower running. She didn’t realize how much she’d worried about River, who’d looked so unsteady this morning. The water stopped, and she stepped away from the door. Then River walked into her room with her blond hair slicked back and wearing only her towel. Oh, my.
* * *
“I’m so sorry about this morning, Dee, and I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t mention to anyone that I was sick.”
“Certainly. I would never tell anyone your personal business.”
“Thank you. Well, I guess I should get dressed. Be right back.”
River finished drying off in her room and put on her flannel shirt and sweatpants. She still had to be careful and not move too quickly, or she’d get dizzy. She still felt shaky from her migraine, but much better than earlier. It was similar to a nasty hangover, but without the booze. She had to get back to work, or she might miss something important. When she walked into Dee’s room again, she saw neat stacks of tabbed folders spread out on the desk. “You’ve been busy.”
“I looked at some of these, but I need you to translate the other ones. Here are the notes from the morning briefing.”
She took the notepad and noticed Dee’s tidy handwriting. The notes were well organized, thorough, succinct, and exactly what she needed. Dee was clearly skilled and had covered for her well today.
“These are great.” Then she smiled and laughed.
“What’s funny?”
“The way you spelled a word. That’s all.”
“Did I write down something wrong?” Dee was staring at her.
“It’s the word ‘chock.’ In flying, it’s a wheel stop used to keep a plane from rolling. You wrote ‘chalk,’ like what you use to write on a board. It just looked funny on the paper.”
“Oh. Sorry I’m such a dummy about all this flying stuff.” Her voice had a definite edge.
“No. That’s not what I meant. It’s just cute.”
“Well, you can look at the reports on the desk. I’m going downstairs to get more coffee.”
She put her hand on Dee’s forearm to stop her. “I’m sorry. Please don’t be upset with me. I’m not thinking too clearly yet.” She needed to sit down. “Could you please close the drapes partway? I’m still a little sensitive to light.”
Dee closed the drapes halfway and turned down the lights in the room. “How’s this?”
“Better. I’m going to order room service. Would you like anything to eat?”
“Yeah. I’m kind of hungry.” She looked around the room for a menu.
“They have nachos, French onion soup, chili, hamburger, chicken Caesar salad, BLT, and chocolate cake.”
Dee turned to look at her. “How do you know what they have?”
“This is kind of sad to admit, but I’ve spent half my life in hotel rooms, and they are all the same. Here, check it.” River handed her the room service menu.
“You’re right, again. I’ll have a BLT sandwich.” Dee still had an edge to her voice.
River called room service and ordered hot tea with plain toast for herself, and the BLT for Dee. Then she turned to her. “Hey. I wasn’t trying to insult you. I appreciate you getting the meeting notes and for organizing all this for me. It helps a lot. Thank you.”
