Chapter 41 Summary
At the airport, Mark Peltier (posing as Tyler Winslow) watches as his carefully orchestrated plan unfolds. He sees Samir Patel called up to the gate and, judging by Samir’s displeased reaction and body language, concludes that the seat reassignment has gone through as planned.
Samir returns from the onboard restroom and takes his seat. Mark introduces himself and attempts to start a conversation, but Samir, sleep-deprived and uninterested, rebuffs the small talk, stating his intent to sleep. With no immediate opening for conversation, both men eventually doze off as the plane departs.
Meanwhile, on St. John, Officer Charley Williams arrives early to deal with the fallout from her hastily submitted reports to the FBI and CID about Mark’s supposed abduction.
The FBI’s St. Croix office replies first, stating that while they’ll temporarily suspend the case, they are disappointed with her premature actions, warning her to be more diligent in the future. Charley, disheartened, knows that if her trusted contacts won’t drop it easily, CID may be even less accommodating.
CID’s response comes next — the Carolinas Field Office informs her they are not the correct jurisdiction and have referred the case to the Southeast Field Office at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Somewhat relieved that she only needs to deal with one CID office now, Charley quickly crafts an explanation to justify closing the file.
Her email response, while mostly fabricated, claims a chain of communication breakdowns, making the situation appear like a kidnapping. She admits to jumping to conclusions, explains her actions as coming from concern, and apologizes for any inconvenience caused.
Although satisfied with the logic of her explanation, Charley’s frustration with Mark intensifies as she feels he’s made her look unprofessional and naïve, and she vows to give him a piece of her mind the next time they meet—possibly even consider charging him with something petty, to teach him a lesson.
Charley sends off her emails, hoping the incident will now be resolved with the files marked “Unfounded.”
