Chapter 52
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
Quiet Getaway
CLIFF
Vanderlip Airfield in Torrance was located just ten minutes east of the office of Dinner for Six.
It could accommodate a wide variety of single-engine planes and a small but exclusive fleet of private jets.
It had undergone an extensive renovation after the city of Torrance sold Zamperini Airfield to a private investor, the Vanderlip Consortium, which pivoted to catering to the elite private jet-setting crowd, which turned out to be much more lucrative than teaching commoners how to fly Cessnas.
The Vanderlip Consortium overhauled the interior to make it more upscale, leaning into the elegance and luxuriousness required of the rich and famous.
They added spa-inspired bathrooms with imported white statuary marble and gleaming fixtures, a five-star restaurant serving things like butter-poached scallops with cherry gastrique and bitter greens, and a craft cocktail bar that overlooked the airfield.
Cliff had told the crew that Lorna had a business card from Vanderlip Airfield, which he had seen by accident after going over her security assessment.
“It stuck with me because I once took flying lessons there,” Cliff said.
“But when I asked her about it, she was dodgy. Said she’d never fly in a small plane, that they were dangerous.
But she said she knew a pilot who flew in and out of that airfield.
” An exclusive airfield was exactly the place to go to get out of town after masterminding the heist of the century.
It had been two days. She could already have flown the coop. Probably had.
“It’s just a hunch,” he said. “If she’s not there, she’s in the wind and we’ll never find her.”
This sobering news hit the singles squad oddly, as the collective energy had been bubbling along as they got to the bottom of the mystery.
Having a purpose such as this bonded them even tighter, the way some people do when trapped in an escape room.
Working as a team felt good, highlighting each of their talents.
(Rick was great at trivia, Holly an excellent navigator, Kyle could hack into the flight plans at the airfield, and Shannon searched for Lorna Gray’s other aliases.) This quest fostered and deepened the interpersonal relationships between the couples as well.
No one said it, but this chase could not end without answers.
When they pulled into the parking lot of Vanderlip Airfield, where valet parking cost fifty dollars, Rick said, “I’ll self-park. Meet you inside.”
Cliff led the pack as they walked briskly into the small but well-appointed terminal.
He scouted the area. There were a total of four gates, two on each side of an expansive bar with a few tables adorned with linen tablecloths and gold art deco lamps.
The vibe was relaxed and dimly lit, like an upscale lounge at the Waldorf Astoria, and the tables looked out onto the airfield.
Jamie picked up a menu at the hostess stand. “Hmm. You can get fresh Kumamoto oysters flown in daily.”
Rick joined them just in time to look over Jamie’s shoulder at the menu. “And a tomahawk steak for three hundred and fifty dollars. Jesus.”
Holly said, “I wonder who the chef is.”
Jamie scanned the crowd. There was a total of fifteen people inside the terminal, some nursing cocktails at the bar, other reading the Robb Report from the plush reclining chairs lined up near the windows.
There was only one woman in sight accompanied by two bored, moody teenagers.
Jamie moved closer to get a better look.
She was plump, blond, wearing a hat with the Lone Star Flag on it.
The woman turned and Jamie saw her face. It was not Lorna.
The group fanned out in pairs searching for their elusive target, understanding that she may be traveling incognito. She was nowhere to be found.
They met back at the bar, frustrated. “I checked under each stall of the nicest airport bathroom I have ever seen,” Holly said. “Could eat off the floor.”
“I checked the men’s room, too. Nothing. Agree with the floors,” Rick said.
Kyle scanned the upcoming flight logs online. “Most of these flights are going to Dallas or New York. Except one.”
“Which one?” Cliff asked.
“There’s a flight going to Monterey Bay. Leaves in ten minutes. Gate 4.”
The group moved toward Gate 4. They peered around the room to see if any passengers were headed in the direction of the flight. No one was.
Rick stretched his arms over his head and finally said, “She’s not here. Good try, Weston. But I’m hungry. I’m going to get the car.”
Shannon, Kyle, and Holly all glumly nodded. “I’ll go with you.” Holly grabbed Rick’s arm as they headed out.
Cliff, stubborn yet stumped, asked Kyle, “Which plane is it?”
Kyle looked at his phone and gave the flight numbers of the Bombardier jet going to Monterey. “AL474.”
Cliff looked out the large windows. Across the tarmac a sleek Bombardier jet waited, lights on, wheel chocks still in place, pocket door still open, engine running.
Cliff approached the gate attendant, a stunningly gorgeous woman with an English accent. “Excuse me, Miss, have all the passengers boarded flight AL474?”
“I don’t understand, sir?” The gate attendant looked confused.
“Are all the passengers already on board?” He pointed to the waiting jet outside. She looked over.
“Oh, they are just doing the last safety check. There are no passengers on that flight this evening, sir. Just the pilot taking the plane back to its originating airport.”
“Thank you,” Cliff said, dejected.
Shannon sighed. “I have to hit the bathroom before we leave. Will you wait for me, Kyle?”
“I’ll always wait for you,” he said, squeezing her hand. Shannon kissed him on the cheek and basked in his sweetness. She wandered off. Kyle stood next to Cliff, silent.
Cliff stood staring out the window, willing the appearance of Lorna Gray.
Jamie gently touched his arm. He knew that if he looked at her, in the next moment she would say they should give up and go home and he would obey.
It was a stretch to believe Lorna might be here, now, in this moment, anyway.
He didn’t have that kind of luck. He waited one more beat and finally relented. He looked at her.
Jamie, with a glint in her eye, said, “Let’s go meet that pilot.”