Marcus Sterling sat in the airport hangar where Captain Koker's private jet was kept, his notebook open on his lap. The crew had been summoned for questioning, and they stood in a nervous line near the aircraft. The pilot, a man named Richards, looked like he hadn't slept since the day Mira disappeared.
"Walk me through that day," Sterling said, his pen ready. "Everything from the moment she arrived at the hangar."
Richards cleared his throat. "Miss Koker showed up around noon with two other teenagers. A boy and a girl. She told us she had her father's permission for a cultural trip to Mumbai."
"Did you verify that permission?"
Richards shifted his weight. "We called the main house. The housekeeper confirmed that Miss Koker had mentioned the trip to her. We assumed everything was approved."
Sterling looked up from his notes. "You assumed. Based on what the housekeeper said, not what Mr. Koker said."
"Yes, sir."
