Just committed people examining real problems and deciding how to work together.
When Naomi left the conference center, she felt something she hadn't experienced since the confrontation aboard the jet.
Peace.
The aircraft incident still mattered.
The investigation would continue.
And difficult decisions lay ahead.
But the reason she'd built her company remained clear.
She wanted systems people could depend on.
Especially when they were vulnerable.
And she intended to apply that same standard to her own flight operation.
The audit expanded over the following three weeks.
Julian coordinated with independent aviation compliance specialists, financial investigators, and the aircraft management company.
The review examined flight authorizations, scheduling histories, crew records, passenger documentation, expenses, and communications associated with the irregular movements.
It also examined whether any of the disputed flights created safety or regulatory concerns requiring referral to the relevant authorities.
The findings were more serious than anyone initially expected.
Several aircraft movements had been connected to informal arrangements involving Charles Whitmore's concierge business.
Some were billed as ordinary company positioning flights.
Others were described as executive travel despite lacking properly documented authorization from Ellis Horizon.
Certain expenses were incorrectly allocated to company cost centers.
A few passenger details had been entered late or inconsistently.
And the supporting communications suggested that Richard had accepted outside compensation connected to arranging access to the aircraft.
The exact financial arrangements required further investigation.
But the basic pattern was increasingly clear.
Richard had used the trust associated with his position to offer something he didn't own.
Charles had presented that access to clients as though it were legitimate.
And Edmund Royce had helped create the appearance of authorization even when he lacked the authority to approve the movements.
The review also identified weaknesses within the aircraft management company's procedures.
Certain approval checks relied too heavily on informal communications.
A scheduling discrepancy could be resolved through a phone conversation without adequate documentation.
And outdated contact information had remained in systems where it could be mistaken for current authorization.
Those failures didn't excuse the conduct of the individuals involved.
But they helped explain how the irregularities continued for months.
Naomi read the preliminary report late one evening.